Congratulations to the following Waltham and Lincoln cultural nonprofits who received FY22 Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) grants via their Cultural Investment Portfolio and Gateway programs: Grow Native Massachusetts, Gore Place, Metalwerx, The National Center for Jewish Film, Stonehurst, Robert Treat Paine Estate, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum and Mass Audubon.

Cultural Investment Portfolio and Gateway programs help cultural nonprofits make targeted investments into the sector that enhance the Commonwealth’s economic vitality by helping both artists and cultural organizations thrive. For the full FY22 funding list, click here.

Rep. Stanley submitted written testimony to the Joint Committee on Housing in support of a bill he sponsored to establish a statewide affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH) network. The legislation would establish a statewide AFFH framework, requiring developers of new apartment buildings or condominium complexes larger than 35 units to analyze the impact of their projects on fair housing and submit plans to both the municipality and DHCD demonstrating that their developments advance housing accessibility.

In a letter to the Joint Committee on Public Health, Rep. Stanley urged favorable action on legislation he filed relative to food labeling. As the lead sponsor of H.2408, the bill protects young children and pregnant women from unknowingly from exposure to neurologically damaging poisons found in many foods. Currently, the Commonwealth does not assess for the presence of contaminants in striped bass, nor does it issue consumption warnings related to the dangers of PCBs, mercury or other contaminants/toxins commonly found in fish harvested for human consumption.

The bill would require the Department of Public Health (DPH) to implement a food labelling program for commercially caught, landed, and sold saltwater fish including tuna, mackerel, swordfish, grouper, striped bass, and bluefish. The label will provide consumers with information regarding the safety and risk factors of consumption of the fish based on toxin levels in the fish and their hazards to human health. Special notifications on the health effects of young children, women of child-bearing age and pregnant women will be mandatory under the bill.

Rep. Stanley submitted written testimony to the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government in support of a bill he sponsors relative to assessor certificates. Endorsed by the Massachusetts Assessors Association, H.2206 provides added incentives for assessors to seek professional development and maintain the most up-to-date skills for municipalities to utilize. Assessors play a vital role in the financial issues of every city and town in the Commonwealth.

H.2206 allows communities to increase the stipend for those assessors that attain higher level certifications and designations, upon local approval by that community. More specifically, the bill acknowledges all 3 certifications are eligible for the certification and increases the “up-to” limit of each certification (typically percentage of salary up to a certain amount). The bill is local option, and it would be the decision of the community to award the stipend.

In a letter to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means chairs, Rep. Stanley, as a member of the Food System Caucus (FSC) advocated for four inter-connected priority categories of investments from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The FSC worked with partners including MA Food System Collaborative, Project Bread and the four Food Banks to craft the recommendations which focus on

reducing food insecurity, food system workforce, resiliency and the Food System Infrastructure Grant Program.

The pandemic magnified the greatest weaknesses in our food system and exposed the mirage of a seawall between being food secure and hungry. Our priorities focus on alleviating food insecurity and creating a more resilient local and statewide food system while also addressing long-standing racial inequities and targeting under-served communities.

In a letter to Governor Baker, Department of Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler and MBTA General Manager Poftak, Rep. Stanley urged the MBTA to commit to 100% electrification of its bus fleet by 2030 and an implementation plan that is centered in equity. Rep. Stanley asked the MBTA to take concrete steps towards full bus fleet electrification by 2030 in a manner that guarantees that transit electrification will first benefit the Boston area communities most impacted by vehicle pollution by prioritizing garage upgrades and bus electrification for routes serving low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

The MBTA operates one of the largest transit agencies in the country. Its fleet of primarily fossil fuel buses contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and toxic air pollution that disproportionately impacts environmental justice populations. The MBTA still hasn’t made a public commitment to get to an all-electric bus fleet and plans to continue purchasing hundreds of fossil-fueled buses that would lock Boston area residents into a dirty transportation system for decades to come. In contrast, other large transit agencies in cities across the country- including Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, Miami-Dade, San Francisco, Seattle, and most recently Houston- have made commitments to 100% zero-emission buses.

Rep. Stanley submitted written testimony to the Joint Committee on Higher Education in support of legislation he co-sponsored to establish the Massachusetts hunger-free campus initiative. The bill will create a Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program, which will award grants to sustain efforts by university institutions to implement measurable, sustainable, and equitable solutions to address the basic food needs of college students.

Low-income students at higher education institutions throughout the Commonwealth will receive increased support and resources from the establishment of Hunger-Free Campus Task Forces throughout the state. The Task Force will be based on campuses and institutions will determine mechanisms to notify students who receive need-based financial aid of their potential eligibility to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, and other federal and state nutrition benefits available to said student or dependents.

In the letter to the Joint Committee on Housing, Rep. Stanley expressed his support for legislation promoting housing stability and homelessness prevention in Massachusetts, also known as the Right to Counsel bill. This bill aims to help prevent homelessness by providing legal representation for low-income tenants and low-income owner-occupants in eviction proceedings.

Currently, over 90% of tenants facing eviction are unrepresented while 81% of landlords have a lawyer, creating severely disparate outcomes. This legislation would ensure that low-income tenants and owner-occupants of 1 to 3 family homes who are at or below 80% AMI receive full legal representation in eviction cases from the moment a complaint is filed. The Right to Counsel bill aims to level the playing field, prevent displacement, and provide housing stability for vulnerable people in our communities. A similar right to counsel program was adopted in New York City four years ago, and in 2020, research reported that 86% of tenants were able to stay in their homes.

Rep. Stanley submitted written testimony to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in support of legislation he co-sponsored relative to telephone service for inmates in all correctional and other penal institutions in the state, also known as the No Cost Calls Act. The bill would take financial pressure off families who call loved ones in prison and ensure accessibility for communications between relatives.

Currently, prisoners serving time in the criminal justice system do not have the opportunity to make phone calls to loved ones free of charge. There are estimates that it can cost as much as $6.15 to talk for 15-minutes. These costs prevent prisoners and their families from connecting with one another and maintaining these critical relationships. The bill would guarantee that all voice communication services are free of charge in the Commonwealth’s correctional facilities. The bill also seeks fully maximize these services between prisoners and their families.

Rep. Stanley asked the chairs of the Joint Committee on Financial Services to take no action on H.1234, legislation to establish portable benefit accounts for app-based drivers. H.1234 and a companion ballot question would grant Uber/Lyft and other “gig economy” companies a special exemption from paying into Social Security and the UI Trust Fund.

Supporters would argue that the measures grant new benefits for workers like health care stipends, paid sick time, paid family and medical leave, and occupational accident insurance. While these benefits are certainly welcome and long overdue, drivers and delivery workers would receive a subminimum wage (an estimated $5.64 per hour according to a recent study by the UC Berkeley Labor Center) under these proposals and lose protections against sexual harassment and racial discrimination at work.

The Racial Inequities in Maternal Health Commission will be holding a remote public meeting/listening session focused on the Metro West and Central Mass areas of the state on October, 25 at 5PM. The Commission wants to hear from people of color, including moms, dads, birthing people and partners. If you or someone you know is knowledgeable about these issues and would like to speak before the Commission, please follow the instructions here.

Rep. Stanley cosigned a Joint Resolution recognizing October as National Arts and Humanities Month. This month is celebrated with the goals of focusing on equitable access to the arts, encouraging diversity and participation in the sector and raising public awareness about the impact arts and humanities have on our communities and lives. The arts and humanities have played a critically important role in getting us through the COVID-19 pandemic and in amplifying the need for racial equity across the country. National Arts & Humanities Month is the time for communities to come together in unified celebration of the power of the arts to make a difference and change our lives for the better.

In a letter to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, Rep. Stanley urged favorable action on a bill he cosponsored which will help end hunger and create a more equitable Massachusetts for everyone. The Agricultural Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) leverages federal SNAP funds by incentivizing SNAP recipients’ purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables directly from farmers. This not only improves health outcomes for vulnerable communities, but also increases sales for local farms.

While HIP has been incredible successful, it currently is only made possible through an annual budget appropriation that is not guaranteed. H.250 would establish a framework to ensure HIP’s long-term sustainability, allowing thousands of Massachusetts residents to have increased access to healthy, local, fresh fruits and vegetables.

In a letter to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, Rep. Stanley urged favorable action on a bill he cosponsored which will provide immediate childcare assistance to homeless families. The legislation will reinstate a former policy providing immediate access to childcare for families facing homelessness and would also waive a work requirement because all children deserve an education regardless of their parent’s employment.

This legislation ensures that families in temporary emergency housing and receiving TAFDS are eligible for childcare assistance vouchers upon arrival at the shelter and any time the family chooses while at the shelter. H.200 would also ensure that these families are eligible for a full-time childcare referral from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). Under the bill, children ages 0-3 would be screened for development risk factors and delays upon entering a shelter.

Rep. Stanley submitted written testimony to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy in support of legislation he co-sponsored that would decarbonize new construction and existing buildings. The Building Justice with Jobs Act ensures that as we begin retrofitting residential buildings, Environmental Justice (EJ) communities are prioritized, and that the economic opportunities that arise from the bill are made available to Black and brown workers and women workers.

The legislation would establish a task force instructed to develop a plan to reduce annual statewide housing-related emissions by 50% by 2030, eliminate housing-related emissions by 2050, retrofit 1 million Massachusetts homes in 10 years, and develop a program to train new workers to complete housing audits and renovations. Under the bill, the Commonwealth’s successful Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program and Mass Save would be expanded to completely electrify homes via installation of heat pumps, electric ranges, and electric water heaters, and prioritized for EJ Communities. The bill creates financial incentives to allow low-income renters and owners to participate in the retrofit program.

In a letter to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, Rep. Stanley expressed support of a bill he co-sponsored regarding Medicare Savings Program Eligibility. An overwhelming number of constituents have contacted his office about this legislation to raise the eligibility rate to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). As House Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, Rep. Stanley believes this legislation could potentially stabilize thousands of independent seniors in the Commonwealth.

The Medicare Savings Program (MSO) covers Medicare Part B premiums, auto-enrolls beneficiaries into federal Rx assistance programs and helps with some Medicare Part A & B expenses. H.1319/S.791 would increase eligibility for the program from $165% FPL up to 200% of FPL over two years. The FY21 budget included a provision increasing eligibility for MSP from 135% FPL to 165% FPL, giving 20,000 seniors across the Commonwealth access to over $70 million in new benefits. It is estimated that increasing eligibility for the program up to 200% FPL would help an additional 45,000 seniors.

Rep. Stanley cosponsored and submitted written testimony to support S.96/H.199, legislation to lift kids out of deep poverty. “Deep Poverty” refers to income below half the federal poverty level, approximately $915 a month for a family of three. This legislation would provide critical support to over 26,000 families with children and 20,000 elders and persons with disabilities. Current Massachusetts benefits meet the lowest percentage of housing costs among New England states.

The legislation would set a floor for Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) benefits at 50% of the federal poverty level. These provisions would raise grants by 20% a year until they reach Deep Poverty -- half of the federal poverty level. Then grants would go up by a small amount each year to keep pace with inflation as the Deep Poverty level goes up.

Rep. Stanley cosigned a resolution designating October 6, 2021 as Energy Efficiency Day in Massachusetts. This resolution is part of a nationwide effort among business leaders, advocates and elected officials working to educate people about the benefits of reducing energy waste and saving money. This resolution builds off of the great work done by the House last session in advancing energy efficiency legislation, including final passage of the Energy SAVE Act.