Representative Don Humason



HUNGRY BEARS April 4, 2009 By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. I was expecting to write this week&rsq uo;s column about the Transportation Reform package passed by the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, the Speaker and Chairman of the Transportation Committee decided to postpone debate on the bill until next week while they fine tune the version of the bill they want to present. Last week, the Senate debated and passed their version of the reform bill which did not contain any increase in state gasoline taxes, nor did it have any mention of a microchip to track Massachusetts motorists. This week the House did vote on and pass a bill that codified what the Insurance Commissioner already conceded to do. We created the motor vehicle surcharge Board of Appeals under the auspices of the Commissioner to protect consumers wishing to appeal their auto insurer’s surcharge on their insurance. This issue got a great deal of publicity over the past couple of months to the point where the Commissioner rescinded her plan to eliminate the Board of Appeals. The Legislature decided to act despite her decision. I think it’s good news for motorists. Springtime in Western Mass means that our resident black bears will be awakening from their winter hibernation with a ravenous appetite. According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife there are 3,000 bears living in the Commonwealth. These Bay State bears ar e going to be hungry. You don’t want to be the ones to feed them. So take in your birdfeeders. Keep your trash in airtight containers and stored in your shed or garage. Don’t leave your pet food dishes outside. If you follow these suggestions it will help prevent problems with other nuisance animals like skunks, raccoons, and coyotes. Bears are smart, wide-ranging, and have great memories. If they find your place offers easy pickings, they&r squo;ll keep coming back. This may lead to the bears becoming emboldened and losing their fear of humans. When that happens damage can occur that could end in harm to people or the animal. Don’t let it get to that point. For more information on bears go to www.mass.gov/dfwele. March was a very busy month. I was in Boston for 14 of the 31 days of last month. That’s an awful lot of days to be away from Westfield. Caucuses, meetings, committee hearings, and a few formal sessions. No shortage of things to do. Now that April has arrived things are really heating up. April is the final stretch before the full House debates, amends, and votes on the House Ways and Means version of the state budget for Fiscal Year 2010 which begins July 1. Ways and Mean s is sending out advance warnings. Cuts in the billions due to billion dollar declines in private sector and corporate revenues. Deep cuts in all sectors of the budget. And even a reduction in budget earmarks this year. After the House of Representatives finishes the Senate gets its chance to pass their own version. Then a six legislator Conference Committee will be appointed consisting of 3 Senators and 3 Representatives to hammer out every difference large or small between the two versions. After the House and Senate vote on the Conference Committee report, an up or down vote with no opportunity to amend, that bill goes to the Governor for his revue, vetoes, or signature. The Legislature gets the ultimate bite of the Apple though. Veto overrides must begin in the House. If they don’t the Senate won’t get the chance to override. When that p rocess is complete Massachusetts will have a finished state budget that may look drastically different from previous budgets. It will likely be smaller than last year’s budget. Maybe smaller than FY 2008. We’ll have to see. When I met with the new Chairman of House Ways and Means, Charles Murphy of Burlington, I urged him to use this opportunity to focus on the key priorities of state government. To do what all of us are doing during this recession as we sit around our kitchen tables to make our own budgets and pay our bills. We focus on the necessities and priorities. We cut, and scrimp, and save. We don’t spend what we don’t have. And we don’t spend money on things that are not absolutely essential. I know this economy won’t remain sluggish and depressed forever. This is America. Things will always get better. But what government does will have a big impact on how quickly that recovery will come and ho w the citizens of our state will weather it and come through. * * * Representative Humason and his Legislative Aide Jonelle Gingrich may be reached at his State House office, Room 542. Boston, MA 02133. (617) 722-2803. Representative Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at his Westfield district office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085. (413) 568-1366. Representative Don Humason’s website is www.DonHumason.org
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HUNGRY BEARS

April 4, 2009

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

I was expecting to write this week&rsq uo;s column about the Transportation Reform package passed by the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, the Speaker and Chairman of the Transportation Committee decided to postpone debate on the bill until next week while they fine tune the version of the bill they want to present.

Last week, the Senate debated and passed their version of the reform bill which did not contain any increase in state gasoline taxes, nor did it have any mention of a microchip to track Massachusetts motorists.

This week the House did vote on and pass a bill that codified what the Insurance Commissioner already conceded to do. We created the motor vehicle surcharge Board of Appeals under the auspices of the Commissioner to protect consumers wishing to appeal their auto insurer’s surcharge on their insurance.

This issue got a great deal of publicity over the past couple of months to the point where the Commissioner rescinded her plan to eliminate the Board of Appeals. The Legislature decided to act despite her decision. I think it’s good news for motorists.

Springtime in Western Mass means that our resident black bears will be awakening from their winter hibernation with a ravenous appetite. According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife there are 3,000 bears living in the Commonwealth.

These Bay State bears ar e going to be hungry. You don’t want to be the ones to feed them. So take in your birdfeeders. Keep your trash in airtight containers and stored in your shed or garage. Don’t leave your pet food dishes outside. If you follow these suggestions it will help prevent problems with other nuisance animals like skunks, raccoons, and coyotes.

Bears are smart, wide-ranging, and have great memories. If they find your place offers easy pickings, they&r squo;ll keep coming back. This may lead to the bears becoming emboldened and losing their fear of humans. When that happens damage can occur that could end in harm to people or the animal. Don’t let it get to that point.

For more information on bears go to www.mass.gov/dfwele.

March was a very busy month. I was in Boston for 14 of the 31 days of last month. That’s an awful lot of days to be away from Westfield. Caucuses, meetings, committee hearings, and a few formal sessions. No shortage of things to do.

Now that April has arrived things are really heating up. April is the final stretch before the full House debates, amends, and votes on the House Ways and Means version of the state budget for Fiscal Year 2010 which begins July 1. Ways and Mean s is sending out advance warnings. Cuts in the billions due to billion dollar declines in private sector and corporate revenues. Deep cuts in all sectors of the budget. And even a reduction in budget earmarks this year.

After the House of Representatives finishes the Senate gets its chance to pass their own version. Then a six legislator Conference Committee will be appointed consisting of 3 Senators and 3 Representatives to hammer out every difference large or small between the two versions.

After the House and Senate vote on the Conference Committee report, an up or down vote with no opportunity to amend, that bill goes to the Governor for his revue, vetoes, or signature. The Legislature gets the ultimate bite of the Apple though. Veto overrides must begin in the House. If they don’t the Senate won’t get the chance to override.

When that p rocess is complete Massachusetts will have a finished state budget that may look drastically different from previous budgets. It will likely be smaller than last year’s budget. Maybe smaller than FY 2008. We’ll have to see.

When I met with the new Chairman of House Ways and Means, Charles Murphy of Burlington, I urged him to use this opportunity to focus on the key priorities of state government. To do what all of us are doing during this recession as we sit around our kitchen tables to make our own budgets and pay our bills. We focus on the necessities and priorities. We cut, and scrimp, and save. We don’t spend what we don’t have. And we don’t spend money on things that are not absolutely essential.

I know this economy won’t remain sluggish and depressed forever. This is America. Things will always get better. But what government does will have a big impact on how quickly that recovery will come and ho w the citizens of our state will weather it and come through.

* * *

Representative Humason and his Legislative Aide Jonelle Gingrich may be reached at his State House office, Room 542. Boston, MA 02133. (617) 722-2803. Representative Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at his Westfield district office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085. (413) 568-1366. Representative Don Humason’s website is www.DonHumason.org