BEACON HILL BEAT
JUNE 2007
HOUSE/SENATE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEETS
TO NEGOTIATE FY 2008 STATE BUDGET
The FY 2008 state budget will soon be finalized. The House and Senate have both proposed their budget recommendations for the coming fiscal year and now three members from each Chamber meet in Conference Committee to negotiate the differences in their proposals. Once again, the House Conference Committee members are Ways & Means Chair Bob DeLeo (D-Winthrop), Ways & Means Vice-Chair Marie St. Fleur (D-Boston), and Republican representative Vinny deMacedo (R-Plymouth). The Senate team is led by Ways & Means Chair Steve Panagiotakos (D-Lowell), Ways & Means Vice-Chair Steve Tolman (D-Brighton), and Republican representative Michael Knapik (R-Westfield). Traditionally, budget line items that the House and Senate have agreed on are not deliberated during Conference Committee and are included in the final legislative budget recommendation. This is the case with the Clean Water and Drinking Water Contract Assistance for the Water Pollution Abatement Trust (WPAT), which the Governor, House, and Senate all funded at $64,166,198 million. The funding level for the DEP’s General Account will be referred to the Conference Committee for the House funded it at $33,786,730 compared to the Senate’s $33,778,004 level.
One of the main items that the Conference Committee will be reviewing is the funding for the Commonwealth Sewer Rate Relief Fund. The House funded Rate Relief at last year’s level of $25 million, while the Senate funded it at only $15 million (after two amendments to increase it to $25 million failed). This program is a perfect example of local aid and how the state budget can have a direct and significant affect in helping citizens throughout the state address annual sewer rate increases. It is also worth noting that every Senate district and the majority of Representative districts receive funds from the Commonwealth Sewer Rate Relief fund, proving that it truly is a program that benefits the entire state.
back to top
BARRIOS LEAVES SENATE FOR
BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD
State Senator Jarrett Barrios (D-Cambridge) announced that he will leave the Senate in July to become President of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. The Foundation, with an endowment of $100 million, works to broaden health coverage for the uninsured and low-income population in the state. The Senator has been a strong supporter of water infrastructure and was one of eighteen Senators to co-sponsor the amendment to increase the Commonwealth Sewer Rate Relief to $25 Million. Last year Barrios ran for Middlesex District Attorney, but withdrew his candidacy before the election. He did not rule out running for office again in the future.
back to top
GOVERNOR PATRICK NAMES SULLIVAN
COMMISSIONER OF DCR
At the end of May, Governor Deval Patrick announced the appointments of several new agency heads, including Richard Sullivan, who will serve as Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Sullivan has been Mayor of Westfield since 1994 and has served as past president of the Massachusetts Mayors Association (MMA), was Chairman of the Turnpike Advisory Board, and was a member of the Governor’s Local Advisory Committee. He replaces Stephen Burrington.
The Governor also appointed Laura Marlin Commissioner of the Division of Occupational Safety. Marlin has worked for the state Attorney General’s Office since 1999, most recently as Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Bureau. In the Attorney General’s office, Marlin also served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Director of External Affairs and Outreach Director for Fair Labor and Business Practices. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Marlin worked for the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Marlin replaces Ernest Kelley, Program Manager at the Division of Occupational Safety, who has been acting Commissioner since April.
back to top
EOEEA ANNOUNCES DIESEL RETROFIT GRANTS
FOR OFF-ROAD PAVING & ROADWAY SITE EQUIPMENT
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) announced grant reimbursements for the purchase and installation of pollution control diesel retrofits on heavy duty off-road paving and roadway site preparation equipment. This is a rolling enrollment application that will be accepted and evaluated until October 31, 2007. EOEEA reserves the right to limit or terminate the program at its discretion. Funding for this project comes from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Clean Diesel Campaign.
Grant notices can be found at www.comm-pass.com. To locate the document select the first folder tab across the top of the page titled "Solicitations". Next, select "Search for a Solicitation" and enter the document number "ENV 08 POL 02". Then Click on "There are 1 solicitation(s) that match your search criteria" at the top of the page. Additional information can be found by contacting Linda Benevides at EOEEA at (617)-626-1197.
back to top
DEP FINES IPSWICH FOR ILLEGAL
WASTEWATER DISCHARGE
The DEP fined the town of Ipswich for Clean Water Act violations at its water treatment plant involving untreated discharge from a sedimentation basin into Bull Brook on several occasions in 2005, and dating as far back as July 2003. Under terms of the consent order, Ipswich has agreed to pay the $7,500 penalty and permanently cap or remove the source of the violations, an overflow pipe that runs directly from the plant's sedimentation basins to Bull Brook. The facility was issued a general permit in 2002 that would allow the discharge of certain flows after treatment with a limit on total suspended solids (TSS) of 50 mg/l. The plant's discharge monitoring reports showed TSS levels of 618 mg/l, and 209 mg/l on separate occasions in 2005. The facility also recorded a direct discharge of untreated liquids in July of 2003 when a sedimentation basin was drained directly into Bull Brook.
back to top |
Scholarship Information