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Date: 2/22/2021
The 191st session of the General Court ended at about 5 a.m. on Jan. 6 and the 192nd began just a few hours later, an unprecedented but much welcome move, signaling that the House is keenly focused on offering as much help as possible during these difficult times. Indeed, the 191st session held a lot of good news for our communities.
An economic development bill passed that included zoning reform to pave the way for more affordable housing and offered support for our small businesses. A transportation bond bill included money to finally connect the bike path from Westfield to Easthampton through Southampton as well as language to make the Valley Flyer permanent and support East-West rail. Legislation to dissolve the Hampshire Council of Governments protected towns from liabilities and transferred pensions and health insurance to the state, tying up the threads that had been left hanging when county government was dissolved. Additionally, a bill passed to extend the Lost Wage Assistance Program to those receiving less than $100 in unemployment benefits, adding a bit of equity back into the unemployment program.
In the coming months, all eyes will be on vaccine distribution, ensuring that Western Massachusetts gets its fair share. The Legislature will continue to focus on bills to support our small businesses and to build back after COVID-19 with an equitable economic recovery. While many have argued that the recovery will be either U-shaped (slower) or V-shaped (faster), I have argued that it is K-shaped: a blip for those who were doing well before but devastating for those who were just scraping by. The need for federal dollars remains significant, but, when they do arrive, it is the Legislature’s responsibility to ensure that the distribution of those funds benefits the whole state and money gets into the hands of those who need it the most.
Despite declining revenues, there is a commitment to increased education funding and supporting schools that have seen higher costs due to remote or hybrid learning. Regional schools have borne a disproportionate burden given their increased transportation costs, which must be centered as we look to return to the funding increases laid out in the Student Opportunity Act. Early education and higher education funding cannot be left out of the conversation as well and are top of mind as both areas are going to be important to an economic recovery; if workers are the backbone of our economy, those sectors are the legs that hold it up.
As I file bills this new session, many ideas come directly from our district. I will be working on a bill to allow CPA money to be used to purchase dead railroad tracks, a priority for Southampton, as well as legislation around chemical trespass, crafted with the thoughts of many from Westhampton in mind. Although our bill filing deadline is Feb. 19, I welcome constituents to reach out at any point to discuss legislation so that they are truly guiding my work. Additionally, we are here if you need help navigating any state government agency whether it be the Department of Unemployment, the RMV, or MassHealth. I can be reached at Lindsay.Sabadosa@mahouse.gov or 270-1166. We are here to help.
Lindsay Sabadosa
State Representative
1st Hampshire District