Category: Uncategorized

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone had a great week! The first full week of May marks Teacher Appreciation Week in the Commonwealth. Each day our teachers are going above and beyond to not only help our students gain the knowledge they need to succeed but are often finding ways to help support our children’s overall well-being. Thank you to all our incredible educators for the work that you do!

I kicked off this week out in Boston as the Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism held it’s seventh meeting. During this meeting we had the opportunity to learn more about how those in law enforcement respond and combat reported antisemitism. We were lucky enough to hear from experts about the Commonwealth’s existing hate crimes statue, safety and security, and the threat of extremism. I want to be clear; we will not hesitate to follow and confront antisemitism wherever it rears its vile and repugnant head regardless of the political ideology of the author of such hatred.

Team Velis and I had a busy week with the Senate releasing its proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget on Tuesday. For the last several days my team and I have been diligently working through the proposed budget and drafting amendments to support local organizations within our district prior to Friday’s deadline.

Of the many different items within the budget, I was absolutely thrilled that the Senate balanced fiscal responsibility without including any proposals that would raise taxes during this particularly challenging time. From the beginning of this legislative session, I have been clear with my colleagues that my guiding north star centers around affordability especially as so many residents struggle financially with rising costs. Additionally, I was proud that the Senate included funding to help ensure the Cutchins Program in Belchertown can continue to provide compassionate care for children with severe emotional or behavioral challenges. I am incredibly grateful to the Chairman and all of my colleagues who help organize this thoughtful and responsible proposed budget.

This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Agawam. Next week Team Velis be hosting office hours on Monday at the Westfield Council on Aging from 12:30PM to 1:30PM, 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.   

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the incredible Moms and Moms-to-be out there! I hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow! 

Best,    

John Velis  

‘Fair Share’ dollars would be sent to shovel-ready projects around Massachusetts

(BOSTON—5/8/2025) The Massachusetts Senate today passed a $1.33 billion plan to invest in public education and transportation across the Commonwealth. The Senate’s bill directs funding to expand career and technical education opportunities, bolster construction projects at local schools and college campuses, and support public transit, road and bridge funding for city and town governments.

The bill, S.2512, prioritizes regional equity by providing support statewide for K-12 school district special education programs, rural roads and bridges, capital improvements for public bus transportation, and infrastructure upgrades at Massachusetts’ public colleges and universities.

The overwhelming success of the Fair Share amendment to the Constitution—voted for by residents in 2022—generated more than $1 billion over initial projections in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. This legislation contains restricted one-time investments in public education and transportation initiatives and primarily uses funds from that surtax, which is paid by households in Massachusetts earning more than $1 million per year. The Senate will debate its annual general budget later in the month.

“This bill answers the clear message that our residents sent us in 2022—to invest these dollars across the state to continue building the high-quality education and transportation systems Massachusetts deserves,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D–Ashland). “At a time of economic uncertainty, we are committed to supporting our schools and making sure that residents can travel safely, and these Fair Share funds allow us to do that. I am deeply grateful for the hard work of Chair Rodrigues and the Senate Ways & Means Committee for putting this bill together, and to each Senator for contributing their ideas and support.”

“I’m pleased the Senate has passed this Fair Share supplemental budget, prioritizing regional equity while also maintaining fiscal integrity during these highly uncertain times,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues, (D-Westport) Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “By utilizing almost $1.3 billion in one-time surplus surtax revenues, the proposal strengthens the Commonwealth’s economic foundation by making meaningful investments in education and transportation. This budget plan reaffirms the Senate’s strong commitment to educational excellence, provides significant resources for special education, and makes substantial investments in our transportation infrastructure. It goes above and beyond to give everyone a ‘fair share’.”

“Amid waves of uncertainty at the national level and devastating federal cuts, the Massachusetts Senate answered the call of residents to use surplus Fair Share Amendment funds to invest equitably in education and transportation across the Commonwealth,” said Senate Ways and Means Vice Chair Jo Comerford (D-Northampton). “The Senate bill passed today will provide transportation solutions for small, rural towns, will begin addressing the debilitating backlog of deferred maintenance on public higher education campuses, will provide meaningful help to school budgets pushed to the breaking point, and more. Thank you to Senate President Karen Spilka and Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues for leading the Senate to live our shared commitment to regional equity.”

“The quality of our nation-leading public education system and public transportation infrastructure often define who we are as a Commonwealth,” said Senator Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough), Assistant Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I am proud that this supplemental budget represents a balanced, smart, forward thinking and common-sense approach that directly infuses funds into these consequential sectors to help address residents’ most pressing needs amidst economic uncertainty and pinching budgets. I am grateful to Chairman Rodrigues and Vice-Chair Comerford for their thoughtfulness and collaborative approach in crafting this bill, and to Senate President Spilka for her continued leadership on our Commonwealth’s priorities and shared values.”

“Our transportation system impacts nearly every part of our lives, from housing costs to economic mobility to climate change,” said Senator Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), Senate Chair of the Transportation Committee. “This legislation secures funding to support infrastructure upgrades to the MBTA, capital investments in our regional transit, and improvements to our local bridges, roads, and culverts. Through these various initiatives, residents of the Commonwealth will experience safer, more reliable and more efficient travel.”

“These Fair Share dollars will provide critical support to municipalities struggling with growing education expenses by increasing state reimbursements for rising special education costs, providing additional financial relief for local school building projects, and investing in literacy and English-Language Learning programs,” said Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “I am proud to have been the lead Senate sponsor of the Fair Share Amendment. With this revenue from the state’s highest earners, we can continue to invest in the high-quality schools and innovative transportation projects that help make Massachusetts a top-ranking state to live in and raise a family.”

Education

Education investments in the supplemental budget include funding for:

· Special Education Costs. $248 million, including circuit breaker reimbursements to local school districts.

· Public Higher Education Deferred Maintenance. $190 million for higher education overall, including $10 million for lab resources for community colleges following the success of MassEducate.

· Career Technical Education Capital Grants. $100 million to expand capacity and accommodate additional career technical education opportunities.

· Local School Construction Relief. $50 million to support cities, towns and school districts experiencing extraordinary school construction increases due to inflation or the impacts of tariffs.

· Literacy Growth. $25 million to support accelerated literacy growth for students in kindergarten through grade 3.

· English Language Learning Programs. $10 million for educational grants to reduce the waitlist for services for speakers of languages other than English to learn English and subsequently help fill in-demand jobs.

Transportation

Transportation investments in the supplemental budget include funding for:

· MBTA Improvements and Infrastructure Upgrades. $370 million for improvements and infrastructure upgrades across the MBTA system, comprising:

o $200 million to replenish the MBTA budget reserve after the MBTA’s recent use of reserve funds for operations support.

o $100 million in workforce and safety training to implement Federal Transit Administration improvement recommendations.

o $50 million for commuter rail system maintenance and infrastructure upgrades.

o $20 million for the MBTA’s low-income fare relief program.

· Local Road Improvements. $190 million for shovel-ready transportation improvements to roads, bridges, and culverts.

· Regional Equity in Transportation. $105 million for regional transit initiatives composed of:

o $50 million for capital improvements to equipment and facilities at Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) that serve and connect all regions of the Commonwealth.

o $25 million for RTA workforce recruitment and retention improvement efforts.

o $20 million for ferry infrastructure improvements.

o $10 million for on-demand micro-transit shuttles and Last Mile grants to foster an innovative multimodal transit system.

· World Cup Preparations. $5 million for transportation improvements associated with the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

Amendments

During debate on the Senate floor, members from around the state contributed to the initial proposal with amendments reflecting their priorities and district needs. Notable amendments adopted during the debate include:

· Amendment 128 from Senator Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn). Sets aside funds for assistive reading technologies so local school districts can purchase resources such as audio books and voice-text format books to bolster struggling readers in Massachusetts, including children with vision impairments, learning disabilities, or physical disabilities.

· Amendment 213 from Senator Nick Collins (D-South Boston). Supports nurses by allocating funds toward expansion of the facilities at UMass Boston’s Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the ninth largest nursing school in the country that offers several undergraduate and graduate degree programs; also directs UMass Boston to study the feasibility of establishing a satellite campus at the site of Carney Hospital in Dorchester.

· Amendment 106 from Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro). Directs funds for ferry services including pier and dock maintenance serving passengers between the South Coast, Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard.

· Amendment 223 from Senator Lydia Edwards (D-East Boston). Directs funds toward planning and construction of a ferry dock in the East Boston Designated Port Area, along with money for ferry terminal capital improvements in Winthrop.

· Amendment 15 from Senator John Keenan (D-Quincy). Edits the language regarding the bill’s supplemental grant program, which helps school districts deal with skyrocketing material costs for school building projects due to inflation, to also include projects with material cost increases due to tariffs.

A comprehensive fact sheet detailing the investments proposed by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, including further investments and funding sources, is available in the Senate’s press room. Video of debate is publicly available on the Senate website for viewing, as is the full list of investments approved by the Senate.

Different versions having passed both chambers of the Legislature, the branches will now move to resolve their differences before sending a compromise bill to the Governor for her signature.

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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 domestically. 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.   

May is always a busy month around our district and up on Beacon Hill however, it is also Mental Health Awareness Month! As the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery, I firmly believe that caring for your mental health is just as important as caring for your physical health. All throughout this month I will be highlighting various mental health resources, programs, and legislative activity over on my social media channels. Talking about mental health is crucial to push back on stigma and make it easier for folks to seek help. 

On Wednesday while at the State House I had the pleasure of running into a number of familiar faces from throughout the Pioneer Valley at the Springfield Regional Chamber’s annual Beacon Hill Summit. I am so grateful to the Chamber’s President, Diana Szynal, for allowing me to join Chamber members for an informal conversation on a variety of topics during their lunch hour.   

I kicked off Thursday over at West Springfield High School to join Mrs. Coverdill’s Spanish 4 class. Over the past month these students have been hard at work researching and writing their own candidacy platforms to run for office. I was thrilled to be able to share with the students some of the tips and tricks that I use when going before a crowd to speak. Public speaking can be a daunting, especially when delivering it in a language you are learning, however these students truly hit their speeches out of the park!  

Speaking of hitting it out of the park, I am gearing up this morning to join Westfield Little League for their annual parade and first-pitch to kick off the spring baseball season. Wishing all our little league and spring sports athletics a successful season. Now let’s “play ball”! 

This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Westfield and Southampton. Next week Team Velis be hosting office hours on Monday at the Agawam 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 all of our local students and educators were able to enjoy their April school vacation, you all truly lucked out this week with all the great weather!

I was absolutely thrilled to attend Tuesday’s ribbon cutting celebration of the Westfield Peer Recovery Center! This truly special space will be opening its doors on May 5th to help support those in our community seeking assistance navigating their recovery journey. A huge thank you to the City of Westfield and the Gandara Center for all their work to create this new community resource to help change and save lives!

Later that day I made my way over to Westfield State’s campus to meet with the Student Government Association. Every year I look forward to this opportunity to update student leaders about all the work that is going on up on Beacon Hill. I have no doubt that many of these students will go on to be incredible leaders in our community and I hope to see them in the halls of our State House soon!

Sadly, a new report was released this week from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of New England which found that Massachusetts continues to outpace the majority of states in the number of reported antisemitic incidents. For many of us on the Commission, and especially for Jewish residents across the Commonwealth, this report did not come as a complete shock. It is just truly so sickening to me that Massachusetts continues to be one of the five states that collectively makes up more than 50% of antisemitic acts of hate in our entire nation.  For the Commission, the work ahead of us is clear; Massachusetts must do better to root out hate, wherever it rears its head.

On Thursday I had the opportunity to join some of my colleagues from Central Massachusetts for a tour of Independence Hall in Shrewsbury. Independence Hall is a specialized recovery center to support veterans and their family members impacted by addiction. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to see first-hand the comprehensive, compassionate, and holistic care that they are providing to our Veterans that may be struggling.

This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Russell. Next week we will be hosting office hours on Monday at the Westfield Council on Aging from 12:30pm to 1:30pm and again 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 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