Hello everyone,
Luckily Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow last Friday, so it appears an early spring is just around the corner. Additionally, I would like to wish Ms. G, Massachusetts’ *official* groundhog, a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her prediction next February.
Starting on Monday, my team and I hosted office hours at the Agawam Council on Aging. It was a great opportunity to hear directly from my constituents, and I encourage folks to attend my team’s weekly office hours throughout the district to discuss the issues that impact you and your community.
This past Wednesday was the Joint Rule 10 deadline. This is the date that all Committees are required to determine which bills will move forward in the legislative process no later than the first Wednesday in February of the second year of the legislative session. As you can imagine it was a busy week at the State House as I had to help report on all bills across the seven Joint Committees of which I am a member.
Later that day, I attended the monthly Veterans lunch hosted by the Easthampton Coalition for Veterans Wellness and the Building Bridges Veterans Initiative. This luncheon takes place the first Wednesday of every month at the Easthampton Congregational Church. I encourage all Veterans to attend these luncheons to enjoy a meal, chat with other Veterans, and to learn more about various community resources. Anyone who would like to volunteer, please feel free to reach out to veteranwellness.easthampton@gmail.com.
I met with the head of the Massachusetts Office of the Veteran Advocate, Colonel Robert Notch, again on Thursday to continue our conversation about the work that this new independent state agency is doing to ensure that the services and treatments Veterans in Massachusetts are receiving follow existing laws and regulations. I am grateful for Veteran Advocate Notch’s insight into these programs especially as we continue to consider legislation to improve and expand veteran services. Later that day, I joined the Community Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention Commission to work on statewide initiatives that will promote positive mental, emotional and behavioral health.
I ended the week on a high note as my team attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Gandara Center over in Springfield on Friday. The center provides bilingual behavioral health, substance use, and preventative services for a diverse clientele across the Commonwealth. Later that day I got a tour of the ProAmpac packaging facility here in Westfield, where I learned more about their operations and how they bring brand owners and packaging experts together to create innovative solutions in the world of flexible packaging.
Next week, my office will be hosting office hours at the Chicopee COA on Tuesday from 10:00am to 11:00am and the West Springfield COA on Wednesday from 11:00am to 12:00pm. If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
Have a great weekend,
John Velis