Hello to my constituents.
Greetings from the Massachusetts State Senate! I am honored to represent Agawam, Southwick, Granville, Tolland, Russell, Montgomery, Southampton, Easthampton, Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield in the Massachusetts legislature. Thank you for that opportunity.
The new legislative session has begun and the Senate has organized by electing Senator Stanley Rosenberg from Amherst as our new Senate President and voting on the rules our chamber will follow for the next two years. The Senate is currently negotiating with the House about the joint rules that will govern joint committees.
I have again been named the Senate Minority Whip, and was re-appointed to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. I also serve on the Senate’s Bonding Committee and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. Additionally, I will serve on the Joint Committees on Veterans and Federal Affairs, Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, Education, and Public Service.
I am a member of the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force charged with promoting and protecting the Commonwealth’s six military installations including Barnes, Westover, Fort Devens, Hanscom, Joint Base Cape Cod, and the Natick Army Soldiers Systems Lab. I also continue to Chair the Massachusetts Legislative Aviation Caucus.
Governor Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, and the members of their cabinet and administration are transitioning into the State House and state government after eight years of the Patrick Administration. I know Charlie and Karyn well and am excited about working closely with them for the benefit of my district and for the state. I am confident they bring a fresh new set of skills and are up to the task of reforming our state government and making Massachusetts great.
The Patrick Administration has left the new governor and the legislature a multitude of difficult tasks and unfortunate issues that we must confront together including a mid-year deficit of over $1 billion, a structural deficit that will likely impact the next fiscal year budget beginning in July, management problems at the MBTA and other agencies, and more. The Baker-Polito Administration had to craft a budget that will bring the state government back into line with the revenues it takes in each year.
The Senate and House Ways and Means Committees have completed a series of joint public hearings around the Bay State to hear from citizens and state agencies about their budget priorities for the coming fiscal year. The House Ways and Means Committee released its version of the Fiscal Year 2016 budget and will debate amendments to that spending document later this month. The Senate will debate our version of the budget in May.
I’m excited to work with you, my fellow legislators, and all your Federal, state, and local officials for the good of Western Massachusetts and the Commonwealth.
My district office is at 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085. The number is 413-568-1366.
My State House office is Room 213A, Boston, MA 02133. The number is 617-722-1415. My email is [email protected].
My wife Janice and our son Quinn and I have enjoyed getting to know the people and places of the 11 communities in my expanded Senate district and certainly look forward to meeting and seeing many more in the future.
Please contact me or my staff if I may ever be of service to you. Thank you.
Very truly yours,
Senator Don Humason,
2nd Hampden & Hampshire District
Proudly serving Agawam, Southwick, Granville, Tolland, Russell, Montgomery, Southampton, Easthampton, Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield in the Massachusetts State Senate
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of this publication.
