Hello Everyone,
I hope you all had a great week. I just want to remind you all to go vote—polls open this Tuesday! Town and city clerks have worked diligently to ensure that voting is safe and secure. If you still have your mail-ballot and would like to return that instead, you should return it by hand to a drop box or to your local election office no later than 8PM on Tuesday. Voting is the fundamental way that we can all participate in our democracy and I urge you all to exercise this right.
This week the Legislature’s Soldiers’ Home Oversight Committee held two public hearings for current and former staff members to testify. I want to thank every single staff member for their strength in sharing their stories. They care deeply about the veterans at the Home and the tragedies that took place shook them and changed their lives forever. What is clear from their testimony is that the institutional weaknesses that contributed to these tragedies did not begin in March. While dedication and compassion are present at the Home, there is a noticeable and problematic lack of resources and support for the staff. The testimonies shared this week shined a light on the problems that have existed at the Home for so long. During the hearings and in conversations with Committee members I brought up the importance of instituting a ombudsman at the Home who would be on the ground to investigate problems. From the hearings it is clear that the Home has suffered from staff scheduling structural problems, and a lack of resources for a while. I’m grateful for all the staff members who shared their perspectives this week.
On Thursday my office and I also spent some time at the Westfield Senior Center passing out lunches and collecting damaged American flags to deliver to Westfield’s VSO for a proper retirement. As some of you may know, when a flag becomes torn, faded, or damaged, it is important for it to be retired respectfully and appropriately. This is an event I have participated in every year at the Westfield Senior Fair, and while some adjustments were made due to COVID, I’m glad this event could still take place. The flag is a symbol and representation of our great country and I was honored to take part in this event.
This Friday morning I was proud to present David Billups, the long-time director of Westfield’s Public Works Department, with a Senate citation in honor of his retirement. David’s leadership in the city has been known far and wide and I was glad to join in recognizing his years of public service.
This week I also had a series of meetings with Senate leadership surrounding my priorities for the FY21 budget we are currently working on. So far this Fiscal Year the State has been operating on a series of interim budgets, as it has been difficult to plan without knowing final revenue numbers and federal aid amounts. Soon enough though, we will have our final FY21 budget, and I have been advocating strongly for the needs of our district during our budget discussions. Even though this is a difficult year, it is critical that the institutions in our communities are getting the support that they need from the State, and I will be continuing this work in the coming weeks.
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.
Sincerely,
John C. Velis
