HOLYOKE — The first hearing before a legislative oversight committee tasked with probing the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home will shine a spotlight on families on Oct. 20.
The 17-member committee will hold the hearing at Holyoke Community College, with a second hearing tentatively scheduled Oct. 27 to highlight stories from staff.
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State Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, said he expects the first legislative forum to be an expanded version of smaller “listening sessions” he has held singly with loved ones of veterans who succumbed to the spread at the Soldiers’ Home.
Velis said he looks forward to having those family members share their powerful experiences and valuable insights with the full committee.
“It was the family members who were on the front line of this … but at the same time they had to go through the horrors of having their loved one inside the facility,” Velis said. “They can offer so much about what they went through during that initial time period, but they’ve got a lot of really good thoughts and a lot of opinions about how to make this thing better.”
October 19, 2020 – Lori Szepelak – The Westfield News
WESTFIELD-For area residents who have an American flag that is torn, faded, or damaged, state Sen. John C. Velis and his legislative aides will be collecting them curbside on Oct. 29 at the Westfield Senior Center.
Flags may be dropped off from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. For seniors who are picking up a meal that day, they may bring their flag with them and drop it off when they come through the lunch line from 11 a.m. – noon. All others can bring their flags from noon – 1 p.m.
“The flag is a symbol and representation of our great country, and should always be in pristine condition,” said Velis, who has served in the Army Reserve for 11 years. “When it is in a condition that is no longer fitting for display, it should be retired in a dignified and appropriate way.”
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“I can say without reservation that I think America is the greatest nation on the earth, and the flag is a symbol of that,” said Velis. “People have died, have been maimed, and have been permanently maimed in defense of the flag and everything we hold dear in the country. To me, the flag means everything.”
For more information on the flag retirement collection, call the Westfield Senior Center at (413) 562-6435.
I hope everyone had a great week and was able to enjoy the long weekend. I had plenty of meetings and events in the district this week, and have some updates regarding early voting and the Soldiers Home Oversight Committee to share. I also am excited to announce a new addition to my Senate Staff, Katie Verra! Katie is my new Chief of Staff & Legislative Counsel, and we are so excited to have her join the team. She recently received her J.D. from Suffolk University, and brings a wealth of experience in fiscal policy analysis and legislative drafting. Welcome Katie!
Early voting began this past Saturday, October 17th! In addition to in-person voting on November 3rd, there will be early in-person voting available at a secure location in your City or Town from October 17th until October 30th. If you live in Westfield, you can vote at City Hall on any weekday from 9am-5pm, Saturdays from 9am-2pm, and Sundays from 11-4pm. If you live in Southwick, you can vote at Town Hall on any weekday from 8:30am-4:30pm (Thursdays until 6:30!), and on Saturdays/Sundays from 8am-12pm. If you live in another municipality, you can go to www.MassEarlyVote.com to find your early voting location and schedule, or give my office a call and we can help.
Next week, the Legislature’s Soldiers Home Oversight Committee will be holding two public hearings for family members and health care proxies to share their testimonies directly with the Committee. The first hearing will be in-person at Holyoke Community College on Tuesday October 20that 11am, and the second hearing will be held virtually on Thursday October 22ndat 12pm. Over the past months, I have held my own listening sessions with family members of those who lost loved ones, and I can tell you that their experiences are not only heartbreaking, but shine a lot of light onto how we can improve the Home moving forward. We need their voices, and I am grateful to all who are going to testify during these hearings.
This past Tuesday I had a great meeting with SolaBlock’s founders Jason Laverty and Scott Longley. SolaBlock is an Easthampton-based company focusing on developing sustainable solar-wall systems that would enable almost any building structure to extract and use energy from the sun. We need to continue to develop sustainable energy sources, and it is great to see companies utilizing Western Massachusetts manufacturing opportunities. Later that day I visited the Westfield Fire Department where I learned more about the department’s operations, and got to watch them conduct practice scenario training on firefighters who have been incapacitated and need assistance. They were also kind enough to feed me dinner! It is always great to see first hand how our first responders prepare and train, and many thanks to Fire Chief Egloff for the invitation.
On Thursday morning I participated in a very productive virtual discussion with the West of the River Chamber of Commerce alongside several of my legislative colleagues. The Chamber has many business members from Agawam and West Springfield, and we discussed the challenges that businesses are facing and how we in the legislature can help. Navigating the recovery and reopening process is not going to be easy, but it is critical that we are meeting the changing needs and concerns of our local businesses.
On Friday I joined other Western Massachusetts legislators for a call with MassDOT Secretary Pollack for a discussion regarding developments with the Valley Flyer project. The Valley Flyer train, which has a station stop in Holyoke, is an important mode of transportation for so many in our communities and we are looking forward to its expansion. Later on Friday, I went over to the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation’s empowerment center in Agawam to help pass out food kits. The MMSF has done such a great job of helping veterans and community members get access to the food they need during these difficult times, and I greatly appreciate their work.
On Saturday I joined the Westfield Council on Aging for their “Serving up Senior Safety” Luncheon. We distributed lunches to nearly 200 seniors in the community and shared information on local resources and how to stay safe during COVID-19. Later that evening, I joined the Agawam Police Department for a ride-along, where I got a chance to see what their officers go through on a daily basis and how they prepare. It is so important to get out and see this work for myself. These experiences are truly eye-opening, and I am grateful to have been able to join them.
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 by phone: (413) 572-3920 and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
October is upon us! It is truly crazy how quickly we have been flung into fall and I can’t believe winter is around the corner. I had a number of different meetings and tours this week and also have information regarding the budget to share.
This week I was proud to sign on to a letter with my Western Massachusetts Colleagues urging Governor Baker to nominate a jurist from Western Mass to one of the two vacant seats on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. There is currently no representation from our region on the Court and it was imperative that they have all perspectives and experiences at the table on our highest State Court. I can also announce today that the first public hearing for the Holyoke Soldiers Legislative Oversight Committee is going to be scheduled for the later part of this month. This first hearing will be an important opportunity for families to speak directly to the committee and this past Sunday I had a meeting with some of my colleagues to go over planning and logistics
On Monday I had an introductory call with Kevin McCaffery from the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and later had a meeting with Representative Vega and Holyoke Community College President Royal. We discussed a number of different K-12 related initiatives related to HCC including child-care, early college, and dual enrollment options. Our local colleges are so important to our communities and I always love getting involved. Tuesday afternoon, I joined Westfield State University President Roy Saigo to welcome students back to campus and also take a tour of some of their facilities.
Also on Tuesday, I held a listening session for constituents who are concerned about the pending merger of Farren Health Center in Montague and Mount Saint Vincent in Holyoke. There are real and tangible concerns about this type of change during this pandemic and I am grateful to have had these conversations. Later in the week, my office participated in the Department of Public Health’s hearing on this issue, where we brought up these concerns and advocated for our constituents. I hope that this move can be held off until after the pandemic, and my office will continue working and communicating with residents and families.
I began Wednesday with a tour of Savage Arms and a in-depth conversation with CEO Al Kasper. Among many things, we talked extensively about workforce development and how we can provide options for the next generation to get into trades and manufacturing. As assistant vice-chair on the Labor and Workforce Development committee, this topic truly resonates with me. We need to do a better job of teaching students about all the professional opportunities they have and connect them with the resources to succeed. Later on Wednesday, I headed down to the State Police Academy in New Braintree. Col. Mason had invited members of the legislature down to learn about the different types of training and programming that recruits go through. We were walked through de-escalation techniques and use of force defensive tactics, and engaged in productive discussions about policies and trainings. It was an incredibly informative and eye-opening day and I’m grateful to have been a part of it.
Thursday brought with it a lot of budget information and I had a long virtual caucus with legislative colleagues about the state of the budget. I am glad to report that we are closing out Fiscal Year 2020 without having had to dip into any of our state’s “rainy day fund”, but that does not mean that Fiscal Year 2021 will be the same way. Mitigating and preventing painful cuts will be a huge part of our work in the FY21 budget, as we work through these difficult economic times. Next Tuesday, the Ways and Means committee will be hosting a economic round table for the Senate which will result in a new consensus revenue number that that will be the basis of the actual budgeting numbers process. The big unknown is whether or not there will be any federal relief. While there is still an outside chance of that happening, we simply have to keep moving forward on the state level as best we can. There will really be no end to our budgeting work because as soon as we finish the budget for FY21, we will immediately begin work on FY22. These two budget years are structurally intertwined in a way that we really haven’t seen before which means that a lot of work from the FY21 budget is going to carry into the FY22 budget. I have been meeting with groups that depend on state funding all over the district and know how important this budget will be for organizations during this pandemic. I will keep you all updated on the process as it continues.
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 by phone: (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
I hope you all had a great week. I have some updates regarding PFAS, Climate Project Grants, and RMV services to share this week, in addition to sharing about some meetings I had.
This past Thursday, the Department of Environmental Protection announced new regulations to protect our drinking water from PFAS with the biggest change being a new Maximum Containment Level of 20 ppt per the sum of 6 compounds. This new level provides a much higher degree of protection compared to the previous guidance of 70 ppt and Public Water Systems will have to begin quarterly sampling for PFAS in 2021. This is such an important change; one that has been truly years in the making. Westfield was selected along with nine other communities to receive a $200,000 grant to continue their research and engineering on completely removing PFAS contamination from our water systems. As Westfield’s State Rep., I worked closely with City Councilor Kristen Mello and other community members to bring our concerns to the State’s attention. After hard work from all involved, I’m ecstatic that action like this is finally taking place. The ultimate goal is to have water completely free of PFAS. These new regulations and funding are important steps towards that goal and in the meantime help to protect our communities and our health.
Earlier this month, the RMV announced special hours for those 74 and older to renew their licenses in person. While this is an excellent initiative, the lack of currently open locations in Western Massachusetts means that many residents are unable to access these special hours. Last week, I joined many of my Western Mass. legislative colleagues in writing a letter to Secretary Pollack of MassDOT expressing concerns and requesting that the RMV locations in Greenfield and Easthampton be reopened. Our letter pointed out many of the transportation issues that exist with current locations and stressed the importance of extending senior hours to Western Mass. residents. This week, MassDOT announced that the Greenfield RMV location will be reopening on October 13th, with dedicated Senior Service hours on Wednesdays. While this is no doubt an improvement, I am disappointed that Easthampton was not included, and am going to continue to work with my colleagues on this issue. If you are ever experiencing difficulties with the RMV, whether it be getting a license or even just getting in contact with someone, please reach out to my office. We will place an inquiry, and have been highly successful at resolving issues.
Last week it was also announced that the State would be providing climate resiliency grants to cities and towns through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program. The goal of this program is to identify climate hazards, develop strategies to improve resilience, and implement action to adapt to climate change. Several communities in the 2nd Hampden and Hampshire received grants. Holyoke received a $135,000 grant for their Urban Forest Equity Plan. Easthampton received a $175,000 grant for Green Infrastructure and Resiliency Design for the City’s Cherry Street Project. Agawam received a $216,000 grant for their Stormwater Master Plan. Granville also received a $27,000 grant for further Climate Change planning. It’s critical that we continue to address climate hazards that arise and these funds will go a long way in helping our communities invest in that work.
This past Tuesday evening, I had a meeting with the Russell Board of Selectman to discuss the Woronoco Bridge project. I look forward to continued conversations as I learn more about how I can best assist with this project as well as others in the town.
Wednesday was a day full of virtual meetings for me. I began with a Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus Meeting where I discussed some of the district specific issues we are facing with my legislative colleagues. Later that afternoon, Representative Dan Carey and I hosted a virtual discussion and briefing on Adult Day Programs in Western Mass with many of our legislative colleagues in attendance. We had quite a few groups join us, including Riverside Industries, Valley Educational Associates, and Sunshine Village. It was eye-opening to hear of some of the challenges they have faced as a result of COVID-19 and it is clear that many are struggling during these difficult financial times. I’m grateful for their work in our communities and I will continue to work to help them respond and recover. Later that afternoon, I had a legislative call with Senator-Elect Adam Gomez and local restaurant owners where we discussed Sports Gambling legislation and its possible impacts on our businesses and communities.
On Thursday I joined the Department of Veterans Services, the architecture firm Payette, and various veteran organizations for a zoom call discussing the plans for a new Holyoke Soldiers Home. It is critical that the input of veterans organizations and community members who know the home well is taken into account. Payette is looking for more input from the community and if anyone is interested in completing a survey in regards to what the new Home should provide, please reach out to my office.
Friday my staff joined the Easthampton Council on Aging to hand out lunches to residents who came by. Later that afternoon I had my bi-weekly meeting with President Royal of Holyoke Community College, where we discussed how the start of classes has been going. On Saturday, I joined community members and volunteers to spend some time cleaning up the Westfield River. It’s always encouraging to see so many of our community out working together and it always feels good to get outside and make a tangible impact on our natural surroundings.
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 by phone: (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
I hope you all had a great week, and were able to enjoy the long weekend a little bit. I have some updates regarding unemployment assistance, COVID-19 testing, and some events from this week, but first I want to acknowledge the 19th anniversary of 9/11 this past Friday.
September 11th, 2001, will forever be engrained in my mind, as I remember all those that lost their lives that day, including those from our own Westfield community; Brian Murphy, Tara Shea Creamer and Daniel Trant. The atrocious terrorist acts of 9/11 changed our country forever. Through tragic loss, we saw how truly selfless and brave our first responders were, as they ran towards danger that morning and not away from it. And we saw the courage of all Americans in the days following. We must always stand together against acts of evil and hate, and never forget the day we lost so many. I spent Friday morning with the Westfield Fire Department for their annual ceremony of reflection and remembrance in honor of first responders. I then joined other elected officials and the families of Westfield Natives who fell victim to the attacks for a Wreath laying at the 9/11 Monument on North Elm Street.
Two years ago, while I was deployed in Afghanistan, I participated in a 9/11 remembrance ceremony in Kabul, not far from where the attacks were planned. Soldiers and marines of all ages gathered, and all understood the importance and meaning of why we were there. It was one of the most moving experiences I can remember. To see some of the younger soldiers have tears in their eyes for events that occurred before they were alive, or when they were just a very young child, is something that I will never forget. To this day we still have men and women in harms way in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and we must never forget their sacrifices and service as well.
Senator Velis speaking at the 9/11 ceremony in Westfield
A few weeks ago, Massachusetts was approved for grant funding to pay an additional weekly unemployment benefit to claimants under the Federal Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program for the 3 weeks ending 8/1, 8/8, and 8/15. I am now happy to report that we have also been approved for the weeks ending 8/22, and 8/29! An additional application for a 6th week of 9/5 is currently being reviewed as well. While we are still waiting on a long-term package from the Federal Government, this funding will provide $300 a week to those who were eligible. No action is needed, and payments are expected to be in claimants bank accounts around 9/15/2020.
The State’s Stop-The-Spread COVID-19 testing has been expanded in Holyoke. In addition to testing at Holyoke Community College, free testing is now offered at Holyoke Veterans Benefits Dept., in the parking lot across from 310 Appleton St. Walkup testing is available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2-6PM. You may contact 413-322-5595 with questions.
On Monday, I went over to Springfield City Hall for a rally put on by the Western mass affiliate of the AFL-CIO. The action was part of a statewide Labor Day mobilization that demanded a recovery to our economy that works for the working class. I was proud to stand with so many union members, and was joined by co-legislators Rep. Aaron Vega, Sen. Jo Comerford, and Sen. Elect Adam Gomez. We need to make sure our economic recovery focuses on the working class, those who have been contributing and providing for our communities since day one.
Tuesday morning began with a meeting with Western Mass Housing First, where my staff and I received an update on Homelessness in Western Mass. Later that day I went over to the Easthampton Community Center for a tour. The community center has provided food, including fresh vegetables, to so many community members prior to COVID-19, but has really stepped up during this pandemic. I wrapped up my day by having an extensive zoom meeting discussion with constituents. I always want to hear what’s on peoples minds, and speaking directly with constituents is my favorite part of the job!
On Wednesday morning, I drove over to Easthampton to meet with Chief Norris and the Easthampton Fire Department. They showed me their operation, and even took me up in the 100 foot ladder truck! After this, I headed over to the Holyoke Senior Center to help hand out some Grab and Go Lunches to constituents. Later that afternoon I had a very informative meeting with Holyoke City Councilor Terry Murphy regarding housing subsidies. I want to highlight Caden, a sophomore at WHS who shadowed me for part of Wednesday. Caden was enthusiastic and very helpful, and it was great to have him along. I can’t wait to see what he goes on to do!
Senator Velis with the Easthampton Fire Department on Wednesday
Thursday was a day full of meetings for me! I met with Westfield City Councilor Kristen Mello to receive a PFAS update and discuss some possible legislative options moving forward. Afterwards, staff and I joined the Hilltown Domestic Violence Task Force for their monthly meeting, where I found out more about their work. In the later afternoon, I had a meeting with some of the leadership team at Providence Behavioral Health, where we discussed the different services they provided and how they are transitioning during this time. I wrapped up my afternoon with a Zoom Forum hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Payette (the architecture firm tapped for the Holyoke Soldiers Home project). The firm is still in the initial planning phase of the project, and I shared a lot of input on what I’ve been hearing from residents, families, and staff about how they want the new home to look. I think it’s crucial that this project accounts for those who will be relying on the Home in the future, and understands the needs of the next generation of Veterans, so that we have a facility that is sustainable for years to come.
Later Friday afternoon, I joined One Holyoke CDC and the Food Bank of Western Mass to help out with some food distribution and census collection efforts. I finished my day by helping out at a Drive-In Movie showing in Southwick that is helping the Southwick Civic Fund and the Wick 338 fundraise for a future Veteran’s memorial.
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 by phone: (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
HOLYOKE – The state announced it has hired a Boston-based architecture firm to conduct a fast-tracked assessment that will be the first step in renovating or expanding the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.
Payette, of Boston has been awarded a contract for the first phase of what is being called the “expedited capital project to reimagine the future of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke.” The firm was given 12 weeks to complete a needs assessment and meet with stakeholders to discuss the improvements, according to a statement from Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.
The company has been charged with identifying a “sustainable, public health-centered, implementation roadmap to provide significant upgrades to the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home,” the statement said.
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State Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, who has been a strong veterans advocate, applauded the decision to move forward with the plans and said he supported the idea of hiring Payette because of the firm’s experience with the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.
“We need to make sure that there are appropriate infection control strategies in place for the rest of this pandemic,” he said. “We also need to make sure there are enough beds, resources and accomodations for the growing veteran population that will rely on the home years down the road.”
He called for the study to also look at what will be the needs of future generations of veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“In order for the home to be sustainable for years to come, the needs assessment has to be wide-ranging and comprehensive so that our veterans get the quality of care they deserve,” Velis said.
State Sen. John Velis’ first listening session with family members of veterans who died of COVID-19 contracted at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke lasted for more than three hours on Friday.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, according to the newly elected senator from Westfield — one of six Western Massachusetts legislators appointed to a legislative oversight committee investigating an apparent management failure at the long-term care facility when coronavirus overtook patients and staff in late March.
By June, 76 veterans had died and 84 survivors had tested positive for the virus, as did more than 80 staff members.
Gov. Charlie Baker commissioned an independent analysis on the matter by Boston attorney Mark Pearlstein. The former federal prosecutor conducted 100 interviews, delved into 114,000 pages of records and concluded ousted Soldiers’ Home Superintendent Bennett Walsh failed miserably along with his top clinical staff.
Walsh, fired the day the report was released in late June, argues state officials’ early criticisms were “outrageous.” His attorney has said publicly Walsh has been unfairly scapegoated.
Bennett has scheduled a news conference Thursday. He held another conference May 26, releasing a stack of emails between Walsh and state officials that appeared to debunk early accusations Walsh was trying to hide the outbreak. At that time, the death toll at the Soldiers’ Home continued to climb.
Pearlstein used words like “catastrophic” and “baffling” when assessing decisions top staff made during the early days of the crisis, also portraying state officials as checked out on the Soldiers’ Home until the crisis peaked.
Velis said families of veterans reported watching helplessly, and in horror, until they were prevented from visiting their loved ones altogether.
“The family members, more so than anybody, were there when all this was happening,” said Velis, a former state representative and combat veteran. “You don’t need a medical degree to make observations, and you better believe I’m going to bring those observations back to Boston.”
Velis was named to the Special Joint Oversight Committee on the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home along with Sen. James T. Welch of West Springfield and state Reps. Joseph Wagner of Chicopee, Michael Finn of West Springfield, Aaron Vega of Holyoke and Mindy Domb of Amherst. All are Democrats.
The western delegates will join 11 of their colleagues from eastern Massachusetts including Rep. Linda Dean-Campbell, D-Methuen, and Sen. Walter Timilty, D-Milton, who also head the legislature’s Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs.
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.
(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.
