Hello everyone,
I can’t believe April is already coming to a close. Spring is well underway here in Western Massachusetts and I for one happily welcome it.
It was a packed week here in the state senate. After long deliberations, I’m happy to announce that the Senate passed a bill on Thursday that would legalize sports gambling in the Commonwealth. The bill includes important resources and protections for those who might struggle with problem gambling. The House passed a similar bill in July, and it will now go to a conference committee where differences between the two versions will be worked out before being sent to the governor’s desk for signing. With the Governor’s signature, the Commonwealth would join over two dozen other states where the practice is legal in some shape or form. The legalization of sports betting is a huge step and will go a long way to attracting tourism and generating tax revenue in Massachusetts. I voted in favor of the bill and am already looking forward to the positive impact it will have in our state.
This week, I, alongside Governor Baker, Congressman Neal, Senator Lesser, and Representative Olivera, also attended a ribbon cutting at Westover Airbase in Chicopee to commemorate the opening of the UMass Aviation & Training center as well as the reopening of the main runway at the base. Both are public investments that will only serve to benefit our local economy and strengthen our workforce.
Wednesday afternoon, I attended the Massachusetts School Building Association’s Board Members meeting to vocalize my support for two district projects—one in Holyoke and one in Agawam. Bettering our school infrastructure is critical to ensuring that our students get the best education they possibly can. The Western Mass legislative delegation as a whole also met with Congressman Neal and Governor Baker this week to discuss the East-West Rail project. For those unfamiliar, this would expand the MBTA’s commuter lines from Worcester out into Springfield and Pittsfield. It was a very productive meeting and I look forward to further working towards this rail expansion. Connecting the Commonwealth would be a win for lowering emissions while also being a boom to our local economy.
This week, I also had the pleasure of attending the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Westfield’s youth of the year award ceremony. Congratulations to Gracia Jorgensen for taking home the award and to Vivian Szostek and Mia Anglin for being nominated finalists. It’s much deserved and I’m looking forward to all that they are going to do to help our community.
As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email: john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com, where you can also sign up for my newsletter!
Sincerely,
John Velis