Representative Don Humason



WHERE DO I BEGIN? By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. July 29, 2006 Where do I begin? Tonight, or should I say this morning (It’s 1:13AM Friday when I am writing this column because the House just recessed) I am faced with the daunting task of trying to report to you on the happenings in the House of Representatives during one of the busiest weeks of the entire 2 year legislative session. Even busier, perhaps, than a typical budget week is the week we had here in the State House. Since Monday members of both branches were in their respective chambers every day and late into the night (especially the House, which went to midnight on several of those days). As I explained in my column last week, the end of the formal sessions of the Legislature is Monday, July 31 at midnight. If you missed my column last week, you can read it at my website www.donhumason.org. Besides a large number of overrides of the Governor’s vetoes of three different spending bills, there were many other items that had to come before the members for a roll call vote. We overrode vetoes of the line items for Westfield State College and all the other state colleges, community colleges, and the University of Massachusetts, restoring much needed funding to each of our public higher education institutions. After some debate we passed the sales tax holiday legislation I wrote about last week. The law sets the weekend of August 12 and 13 for sales tax free shopping in the Bay State. The House passed a package of laws pertaining to sex offenders in the state. It is aimed at cracking down on sexual predators, especially those who prey on children. It increases the statute of limitations on certain crimes. I am proud to have co-sponsored the bill. The House, after lengthy and valuable debate, voted down a land transfer tax for Martha’s Vineyard that could have started a slippery slope of end runarounds of the protections of Proposition 2 ½. This legislation would have assessed an additional tax on every sale of a home on the Vineyard over a certain amount. The House passed a gender neutral annuities bill that would mandate women in Massachusetts receive annuity payouts equal to men even though they typically outlive men. I voted against it but it passed nonetheless. We passed the Ed Connolly veterans’ benefits bill so-named in honor of deceased State Representative and veterans’ advocate Edward Connolly of Everett. Also passed was a streamlined permitting bill to allow faster economic development in our communities. The House overrode a veto of a section of the Economic Stimulus bill known as 40T which would allow the creation of special development districts with broad local authority in agreeable municipalities. I was opposed to this section because I feared the nearly unlimited powers such as eminent domain rights and lack of local controls. While we came close, the veto was overridden. There are countless other things that were done this week with more to come on Monday, the final day of the formal sessions. I am still hopeful that a veto of a line item containing $150,000 for Kamp for Kids/Abilities Unlimited will come up for an override vote. I’ve been lobbying the House Leadership very hard. I would really like to see the Identity Theft bill come to the floor, as well as a bill on auto insurance reform. But I am doubtful they will. You’ve no doubt heard that the embattled Chairman of the Turnpike Authority, Matt Amorello, resigned this week, saving the Authority and toll payers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees that would have added up during the hearings to have him removed. Now the Governor will be able to appoint a new Chairman to oversee the rebuilding of the broken tunnels and the restoration of the reputation and public confidence in the Turnpike Authority. I’m planning to attend the Night Out Against Crime event on the green next Tuesday night, August 1. It will be good to get out of Boston finally. Maybe I’ll see you there! 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
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WHERE DO I BEGIN?

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

July 29, 2006

Where do I begin? Tonight, or should I say this morning (It’s 1:13AM Friday when I am writing this column because the House just recessed) I am faced with the daunting task of trying to report to you on the happenings in the House of Representatives during one of the busiest weeks of the entire 2 year legislative session.

Even busier, perhaps, than a typical budget week is the week we had here in the State House. Since Monday members of both branches were in their respective chambers every day and late into the night (especially the House, which went to midnight on several of those days). As I explained in my column last week, the end of the formal sessions of the Legislature is Monday, July 31 at midnight. If you missed my column last week, you can read it at my website www.donhumason.org.

Besides a large number of overrides of the Governor’s vetoes of three different spending bills, there were many other items that had to come before the members for a roll call vote.

We overrode vetoes of the line items for Westfield State College and all the other state colleges, community colleges, and the University of Massachusetts, restoring much needed funding to each of our public higher education institutions.

After some debate we passed the sales tax holiday legislation I wrote about last week. The law sets the weekend of August 12 and 13 for sales tax free shopping in the Bay State.

The House passed a package of laws pertaining to sex offenders in the state. It is aimed at cracking down on sexual predators, especially those who prey on children. It increases the statute of limitations on certain crimes. I am proud to have co-sponsored the bill.

The House, after lengthy and valuable debate, voted down a land transfer tax for Martha’s Vineyard that could have started a slippery slope of end runarounds of the protections of Proposition 2 ½. This legislation would have assessed an additional tax on every sale of a home on the Vineyard over a certain amount.

The House passed a gender neutral annuities bill that would mandate women in Massachusetts receive annuity payouts equal to men even though they typically outlive men. I voted against it but it passed nonetheless.

We passed the Ed Connolly veterans’ benefits bill so-named in honor of deceased State Representative and veterans’ advocate Edward Connolly of Everett. Also passed was a streamlined permitting bill to allow faster economic development in our communities.

The House overrode a veto of a section of the Economic Stimulus bill known as 40T which would allow the creation of special development districts with broad local authority in agreeable municipalities. I was opposed to this section because I feared the nearly unlimited powers such as eminent domain rights and lack of local controls. While we came close, the veto was overridden.

There are countless other things that were done this week with more to come on Monday, the final day of the formal sessions. I am still hopeful that a veto of a line item containing $150,000 for Kamp for Kids/Abilities Unlimited will come up for an override vote. I’ve been lobbying the House Leadership very hard.

I would really like to see the Identity Theft bill come to the floor, as well as a bill on auto insurance reform. But I am doubtful they will.

You’ve no doubt heard that the embattled Chairman of the Turnpike Authority, Matt Amorello, resigned this week, saving the Authority and toll payers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees that would have added up during the hearings to have him removed. Now the Governor will be able to appoint a new Chairman to oversee the rebuilding of the broken tunnels and the restoration of the reputation and public confidence in the Turnpike Authority.

I’m planning to attend the Night Out Against Crime event on the green next Tuesday night, August 1. It will be good to get out of Boston finally. Maybe I’ll see you there!

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

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group