FROM OUR MAY, 2019 PRINTED EDITION
An Act Increasing the Fuel Tax by 5 Cents Per Gallon
Democrat Reps. Russell E. Holmes (Boston) and Michelle M. DuBois (Brockton) filed Bill H.2497 with the goal to increase the tax on fuel by a minimum of five cents per gallon.
An Act Requiring Gas Stations to Provide Air Compressors for Free Public Use
Rep. Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham) has submitted Bill H.3087 urging his fellow representatives to “require gas stations to provide air compressors for free public use and establishing a hotline at the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for consumers to report non-compliance.” At press time, he was the only legislator signed onto the bill.
An Act to Increase the Local Tax Rate on Meals
Legislators Jason M. Lewis (Winchester), Peter J. Durant (Spencer), Colleen M. Garry (Dracut), and Michael O. Moore (Millbury) with their bill, S.1703, seek to authorize cities and towns to increase the local tax rate on meals by up to another 1.5%.
An Act to Impose
Prevailing Wage Law on Fire Protection Systems
Do you have a fire protection system in your business? Perhaps an exhaust hood at your Knights of Columbus hall above a stove, or a system in your cafeteria, or at your sub shop? Well, of course you do. You’re required to have a fire suppression system, properly charged, inspected, tested, and certified. However, if Democrat Reps. Danielle W. Gregoire (Marlborough) and Edward F. Coppinger (Boston) have their way with their bill, H.1633, they will place “the inspection, testing and repair of fire protection systems under the prevailing wage law.” Yup, you can most likely guarantee you’ll be shelling out a lot more money to get what you’re already getting. Prevailing wages are wages set by the government, and typically are the kind of great golden things that former workers of the Big Dig still rave about to this day. Ah, government set wages. So sweet.
An Act Relative to the
Availability of Sunscreen for Students
Democrat Senator Julian Cyr (Cape & Islands) and Democrat Rep. Timothy R. Whelan (Brewster) have jointly proposed Bill S.261 to amend Chapter 71 of the Massachusetts General Laws by adding after section 97 a new section that will ensure that “students, parents or school personnel may possess and use a topical sunscreen product without a physician’s note or prescription while on school property or at a school-related event or activity to avoid overexposure to the sun…”
An Act to Impose LGBTQRX
Civics Education in All School Curriculum
Democrat legislators Nick Collins Boston), Kevin G. Honan (Boston), Andres X. Vargas (Haverhill), James B. Eldridge (Middlesex and Worcester), Julian Cyr (Cape and Islands), Daniel R. Cullinane (Boston) and other members of the General Court have proposed legislation relative to civics education.
Bill S.246 will compel the “Joint Committee on Education, the House and Senate Committee on Ways and Means, and the Clerks of the House and the Senate [to submit] their plans to create a school civics program which will now ensure that the “LGBT Community” is included in civics class curriculum.
Another Act for the
LGBTQRX Voting Block
Democrats Senator Adam G. Hinds (Pittsfield) and Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis (Framingham) have put forth bill S.1858 to “require the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination to include representatives of the LGBTQ community on the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, including putting on the commission “individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, questioning or queer; individuals who identify as transgender.” ♦
No legislation to deal with the housing crisis in Massachusetts, especially the Boston area where housing is becoming more out of reach for younger and elderly citizens. No help for these working class citizens who are citizens and don’t receive housing and other subsidies. No legislation to reform the nations most scandal ridden state police agency, the Massachusetts State Police. For the past year the local news has been dominated with indictments and sentencing of state troopers in scandals. When one goes to NH, NY,RI, NJ, CT etc. it is common to see state police on patrol and visible. In Massachusetts its only common to see state police at construction details. The speed limit in the O’Neill Big Dig Tunnel is 45mph. It’s common to have speeding tailgaters flashing their headlights at drivers obeying the speed limit. In such a busy place there should be a visible state police presence in view. However, not in Massachusetts.