Author: john_velis

Hello Everyone, 

I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween. This past week has been another busy one in our district and at the State House, and I’m excited to share some of the highlights with you. 

On Monday, I had a blast calling Bingo at the Agawam Council on Aging. Visiting our local senior centers is always a great time but if I must admit calling BINGO continues to be one of my favorite activities to participate in. Thank you to Director Cindy Sullivan for inviting me to help call a few games! 

I was over at the State House on Tuesday to help convene the first meeting of the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism. I am beyond grateful to the Senate President for entrusting me to lead this commission during a time when our Jewish friends and neighbors are enduring such disturbing acts of hate in our Commonwealth. Last year, Massachusetts saw 440 individual acts of antisemitism across our state including acts of vandalism, harassment, and physical assault targeting Jewish children, adults, and institutions. Simply put- there is no room for hate of any kind in Massachusetts. Over the next year the Special Commission will be making its way across the state to meet with those with subject knowledge expertise and to hear from community members on how we can reverse these alarming numbers. 

On Friday, I visited Holyoke Medical Center to present a citation to Maria Quinn, whom I had the honor of nominating for the Latino Excellence Awards. Maria is the Director of the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Support Services at Holyoke Medical Center, where she leads a dedicated team in providing vital support to individuals struggling with substance use disorders.  Maria’s leadership and innovative strategies are helping to break down barriers and create a supportive environment for those in recovery. I am proud to celebrate her work and the difference she is making in our community. 

I also want to give a heartfelt congratulations to Cheryl Richards, Brian Richards, and Bill Westerlind who all received the Volunteer of the Year Award for their incredible dedication to our community. Cheryl and Brian have been serving a monthly meal at the Westfield Soup Kitchen for the past 25 years and Bill helps leads the incredible programs with Artworks of Westfield. All of their commitment to bettering our community is a true testament to the spirit of service. It was a privilege to share a citation with them and to recognize all the other remarkable volunteers who were nominated. 

This week my office hosted office hours in Westfield and Southampton; Next week, we will be hosting office hours at the Agawam COA on Monday November 4th from 11:00am to 12:00pm. If you can’t 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.  

Sincerely,  

John Velis  

Hello Everyone, 

I hope everyone had good week.  The leaves seemed to have hit their peak, and the Pioneer Valley has been absolutely gorgeous this week.  While it has been unseasonably warm this week, I would like to remind everyone that my office is readily available to assist with applications for fuel assistance should you or anyone you know need it.   

I started off my week proudly accepting the Legislator of the Year award from the Providers’ Council. This wonderful organization works and advocates on behalf of our hard-working human service providers across the Commonwealth. I am extremely grateful to my good friends at the Gandara Center for nominating me for this honor. The Gandara Center, and all those like it here in our region, provide such critical services for families and individuals in need. Much of the legislation that I was able to get over the finish line this session was due in large part to their knowledge and collaboration.  As the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery, it’s my honor to work alongside programs and providers like the Gandara Center. 

Wednesday, we had a farewell that will be felt across the Westfield community.  Mary Lou Niedzielski, longtime coordinator for the Westfield Council on Aging, and my dear friend, will be retiring from her role at the end of the month.  After many years of service to the folks of all ages in and around Westfield, you will be deeply missed. Thank you for everything that you have done for our community.  Please enjoy your retirement; it is so well deserved! 

Friday morning, I presented a citation to Wayfinders to commemorate the ribbon cutting of Rosewood Way, a new housing development in Agawam. This new mixed income housing will go a long way to providing sorely needed housing options to those in our community with their 62 new residences. Congratulations! 

Friday afternoon, I attended the Westfield Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative luncheon.  Our small businesses are the backbone of our community, and the Chamber makes sure they have the resources they need to thrive.  This luncheon was very productive, and we discussed how Beacon Hill can best work alongside our business community to make sure that Westfield and the surrounding towns continue to develop.  Thank you to the Chamber for hosting and for asking me to speak.   

This week my office hosted office hours at the Russell COA on Tuesday.  Next week, we will be hosting office hours at the Westfield COA on Monday October 28^th from 11:30am to 12:30pm and at the Southampton COA on Wednesday October 30^th 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) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com. 

Sincerely, 

John Velis 

Happy October Everyone, 

I hope everyone has been enjoying the cool fall weather this past week.  As a reminder, if you or anyone you know is in need of help with a fuel assistance application, my office is always ready to assist. 

I started off my week at the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Development listening session with other members of Chicopee’s legislative delegation. It was an important opportunity to hear from members of the business community about the challenges that they face as well as the state resources that have assisted them. Informative discussions like this are helpful as my fellow legislators and I begin to think about new legislation to file next session. 

Tuesday marked the grand opening of the House of Kooladas in Chicopee where my staff presented a citation on behalf of the Senate.  I love seeing new small businesses open in our community and I wish the best of luck to the House of Kooladas as they embark on this journey.   

Later that evening, Representative Pease and I attended a Southampton Selectboard meeting to provide an update on our work in the legislature. I always appreciate the invitation from our local municipal officials to join them at these community meetings not only to update them on my work advocating for their community on Beacon Hill but also to discuss new issues and needs that a community has. Thank you Chair Fowles and Town Administrator Szczebak for the invitation! 

I started off Wednesday morning with the West of the River Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative breakfast where I met with business and community leaders from Agawam and West Springfield to talk about how the legislature can best work to grow our local economy.  Following this, I went over to Holyoke to attend a meeting with other elected officials to hear about Tapestry Health’s plans for the future. Tapestry Health is on the frontlines making a real difference each day with their life saving work sharing harm reduction resources and building relationships with those struggling with addiction in our community. 

Thursday, I had the pleasure of touring the Project New Hope’s facility right here in Westfield alongside with representatives of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. All too often our veterans, who deserve the best our country can offer, fall into food insecurity and Project New Hope does the very important work of fighting against this and providing other valuable services to assist our nation’s heroes.  

Next week my office will be hosting office hours on Monday, October 7^th, at the Agawam COA from 11:00am to 12:00pm, on Tuesday, October 8^th, from 10:00am to 11:00am at the Chicopee COA, and again at the West Springfield COA on Wednesday, October 9^th, from 11:00am to 12:00pm.  If you can’t 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. 

Sincerely, 

John Velis 

We are grateful to the Senate President and House Speaker for appointing us as co-chairs and entrusting us to lead Massachusetts’ first statutory commission on combating antisemitism. The work is urgent and the mission is critical. Over the past several years, our Commonwealth has earned the ignominious reputation as a hub of antisemitic activity. We have heard it through harrowing accounts from Jewish students, parents, educators, and people of all backgrounds who feel it on a visceral level in our communities. And we see it in the 2023 data:

• Last year, there were 440 antisemitic incidents recorded in Massachusetts, a 189 percent
  increase from 2022.
• The 189 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in Massachusetts outpaced the 140
  percent increase in such incidents nationwide.
• Massachusetts recorded the fifth-highest number of incidents per state in the country,
  behind only California, New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
• Of these incidents, vandalism increased by 70 percent, harassment increased by 444
  percent, and the number of assaults doubled.
• 127 cities and towns in Massachusetts saw at least one antisemitic incident last year.
  

This is not ok. These trends must be — and can be — reversed through concerted action. As cochairs, we will ensure that this commission will work with great dispatch to meet our statutory charge, established by Session Law (Acts of 2024) Ch. 140: namely, to provide specific, evidence-backed guidance on how to implement the White House’s national strategy to counter antisemitism, improve awareness in schools and the workplace, address harassment and hate crimes, bolster security for places of worship, build upon existing best practices, and more.

We will approach this exercise with humility and care, recognizing that antisemitism is a fraught and complicated topic in today’s society. Our work will not, however, be compromised by those who believe the problem of antisemitism is being exaggerated — it is not — or who feel that a singular focus on antisemitism for a commission is inappropriate. Antisemitic fear mongering, conspiracy peddling, and hate have for millennia been a harbinger of wider threats to democracy and peace throughout the world. This commission will work towards stamping it out in Massachusetts. As we do so, we will be mindful of one of the core tenets of Tikkun Olam, a Hebrew phrase that translates to “repair the world,” that there is virtue in engaging in work you know you cannot complete.

We will be joined on the commission by leaders from around the Commonwealth who have
subject matter expertise in our statutory mandate, including appointees of the Senate President, one of whom shall have expertise in combating antisemitism and one of whom shall represent a Jewish community organization in the Commonwealth; appointees of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall have expertise in combating antisemitism and one of whom shall represent a Jewish community organization in the Commonwealth; appointees of the House and Senate Minority Leaders; appointees of the Governor, one of whom shall have expertise in legal issues related to civil rights and civil liberties; appointees of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Inc.; the Attorney General or a designee; the chair of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination or a designee; the Commissioner of Higher Education or a
designee; the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education or a designee; an appointee of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association; an appointee of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association Incorporated; and an appointee of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, Inc.

L’shana tova.

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(9/25/2024 – Westfield) Following oral agreements heard by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts earlier this month centered around the Commonwealth’s wiretap statue, Senator John C. Velis continues his push to modernize the antiquated law. In 2023, Senator Velis introduced legislation to lengthen the time allotted that law enforcement agencies are able to utilize a wiretap when a warrant is granted and has provided support to other legislation to update the law. 

Despite the evolution of technology and crime over the past 50 years, Massachusetts’ wiretap law has not been updated since 1968.  Due to the nature of how crimes differed in 1968, the law limits prosecutor’s ability to seek a wiretap warrant unless it is specifically related to organized crime, a factor that prohibits law enforcement for seeking a wiretap in many cases. Additionally, if the wiretap is granted, state law also currently only allows law enforcement to utilize a wiretap for a very short period of time, often hindering longer and more complex investigations.  

“It has been clear for quite some time now that Massachusetts’ wiretap statue is antiquated and as a result has seriously restricted law enforcement from investigating some of the most serious and heinous crimes occurring in our Commonwealth. Crimes like murder and rape are some of the most difficult to solve with traditional methods, and they are also terribly difficult for victims to publicly testify about when they may fear for their safety,” shared Senator John C. Velis. “While it is critical that we maintain a high standard for when a wiretap warrant is granted, we must take a serious look into how we can finally update this archaic statue to ensure that we are providing our law enforcement with the tools they need to address the landscape of crimes in our Commonwealth today.”  

Velis shared that he will be paying close attention to the decision and comments of the Supreme Judicial Court on this case and intends to pursue legislation in the beginning of the next session to modernize the wiretap statue.  

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