Author: john_velis

Hello everyone,  

I hope you all had a great week! As a reminder beginning May 7th the federal government will require all adult passengers to provide a REAL ID compliant document to fly within the U.S. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you need any assistance with scheduling an appointment with the RMV to obtain a REAL ID driver’s license. 

I kicked off this week over in West Side where I joined my friend Mayor Reichelt for a conversation on his podcast, The Town Agenda. Together we dived into my role as a State Senator to advance West Springfield and Western Massachusetts’s priorities, my work with the Commission to Combat Antisemitism, and the importance of collaboration across the aisle. I am incredibly grateful to the mayor for inviting me on the show! 

On Tuesday, my House Co-Chair, State Representative Mindy Domb, and I had the opportunity to visit the Cutchins Program in Belchertown to see firsthand the compassionate care that children from throughout the state receive there. Cutchins offers children with severe emotional and behavioral challenges a safe, nurturing, and truly healing experience. Unfortunately, despite being the Commonwealth’s only clinically intensive residential treatment program for children ages 6-12, Cutchins faces a potential closure if the proposed FY’26 DMH cuts are not reversed. Later in the week, I hosted a briefing at the State House to break down the variety of essential DMH programs and services, like the ones offered at Cutchins, that face cuts and rally support among my colleagues to restore this essential funding. 

In addition to the briefing I held on Thursday regarding the DMH cuts, which brought together an impressive number of advocates and legislators, I also hosted a National Guard Caucus meeting with the Adjutant General of Massachusetts. During the Caucus meeting we discussed all the important bills filed this session that will improve the lives of the men and women serving in our National Guard and other important initiatives surrounding the F-35 basing decision at Barnes.  

This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Easthampton and Holyoke. Next week Team Velis will be hosting office hours on Tuesday at the Russell Council on Aging from 11:30am to 12:30pm.  If you are unable to make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.   

Wishing all our students and local educators a safe and restful April vacation this week! 

Best,   

John Velis 

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a great week! As a reminder next month, the federal government’s REAL ID requirement for air travel will go into effect. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you need any assistance with scheduling an appointment with the RMV to make this transition.

I started off the week out in Newton as the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism held its second community hearing. During the hearing the Commission had the opportunity to hear from residents from throughout the Commonwealth during our first public comment period. Over the almost 6 hour hearing we heard from dozens of individuals about their heartbreaking experiences with antisemitism and ways that they hope the Commission can improve the lives of our Jewish friends and neighbors.

On Tuesday Representative Duffy and I made a visit to the Holyoke City Council’s Development and Government Relations Committee to provide our yearly legislative update. While the Representative and I are often in close communications with Mayor Garcia and many members of the City Council it was great to dive into the issues we have all been collaborating on to benefit the City of Holyoke.

This week there was a lot to celebrate throughout the district. On Wednesday I stopped into Dean Tech in Holyoke to hang out with Holyoke’s high school wrestling team who has been absolutely dominating the mat the last few years. While I was there, I shared a citation with Coach Silano in recognition of being awarded the MIAA Division 2 West Wrestling Coach of the Year. Later that evening I made my way over to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Westfield’s Youth of the Year celebration. Congratulations to all the candidates and Youth of the Year Gianna Beluzo!

This Friday was National Pets Day! Throughout my legislative career, I have worked to expand protections and funding for our animal friends and am thrilled to be able to celebrate this year with two new animal welfare laws that went into effect this week. Specifically, one law would end the practice of cat declawing and the other would prohibit the sale of puppies and kittens under the age of 8-weeks old. I was proud to have filed the legislation to safeguard young animals in the Senate last session and am grateful to see it go into effect. Often when a young animal is prematurely separated from their mother serious health or behavioral problems can arise.

This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Agawam, Chicopee, and West Springfield. Next week Team Velis will be hosting office hours on Tuesday at the Easthampton Council on Aging from 10:30am to 11:30am and on Wednesday at the Holyoke Council on Aging from 10:00am to 11:00am.  If you are unable to make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  

Best,  

John Velis

Hello everyone, 

It is so hard to believe we are already a quarter way through 2025!  

Spring in many respects is budget season over at the State House. Over the last few weeks, I have been involved in countless meetings about what our communities need most and what feedback stakeholders have about the Governor’s proposed FY’26 budget. This week I had the opportunity to connect with the Chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee to discuss some of my larger priorities that I would like to see in the Senate’s budget, including increasing school aid and finding ways to improve affordability for our residents.  

On Tuesday I was absolutely thrilled to join Boston Children’s Hospital and the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association at their Children’s Behavioral Health Summit alongside Representative Domb to discuss our legislative priorities related to youth behavioral health. Our kids are seriously struggling. It’s been something I’ve heard loud and clear from parents, teachers, and kids themselves when it comes to the behavioral health challenges that they are facing. During the summit I was proud to highlight some of the bills I filed this session on this topic, many of which were spurred by the very feedback I’ve heard directly from students across our district.  

This week we celebrated the grand opening of two new businesses here in the district. On Thursday Team Velis joined the West Springfield community in celebrating the grand opening of Abby Care, a home health organization dedicated to serving families of young children with disabilities or medical complexities. Over in Agawam we also celebrated the grand opening of Soulo Hair Lounge where we shared a citation from the Senate in recognition of this occasion. Congratulations to both of these new businesses! 

On Friday I spent the day traveling between several of our schools in Westfield. Starting off the day bright and early, I was at Westfield High School to speak with students in Mr. Dargie’s current event class. From there, I made my way on over to the Southampton Road School to learn more about Project Lead the Way, a hands-on STEM curriculum that helps build problem solving skills and foster students’ interest in these subjects at an early age. To round out the school day I joined Westfield Technical Academy’s IT shop, another incredible STEM opportunity that prepares students for higher education and an ever-growing field of work.  

Next week Team Velis be hosting office hours on Monday at the Agawam Council on Aging from 11:00AM to 12:00PM, on Tuesday at the Chicopee Council on Aging from 10:00AM to 11:00AM, and again on Wednesday at the West Springfield Council on Aging from 11:00AM to 12:00PM.  If you are unable to make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.   

Best,   

John Velis 

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a restful week after all the exciting events that took place last weekend! Later today I am excited to be back on the basketball court at the Norris Elementary School in Southampton to help support pediatric cancer research in memory of Maddie Schmidt.

This week I spent a great deal of time crisscrossing the district to attend a variety of community events and even made it out to the State House to rally support for a bill I sponsored this session, An Act Relative To Endometriosis Awareness. If you asked me a few years ago, what Endometriosis was I truthfully would not have been able to tell you. However, after having it hit close to home, I’ve gotten to learn more about this commonly misunderstood, and often misdiagnosed, illness that impacts over 6.5 million women in the U.S.. On Wednesday Senator Robyn Kennedy, Representative Sabadosa, Representative Hendricks, and I held a special briefing with some of the top women health experts to raise awareness about Endometriosis amongst my colleagues and ask for their support of our legislation to bring together a task force to recommend what more we can do to further research.

Also, on Wednesday Team Velis joined Urban Co-Works, Holyoke’s newest coworking space provider, to celebrate their grand opening! Team Velis was proud to share a citation from the Senate to recognize this momentous occasion and to extend my best wishes for success.

Today is National Vietnam War Veterans Day, a day where we honor and remember our Vietnam Veterans, those still Missing in Action, and their families. I am grateful to the Chicopee Veteran Service Office for inviting me to their fifth annual Vietnam Veterans Remembrance event on Thursday afternoon to remembering all who we have lost, those surviving families and all who have served during the Vietnam War. I can still vividly remember returning home from Afghanistan where some of the very first people to welcome us all home were Vietnam Veterans despite all that they endured here at home when they returned home from deployments. To all those who served in Vietnam thank you for your service and Welcome Home my friends!

This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Westfield, Russell, and Southampton. Next week there will be no formal office hours, however, please do not hesitate to stop into my district office located at 94 North Elm St. in Westfield if my team can provide any assistance. If you are unable to make it over in-person, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  

Best,  

John Velis

(Springfield- 3/11/2025) Today, Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield) chaired the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism’s fifth meeting at the Springfield Jewish Community Center (JCC). During the meeting the commission had the opportunity to discuss trends in Western Massachusetts with community members, educators, and local Rabbis. This marks the first of several community meetings of the Special Commission to hear from those with subject knowledge expertise from throughout the Commonwealth.

“Ensuring Western Massachusetts has a seat at the table is always at the forefront of my mind with everything and anything that I do, That’s why from the onset of the Special Commission I was adamant that we needed to take the opportunity to come meet Western Massachusetts’s vibrant Jewish community right where they are,” shared Senator John C. Velis , co-chair of the Special Commission. “I am so grateful for all of our speakers from throughout our region who took the time to share their experiences with the Commission and most especially to our gracious hosts at the JCC for making this hearing possible in the first place.”

“The Springfield Jewish Community Center is honored to host this discussion about an issue that is extremely important to the Jewish, and wider, communities locally,” said Karen Jarmoc, CEO of the Springfield Jewish Community Center. “We very much appreciate that the Commission is holding this meeting in Western Massachusetts and taking the time to hear about trends and concerns in the Pioneer Valley and in Berkshire County from community members.”

Last spring, Senator Velis sponsored legislation, that was later signed into law, to create the Special Commission which includes members appointed by the Legislature, Governor, state agencies, and organizations. The legislation also instructed the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to provide curriculum, resources, and professional development to school districts to teach students about antisemitism in age-appropriate ways. During Tuesday’s hearing the Commission also received an update on these ongoing efforts from DESE Acting Commissioner Russell Johnson.

The Commission is tasked with putting forth recommendations this fall on ways that Commonwealth can combat the alarming rise in antisemitism across the state and implement the White House’s National Strategy on Counter Antisemitism. Senator Velis shared that the Commission intends to continue to have hearings across the state ahead of the November 30th reporting deadline.

###

Velis Receives Award for Leadership in Suicide Prevention

(3/21/2025- Boston) Last week during a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House the MA Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP) presented the Leadership in Suicide Prevention award to Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield). This award follows years of dedicated work by Velis to bolster behavioral health resources, including suicide prevention programs, among both the civilian and military connected populations.

The Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention is a statewide organization of community activists, healthcare professionals, crisis works, and those impacted by suicide. Over the last 20 years MCSP has been actively working to reduce barriers to mental health, substance addiction recovery, domestic violence shelters and other community services.

“I am truly honored to receive this recognition for my work in the behavioral space, an issue so near and dear to my heart. At the end of the day, as we continue to work to bolster access to behavioral health programs it’s imperative that people know that help is out there and things can and will get better,” shared Senator Velis, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery. “I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge the hundreds of folks across our state working on the ground each day to form relationships and answer folks when they raise their hands and ask for help. What we do up on Beacon Hill is only one piece of the much larger lifesaving work that is happening every single day in our communities because of these providers and volunteers.”

Following reports last summe that showed that the Army’s suicide rate in peacetime has now exceeded total combat deaths in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Velis held a roundtable at Holyoke Community College on how suicide can be prevented among our Commonwealth’s service members. After last week’s award ceremony, Velis shared that he will continue to demand a comprehensive response across our nation to address these alarming statistics.

###

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all have been able to enjoy some of the incredible celebrations of the Pioneer Valley’s Irish Heritage over the last week! Having ate a few too many boiled dinners this week it’ll be a game time decision about this morning’s road race, nothing like waiting till the last minute! However, I cannot wait to see many of you along the parade route tomorrow for what I hope will be the a warm sunny day to celebrate  the 72nd Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade!

I spent much of this week continuing the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. On Monday I spent some time with my friends in Southampton for a very special Dinner and Dance organized by the incredible staff at the Council on Aging. Later in the week I made my way over to Holyoke Medical Center to present official citations from the Massachusetts State Senate alongside my colleagues Senator Gomez and Senator Oliveira to the Holyoke and Chicopee Colleens and the members of their courts. This is always such a thoughtful event put together each year by the Parade Committees to uplift the spirts of the staff and patients at the hospital.

On Wednesday I joined Representative Pease and Mayor McCabe over at the White Oak School in Westfield to speak with students. The White Oak School is one of the countless specialized schools across the Commonwealth that serves students with specific learning disabilities and related learning differences who otherwise might have a difficult time in a traditional school setting. It was great to hear about all that the student are learning and learn more about the resources and opportunities White Oak provides.

Out at the State House this week with committee assignments recently announced I took the opportunity this week to meet with the new House Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, Representative McGonagle of Everett. I am thrilled to have another strong partner to collaborate with on this Committee and looking forward to all that we will accomplish this session for our Veterans, Military members, and their families.

This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Easthampton and Holyoke. Next week we will be hosting office hours on Monday at the Westfield Council on Aging from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, on Tuesday at the Russell Council on Aging from 11:30am to 12:30pm, and on Wednesday at the Southampton Council on Aging from 9:30am to 10:30am. If you are unable to make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  

Best,  

John Velis

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a fantastic week especially with all the warm weather and brighter evenings with the beginning of daylight savings. This week was an incredibly busy one all across Western Massachusetts for Team Velis and I!

On Monday I kicked off the week over at Westfield High School for a fantastic celebration and tour of the school’s new science labs. A few years back I was proud to secure a FY’23 earmark of $1,000,000 for the school to renovate their science labs and purchase new equipment to help further our students’ educational opportunities. It was great to hear from students about all that they are excited to learn in these new state of the art classrooms. Luckily for me I think I managed to stay out of the principal’s office that afternoon!

This week the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism held its first community hearing right here in Western Massachusetts at the Springfield Jewish Cultural Center on Tuesday. Ensuring Western Massachusetts has a seat at the table is always at the forefront of my mind with everything and anything that I do, that’s why from the onset of the Special Commission I was adamant that we needed to take the opportunity to come meet Western Massachusetts’s vibrant Jewish community right where they are. During the meeting the commission had the opportunity to discuss trends in Western Massachusetts with community members, educators, and local Rabbis. I am so grateful for all our speakers from throughout our region who took the time to share their experiences with the Commission and most especially to our gracious hosts at the JCC for making this hearing possible.

With St. Patrick’s Day nearing, the festivities celebrating many of our communities’ Irish heritage are in full swing. On Friday I joined the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce for their annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast that was celebrated with some incredible Irish Dancers from the Cassin Dance Academy! Later in the day I was over in Chicopee to help the city raise a flag in celebration of Monday’s holiday. Luckily for us the celebrations will continue into next week as we gear up for the Holyoke Saint Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday March 23^rd!

This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Chicopee and West Springfield. Next week Team Velis will be hosting office hours on Tuesday at the Easthampton Council on Aging from 10:30am to 11:30am and on Wednesday at the Holyoke Council on Aging from 10:00am to 11:00am.  If you are unable to make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  

Best,  

John Velis