House passes bill to name Rt. 20 the Medal of Honor Highway

Date: 6/27/2022

WESTERN MASS. – Following a movement in several states to rename U.S. Route 20 the “Medal of Honor Highway” the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill on June 6 to bring that change to Massachusetts as well.

State Rep. Jacob Oliveira explained that Rt. 20 is the longest highway in the state and one of the longest in the country.

“Route 20 stretches all the way from Kenmore Square in Boston and cutting across the commonwealth and going through 10 other states and ending in the Pacific Northwest in Oregon, over at the Pacific Ocean,” he said.

Oliveira said the initial movement to rename the highway began several years ago nationwide but was put on hold in Massachusetts while veterans’ groups focused on legislation regarding the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.

“After we started passing legislation to reform the Soldiers’ Home, getting in the funding mechanisms for that, we turned our attention toward this celebratory piece of legislation to honor many of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this nation,” he said.

He added that over 250 Massachusetts residents have been awarded the Medal of Honor dating back to the Civil War.

Oliveira said he and state Sen. John Velis were both approached by veterans’ groups to file the legislation to dedicate Rt. 20.

“When we file legislation in the legislature, we try to have a House filer and a Senate filer. Obviously, [state] Sen. Velis, who chairs the Veterans and Federal Affairs Committee in the legislature, was an obvious choice as a veteran himself. We have been working closely to get both bills passed,” he said.

Because the bill was a late file in the session, Oliveira said there were “some extra hoops” to get through to meet the deadline.

“It was first sent to the transportation committee in the legislature, and I had very great conversations with Chairman Billy Strauss of that committee who moved the bill along pretty quickly for a late file bill and then each step along the way working with the chairmen of the various committees to put it in place to get it to the House floor and ultimately voted on,” he said.

Due to the nature of the bill, Oliveira said there was a “groundswell” of support from legislators and veterans to pass the bill.

“It was an easy sell, because you’re doing something to honor veterans, you’re doing something to honor people who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their nation, but also something that joins with 10 other states in making it a nationwide effort to move along,” he said. “As a legislator it’s something you want to do, especially this time of year.”

According to Oliveira, passing the bill in between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, as well as on the anniversary of D-Day is significant.

“Veterans are very much a supporter of this legislation, particularly this time of year and the uniqueness of this bill passing the House of Representatives on June 6, which was the 78th anniversary of D-Day, the landing at Normandy, which began the freeing of Europe out of Nazi grips in 1944 added something to this bill as well,” he said.

Oliveira also spoke highly of his experience working with Velis to pass the bill in the House and the Senate.

“Sen. Velis has been a wonderful partner to work with because he gets veterans’ issues so well as a veteran himself, so I know that he’s in conversation with his colleagues in the senate to move it over the finish line, and anything I can do that helps him in that effort I’m more than willing to do,” he said.

While the bill still needs Senate approval, Oliveira said he anticipates it to pass smoothly ahead of the July 31 deadline for this session.

“Since it did pass unanimously in the house and I doubt there will be any opposition in the Senate, unlike controversial pieces of legislation that need roll call votes in either chamber, those bills have a deadline of July 31. This bill, since it’s non-controversial and it does have a groundswell of support, could pass in an informal session after July 31, but I’m hopeful we get it signed and sent to the governor’s desk before then” he said.

Oliveira added it was important to honor the recipients and their families.

“Not only to recognize the Medal of Honor recipients but the families of Medal of Honor recipients, which there are dozens of in Massachusetts and thousands across the nation, means a lot. It is the highest military honor a person can receive and to honor them through this, I know it means a lot to the families and the recipients,” he said.

By passing the bill, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation would also add highway signs at different checkpoints to mark the three different versions of the Medal of Honor for the Army, Navy and Air Force.

As of press time, Oliveira said Massachusetts and New York were the only two states on the Rt. 20 corridor that had not passed legislation to approve the name change.