July 2020 | The Stanley Report
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Dear Friend,
The Stanley Report has a new look! Please read below for the latest local and state news.
Please take a moment to respond to a survey I created earlier this year. Although this survey was created prior to the pandemic, I am still interested in hearing your views on major issues being considered by the legislature this year. Click
here to view the survey.
As always, please feel free to contact me if you need assistance.
Sincerely,
Tom Stanley
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COVID-19 Resources & Links
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Update on Police Reform Legislation
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is set to debate police reform (
S.2820
) next week. S.2820 includes new police standards and accreditation requirements, better training on bias, establishing a commission on structural racism, banning chokeholds, shooting at moving vehicles except when to do otherwise would endanger the police officer or pedestrians, facial recognition technology and tear gas, as well as a requirement to collect racial disparity data on traffic stops and ending automatic prosecution of teenagers as adults.
One of the more controversial aspects of the Senate Police Reform bill, which was not included in the Latino and Black Legislators Caucus 10-point plan on police reform, changes aspects of qualified immunity for police officers and all government employees such as firefighters, teachers, school nurses, etc.
Qualified immunity refers to the practice today that government employees cannot be sued personally for actions taken in their job but their municipalities may. Proponents of the language change say good employees will still be protected. Critics argue the language is vague, does not properly define which public employees could be sued and leaves them open to losing their homes and personal assets to defend themselves against lawsuits.
To help facilitate public input on the bill, the House Ways and Means Committee and the Judiciary Committee are currently accepting written testimony on the
bill
.
Please email your comments to
Testimony.HWMJudiciary@mahouse.gov
by 11am Friday (7/17) to let your voice be heard.
As a member of House Ways and Means, it's critical for me to hear from my
Waltham
and
Lincoln
constituents on this important issue. Please email your thoughts to
Thomas.Stanley@mahouse.gov
. I've already been receiving lots of correspondence regarding police reform - keep it coming!
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Rep. Stanley Discusses Education Issues with DESE Commissioner
This week Rep. Stanley participated in a Zoom meeting with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley on reopening schools in the fall amidst the pandemic. During the call, Rep. Stanley had the opportunity to ask questions regarding student, teacher and employee safety as well as general health and safety requirements. Call participants discussed plans in place to protect all members of the educational community when schools reopen.
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Rep. Stanley Supports Creation of COVID-19 Local Food Access Emergency Fund
In a letter to the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, Rep. Stanley expressed support for legislation establishing a COVID-19 Local Food Access Emergency Fund. This Fund would provide much needed financial support to food pantries, such as Healthy Waltham, supporting them in their work to acquire and distribute food to Massachusetts residents during this time of skyrocketing food insecurity. Under the bill, funds could be used for food purchases, staffing, supplies, and other unexpected expenses associated with delivering their services during the pandemic.
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Rep. Stanley Cosigns Unemployment Assistance Letter
In a letter to Gov. Baker, Rep. Stanley and his colleagues asked him to provide more clarity about the unemployment assistance system, so that legislators can provide their communities and constituents which critical information about resources available to them to get approved for and maintain their benefits.
Rep. Stanley and his colleagues have been hearing from many constituents across the Commonwealth, who have lost work due to Covid-19, about areas where we need clearer guidance, better procedures, and new solutions to help them overcome obstacles to receiving unemployment benefits. The pandemic has put many people under tremendous financial hardship. The letter to Gov. Baker asks for help to improve transparency and add clarity around aspects of the UI and PUA systems, so that Massachusetts residents can get back to focusing on the many other important issues facing them right now.
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Rep. Stanley and Lawn Help Bill Authorizing $200 Million for Municipal Road and Bridge Maintenance
Representatives Tom Stanley and John Lawn joined their colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature in passing legislation last week to provide $200 Million in funding for local road and bridge repairs across the Commonwealth. The bill has been signed into law.
Amid a difficult fiscal climate, the bill maintains Chapter 90 funding at a $200 Million level for key repairs for the maintenance and upkeep of municipal roads and bridges in Massachusetts. It also extends the term of the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB), which was set to expire on June 30, 2020, for one additional year.
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Rep. Stanley Cosigns Letter to President Trump on International Students
Rep. Stanley joined his colleagues in the legislature last week in sending a letter to President Trump regarding international students. Last Monday, new temporary rules were issued by the federal government which prohibit international students from staying in the United States if they are enrolled in an American college or university that implements an online only platform for instruction. Rep. Stanley and other cosigners asked the President to respectfully reconsider and rescind this new rule.
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Rep. Stanley Helps Pass Critical Legislation to Safeguard Fall 2020 Elections
Rep. Stanleyhelped pass a bill that expands voter access and ensures voters have safe voting options for all remaining 2020 elections, including the September 1, 2020 state primary and November 3, 2020 general election, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. An Act relative to voting options in response to COVID-19 now moves to the governor’s desk.
The legislation, for the first time in state history, would establish a vote-by-mail option and early voting period for the upcoming fall elections. In addition to those options, the bill also addresses polling place safety for those who choose to cast their ballots in person.
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Rep. Stanley Helps Passes Bill to Address Racial Inequities in Maternal Health
Rep. Stanley helped pass a bill to eliminate racial inequities in maternal health. The legislation will create a special legislative commission to make recommendations that reduce or remove the kind of racial inequities that result in women of color dying of pregnancy-related causes at more than double the rate of white women. The commission will gather information and raise awareness of this systemic societal problem, in addition to reporting on barriers to equitable maternal care and best practices for remedying inequities.
The 25-member commission will investigate and report on: Best-practices by other states or grass-roots organizations to reduce or eliminate racial inequities in maternal health or severe maternal morbidity, including, among other approaches, culturally competent and affordable doula services; Accessibility and affordability of birthing centers, maternal medical homes, and doula care and the diversity and cultural competency of maternal health care providers; Barriers to accessing prenatal and postpartum care; How historical and current structural, institutional and individual forms of racism affect maternal mortality as well as potential solutions, such as bias training in hospital facilities and birthing centers; and Available data relating to maternal mortality and morbidity.
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Reps. Stanley helps Secure Funding for the Waltham Health Department and Healthy Waltham through Passage of Supplemental Budget
Rep. Stanley helped pass a supplemental budget to facilitate federal CARES Act funding to reimburse communities hard-hit by COVID-19. The bill also establishes Juneteenth Independence Day on June 19th in Massachusetts, marking the day in 1865 when the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas, learned they were free.
Thanks to ongoing efforts by Rep. Stanley, the bill included $200,000 for the Waltham Health Department to staff public health nurses who will help the City trace investigate and trace COVID-19 cases as well as $75,000 for Healthy Waltham to help with their food pantry efforts in meeting the community need created by the pandemic.
The spending measure follows the April passage in Congress of the Federal Cares Act, which requires states to expend funds on items related to COVID-19 for federal reimbursement. The supplemental budget directs funds to address vital needs including for personal protective equipment, field hospitals and contact tracing.
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The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women Honors Jennifer Rose
Waltham resident Jennifer Rose was honored as a member of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women's 2020 class of Commonwealth Heroines for all her contributions to the Waltham community and beyond. Rep. Stanley nominated Jennifer for this important award. Each year the Commission partners with state legislators to identify women who make outstanding contributions to their organizations and communities. Each legislator is encouraged to submit one women from their constituency as a means of recognizing their invaluable community contributions.
The Commonwealth Heroines are women who don’t make the news, but make the difference.Thousands of women in every community of the state perform unheralded acts on a daily basis that make our homes, neighborhoods, cities, and towns better places to live. Commonwealth Heroines use their time, talent, spirit, and enthusiasm to enrich the lives of others in their community. They are mentors, volunteers, and innovators who strive to protect and represent the interests of seniors, victims of violence, children, immigrants, and other vulnerable populations.
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Rep. Stanley signs letter in support of transitioning Massachusetts to 100% renewable energy
In a letter to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, Rep. Stanley joined his colleagues in urging the Committee to report favorably on the 100% Renewable Energy Act, of which Rep. Stanley is a cosponsor. The 100% Renewable Energy Act includes a commitment to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2035 and 100% renewable energy for heating and transportation by 2045.
Fossil fuels are polluting our air and water, harming our health, and changing our climate in dangerous ways. In recent months, we’ve learned more about how pollution from fossil fuels puts people at risk from diseases like COVID-19. More than 200 global companies, along with major Massachusetts institutions like Partners HealthCare and Boston University, have set 100% renewable energy targets. Thirteen states have pledged to eliminate fossil fuel electricity by 2050 or sooner.
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Rep. Stanley urges Gov. Baker to fly State House flags at half-staff on August 31, 2020 in remembrance of International Overdose Awareness Day
Rep. Stanley signed onto a letter to Governor Baker asking that the State House fly the flags at half-staff on August 31, 2020 in remembrance of International Overdose Awareness Day. The Commonwealth and the nation have lost thousands of lives to the opioid epidemic. Lowering the flags to half-staff will honor those who have died and publicly acknowledge the grief of their family, friends, and communities.
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Rep. Stanley cosponsors bill to make Juneteenth Independence Day a State Holiday
Rep. Stanley signed onto legislation to make Juneteenth Independence Day a State Holiday. Juneteenth Independence Day, celebrated annually on June 19th, commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union general Gordon Granger read federal orders in Galveston, Texas, that all previously enslaved people in Texas were free as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation which was signed over 2 years prior. While Governor Deval Patrick signed a proclamation making June 19 a day of observance in the Commonwealth in 2007, the significance of this date fully deserves its recognition as a state holiday.
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Rep. Stanley cosigns gun violence resolution
Rep. Stanley cosigned a resolution recognizing the first Friday in June as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence and to declare that we as a country must do more to reduce gun violence.
Gun violence is an ever-present factor in the violence of racism which we are all protesting at this time. Every day, 93 Americans are killed by gun violence and more than 200 have sustained non-fatal firearm injuries over the last 5 years. Among those lives lost are children and victims of domestic violence. This resolution takes no stand on gun legislation, it is in recognition of the lives lost and impacted by gun violence.
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Waltham Land Trust’s Green Space Blues Jam
Waltham Land Trust is going virtual with this year's Green Space Blues Jam on July 18
th
at 7pm. Enjoy awesome live music from the blues duo of Paul Rishell and Annie Raines and WLT's virtual dance party from the comfort of your own home! Click
here
to purchase your ticket, or visit our Blues Jam page for more info. Silent auction opens July 15th.
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Rep. Stanley cosigns letter to Reform and Support Local Public Health
Rep. Stanley joined his colleagues in cosigning a letter to Gov. Baker and Secretary Sudders encouraging swift action to establish minimum basic public health standards. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the local public health system in Massachusetts is not adequately structured, staffed, or financed to meet large scale public health challenges. This action plan will accelerate improvements in the Massachusetts local health system, so that it is better prepared to meet future challenges.
The ability of our local boards of health to respond to the pandemic has been hampered by our fractured system of 351 separate boards that receive no direct state funding for core functions. In 2016, the legislature created the Special Commission on Local and Regional Health, and the legislature passed the State Action for Public Health Excellence (SAPHE) legislation this April. This letter proposes action to further the aims of that Commission and the new SAPHE law.
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Rep. Stanley cosponsors Energy SAVE Act sign-on letter
In a letter to Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, Speaker, Rep. Stanley and his colleagues urged him to help pass the Energy SAVE Act (H.4551) to update our state standards for common appliances, reduce energy consumption and, in turn, lower energy costs for consumers and businesses. The House already approved a version of this legislation last session on a unanimous vote. The non-profit Appliance Standards Awareness Project estimates that by 2025 Massachusetts consumers and businesses could save $103 million per year if these new standards were in place, while at the same time reducing 113,000 metric tons of CO2.
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About Rep. Stanley
State Representative
City Council
Former City Council President
State Committees:
Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight
Joint Committee on Financial Services
City Council:
Veterans Committee
License and Franchise Committee
Long Term Debt Committee
Education: Suffolk University (MPA), Bentley University (BS - Management), Mass Bay Community College (AS - Business Administration)
Community Involvement (Past & Present):
Waltham Boys & Girls Club, Waltham Youth Basketball Association, Basketball Plus Program, Central Middle School Basketball, Little Nippers Baseball, Warrendale Little League, Waltham Youth Soccer, Waltham Police Athletic League, CCD Teacher, St. Jude Church, Waltham Lions Club, Waltham Rotary Club, Reagle Players Board of Directors, Warrendale Little League Board of Directors, Waltham Partnership for Youth Board of Directors, Waltham Day Center (Homeless) Advisors Board, Waltham Family School Advisory Board, Waltham Safe & Healthy Schools YRBS Steering Committee, Reach Beyond Domestic Violence Advisory Board, Waltham Public Library Planning Committee, Waltham Sons of Italy, Middlesex Area Enough Abuse Campaign.
Awards:
Work, Community, Independence - Human Service Advocate of the Year, 2008 COFAR - award recipient for support of people with mental disabilities, 2003 MassBay Community College Distinguished Alumni Award WATCH CDC - Housing Advocate Award, 2007 Minuteman Senior Services - Certificate of Appreciation, 2006 Boston Bar Assoc., Greater Boston Legal Services and MetroWest Legal Services - Pillar of Justice Award, 2003 Shining Star Award, Edinburg Center, 2019
Community Health Center Leader Award, The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers
Personal:
Married to the former Kimberly A. Bayliss
Children: Ryan, age 26, Parker, age 17
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