The conversation about Citizens United continues.
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Will Brownsberger — State Senator, Democrat, 2d Suffolk and Middlesex District |
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The Patrick administration, in collaboration with the legislature, has been doing a good job focusing on long-term financial issues. Click here for the state’s long-term financial model. In a nutshell, the model says that if we can get health costs under control and the economy continues to recover, we will be able to sustain our [...] The Senate Ways and Means budget is out. Get the SWM press release and links to budget details here. The single payer amendment came to a vote this afternoon during the first day of debate on the Senate health care bill. After a vigorous debate, the Senate voted it down in a roll call with 15 voting yes (including me) and 22 voting no. This was a much stronger showing than had previously been [...] A very positive element in the Senate health care cost control legislation is the creation of a Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund. I strongly support the creation of this fund because it will support cost-effective community-based prevention. During the health care debate, there will be an important conversation on Single Payer health care reform. I do broadly support Single Payer health care and I am cautiously optimistic that the legislation before the Senate will move us in the right direction. After over a year of hearings and discussions, the House and Senate have both released global health care cost control bills. The highest level institutions in Boston – government, business, major hospitals and insurers – are all deeply engaged in the conversation about the options. The Senate President’s Office released S. 2660, the Health Care Reform Bill. The conversation about Citizens United continues.  Follow the link here to sign up for electronic notification of license renewals from the Registry of Motor Vehicles. They no longer send hard copies. MassDOT is looking for input on transportation investment priorities. The consensus revenue estimate underlying the budget appears slightly optimistic and is more uncertain than in some years. The House Ways and Means Committee has released its draft budget. The draft increases both General Government and Chapter 70 aid. If we are able to hold these increases on the Senate side, all of my communities will benefit. The House and Senate are still conferencing their conflicting versions of a crime bill for this session. The Senate version of the bill included a number of positive elements that merit study.  Last August, I rode a bicycle across the country from Belmont to Anacortes, Washington on the Pacific Coast. It was a big experience and I’ll be talking about it on Saturday, April 14 from 3-5PM at the First Church in Belmont, 404 Concord Avenue. on 5/17/12, DavidChase
said about The Prevention Conversation: PS, on changes to crash-fault laws, I am merely advocating a traditional approach: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/04/inventio [...] on 5/16/12, ssheffler
said about High Level Conflict about Health Care Costs: I agree that legislation to cap medical spending is a reasonable option given the complexity/cultural challenges of transitioning to single [...] on 5/15/12, JimRecht
said about Update on the Single Payer Issue: Senator Brownsberger:
Thank you for your hard work, your thoughtfulness and your leadership on this issue. Your work with Senator Eldridge [...]
Below, please find the local aid numbers released in today’s Senate Ways and Means FY13 budget proposal. The Senate will debate the budget next week. For more background on local aid issues, please follow this link. Anne Johnson, Committee Counsel and Policy Advisor Office of State Senator William N. Brownsberger Senator Brownsberger is pleased to announce that Bill S.2241, An Act relative to veterans’ access, livelihood, opportunity, and resources – referred to as The Valor Act, was passed unanimously by the Senate on Thursday, May 3. The Senate’s official press release appears below. State Senate Approves “The Valor Act” Improving Benefits and Services for Veterans, [...] Did your office find whether the Kaiser Foundation report on Massachusetts funding of Mental Health was accurate? In that report, Massachusetts was reported as paying significantly less per capita than any New England state, save Rhode Island, for Mental Health Services. The difference was startling. http://statehealthfacts.org/ A recent SAMSHA report stated that 1 in 5 (19.9%) of American adults [...] I’m glad the local aid is being increased, but I’m very concerned about the cuts being made to other services that need to be funded at a state level, like gang violence prevention. Mental health, the area in which I work, is still being badly hurt by previous cuts which have not yet been restored, [...] Senator Will Brownsberger’s Office is partnering with the Charles River Watershed Association and other local groups for a Cleanup of the Charles River on Saturday, April 21 in Brighton and Watertown. If you didn’t get a chance to pre-register, you can still participate by coming to one of three drop-in sites on Saturday, April 21 from 9:00am [...] Thank you for your careful attention to the “Three Strikes” legislation. Persons struggling with drug addictions need treatment, not incarceration. You correctly point out that we need to increase the funding for treatments, which, when successful, can reduce the chance ofBoeing sent back to prison? In addition, I highly recommend the book, The New Jim [...] Friday Night, April 13, 6 – 9 pm The Benton is open one Friday a month. Browse, borrow and use the computers. School Vacation Week, April 17, 18, 19 The Benton will be open on Tuesday, April 17 from 10 – 3 and on Wednesday, April 18 and Thursday, April 19 from 2 -7. The [...] Even knowing about the tragedy that cost Trayvon Martin his life in Florida, and despite less well publicized shootings where such laws protected assailants, Massachusetts may try to join the trend with its own “stand your ground” legislation. According to the Wellesley Patch, State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, proposed a stand your ground gun, [...] The MBTA’s “solution” is unacceptable. There is no reason to raise any fares or cut any services. There are five sources for enough money to cover this year’s shortfall, over $220 million, at http://www.ace-ej.org/node/3260/print (see below). And that doesn’t count the $140 million savings we could have from shifting the debt off the T. Please [...] Senator Brownsberger would like residents of his district to know that Treasurer Steven Grossman has an active Unclaimed Property Division with the mission of reuniting rightful owners with their unclaimed property. In the past year the Treasury was able to return over $76 million to 35,000 residents, businesses and charities in the Commonwealth. Unclaimed property [...] |