Greetings Westfield! Another busy week has passed, with a lot happening both here in the city and down in Boston. This past Tuesday, the Carson Center’s self-advocacy group had their annual semi-formal dinner dance, and I was fortunate to make it back from the State House in order to attend. The program is excellent, and the young adults it serves are extraordinary. I also was able to attend a portion of the graduation ceremony for the Transition to Adulthood program on East Mountain Road. This is another incredible program that serves young adults with developmental disabilities in Westfield, and it’s extremely emotional to watch the ceremony.
In Boston this week, two of the committees that I am a member of had hearings. Wednesday’s hearing was for the Joint Committee on Veteran and Federal Affairs. This was a public hearing that provided the opportunity for the members to hear from veterans organizations about the issues and concerns they would like to see addressed in the upcoming session. Topics such as homelessness and PTSD were discussed. Organizations across the Commonwealth are doing well to provide services for veterans, but there are still many vets who fall through the cracks.
I also sit on the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, which had a hearing this past Tuesday. The hearing was on legislation regarding criminal procedure, but the biggest draw was legislation filed to repeal mandatory minimums. This hearing was absolutely packed with people, which speaks volumes for the nature of the bill.
The legislation calls for an across the board repeal of mandatory minimum sentencing for drug crimes. We heard testimony from prosecutors, district attorneys, judges, and advocacy groups on both sides of the bill. The committee will now go through that testimony and take a vote to decide if it will be brought to the entire House for a vote. There is also a chance that parts of the bill may be changed before its release.
The budget is still in conference committee, and I will be sure to keep you updated on its status.
I hope everyone is able to enjoy the rest of the weekend! As always, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or my aide Neesha at [email protected]. You can also stop by my office at 52 Court Street with questions, concerns, or just to say hello!
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of this publication.
