This week was another busy one. Monday morning, I chaired a hearing for the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. Aptly, following the passage of Veterans Day on Saturday, the committee and I heard many bills pertinent to the wellbeing of our veterans here in the commonwealth. The work to support our veterans and service members doesn’t stop after Veterans Day, and the chairmanship of this committee is a position in the state Senate that I am extremely honored to hold. Some of you may have heard that the governor filed a veterans omnibus package recently, as well. As we continue our review this legislation, it is my hope that we will focus on the tangible ways we can improve supports in the commonwealth for those who have served.
In addition to committee work this week, the Senate debated the FY23 closeout supplemental budget. After the House passed their version last week, the Senate version was introduced and debated on the chamber floor on Tuesday. On this bill, I introduced an amendment, which passed, creating a bipartisan commission to both thoughtfully and realistically review our state’s emergency shelter response, and its financial impact and sustainability, and make recommendations by March 1. The reality is that our state’s emergency shelters program was never meant to handle the number of individuals that it is currently housing today, and we need to take a hard look at our current shelter structure and what our commonwealth’s off-ramp is going to be. I believe this is a much-needed first step to improving our state’s shelter system, and I am grateful for the bipartisan support to get this work started. The next step is for the Senate and House to negotiate differences between their two supplemental budgets.
Back here in Western Mass., though, my team and I have been all over the district this week, too. Three businesses cut their grand opening ribbons this week: the Homestead Funding Corporation in West Springfield, the new financial literacy exhibit at the Westfield Children’s Museum, and Jones Karate & Ju-Jitsu in Chicopee all opened their doors to the public. Congratulations to all. On Thursday we also welcome the secretary of labor and workforce development, Secretary Lauren Jones, to Dean Technical Institute in Holyoke to celebrate Apprenticeship Week! Apprenticeships and trade work are such an important part of our educational system and I’m grateful to the secretary for the visit.
