Representative Don Humason



October 8, 2009 Humason Statement on House Passage of Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Bill By a vote of 113 to 36, the Massachusetts House of Representatives today passed “An Act Relative to Pandemic and Disaster Preparation and Response in the Commonwealth.” I voted in the affirmative to approve the bill. The bill, as originally written and passed by the Senate, granted what I believe was improper and expansive new powers to the government, including the entry into private property without a warrant and several other questionable conflicts with provisions of the Forth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. The version that passed the House of Representatives today addressed many of those concerns and others expressed by my constituents by striking the entry into private dwellings without a warrant, allowing for an appeal to the Superior Court of an isolation order and calling for the least restrictive means to be used. These are all positive steps and I appreciate the fact that our concerns were heard and addressed in the committee process. I believe this bill strikes the proper balance by providing government with the limited but necessary tools to deal with a pandemic. By removing many sections of the original Senate bill and providing a due process mechanism to people who wish to challenge the actions of a government official, this bill is now in an acceptable form. The revised bill also includes a Republican amendment which now more clearly defines the circumstances when the Governor can declare a pandemic emergency. A Conference Committee will be appointed to reconcile differences between the Senate and House bills. If the Senate does not adopt the improvements and protections made by the House today, I will not support the legislation in the future. *** Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org
This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group

October 8, 2009

Humason Statement on House Passage of Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Bill

By a vote of 113 to 36, the Massachusetts House of Representatives today passed “An Act Relative to Pandemic and Disaster Preparation and Response in the Commonwealth.” I voted in the affirmative to approve the bill.

The bill, as originally written and passed by the Senate, granted what I believe was improper and expansive new powers to the government, including the entry into private property without a warrant and several other questionable conflicts with provisions of the Forth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

The version that passed the House of Representatives today addressed many of those concerns and others expressed by my constituents by striking the entry into private dwellings without a warrant, allowing for an appeal to the Superior Court of an isolation order and calling for the least restrictive means to be used. These are all positive steps and I appreciate the fact that our concerns were heard and addressed in the committee process.

I believe this bill strikes the proper balance by providing government with the limited but necessary tools to deal with a pandemic. By removing many sections of the original Senate bill and providing a due process mechanism to people who wish to challenge the actions of a government official, this bill is now in an acceptable form.

The revised bill also includes a Republican amendment which now more clearly defines the circumstances when the Governor can declare a pandemic emergency.

A Conference Committee will be appointed to reconcile differences between the Senate and House bills. If the Senate does not adopt the improvements and protections made by the House today, I will not support the legislation in the future.

***

Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group