Representative Don Humason



DUST SETTLES Westfield Evening News column By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. August 7, 2010 “As of midnight Saturday, July 31, the 2009-2010 session of the Massachusetts General Court comes to a close.” That’s how I started last week’s column. Because of my deadline at the Westfield Evening News I’d had to submit my column before learning whether the Conference Committee on the Expanded Gaming bill was going to file their report before their own deadline. As you probably know by now, the committee did release a gaming bill in time for the House and Senate to consider it before the end of session. It came out Friday night and the House debated it, and voted to pass it, late on Saturday night leaving the Senate little time to pass it themselves. But they enacted the bill too and got it to Governor Patrick’s desk with little time left on the clock. There had been talk of political intrigue all weekend. “What’s the Governor going to do?” members were asking each other. “What are the Speaker and Senate President going to do if he vetoes it?” others asked. In a rare instance of dramatic political theatre, Speaker Bob DeLeo held a press conference on the Great Staircase around 8:30 PM Saturday night. I was there. In all my years at the State House I have never seen a Democrat Speaker of the House call out an incumbent Democrat Governor like DeLeo did to Deval Patrick, especially during an election year when that Governor has numerous challengers. He threw down the gauntlet and challenged the Governor to sign the gaming bill. Clearly, passions were running quite high. As we now know, the Governor chose not to sign the bill as passed by the Legislature. He returned the gambling legislation to us with an amendment that basically stripped the proposal of any slots at the state’s racetracks leaving up to three resort-style casinos. This week I returned to the State House on Wednesday to watch the dust settle and follow up on the outcome of the legislation the Legislature passed. Over the next few weeks the Clerks of the House and Senate, along with various legislative staffers and legislators will sift through the piles to ascertain what was completed and what was left undone. That sound you hear is legislators sighing with relief that the session is done...and taxpayers sighing for the same reason. As I write this week’s column I am back in my district office and it is Thursday evening, the time I normally write this. I heard that earlier today a storm rolled through Boston and rain had pounded the roof of the State House and caused a massive leak and flooding of the Great Hall. I also heard about a major pothole that developed on a bridge Northbound on Interstate 93 in Medford North of Boston that damaged numerous cars and caused three days of multiple-hour traffic nightmares for motorists. It helped put our situation in perspective with construction here all over Westfield. If we don’t continually repair and improve our roadways and bridges similar problems will occur on our own roads as happened in Medford. One positive item that came out of the final days of the session is that Massachusetts will once again hold a “Sales tax free shopping weekend” on August 14 and 15, 2010. You can go to the MA Department of Revenue webpage for more details. If you have questions about bills that may or may not have passed, or other questions about Boston or Westfield, please feel free to contact me at my Westfield District office at 568-1366. Mark your calendars for events coming up in town. The Air Show will be held at Barnes Airport on Saturday and Sunday, August 21 and 22. The Westfield Fair is the same weekend starting Friday, August 20 and running to Sunday, August 22. I’d like to conclude my column by offering my deepest thanks and sincere appreciation to Ms. Sarah Latour who has been my loyal, friendly, and hard working Chief of Staff for the past three and a half years. Sarah is leaving my office to take a new job working for Liberty Mutual Insurance in Springfield. She will be greatly missed by me and by many of you who have called my office over the years, or attended my office hours, and spoken with Sarah. She has helped many thousands of my constituents and I commend her for all her good works on my behalf for all the people of Westfield whom I represent. In my eight years as Westfield’s State Representative, I have been blessed to have two excellent Legislative Aides in Joe Wynn and Sarah Latour (as well as many excellent and intrepid Legislative Interns). Thank you Sarah! It has been my pleasure to work with you for the people of the 4th Hampden District. My best wishes to you for success in all your future endeavors. God bless. * * * 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. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org * * * Please feel free to forward this column to your family, friends, and associates. If you do not wish to receive an email copy of my Saturday Westfield Evening News column, please reply and let me know. I will then take you off the list. Sorry for any inconvenience. * * *
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DUST SETTLES

Westfield Evening News column
By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.
August 7, 2010

“As of midnight Saturday, July 31, the 2009-2010 session of the Massachusetts General Court comes to a close.” That’s how I started last week’s column. Because of my deadline at the Westfield Evening News I’d had to submit my column before learning whether the Conference Committee on the Expanded Gaming bill was going to file their report before their own deadline.

As you probably know by now, the committee did release a gaming bill in time for the House and Senate to consider it before the end of session. It came out Friday night and the House debated it, and voted to pass it, late on Saturday night leaving the Senate little time to pass it themselves. But they enacted the bill too and got it to Governor Patrick’s desk with little time left on the clock.

There had been talk of political intrigue all weekend. “What’s the Governor going to do?” members were asking each other. “What are the Speaker and Senate President going to do if he vetoes it?” others asked.

In a rare instance of dramatic political theatre, Speaker Bob DeLeo held a press conference on the Great Staircase around 8:30 PM Saturday night. I was there. In all my years at the State House I have never seen a Democrat Speaker of the House call out an incumbent Democrat Governor like DeLeo did to Deval Patrick, especially during an election year when that Governor has numerous challengers. He threw down the gauntlet and challenged the Governor to sign the gaming bill. Clearly, passions were running quite high.

As we now know, the Governor chose not to sign the bill as passed by the Legislature. He returned the gambling legislation to us with an amendment that basically stripped the proposal of any slots at the state’s racetracks leaving up to three resort-style casinos.

This week I returned to the State House on Wednesday to watch the dust settle and follow up on the outcome of the legislation the Legislature passed. Over the next few weeks the Clerks of the House and Senate, along with various legislative staffers and legislators will sift through the piles to ascertain what was completed and what was left undone. That sound you hear is legislators sighing with relief that the session is done...and taxpayers sighing for the same reason.

As I write this week’s column I am back in my district office and it is Thursday evening, the time I normally write this. I heard that earlier today a storm rolled through Boston and rain had pounded the roof of the State House and caused a massive leak and flooding of the Great Hall.

I also heard about a major pothole that developed on a bridge Northbound on Interstate 93 in Medford North of Boston that damaged numerous cars and caused three days of multiple-hour traffic nightmares for motorists. It helped put our situation in perspective with construction here all over Westfield. If we don’t continually repair and improve our roadways and bridges similar problems will occur on our own roads as happened in Medford.

One positive item that came out of the final days of the session is that Massachusetts will once again hold a “Sales tax free shopping weekend” on August 14 and 15, 2010. You can go to the MA Department of Revenue webpage for more details.

If you have questions about bills that may or may not have passed, or other questions about Boston or Westfield, please feel free to contact me at my Westfield District office at 568-1366.

Mark your calendars for events coming up in town. The Air Show will be held at Barnes Airport on Saturday and Sunday, August 21 and 22. The Westfield Fair is the same weekend starting Friday, August 20 and running to Sunday, August 22.

I’d like to conclude my column by offering my deepest thanks and sincere appreciation to Ms. Sarah Latour who has been my loyal, friendly, and hard working Chief of Staff for the past three and a half years. Sarah is leaving my office to take a new job working for Liberty Mutual Insurance in Springfield.

She will be greatly missed by me and by many of you who have called my office over the years, or attended my office hours, and spoken with Sarah. She has helped many thousands of my constituents and I commend her for all her good works on my behalf for all the people of Westfield whom I represent.

In my eight years as Westfield’s State Representative, I have been blessed to have two excellent Legislative Aides in Joe Wynn and Sarah Latour (as well as many excellent and intrepid Legislative Interns).

Thank you Sarah! It has been my pleasure to work with you for the people of the 4th Hampden District. My best wishes to you for success in all your future endeavors. God bless.

* * *

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. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org

* * * Please feel free to forward this column to your family, friends, and associates. If you do not wish to receive an email copy of my Saturday Westfield Evening News column, please reply and let me know. I will then take you off the list. Sorry for any inconvenience. * * *