Hello Everyone,
I hope you all had a great week. I just want to remind you all to go vote—polls open this
Tuesday! Town and city clerks have worked diligently to ensure that voting is safe and secure. If
you still have your mail-ballot and would like to return that instead, you should return it by hand
to a drop box or to your local election office no later than 8PM on Tuesday. Voting is the
fundamental way that we can all participate in our democracy and I urge you all to exercise this
right.
This week the Legislature’s Soldiers’ Home Oversight Committee held two public hearings for
current and former staff members to testify. I want to thank every single staff member for their
strength in sharing their stories. They care deeply about the veterans at the Home and the
tragedies that took place shook them and changed their lives forever. What is clear from their
testimony is that the institutional weaknesses that contributed to these tragedies did not begin in
March. While dedication and compassion are present at the Home, there is a noticeable and
problematic lack of resources and support for the staff. The testimonies shared this week shined a
light on the problems that have existed at the Home for so long. During the hearings and in
conversations with Committee members I brought up the importance of instituting a
ombudsman at the Home who would be on the ground to investigate problems. From the
hearings it is clear that the Home has suffered from staff scheduling structural problems, and a
lack of resources for a while. I’m grateful for all the staff members who shared their perspectives
this week.
On Thursday my office and I also spent some time at the Westfield Senior Center passing out
lunches and collecting damaged American flags to deliver to Westfield’s VSO for a proper
retirement. As some of you may know, when a flag becomes torn, faded, or damaged, it is
important for it to be retired respectfully and appropriately. This is an event I have participated in
every year at the Westfield Senior Fair, and while some adjustments were made due to COVID,
I’m glad this event could still take place. The flag is a symbol and representation of our great
country and I was honored to take part in this event.
This Friday morning I was proud to present David Billups, the long-time director of Westfield’s
Public Works Department, with a Senate citation in honor of his retirement. David’s leadership
in the city has been known far and wide and I was glad to join in recognizing his years of public
service.
This week I also had a series of meetings with Senate leadership surrounding my priorities for
the FY21 budget we are currently working on. So far this Fiscal Year the State has been
operating on a series of interim budgets, as it has been difficult to plan without knowing final
revenue numbers and federal aid amounts. Soon enough though, we will have our final FY21
budget, and I have been advocating strongly for the needs of our district during our budget
discussions. Even though this is a difficult year, it is critical that the institutions in our
communities are getting the support that they need from the State and I will be continuing this
work in the coming weeks.
As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my
office. I can be reached at my email: [email protected] or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and
you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
Sincerely,
John C. Velis
