JOHN VELIS
By now you may have heard the great news. The Massachusetts Legislature approved the 2015 budget, including the amendments I submitted to secure $165,000 for Westfield!
This was a lengthy effort that involved building partnerships with House colleagues and personally taking the case for Westfield to the offices of House Speaker DeLeo and Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Representative Brian Dempsey, to ensure our voices were heard. I’m grateful for the end result which is a much needed financial boost for our community.
I also want you to know that I recently voted to extend the statute of limitations for victims of sexual abuse to file lawsuits. Victims now have 7 years after the recovery of repressed memories of abuse to file a lawsuit. The bill also extends the statute of limitations from 3 years to 35 years in which the victim can file lawsuits after reaching the age of 18.
As an attorney, I’m acutely aware of the trauma victims of sexual abuse experience, especially children. I consider sexual offenses to be among the most despicable acts against the human person. Most victims are so traumatized that they repress the memory for many years. The new bill provides ample recourse through the courts to prosecute the attackers.
Advocating for Westfield and those in our communities whose voices are often not heard brings me great satisfaction. You can expect me to advocate with passion and urgency on Beacon Hill on issues that matter to you.
I’m looking forward to aggressively continuing this work in the months ahead. Westfield is an exciting place to be. Our city was recently ranked the 6th best city in which to live and work in Massachusetts and #1 city on the rise in Massachusetts. Those of us who know and love this community always understood our potential.
Through the groundswell of community effort, we’ve made immense progress in giving our downtown a facelift, attracting folks to local businesses and showcasing our rich historical treasures and natural resources. We continue to advance our school system with new facilities. I intend to keep working tirelessly alongside my friends and neighbors to keep the momentum going.
As your State Representative, I advocate for you, so I need to know what’s on your mind. What can I do for you next? How can we take Westfield to the next level? I’ll be asking these questions as I go door-to-door this summer to learn more about what’s important to you.
I’m exploring the idea of establishing a youth commission in our community to engage the voices and talents of our youngest residents. What do you think? I’d appreciate your thoughts on this or any ideas you have. As I stated in my campaign, I intend to be the most accessible politician I can be. Please reach out to me or my aide, Neesha Suarez, to let us know what’s important to you.
As always, I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve you and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to date. I look forward to seeing you as I visit your neighborhood or at one of the many exciting community events over the summer. I wish you all a safe and Happy Independence Day weekend!
Our email addresses are [email protected] and [email protected]. Our phone number at the State House is 617-722-2582. You can also reach me directly at 413-627-8722.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of this publication.
