Hello Everyone,
I hope that you all had a great week. Budget time is upon us, and over the last several days, I worked to file over 28 budget amendments for local and state priorities. Next week the Senate will debate these along with more than 1000 other amendments. I am excited to go to Beacon Hill next week and advocate for our district. Aside from filing budget amendments, it was another busy week both in Boston and here in the district.
Monday saw the first hearing for the Committee on Veteran and Federal Affairs. As chair of this committee I am proud to take on important topics like Veterans benefits. Hearings like Monday’s are a great opportunity to take in powerful testimony from stakeholders. This testimony is what allows us craft sensible and meaningful legislation. I am looking forward to working with my fellow committee members on our priorities this session.
In West Springfield on Tuesday I had the pleasure of touring SME’s EASTEC 2023 tradeshow. It was great to chat with manufacturers from across our district and learn about exciting innovations in the manufacturing industry. All together manufacturing makes up approximately 10% of the state’s GDP and is a critical component of our economy. I am committed to continuing to support manufacturing across the state.
On Wednesday evening I visited Easthampton City Hall to celebrate EHS’s “We The People” civics team. I am beginning to think that I should plan on this visit yearly as the school brought home yet another state championship. Kelley Brown and her students never cease to amaze me, and it’s great to see their continued accomplishments. I know that whatever these students choose to do in life, their time in Ms. Brown’s class will have served them extremely well.
Towards the end of the week on Thursday I stopped into Millennium Press in Agawam. Jim and Kelly Sullivan, owners of Millennium Press, were recently named Small Business Persons of the Year for Massachusetts. We all know the headwinds brought on by Covid, inflation, and rising interest rates. These factors, among others, have made life anything but easy on small businesses. It is great to see Jim and Kelly recognized by the Small Business Administration for their perseverance through it all. Hats off to Millennium Press!
To wrap up the week, my team and I attended ribbon cuttings for Golden Rush Deals LLC and Budget Cabinets in Agawam on Friday. A warm welcome to these businesses, wishing you much success moving forward!
This week my team held office hours in Easthampton and Holyoke. Next week we will be at the Westfield COA on Monday from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM and then at the Russell COA on Tuesday from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM. If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached at john.velis@masenate.gov or at (413)572-3920. You can also find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
Sincerely,
John Velis