Rep. John Velis
Hello, Westfield! Hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the first week of Spring. As usual, this past week was very busy.
As some of you may know, this session I was appointed to the Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy, which had its first official hearing on Monday in the Statehouse. This was the first time the committee was able to come together to hear testimony about the impact of legal marijuana on the Commonwealth. We heard from several departments, including the Department of Revenue and the Attorney General’s office, on what their departments would like to see in an omnibus Marijuana bill. There have already been over 40 bills assigned to the committee that would amend the measure passed in November. Although we agree on upholding the will of the voters, I also think there are a lot of public safety concerns that the ballot measure could not address, since by law, these measures are confined to a single-issue question. The goal of the Marijuana Policy Committee is to come up with a bill that would amend and create laws to address these concerns. The next meeting of the committee will be on Monday at 4 PM at the West Springfield High School. The public is welcome to attend and testify at the hearing.
Monday night was the Annual Legislator’s Night for the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts. I am extremely proud to be sponsoring one of their priority bills to add Parkinson’s Disease to the list of line-of-duty disabilities. As I’ve discussed before, the bill is inspired by our very own Westfield Firefighter Greg Heath, who was also recognized at the dinner. I was also joined by our Westfield Firefighters Chris Kane and Mike Szenda.
Tuesday was one of the busiest days this week. It started with the official ribbon cutting at the new Thrive Financial Success Center on Court St. The United Way has been operating these centers across the Springfield area to help families and individuals struggling to make ends meet. They offer free money management classes, workshops, and advice, as well as free tax preparation for those who qualify. We are truly lucky to have such a wonderful resource right here in Westfield. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment, they can be reached at 413-333-8365.
From the Thrive Center, I went straight to the Friends of the Homeless Shelter in Springfield to help them serve lunch to their community members. I really enjoy spending time in our community, and serving lunch is one of the easiest ways to give back. That afternoon, I recorded an interview for the Valley Eye radio station, the local station that caters to our blind population. We really got to dig deep into issues facing the Veteran community, especially disabled Veterans, a topic that is of the utmost importance to me.
Finally on Tuesday, I had the absolute pleasure of addressing the Westfield State Student Government Association. Did you know that Westfield State has one of the largest student governments of any public school in the state? They came prepared with excellent questions, and I’m proud to say that our local university really is turning out the next group of leaders in Social Work, Education, Nursing, and so many other fields. Truly a wonderful group of students, to say the least.
Wednesday was another Statehouse day. The House of Representatives met in Formal Session to pass a mid-year spending bill that included funding for many human services organizations. We also voted to double the one-time line-of-duty death benefit for the families of public safety employees. Unfortunately, this was in response to a tragedy in Watertown last week, when Firefighter Joseph Toscano lost his life while fighting a 2-alarm fire. I am glad, however, that the Commonwealth will ensure that his family is taken care of during this difficult time.
After a hectic few days, it was nice to take a little time on Thursday to visit the Franklin Avenue Elementary School here in Westfield for the Reach Out and Read Program’s Community Readers Day. I had a great time with Miss Gearing’s Kindergarten class reading our book about an adventure through the woods. Definitely one of the best parts of my job!
Lastly, on Friday, I attended Senator Humason’s Annual Pancake Brunch at the Pomeroy Sugar House here in Westfield. Aside from the delicious pancakes and syrup, I was able to spend some quality time with my State Legislature colleagues and Mayor Sullivan. One of the best events of the season- can’t wait ‘til next year. I ended the week by speaking at Sherriff Nick Cocci’s party in Holyoke, where I was honored to sit with the Sherriff himself.
That’s it for this week, folks! As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions, comments, or concerns. We can be reached at 413-572-3920 or [email protected]. See you next week!
