Representative Don Humason



CLOCK IS TICKING By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. June 17, 2006 First, I want to apologize to the Westfield Evening News and the readers for not having my column in last week's Saturday paper. I stayed up late on Thursday night and wrote it, as usual, but for some reason when I emailed the column to the paper it was not received. Unfortunately for me most of what I wrote last week was only timely and relative to last week's Legislative session so I can't really re-use it this week. Besides, this week the House and Senate were very busy with other matters. So busy, in fact, that the House was still in session late on Thursday so I couldn't make it back to Westfield for the annual Church of the Atonement Strawberry Festival at Stanley Park. I try never to miss this event because it is such a great unique community event. But I don't control the House schedule; the Speaker does, so until we complete formal sessions on July 31, my calendar and schedule is at the mercy of the House Speaker. Unfortunately, I just learned that I will also have to miss another excellent Westfield event due to formal sessions next week. I won’t be able to attend the Westfield Woman’s Club annual Garden Tea Party at Amelia Park. And I was supposed to be one of the hat judges! Sometimes the sacrifices of the job are hard to bear. Wednesday, June 14, was Flag Day. Flag Day celebrates the date that the United States Congress adopted a proposal by John Adams to create a standardized standard, “thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.” George Washington said, “We shall take the star from Heaven, the red from our mother country Britain, separating it by white stripes; this shall go down to [posterity representing liberty.” Last Sunday, a Flag Day ceremony sponsored by the Marines and the Westfield Veterans Association, was held in Parker Memorial Park. It was a solemn but beautiful ceremony in which many American flags were respectfully retired from service in the appropriately described manner of burning. Friday was the last day for students in the Westfield Public Schools to have to attend classes. Now they are out on summer recess. The teachers, staff, and administrators can take a deep breath and slow down just a little as they prepare their schools for the next school year. Not a very long summer recess, but I hope it is a good, fun, and restful one for them all. Congratulations to the members of the senior class of 2006 at Westfield High School, St. Mary's, and the Westfield Vocational Technical High School. They have all graduated and are now out in the world looking at college or beginning their careers. Good luck to you all. The House and Senate this week passed on to Governor Romney two matters that have been languishing in Conference Committee. One is an Economic Stimulus bill. The other is a Capital Supplemental Budget bill. The House also debated changes to the Junior Operators License law, a self-extinguishing cigarettes bill, and other pieces of legislation including a controversial pension bill for an ailing former House member. As I've noted in this column before, the clock is ticking on this session and the pace is really picking up. There are over 6000 bills filed in each two-year session of the Great and General Court. Many of these never come to fruition, while others don't see action until the weeks leading up to the end of session. Ways and Means Chairman Bob DeLeo briefed House members Thursday and indicated that Conference Committee negotiations are going well on the fiscal year 2007 budget. He said he anticipates that the 6 conferees will be able to get the compromise version to the legislature for a vote before our statutory deadline of July 1. Happy Father's Day to my dad and all dads out there. Have a great week! Representative Don Humason and his aide Joe Wynn may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 443, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2460. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us * * * 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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CLOCK IS TICKING

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

June 17, 2006

First, I want to apologize to the Westfield Evening News and the readers for not having my column in last week's Saturday paper. I stayed up late on Thursday night and wrote it, as usual, but for some reason when I emailed the column to the paper it was not received.
Unfortunately for me most of what I wrote last week was only timely and relative to last week's Legislative session so I can't really re-use it this week. Besides, this week the House and Senate were very busy with other matters.
So busy, in fact, that the House was still in session late on Thursday so I couldn't make it back to Westfield for the annual Church of the Atonement Strawberry Festival at Stanley Park. I try never to miss this event because it is such a great unique community event.
But I don't control the House schedule; the Speaker does, so until we complete formal sessions on July 31, my calendar and schedule is at the mercy of the House Speaker.
Unfortunately, I just learned that I will also have to miss another excellent Westfield event due to formal sessions next week. I won’t be able to attend the Westfield Woman’s Club annual Garden Tea Party at Amelia Park. And I was supposed to be one of the hat judges! Sometimes the sacrifices of the job are hard to bear.
Wednesday, June 14, was Flag Day. Flag Day celebrates the date that the United States Congress adopted a proposal by John Adams to create a standardized standard, “thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation.” George Washington said, “We shall take the star from Heaven, the red from our mother country Britain, separating it by white stripes; this shall go down to [posterity representing liberty.”
Last Sunday, a Flag Day ceremony sponsored by the Marines and the Westfield Veterans Association, was held in Parker Memorial Park. It was a solemn but beautiful ceremony in which many American flags were respectfully retired from service in the appropriately described manner of burning.
Friday was the last day for students in the Westfield Public Schools to have to attend classes. Now they are out on summer recess. The teachers, staff, and administrators can take a deep breath and slow down just a little as they prepare their schools for the next school year. Not a very long summer recess, but I hope it is a good, fun, and restful one for them all.
Congratulations to the members of the senior class of 2006 at Westfield High School, St. Mary's, and the Westfield Vocational Technical High School. They have all graduated and are now out in the world looking at college or beginning their careers. Good luck to you all.
The House and Senate this week passed on to Governor Romney two matters that have been languishing in Conference Committee. One is an Economic Stimulus bill. The other is a Capital Supplemental Budget bill.
The House also debated changes to the Junior Operators License law, a self-extinguishing cigarettes bill, and other pieces of legislation including a controversial pension bill for an ailing former House member.
As I've noted in this column before, the clock is ticking on this session and the pace is really picking up. There are over 6000 bills filed in each two-year session of the Great and General Court. Many of these never come to fruition, while others don't see action until the weeks leading up to the end of session.
Ways and Means Chairman Bob DeLeo briefed House members Thursday and indicated that Conference Committee negotiations are going well on the fiscal year 2007 budget. He said he anticipates that the 6 conferees will be able to get the compromise version to the legislature for a vote before our statutory deadline of July 1.
Happy Father's Day to my dad and all dads out there. Have a great week!

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

Their Boston address is State House Room 443, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2460. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us

* * * 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.

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group