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The
Massachusetts Senate has made great strides on behalf of the people of
the Commonwealth during the 185th session. During this session,
we have passed nearly 100 major pieces of legislation and debated and
authorized hundreds more. In total, more than 550 bills that the
Senate has acted upon have become law.
The
legislation passed by the Senate protects our children and invests in
their education, protects our environment and promotes alternative fuel
sources. The Senate has made inroads into curbing the cost of health
care, attracting new business to the Commonwealth and providing
consumers with sales tax holidays in 2007 and 2008. Faced with
uncertain economic times, the Senate has made investments in our
communities and our infrastructure, and worked to protect our
traditional industries, such as fishing and farming.
With
the economy slipping, one of our top priorities was investing in job
creation We invested in new industry by passing incentives to attract
lifescience and biotechnology companies, as well as our highly
successful film tax credit legislation to boost our standing in the
movie industry. We have already seen the reward of these
investments with new lifescience companies moving into the state and
established businesses investing more in Massachusetts. We have seen
over a dozen movies filmed in our state and have a movie studio being
built in Plymouth. The Senate also passed several bond bills that
deal with infrastructure, transportation, the environment, affordable
housing,and higher education investments throughout the state.
These initiatives will prime the pump and get people working
while improving our roads and bridges, protecting our environment and
fixing our crumbling buildings.
Even
with good paying jobs, many residents are finding it difficult to make
ends meet. While there are several issues pulling at our purse
strings, one of the biggest cost burdens is health care. In order
to reign in health care costs, I authored the legislation that became
law which increases transparency of insurance companies, promotes modernization
of health care systems, increases access, and reduces waste and
inefficiency.
Of
particular concern to residents of the Plymouth and Barnstable District
is the soaring cost of homeowners insurance. Looking for ways to
control the skyrocketing cost, the Senate passed legislation that would
set new standards for the market. The bill also sets regulations in
place so that the storm models insurance companies use are based on
real science, makes changes to the FAIR plan, and adjusts the
FAIR plan rates to offer discounts to primary homeowners, seniors, and
homes with lower-insured values or that are farther from the coast.
To
decrease our dependence on foreign oil we have passed legislation that
invests in the production of cellulosic biofuel which is made from
algae, wood byproducts, and cranberries. The Senate worked to preserve
our natural resources and environment through legislation that would
help prevent oils spills in Buzzards Bay, the Green Communities Act to
promote renewable energy resources, and the Ocean Management Act to
regulate development in our territorial waters.
For
our children, we have expanded ATV regulations and updated booster seat
laws to protect them. The Senate voted to reorganize the
Department of Education to make it a Cabinet-level position, and
further emphasize early education, so our children get the best start
in life.
In
total homeowners have debated and acted on legislation that helps
working families, , veterans and seniors, and laid the groundwork for a
stronger future for the Commonwealth.
While
the Legislature has completed formal sessions for the year, we are
still working on and passing legislation in informal sessions that is
important to the Plymouth and Barnstable District and the Commonwealth.
To see a complete list of the major legislation passed by
the Senate during the 2007-2008 session, please click here.
(pdf)
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