STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

June 10, 2006

Westfield mourned the passing of a good man and a great firefighter this week with the death of Francis Szenda.  He was a friend to me and to my dad, who is also a Westfield firefighter.  In fact, Fran was a friend to many and he will be sadly missed.  My condolences to his family and fellow firefighters.

Joe Wynn and I participated in the Westfield High School Career Fair Monday and met hundreds of students, all interested in learning about potential careers they can pursue once they graduate from high school.  We spoke about politics, government, and public service.

Congratulations to all the graduating seniors in Westfield!  The Class of 2006 graduated from St. Mary’s, Westfield High, and Westfield Vocational Technical High School this past week.  My best wishes to the students and parents, teachers and administrators for a job well done!

Congratulations, also, to Samuel Ascioti of Boy Scout Troop 32 on achieving the highest rank in scouting, Eagle Scout.  I know his family, fellow scouts, and troop leaders are very proud.

Come and celebrate Flag Day at a ceremony sponsored by the Westfield Veterans Association on Sunday afternoon, 1 PM, in Parker Memorial Park.  If you have an American flag that needs to be retired from service in the appropriately described manner of burning, please feel free to bring it along.  I'll see you there.

To stay informed about the happenings on Beacon Hill, I subscribe to an excellent news service called the State House News Service.  Reporters from SHNS scour the capitol building to come up with in-depth stories.  The following clip comes from the SHNS Capitol Briefs and will give you a good idea of what we did this week:

“HOUSE APPROVES LEGISLATION EXPANDING POLL WORKER ELIGIBILITY The House, by a vote of 156-0, lent initial approval to legislation allowing local elections officials to hire 16- and 17-year-old poll workers, and workers from outside their municipalities. The bill (S 2277) also prohibits certain elections officials from serving as campaign committee chairs for candidates other than themselves.

“Rep. Anthony Petruccelli (D-East Boston), House chair of the Committee on Election Laws, said the average age of poll workers in Massachusetts cities and towns is 72, and that local officials are sometimes strained to find enough workers. By allowing high school students, with their parents’ and schools’ approval, to man the polls, the state could solve the workforce shortage and foster participation in “the political process,” Petruccelli said.

“HOUSE PASSES CHILD LABOR LAW REWRITE
The attorney general would be empowered to assess civil penalties for violations of child labor laws, under legislation given initial approval Tuesday afternoon on the House floor.  The AG currently only has criminal prosecution options at his disposal. 

“Rep. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport), chief proponent of the child labor law overhaul, said that if the proposal becomes law, there will be a “dramatic increase” in enforcement of current and proposed child labor laws, including new requirements that most workers under 18 be supervised directly by an adult when working at night. Teens need to work and make money but the state must ensure that they work in "safe, appropriate" environments, Rodrigues said.

“The House unanimously gave H 4638 its initial approval shortly before 3 pm, after adopting amendments making it easier for minors who had completed high school or an equivalency degree to receive work permits, and allowing mall kiosks to employ minors without providing nighttime adult supervision.

“Over the opposition of the restaurant industry, the bill creates a flat, statewide cutoff date of 11:30 pm for workers under 18; previously, both racetracks and restaurants had enjoyed a midnight deadline while other businesses had followed a 10 pm cutoff. But the new time would help allow teen drivers to abide by the cutoff time of midnight for motor vehicle operation, Rodrigues said, and permit convenience and grocery stores, and movie theaters, to employ teens for the later shifts.”

Representative Don Humason and his aide Joe Wynn may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366.