Representative Don Humason



BUDGET WEEK STORIES Westfield Evening News column By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. May 1, 2010 This week, the Massachusetts House of Representatives debated the House Ways and Means Committee version of the Fiscal Year 2011 state budget, H.4600. The fiscal year runs from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. The proposed budget is approximately $27 billion. It increases overall state spending by about 3% while cutting many important programs including essential human services to the neediest residents of our state and local aid to cities like Westfield. State representatives filed some 860 or so amendments to make changes to the budget as it was proposed. That’s down from last year, most likely because of acceptance by legislators that the Commonwealth’s economy is still pretty bad. Most amendments were not allowed to be debated individually. In a relatively recent tactic, House leadership bundled amendments according to category. For example, amendments concerning revenue or amendments concerning tourism were consolidated by the W&M Committee and members had to make a decision whether to vote for or against the consolidated amendment based on which amendments were rolled into it. The first day of debate, Monday, got off to a rocky start with debate scheduled to begin at 11 AM but actually not starting until 3 PM. Day two, Tuesday, debate was supposed to begin at 10 AM and started closer to 1 PM. Most days were like that. Maddening! The first category traditionally taken up during budget week is the category of Revenue. Any amendments that would either raise or lower state revenues are addressed first. There were amendments that would have lowered the sales tax from 6.25% back to 5%, repealed the sales tax on beer and wine, or taxed the endowments of private colleges like Harvard University. Debate on the Commonwealth’s tax policy was spirited. As Chairman of the Legislature’s Aviation Caucus, and the State Representative for Barnes Municipal Airport, I had to take the floor to fight against an amendment filed by a representative from Somerville (who doesn’t represent an airport) that would have inserted language from Governor Patrick’s budget repealing the exemption on the tax on the sale of aircraft in Massachusetts into the House budget. This exemption was put on the books in 2002 by Representative Cele Hahn and Senator Mike Knapik and is responsible for big growth in the aviation sector of our economy. Without this exemption, Massachusetts would be at a competitive disadvantage with other New England states and our aircraft, and all the jobs and revenue they represent, would literally fly out of state. As one of my colleagues, Representative Karyn Polito said during debate this week, “You can’t be pro-jobs and anti-business at the same time.” We were successful in preserving the sales tax incentive. One tactic used by leadership this week was to “further amend” an amendment to send it to a study. This was done repeatedly, despite the fact that it was an obvious ploy to kill the underlying amendment and keep it from being debated. This got rather frustrating as the debate wore on because history has shown us that studies mean death for bills and amendments. I filed an amendment in support of Western Massachusetts Hospital to restore their level of funding to last year’s level because the Governor’s and the House’s budget cut them. WMH is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It has provided essential public health services to needy populations since 1910. But the cut in their budget, like so many others, remained in effect. On Wednesday, legislators had the chance to passionately and vociferously debate an amendment filed by Representative Jeff Perry of Sandwich and cosponsored by myself and Representative Dan Webster of Pembroke. This amendment would have simply required that before any individual can be eligible to receive a public benefit (for example welfare benefits, unemployment, public housing, Medicaid) there be verification of their legal residency in the United States. Common sense, right? Not in the Mass House. In an article this week the Boston Herald stated there were more than 220,000 illegal immigrants living in the Bay State. President Obama’s aunt from Kenya is living in taxpayer-subsidized public housing in South Boston. That unit is not available for a U.S. citizen because it is taken up by an illegal. I was happy to take the floor to push for this sensible amendment. Once again, leadership moved a further amendment to study our amendment. The vote was closer than they wanted, 82-75. But for a few hours we got to debate our case that only legal residents of this country should be allowed to apply for Massachusetts taxpayer-funded public benefits. In my speech I said, “Wouldn’t it be great for the law abiding, taxpaying, legal residents, the cops, the teachers, the shop keepers, all our constituents who are in this country legally, if we could have as many legislators stand up and fight for them as stood up during this debate to defend those who are breaking the law.” On Thursday, the Speaker interrupted budget debate to bring before the House the newly released Conference Committee report on the Bullying in Schools bill. After speeches from the three House members on the Conference Committee and a “Maiden Speech” (as a legislator’s first speech on the floor before the full membership is called) there was a roll call vote on accepting the report. But the roll call machine wasn’t working so the Clerk had to call the roll of every House member by name. With 159 members (one seat is vacant because former Representative Willie Lantigua left to become mayor of Lawrence and a special election has yet to be held to fill that vacancy) it takes a long time to vote. It passed unanimously. Although slow to get started each day debate would often stretch late into the evening. Rule 1A of the House says legislators have to vote to suspend the rules and go past 9 PM each night. I always vote “nay” because I believe the people’s business should be conducted by the light of day and not in the late hours of the night. Sessions used to be carried on television. Now you have to go to www.mass.gov/legis and try to watch on your computer. It isn’t easy. So much for transparency! I had to email this column to the newspaper Thursday night before the debate was concluded and the final vote was taken. Once again, though, I predict that I will probably not cast a vote in favor of the final budget bill. Why? Lots of reasons: Process, lack of real debate, shenanigans by the majority to kill (by “further studying”) amendments, failure to accept cost cutting measures, cutting local aid to municipalities, different priorities than the majority. Now the budget will go to the Senate. They will debate in May after the Senate Ways and Means Committee releases its own version of the budget. The spotlight will turn to them. In conclusion, I promised my friend Nate that I would post the following notice: The Westfield Vocational Technical High School horticulture department will hold its annual plant sale on May 6-8, behind the school on Greylock Street, Thursday and Friday from 2 PM to 5 PM and on Saturday from 9 AM to noon. You will be able to purchase petunias, impatients, coleus, geraniums, lobelia, tomatoes, and much more. Come and support the kids. Thank you. * * * Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield Evening News. 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. Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org
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BUDGET WEEK STORIES

Westfield Evening News column

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

May 1, 2010

This week, the Massachusetts House of Representatives debated the House Ways and Means Committee version of the Fiscal Year 2011 state budget, H.4600. The fiscal year runs from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011.

The proposed budget is approximately $27 billion. It increases overall state spending by about 3% while cutting many important programs including essential human services to the neediest residents of our state and local aid to cities like Westfield.

State representatives filed some 860 or so amendments to make changes to the budget as it was proposed. That’s down from last year, most likely because of acceptance by legislators that the Commonwealth’s economy is still pretty bad. Most amendments were not allowed to be debated individually. In a relatively recent tactic, House leadership bundled amendments according to category. For example, amendments concerning revenue or amendments concerning tourism were consolidated by the W&M Committee and members had to make a decision whether to vote for or against the consolidated amendment based on which amendments were rolled into it.

The first day of debate, Monday, got off to a rocky start with debate scheduled to begin at 11 AM but actually not starting until 3 PM. Day two, Tuesday, debate was supposed to begin at 10 AM and started closer to 1 PM. Most days were like that. Maddening!

The first category traditionally taken up during budget week is the category of Revenue. Any amendments that would either raise or lower state revenues are addressed first. There were amendments that would have lowered the sales tax from 6.25% back to 5%, repealed the sales tax on beer and wine, or taxed the endowments of private colleges like Harvard University. Debate on the Commonwealth’s tax policy was spirited.

As Chairman of the Legislature’s Aviation Caucus, and the State Representative for Barnes Municipal Airport, I had to take the floor to fight against an amendment filed by a representative from Somerville (who doesn’t represent an airport) that would have inserted language from Governor Patrick’s budget repealing the exemption on the tax on the sale of aircraft in Massachusetts into the House budget.

This exemption was put on the books in 2002 by Representative Cele Hahn and Senator Mike Knapik and is responsible for big growth in the aviation sector of our economy. Without this exemption, Massachusetts would be at a competitive disadvantage with other New England states and our aircraft, and all the jobs and revenue they represent, would literally fly out of state. As one of my colleagues, Representative Karyn Polito said during debate this week, “You can’t be pro-jobs and anti-business at the same time.” We were successful in preserving the sales tax incentive.

One tactic used by leadership this week was to “further amend” an amendment to send it to a study. This was done repeatedly, despite the fact that it was an obvious ploy to kill the underlying amendment and keep it from being debated. This got rather frustrating as the debate wore on because history has shown us that studies mean death for bills and amendments.

I filed an amendment in support of Western Massachusetts Hospital to restore their level of funding to last year’s level because the Governor’s and the House’s budget cut them. WMH is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It has provided essential public health services to needy populations since 1910. But the cut in their budget, like so many others, remained in effect.

On Wednesday, legislators had the chance to passionately and vociferously debate an amendment filed by Representative Jeff Perry of Sandwich and cosponsored by myself and Representative Dan Webster of Pembroke. This amendment would have simply required that before any individual can be eligible to receive a public benefit (for example welfare benefits, unemployment, public housing, Medicaid) there be verification of their legal residency in the United States. Common sense, right? Not in the Mass House.

In an article this week the Boston Herald stated there were more than 220,000 illegal immigrants living in the Bay State. President Obama’s aunt from Kenya is living in taxpayer-subsidized public housing in South Boston. That unit is not available for a U.S. citizen because it is taken up by an illegal. I was happy to take the floor to push for this sensible amendment.

Once again, leadership moved a further amendment to study our amendment. The vote was closer than they wanted, 82-75. But for a few hours we got to debate our case that only legal residents of this country should be allowed to apply for Massachusetts taxpayer-funded public benefits. In my speech I said, “Wouldn’t it be great for the law abiding, taxpaying, legal residents, the cops, the teachers, the shop keepers, all our constituents who are in this country legally, if we could have as many legislators stand up and fight for them as stood up during this debate to defend those who are breaking the law.”

On Thursday, the Speaker interrupted budget debate to bring before the House the newly released Conference Committee report on the Bullying in Schools bill. After speeches from the three House members on the Conference Committee and a “Maiden Speech” (as a legislator’s first speech on the floor before the full membership is called) there was a roll call vote on accepting the report. But the roll call machine wasn’t working so the Clerk had to call the roll of every House member by name. With 159 members (one seat is vacant because former Representative Willie Lantigua left to become mayor of Lawrence and a special election has yet to be held to fill that vacancy) it takes a long time to vote. It passed unanimously.

Although slow to get started each day debate would often stretch late into the evening. Rule 1A of the House says legislators have to vote to suspend the rules and go past 9 PM each night. I always vote “nay” because I believe the people’s business should be conducted by the light of day and not in the late hours of the night. Sessions used to be carried on television. Now you have to go to www.mass.gov/legis and try to watch on your computer. It isn’t easy. So much for transparency!

I had to email this column to the newspaper Thursday night before the debate was concluded and the final vote was taken. Once again, though, I predict that I will probably not cast a vote in favor of the final budget bill. Why? Lots of reasons: Process, lack of real debate, shenanigans by the majority to kill (by “further studying”) amendments, failure to accept cost cutting measures, cutting local aid to municipalities, different priorities than the majority.

Now the budget will go to the Senate. They will debate in May after the Senate Ways and Means Committee releases its own version of the budget. The spotlight will turn to them.

In conclusion, I promised my friend Nate that I would post the following notice: The Westfield Vocational Technical High School horticulture department will hold its annual plant sale on May 6-8, behind the school on Greylock Street, Thursday and Friday from 2 PM to 5 PM and on Saturday from 9 AM to noon. You will be able to purchase petunias, impatients, coleus, geraniums, lobelia, tomatoes, and much more. Come and support the kids. Thank you.

* * *

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield Evening News.

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. Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org