Author: john_velis

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Legislative committee begins investigation into Holyoke Soldiers’ Home

July 21, 2020 – Western Mass News – Ryan Trowbridge & Audrey Russo

HOLYOKE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) — A group of lawmakers is now investigating the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.

This comes as 101 veterans have died, with 76 of them testing positive.

Countless others contracted the illness and recovered and this group of legislators is tasked with looking into how the virus spread so quickly.

There are already multiple investigations into the Soldiers’ Home underway and the independent investigation ordered by the governor was completed weeks ago.

We spoke with the lawmakers on the Legislative Oversight Committee about how their probe into the home will be different from the others.

“There was not a dry eye there,” said State Sen. John Velis.

Velis has already begun listening sessions with the families of the vets who died in the COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. He is part of a 17-member legislative committee tasked with investigating the deadly outbreak, considered one of the worst at a long-term care facility in the country.

“There was a D-Day survivor. To survive that and then come back to this and go through what they did…” Velis noted.

Velis is hoping the families’ input will help probe further back before the outbreak in March.

“All the time that they spent up there visiting, their observations, what they saw, what they feel could make it better,” Velis said.

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Velis says “much more work to do” as legislative sessions extend – The Westfield News

August 3, 2020 – The Westfield News – Hope E. Tremblay

BOSTON – State Sen. John C. Velis touted the extension of the legislative session this week, saying it allows elected officials to continue working for residents.

Last Thursday, the Massachusetts State Senate and the House of Representatives came to an agreement to continue formal legislative sessions through the end of the year. With the heightened needs brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic, this extension will allow for the legislature to continue working on major legislation to bring relief to the Commonwealth.

“Over these last few months the needs of Massachusetts residents have greatly changed due to COVID-19. It is our duty as elected officials to ensure we are responding to these changes, and I believe it is crucial that we extend the session to continue our work,” said Velis. “During this unprecedented public health crisis, which has impacted every single person in Massachusetts, the typical summer break of the legislature is completely unimportant. We have accomplished a lot this session, but there is more work to do, and I’m glad we will be continuing that work to meet the needs of our constituents.”

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Senate Passes FY 2020 COVID-19 $1.1B Supplemental Budget, Velis Amendment for Holyoke Soldiers Home Included

(BOSTON – 7/03/2020) The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday, July 2, 2020, passed a $1.1B supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2020 to support extraordinary costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic that require immediate attention. The spending authorized in this supplemental budget will maximize federal financial support while providing critical resources for our most vulnerable populations.

“This bill will help the Commonwealth continue to make strides in its fight against COVID-19 as well as support the many sectors impacted by this unprecedented public health crisis,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). 

“Due to the unprecedented challenges facing our Commonwealth, this supplemental budget will allow us to maximize federal aid to support COVID-19 response costs and provide critical resources to help working families and our most vulnerable populations,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways & Means (D-Westport).

“Every person in our Commonwealth has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created a public health emergency, an economic disaster, and the need for strong and effective responses by our state government,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R – Gloucester). “This supplemental spending bill provides the resources for the actions we must take and does so in a way that maximizes our chances for federal assistance.”

To support working families during this uncertain economic time and provide health care supports in the midst of this public health crisis, the supplemental budget passed today by the Senate includes $82M for childcare needs, including emergency child care for essential workers, $15M for essential behavioral health services, including services for children, $10M for small business assistance grants, focused on minority, women and veteran-owned businesses in underserved areas and $10M to provide wage supports to workers impacted by COVID-19.

In response to growing food insecurity challenges during this pandemic, the supplemental budget provides an immediate state allocation of $15M for food security supports, including $9M for the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program to support our overstretched food bank system during this time of incredible need.

Through the amendment process, the Senate also established a $500 bonus for members of the Massachusetts National Guard who were mobilized to combat COVID-19, included increase funding to assist with coronavirus mitigation efforts at summer camps and youth programs, and create an Early Education and Child Care Public-Private Trust Fund to help inform and support child care needs across the state.

Included in the final budget was an amendment by Senator John Velis (D-Westfield) that specifically earmarks $250,000 for the Holyoke Soldiers Home. This money will go towards PPE equipment, new technology such as touchless thermometers, and other infection control resources. “What happened at the Home, can never happen again. And we need to do everything in our power to ensure that the facility has the resources it needs right now” said Velis. “I’m proud that I could advocate for the Home during this debate, and am grateful for my colleagues for all their work on this legislation.”

Other notable spending highlights of the FY 2020 COVID-19 supplemental budget include:

  • $350M for personal protective equipment.
  • $139M for rate add-ons for congregate care and other health and human service providers.
  • $85M for field hospitals and shelters.
  • $44M for the Community Tracing Collaborative.
  • $30M for community health centers.
  • $28M for local housing authorities and family and individual shelter services.
  • $20M for expanded RAFT coverage for families on the brink of homelessness.
  • $20M focused on racial disparities in the health care system during the pandemic.
  • $15M for elder affairs services and home care workforce wage supports.
  • $12.3M for early intervention services.
  • $10M for grants to community foundations serving low-income and immigrant populations with direct supports like housing assistance and food security supports.
  • $5M for increased costs related to the recent conference report on expanded vote-by-mail measures for the 2020 election cycle.
  • $2M to provide financial assistance to small non-profits impacted by COVID-19.

The supplemental budget also establishes Juneteenth as an official state holiday. Juneteenth is a celebration of the day in 1865 when the remaining enslaved African Americans in the United States were told of their freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation.

UPDATE: The final version of this legislation has been agreed to by the House and Senate, and been signed by the Governor.

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Senate Passes ENDURE Act to Provide Relief and Aid to Small Businesses, Support for Workers, and Investments in Infrastructure

Bill authorizes $455 million to provide relief to communities and stimulate economic development in an effort to combat devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(BOSTON – 7/29/2020) The Massachusetts State Senate passed a sweeping economic recovery and development bill on Wednesday that provides much-needed support to businesses, invests in infrastructure, and creates new jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An Act to encourage new development and usher in a recovering economy (ENDURE Act) includes provisions for small business competitive grant programs, housing production, local economic development projects, capital funding for vocational schools and community colleges, and investments in infrastructure. It also provides support for the tourism and cultural sectors and restaurant industry. Further, to promote equity and protect borrowers and workers across the Commonwealth, the ENDURE Act establishes a Future of Work Commission and creates a Student Loan Bill of Rights.

“The ENDURE Act will provide a much-needed boost to our economy as it recovers from the dire effects of COVID-19,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “In crafting this bill, the Senate recognized the need to be bold when addressing the challenges facing restaurant and small business owners, the clean energy sector, cultural attractions and other key sectors that keep our economy humming. I am particularly pleased this bill includes the long sought-after housing production reforms that the Senate has supported for years. I want to thank Senators Lesser, Rodrigues and my colleagues for their attention to this critical bill and for acting with urgency to move it forward in the legislative process.”

To invest in the Commonwealth’s infrastructure and stimulate economic activity, the ENDURE Act authorizes bonding for the following:

  • $15M for the site readiness program;
  • $35M for a Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation matching grant program to community development financial institutions for small business loans and grants;
  • $5M for the Massachusetts Broadband Incentive Fund;
  • $10M for the expansion of the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2)
  • $50M for the Technology Research and Development and Innovation Fund;
  • $20M for rural community development and infrastructure grants;
  • $20M for a Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation small business grant program;
  • $20M for financial and capital assistance grants to restaurants impacted by the 2019 novel coronavirus;
  • $10M for grants to promote marketing and advertising for in-state cultural and tourist activities during the 2019 novel coronavirus reopening process;
  • $40M for a program to redevelop blighted buildings;
  • $10M for regional and community assistance planning grants;
  • $28M for an Employment Social Enterprise Capital Grant Program;
  • $50M for local economic development projects;
  • $2M for an urban agriculture grant program;
  • $20M for grants to support the reopening of cultural facilities impacted by the 2019 novel coronavirus;
  • $25M for transit-oriented housing developments;
  • $10M for climate-resilient affordable housing developments;
  • $50M for the neighborhood stabilization program;
  • $5M for Gateway Cities market rate housing pilot program;
  • $15M for vocational technical school expansion grants; and
  • $15M for community college high-demand workforce grants

“Our Massachusetts economy, that just a few months ago had strength and low unemployment, is now faced with the challenge of recovering from the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill responds to this situation in such a way as to leverage our strengths, increase opportunities for many to gather a stronger economic footing, and invest tax dollars efficiently to yield positive results for every corner of the Commonwealth,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R – Gloucester).

The ENDURE Act creates a robust commission to look at the ‘Future of Work’ and examine ways to ensure sustainable jobs, fair benefits and workplace safety standards for all workers in all industries.

It also gives greater protections to student loan borrowers in disputes with companies servicing their loans, requiring servicers to apply for licenses from the state, which the Commissioner of Banks could revoke if the servicer is engaged in abusive practices such as overcharging students or steering them into costlier repayment plans to make higher profits. Student loan servicers that break state licensing requirements or take advantage of students could be fined and forced to repay student borrowers under the bill.

Further, the ENDURE Act:

  • Addresses the critical need for housing by enabling municipalities through a simple majority to address building opportunities through zoning reform;
  • Authorizes an additional 2800 megawatts of offshore wind development;
  • Extends the state and local permits held by a real estate developer unable to proceed with the project due to COVID-19 disruptions for one year;
  • Allows farmer brewers and farmer distillers to sell, and provide samples of, their alcoholic beverages at agricultural events and farmers markets;
  • Extends protections for cranberry growers under c.61A out to 2023;
  • Mandates equitable opportunities in state contracts by expanding an affirmative marketing program that elevates hiring firms owned by women and people of color;
  • Reduces onerous and unnecessary regulations for hair braiders;
  • Excludes forgiven PPP loans from Massachusetts taxable income for the purposes of personal income taxes; and
  • Enables MassDevelopment to better deploy its resources and tools under the TDI program.

The final version of this bill will now be negotiated by the House and Senate before going to the governor’s desk for his consideration.

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COVID-19 Travel Order

Effective August 1, 2020 all visitors and returning residents entering Massachusetts , who do not meet an exemption, are required to:

  • Complete the Massachusetts Travel Form prior to arrival, unless you are visiting from a lower-risk state designated by the Department of Public Health.
  • Quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts.
  • Find out more here.
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Latest COVID-19 Guidance and Regulations

Limit Gatherings:

 Under the updated gatherings order (August 7), indoor gatherings are limited to eight people per 1,000 square feet, but should not exceed 25 people in a single enclosed, indoor space. Outdoor gatherings in enclosed spaces are limited to 25 percent of the facility’s maximum permitted occupancy, with a maximum of 50 people in a single enclosed outdoor space. Read the Full Order

Stay Safer At Home: Read the Department of Public Health’s Safer-at-Home Advisory

Cover Your Face: Learn more about the order and best practices: Wear a Mask in Public.

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Stop-The-Spread COVID-19 Testing

Free COVID-19 Testing is currently available in Holyoke as part of the State’s Stop-The-Spread Initiative. You do not have to be a resident, and do not have to have any symptoms of COVID-19 to get a test. Find out more here.

Holyoke

  • Holyoke Community College, 303 Homestead Ave
    • Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays: 7-11AM
    • Tuesdays, Thursdays: 2-7PM
    • Drive-through, no appointment necessary
    • (413) 322-5595, (617)-765-0176 for results
  • Holyoke War Memorial, 310 Appleton St.
    • Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 2-6PM
    • Walk-up, no appointment necessary
    • (413) 322-5595, (617)-765-0176 for results
    • Parking available at 323 Appleton St.
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Weekly Update – August 23rd, 2020

Hello all,  

I hope everyone has had a great week. Last weekend, I headed off to Fort Devens for Army Reserves Drill, which carried into the beginning of this week. Among other things, we qualified on our weapons and completed a variety of different physical and mental trainings. Although it is always hard to be away from home, these trainings are extremely important to me and make me appreciate the service of our military even more. I drove back to Westfield on Tuesday, and finished the week up with a flurry of meetings and events in the district.   

Wednesday afternoon, I joined the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, community partners, and Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse for an exciting announcement regarding the Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative. The program, which is a partnership between law enforcement and other community and business organizations, will be handing out 2,000 backpacks filled with supplies to Holyoke’s schoolchildren. For 9 years, the program has held a day-long event. Due to the pandemic, the initiative will be holding 11 “Grab-and-Go” events at Holyoke Schools. I am so inspired by all the sponsors and contributors of this program, and know how much of a difference this has on our community. 

Thursday morning, I had the honor of presenting two Senate citations to some incredible students from Westfield High School! Colin McGrady achieved perfect attendance at WHS while Jaelyn Towle recently received the Bronze Tablet Award, and it was great to recognize them for their achievements. Both of them will be starting at American International College in Springfield this Fall, where Jaelyn will be going into Event Planning and Colin will be studying Accounting. I wish them continued success in their education, and can’t wait to see what all of our recent graduates go on to do! 

Later on Thursday, I went over to the Agawam Senior Center to help out with their monthly Brown Bag event, where we handed out bags of groceries and supplies to seniors and members of the community as they drove up. I’m grateful to all of the great organizations helping our elderly population during this pandemic, and am glad that I could join in for a little while.  

Early Friday Afternoon, I had a conversation with Chief McCabe of the Westfield Police Department. Among other things, we discussed roadway infrastructure in Westfield, and the possibility of a future project that would put an easement to get onto the Mass Pike. Friday evening, I visited the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam for a ceremony honoring a Purple Heart veteran from our community. We must never forget the sacrifices that our brave men and women in the armed forces have made in serving and protecting our country.  

Saturday morning I attended the ribbon cutting of Hampton Ponds Market in Westfield alongside Mayor Humason. It was a great event with live music, and I wish the business the best of luck! Later that afternoon, I attended the “Heroes are Everywhere” mural dedication ceremony at the under-pass between Hedges Avenue and Taylor Avenue in Westfield. Artworks of Westfield dedicated the mural to the City of Westfield and all of the heroes and first-responders of the COVID pandemic. It was great to see all the amazing images, and be around the mural painters, neighborhood residents, and other local community supporters.  

Earlier this week, the State announced that it had hired the architecture firm Payette to conduct the first phase of the capital project to renovate and expand the Soldiers Home. Payette has experience with the Soldiers Home, and with VA design requirements. I’m glad that the planning for this capital project is moving along, so that the Home has a roadmap for how upgrades and improvements are going to take place. During this work, it is going to be critical that Payette fully engages with all stakeholders, and takes into account both the immediate and long-term needs of the Home so that it will be sustainable for years to come. 

I also want to take this opportunity to urge everyone to respond to the Census if they have not done so already. Responding to the Census is critical to ensuring that our communities receive the proper levels of federal funding. Census workers are currently going door-to-door (safely) to help get an accurate count, and I ask you all to please answer them if they come by, even if you have already responded to the Census. You can also respond online at 2020Census.gov, or by phone at 844-330-2020. 

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 phone: (413) 572-3920.  

Sincerely,  

John C. Velis 

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Weekly Update – August 15th, 2020

Hello Everyone!  

What a hot week! I hope everyone has been able to stay cool and busy. There was a variety of events taking place in the district this week, and I have some COVID-19 updates to share as well. 

Monday morning, Chief Christopher Norris was sworn in as the new Fire Chief of Easthampton at a ceremony alongside Mayor LaChapelle and State Representative Carey. Chief Norris most recently was the deputy Chief in Northampton, and was the Fire Chief in Westhampton before that. I look forward to working with Chief Norris to support the Easthampton community. 

On Thursday, I met with the President of Holyoke Community College, Christina Royal. Among other things, we discussed the importance of preparing students for the workforce. Many students in our communities are making the choice to invest in their education through specific courses and training classes, and it’s crucial that we support this kind of development. So many industries have been hurt by COVID-19, and it is clear that community colleges are going to be at the forefront of our  recovery, as there is going to be a need to train and retrain people who want to start a new field. As Assistant Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, I look forward to making these issues a priority. Saturday Morning, I attended Southampton’s Annual Town Meeting. It was great to listen to some of the priorities in the community, and phenomenal to see democracy in action.  

As a local infrastructure project update, I wanted to share with you all that the Cowles Bridge Replacement project has moved along this week, as the opening for bidding for the project took place on Tuesday. Both of the design and construction of this project will be completely funded by MassDOT, and I look forward to having a new bridge to carry Southwick Road (Routes 10/202) over the Little River. 

Earlier this week, the MA Department of Agriculture announced the launch of the MassGrown Exchange Program, which was created to help the Massachusetts food system by facilitating business-to-business connections. This online platform will connect suppliers, such as farms and fisheries, with buyers including grocery stores, restaurants, and foodbanks. I encourage businesses and suppliers in the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire to explore the MassGrown Exchange and register at https://massnrc.org/farmexchange. 

Also this week, the Baker-Polito Administration released additional data on the community level spread of COVID-19 in order to target resources through community specific strategies. While Massachusetts has seen an overall decrease in COVID-19 Cases and hospitalizations since May, there has been a slight uptick in certain communities recently, including in Holyoke and Chicopee. These communities, among with others, will receive additional intervention support  from the Commonwealth to help stop the spread of the virus. Last week, the Governor also announced stricter rules for public and private gatherings and enhanced enforcement of safety standards. Among other things, this order 1)Reduces the limit on outdoor gatherings from 100 to 50 people (indoor gatherings limit will remain at 25 people), 2)Requires face coverings where more than 10 people from different households will be mixing, and 3)Updates restaurant rules to  state that alcoholic beverages may only served for on-site consumption if accompanied by orders for food. I will continue to keep you all updated as things change. 

Last Friday was National Purple Heart Day, a day where we honor those in the US armed forces  who have been awarded the Purple Heart for their sacrifices and courage. I thank all the brave men and women who have received the Purple Heart for their service in protecting our country.  

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 phone: (413) 572-3920.  

Sincerely,  

John C. Velis 

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