| A Hearing on the State's Education and Local Aid Budget in Cambridge Next Tuesday | On Tuesday, February 19, I will host a joint hearing of the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees in the Sullivan Chamber in Cambridge City Hall. The hearing will allow Patrick administration officials to present and discuss the education and local aid budgets for the fiscal year 2009 that starts in July. I will be chairing the hearing along with Senator Brewer. The Committee will hear from the Commissioner of the Department of Early Education, the acting Commissioner of Education, the Chancellor of Higher Education, and probably the Commissioner of the Lottery presenting the local aid budget. Members of the Ways and Means Committees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the presenters. For those of you who can, this is a great opportunity to see your state government in action and learn about these important proposals. If you are interested in testifying on any part of the state budget, there will be an opportunity for the public to testify on Thursday, February 28, at the State House in Gardner auditorium. For additional information, please call my office at 617-722-2400. |
| Cambridge Writers Win Book Awards | Three Cambridge residents-Alice Hoffman, Louise Glück and Mameve Medwed-were honored at the 7th Annual Massachusetts Book Awards at the State House on February 7. Alice Hoffman won the award in children's/young adult literature for her teen novel Incantation, Louise Glück won the award in poetry for her collection Averno, and Mameve Medwed won honors in fiction for her novel How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life. I presented these three talented women with House resolutions that I sponsored in recognition of their achievements. We are proud of their accomplishments. |
| Global Warming | On January 31, I joined Senator Anthony Galluccio in a round-table discussion on global warming with students, faculty and activists at Harvard University. The event was part of a nationwide teach-in at more than 1,000 colleges, universities, high schools, middle schools, faith groups, businesses and civic organizations in all 50 states-the largest teach-in in U.S. history-and was organized by Focus the Nation to create a dialogue on solutions to global warming. |
| Legislative Updates | Today, the committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a public hearing on two of my bills, An Act Supporting Economic Opportunities in the Commonwealth and An Act Further Defining Comparable Work. The Jobs Creation Commission idea came from the action agenda of the Democratic Party. Laurie Taymor-Berry, a Cambridge resident, has been championing this commission over the years. This legislation would establish a Jobs Creation Commission to investigate and study how to create and maintain quality jobs in the Commonwealth. The second bill, on comparable work, would eliminate the wage gap between men and women by ensuring that work requiring comparable skill, effort and responsibility-beyond the scope of specific male- or female-dominated professions-is compensated equally. Swimmable Charles Legislation that I filed to establish a special commission to study the feasibility of making the Charles River safe for swimming again was reported favorably out of committee on January 7 and is now before House Ways and Means. This bill was passed by both the House and Senate last session, only to be vetoed at the last minute by then Lieutenant Governor Healey. I am hoping that the bill will advance to the Governor's desk again and be signed into law. Health Education Unfortunately, my bill to make age-appropriate, comprehensive, medically accurate health education part of the core curriculum in Massachusetts Public Schools was put off this year. However, Education Committee Chairwoman Pat Haddad and I are currently working to advance this important issue through the FY09 Budget. |
| The FY09 Budget | As the announcement earlier in this newsletter indicates, the FY09 budget process is underway with ten joint hearings of the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees (schedule below). These hearings will enhance our efforts to set priorities in a very tough budget and economic climate. Date/Time (Hearings start at 10AM except as noted) | Location | Agencies | Thursday, February 14th (Hearing to begin at 11AM) | State House Gardner Auditorium | Constitutional Officers, Administration and Finance | Friday, February 15th | Franklin FranklinMunicipalCenter 355 East Central Street Council Chambers | Health and Human Services I | Tuesday, February 19th | Cambridge CambridgeCity Hall 795 Massachusetts Ave Sullivan Chamber | Education and Local Aid | Wednesday, February 20th | Palmer PalmerRegionalHigh School | Public Safety, District Attorneys, Sheriffs | Thursday, February 21st | Westfield WestfieldState College 577 Western Ave WoodwardCenter | Health and Human Services II | Friday, February 22nd | Revere A.C.WhelanSchool 107 Newhall Street Auditorium | Environment and Energy, Transportation | Monday, February 25th | Natick WilsonMiddle School 22 Rutledge Road Auditorium | Judiciary | Tuesday, February 26th | Auburn AuburnHigh School 99 Auburn Street Front Lobby Meeting Hall | Economic Development and Housing | Wednesday, February 27th | Roxbury RoxburyCommunity College Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center 1350 Tremont Street | Labor and Workforce Development, Libraries, Cultural Council | Thursday, February 28th | State House Gardner Auditorium | Public Hearing |
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| | WELCOME |  | Dear Friends, Welcome to my newsletter! From time to time, I use these e-mail newsletters to keep in touch with you and keep you abreast of what is going on at the State House. If you would like additional information on any of the issues mentioned in this newsletter, or if I can help in you in any way, please contact me! If you call, you might find my staff on the line. Thanks for reading, and please keep in touch! State House Office: Tel: (617)722-2400 Fax: (617)722-2850 rep.alicewolf@hou.state.ma.us State House, Room 134 Boston, MA 02133 District Office: Tel: (617) 868-WOLF Fax: (617)497-7284 alicewolf@alicewolf.org www.alicewolf.org |
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