Hello Everyone,
I hope everyone is able to get out and visit the Big E at least once this fall while it’s still going on. As the State Senator who represents West Springfield and many of its surrounding communities, my team and I have been spending a lot of time at the fairgrounds showing off all that our region has to offer. Just this past Thursday, I joined Governor Healey and many other local and state officials to ring in the start of Massachusetts Day.
Monday morning was an especially momentous start to the week as I chaired our third public hearing for the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery alongside my House Co-Chair, Adrian Madaro. The hearing was focused on opioid legislation and we heard in-person and virtual testimony on bills focused on prescription opioids, patient and prescriber education requirements, non-opioid alternative forms of care, and other related matters.
Wednesday afternoon I chaired a hearing for the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. The specific focus of this hearing was legislation concerning veterans’ recognitions and designations. Along with my House Co-Chair, Representative Gerry Cassidy, I heard testimony from many advocates on numerous bills, including my own, S2357, An Act relative to recognition of the “Honor and Remember” flag in the Commonwealth. This bill would designate the Honor and Remember flag as a symbol of the Commonwealth’s concern and commitment to honoring and remembering the lives of all members of the United States Armed Forces who have lost their lives while serving, or as a result of service, and their families. Thank you to all the veterans who have worked on this legislation.
Last session, I passed an amendment on the FY23 Budget that created the Veterans Equality Review Board to ensure that veterans who were denied state benefits as a result of the Federal Government’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy are now able receive them. Wednesday morning, the Governor held celebration of the 12th anniversary of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” which doubled as the swearing-in ceremony for members of this board. Our LGBTQIA+ veterans wore the same uniform as the rest of us, they served and fought alongside us, and they deserve to be taken care of the same way as the rest of us. It is time for our Commonwealth to do right by them. My legislation, and the work of the Veterans Equality Review Board, will ensure that we do
This week my team hosted office hours at the Easthampton COA on Tuesday and at the Holyoke COA on Wednesday. Next week, we will be at the Westfield COA on Monday from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, the Russell COA on Tuesday from 11:30am to 12:3pm, and the Southampton COA from 9:30am to 10:30am. If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com
Sincerely,
John Velis