Burlington, Bedford and Wilmington's voice on Beacon Hill
March 2, 2015
  :
       
       Last week I was named House Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Election Law.  The committee oversees not only laws affecting our elections, but also campaign finance.  I am delighted to be in a position to address the growing threat of big money in politics that challenges our democracy.
    I also received a post on the Joint Committee on Transportation.  Some of the most important issues that face our district, as well as the Commonwealth, surround transportation.  I have been working on these issues all along.  Whether it be the location of a salt shed in Bedford, support for the goals of the Middlesex 3 Coalition's ride-share or shuttle system, or a re-design of the tangled exits and entrances at the intersections of Route 3 and Route 128, these issues are crucial.  I am grateful for the opportunity to focus with a spot on this committee.  I look forward to working on these issues, as well as the challenges facing the MBTA.
    I will return to the House Committee on Global Warming, but this year a fourth committee has been added to my duties, as I have been placed on the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.  This committee is involved with public construction, bidding for public jobs, and laws involving lobbyists. I will be able to apply my background in labor law and contribute to this important body.
     Burlington Superintendent of Schools Eric Conte is known for saying the reward for hard work is more hard work.  Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce President Rick Parker has reminded me of that. I look forward to it. Thank you, to the voters of Bedford, Burlington and precinct 3 in Wilmington, for giving me the opportunity to help. 
  
Ken Gordon
Ken with happy residents of Meadowbrook Road neighborhood.

Ken Helps Bedford Pass the Salt
      
       Bedford was presented a bitter pill last fall, when the Massachusetts Department of Transportation ("MassDOT") held an informational meeting in October announcing its plans to move a salt storage facility from its current Crosby Drive location to a new maintenance facility across Route 3 in an area of land between the highway and the exit ramp.
     Residents of the Meadowbrook Road neighborhood became outraged, first by their perception that the meeting was not well advertised and therefore MassDOT appeared to be operating under protection of darkness, and when light was shed on the plan they were concerned the facility would be too close to their residential neighborhood.
    Rep. Gordon convinced MassDOT to come back to Bedford and a January 15 meeting was set up.  Meanwhile, he engaged in a study to identify another location, one that would not interfere with residents and would not create traffic and environmental problems that concerned town residents. While all that was going on, the residents of the neighborhood organized a concerted effort with emails, letters, telephone calls and petitions.  Gordon sent all of them straight to MassDOT, so the agency would be made aware of the resident's outrage.
     In the weeks leading up to the public information session, Gordon toured MassDot's location in Andover, and various alternative sites.  He identified a location in a different town that appeared better suited for the shed, and when some 80 residents attended the January 15 meeting and -- with support of the Selectmen -- peppered MassDOT's representatives with questions indicated their distaste with the salt shed plan, the resolve of MassDOT had been shaken.  
    Within a week of the public meeting, Gordon addressed the Selectmen and announced that MassDOT had abandoned its plans, and would not move its facility to the planned location.
   Just as important to Gordon, MassDOT promised that it would open a conversation about moving Burlington's salt shed, located on Grant Ave.  The facility was rumored for relocation in the 1990s but those plans fell through.  The department is expected to negotiate with Gordon about that shed once the winter season ends.
 Gordon's New Bills Prove Popular Among Colleagues
      
      As reported in our last newsletter, Gordon filed 18 bills at the start of the session. They were advanced to fellow legislators for co-sponsorship opportunities, meaning that other House and Senate members had a chance to add their names as supporters of the bill at the outset of the term.  Many of Gordon's bills were favorably treated.  
     Among the titles with the most support were::     
     Social Media Password Privacy -- Prohibits schools from asking for social media passwords from students as a condition to enrollment.  This bill received 76 co-sponsors, meaning that it needs only five more supporters and the backing of House and Senate leadership to be sent to the governor for signature.  It appears this idea has caught on. .
     An Act Establishing Temporary Disability and FMLA in cases of parental leave -- President Obama is considering a plan that will reimburse states that give businesses a way to provide paid family leave to care for a child, and for related reasons. Along with federal funds, it would provide that parents could collect from disability insurance if they are so insured, while they were on leave.  This bill received 63 co-sponsors, and appears on its way to success.
   An Act Supporting Job Training and An Act Extending Unemployment Insurance Benefits to Those Enrolled in Qualified Job Training Programs --  Taken together, these bills will fund job training for experienced workers who are laid off through no fault of their own, and extend the time for them to receive unemployment insurance benefits while they are enrolled in those programs. A total of 42 legislators signed on to one of these bills and 18 to the other.
    Naming May the Month of Kindness -- Thirty Reps and Senators, including Republican Minority Leader Bradley Jones signed on to a bill, influenced by the children of Burlington and the Helpis organization.  This bill will remind people to show kindness to each other in the month of May, with the hopes that kindness becomes contagious and catches on year round.    
Lost and Found    
      
    Ken is helping Treasurer Deb Goldberg identify residents of the district who have unclaimed money held by the treasurer.  More than a million dollars is sitting with the Commonwealth, waiting to be claimed.
    We urge you to visit www.findmassmoney.com to see if there is lucre awaiting your claim. It is easy, and certainly worth the effort.
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Thank you for your support and we will continue to keep you informed. If you have questions or would like to see a particular topic addressed in our next issue, please write to ken@repkengordon.org.
Contact Information
Ken Gordon
State Representative
21st Middlesex District

P.O. Box 159
Burlington, MA 01803
781-656-5364