Vote on a Constitutional Amendment: It shall be the obligation and duty of the Legislature and executive officials to enact such laws... as will ensure that no Massachusetts resident lacks comprehensive, affordable and equitably financed health insurance coverage for all medically necessary preventive, acute and chronic health care and mental health care services, prescription drugs and devices.
Relevant platform section: Health Care: Our Party supports the creation of a single-payer health care system both in Massachusetts and in the nation in order to achieve the goal of universal health care. We understand that other methods are less satisfactory to us, but we remain committed to ensuring that every man, woman, and child in our state should have access to high quality health care.
Source citation: Constitutional Amendment ; vote number 721
Vote on a proposed Constitutional amendment: "It being the public policy of the Commonwealth to protect the unique relationship of marriage, only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Massachusetts. This article is self-executing, but the General Court may enact laws... establishing civil unions."
Relevant platform section:Part I: Families & Children: Domestic Partnership: "We oppose actions that would define marriage solely as a relationship between a man and a woman, and that would ban the recognition of any other relationship as marriage or its legal equivalent. We oppose efforts that would ban the provision of any benefits to gay and lesbian families that are now granted exclusively to married couples."
Source citation: Constitutional Amendment ; vote number 522
Vote on veto override of Supplemental appropriations, International Tra Council: Item 7007-1300 (contained in section 2 as $1,100,000, see House, No. 4330), which had returned by the Governor with a reduction (to $500,000; for message, see House, No. 4365), was considered.
Relevant platform section:Part IV: Economic Growth Competitive Advantage and a Global Economy: "We believe the extraordinary depth and breadth of the knowledge-based sector of the Massachusetts economy is a key competitive edge in the global market... We encourage open global trade that promotes fair employment and sound environmental standards by our trading partners. We support state and federal efforts to promote Massachusetts exports."
Source citation: Veto Override, Item 7007-1300 ; vote number 495
Vote on overriding the governor's veto of the following section: (Section 70): contained in the engrossed Bill relative to investments in emerging technologies to promote job creation, economic stability and competitiveness in the Massachusetts economy.
Relevant platform section:Part IV: Economic Growth: Workforce Training: "We are aware that one out of three workers in this state need additional skills to maintain their employment in today's changing economy.... In the face of a global economy and advanced technology, workers need ongoing skill development and job training. We support increased public and private funding for business and labor to address the Massachusetts skills gap."
Source citation: Veto Override, sec.70 ; vote number 481
The relevant part of the MassDems Platform is PART VIII: ENVIRONMENT, PRESERVATION & SUSTAINABILITY: Environmental Law Enforcement: "We believe it is a basic responsibility of government to ensure that all laws enacted to protect our environment are obeyed and enforced. We support more frequent inspections, vigorous enforcement, penalties sufficiently high to take away any economic incentive to disobey the law, and earmarking a portion of such penalties for environmental cleanup."
Reference: Bill H.4004 item 2800-0101 ; vote number S221 on Jul 17, 2003
Corporations shall be allowed a tax credit equal to 100 per cent of the costs incurred, for the purch and installation of ventilation systems and any other materials used in the construction of a designated smoking area designed to reduce the presence of smoke in non-smoking areas, pursuant to any board of health regulation, city ordinance, town bylaw, or any other municipal variance or exemption. [The effect of this legislation would be to make legislating restrictions on smoking fmore difficult].
Relevant platform section: Part III: Health Care: Tobacco: "We support legislation to regulate smoking in the workplace and all public settings."
Source citation: Bill H.4249 ; vote number 430
Gov. Romney vetoed budget section 673, which says: "A person who has [worked] at least 10 years in the employment of the Massachusetts Water and Resources Administration; who, in the course of his state employment was exposed to asbestos or other hazardous materials; and who has been diagnosed with an cancer or cardio-vascular illness, shall be eligible for early retirement with surviving spouse benefits." [A YEA vote would override the veto and fund the early retirement arrangement.]
The relevant part of the MassDems Platform is: "We support environmental Right-to-Know laws about chemical and other potential dangers to worker health. We oppose efforts to weaken workplace safety standards, or the ability of OSHA or state-level agencies to enforce them."
Source citation: Occupational Safety; Bill Section 673 ; vote number 397
Override Gov. Romney's veto of a program to allow parents with young children who are on welfare to go back to school in lieu of working to meet the requirements of the federal Personal Work & Responsibility Act of 1996.
The relevant part of the MassDems Platform is PART IV: ECONOMIC GROWTH, JOBS & SECURITY: Supporting the Transition from Welfare to Work: "We seek to help welfare recipients successfully find and keep jobs. We advocate increased job training and educational opportunities, and we must ensure that support systems in child care, transportation, and health insurance are in place to enable people to work... We recognize that for some, that transition may take a lifetime."
Source citation: Supporting the Transition from Welfare to Work; Bill Section 528 ; vote number 368
Override Gov. Romney's veto of a Budget Line Item which reduced by $200,000 the fundi for the Ferguson Industries for the Blind, which employs blind individuals as well as providing them an opportunity for socialization and a chance to mingle with peers, learn daily living skills and gain a feeling of independence.
Relevant platform section: PART I: FAMILIES & CHILDREN, DIVERSITY & COMMUNITY: Persons with Disabilities: "We reaffirm our support for The Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws to prevent discrimination on the basis of disability, and for efforts to bring the Commonwealth into full ADA compliance. We believe state assistance should be made more readily available for community-based care, and should not be inappropriately biased toward institutional settings."
Source citation: Veto Override ; vote number 25
Override Gov. Romney's reduction of a Budget Line Item which cut: $99,000 for Special Olympics Massachusetts; $304,000 for Work, Inc. and $500,000 for Best Buddies Massachusetts [two programs for job training of people with disabilities].
Relevant platform section: PART I: FAMILIES & CHILDREN, DIVERSITY & COMMUNITY: Persons with Disabilities: "We believe state assistance should be made more readily available for community-based care, and should not be inappropriately biased toward institutional settings."
Source citation: Veto Override ; vote number 254
Override Gov. Romney's veto of Budget Line Item 0321-2100, $500,000 for the Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services (MCLS). MCLS provides the only legal aid to indigent incarcerated individuals.
Relevant platform section: PART VI: SAFETY, JUSTICE & CRIME PREVENTION Legal Services: "We support publicly funded legal services to provide legal representation and advice on issues such as housing, employment, domestic violence, health, elder law, public benefits, and immigration. We urge full state and federal funding of such services."
Source citation: Veto Override ; vote number 258
Override Gov. Romney's veto of a Budget Line Item which eliminated a state supplement to th federally-funded school breakfast program whereby all eligible children shall be provided free, nutritious breakfasts at no cost to them.
Relevant platform section: PART I: FAMILIES & CHILDREN, DIVERSITY & COMMUNITY: No Child Left Behind: "We believe that young people are our most precious resource, and we see inherent worth and promise in every child. Ours is truly the Party that seeks to "Leave No Child Behind."We endorse, therefore, the goals established under The Children's Defense Fund initiative of that name, to ensure every child a healthy start [which includes CDF's support of school breakfast programs]."
Source citation: Veto Override ; vote number 252
Gov. Romney vetoed budget section 210, which says. "Section 4 of MGL chapter 71A is hereby further amended to add:--"Foreign language classes for children who already know English, 2-way bilingual programs... shall be unaffected." [MGL chapter 71A requires English-only classroom teaching. Section 210 would exempt "2-way classes" in which some students are native English speakers and some are non-native English speakers. A vote to override the Governor's veto would continue to allow that type of bilingual education although foreign-language classes without native English-speaking students woul still be disallowed.]
The relevant part of the MassDems Platform is "We reaffirm our support for classroom programs, including Special and Bilingual Education"
Source citation: Excellence, Equality and Community; Bill Section 209 ; vote number 266
Override Gov. Romney's veto of a Budget Line Item which eliminated state funding for the "Turning 22" program, which provides residential and treatment services for severely disabled individuals (who are mandated to exit other state programs after age 21). "Turning 22" is designed to allow a person to remain where his or her family lives.
Relevant platform section: PART III: HEALTH CARE, ACCESS & CHOICE: Mental Health: "Our Party supports the full implementation of mental health policies which will provide emergence care, family support, and appropriate housing to our citizens with chronic mental health disorders."
Source citation: Veto Override ; vote number 253
Override Gov. Romney's veto of a Budget Line Item which eliminated $9,670,807 in funding for the uncompensated care pool. This care pool provides health care for people who would otherwise not be covered for hospital visits.
Relevant platform section: PART III: HEALTH CARE, ACCESS & CHOICE: Access and Costs: "We remain committed to extending proper coverage to each of the hundreds of thousands of residents still uninsured, and to aiding the even greater number who are underinsured, or at risk of being so."
Source citation: Veto Override ; vote number 170
Any city or town shall be authorized to impose a local excise tax upon the sale of meals, of 1% of the tota price thereof. The local excise tax imposed shall be paid by the vendor in the same manner as the excise tax due the commonwealth. All sums received shall at least quarterly be distributed, credited and paid by the state treasurer to each city or town. [Provides a new revenue source for cities and towns to pay for schools and other local services].
Relevant platform section: PART II: EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND OPPORTUNITY: Full Funding: "We reject policies that direct funds away from our public schools to finance political promises of tax reductions or to other unrelated purposes. We support just and equitable funding mechanisms that provide for vibrant public schools in all communities."
Source citation: Section 100 ; vote number 122
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The above quotations are from Winners and Losers Senate candidates from Massachusetts. Click here for other excerpts from Winners and Losers Senate candidates from Massachusetts. Click here for other excerpts by Richard Tisei. Click here for a profile of Richard Tisei.
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