Hello Everyone,
Happy October! I hope everyone has been able to enjoy the cooler temperatures this week as October gets underway.
As a member of the Massachusetts National Guard, I was activated this past Tuesday to help with their operations across the state to support our Commonwealth’s Emergency Assistance Shelter system. While this has meant some time away from the Legislature and District for myself, my office remains fully operational to assist with any and all inquiries.
Before I my activation on Tuesday though, I co-chaired a hearing for the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery. We heard many bills concerning behavioral health treatments and peer-to-peer support systems in our Commonwealth and received testimony from fellow legislators, healthcare experts, and constituents.
This week the Governor signed our final tax Relief package, which includes critical reforms to our Commonwealth’s tax code, and supports families, businesses, seniors, and more. Just some of the tax relief included were a reduction in the estate tax, a reduction on the tax rate on short-term capital gains, a doubling of the senior circuit breaker credit, an increase on the earned income tax credit, increases to the child/dependent tax credit, and an increase on the rental deduction cap. I have been pushing for many of these measures since last session and am pleased that many pieces of my own legislation have made it into this final law. These reforms will provide real tangible relief to residents, and I look forward to continuing to build upon this progress.
This week my team also attended the rededication of the Robinson Park school in Agawam as the William P. Sapelli School. For the last 46 years, Mayor William Sapelli has exemplified what it means to live a life of public service. His dedication to our community, and to the Agawam school system, will never be forgotten. This was a well-deserved honor and we’re going to miss him as the Mayor of Agawam.
My team hosted office hours at the Agawam COA on Monday. Next week, we will be at the Chicopee COA on Tuesday from 10:00am to 11:00am and at the West Springfield COA on Wednesday from11:00am to 12:00pm. If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com
Sincerely,
John Velis