Senate Republican Caucus Fights to Keep Massachusetts Healthcare System Affordable

With the Massachusetts State Senate set to debate a bill requiring the Commonwealth to move forward in the process to conform with insurance provisions mandated by the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Senate Republican Caucus has filed several key amendments to keep rising healthcare costs down, to study the cost of new federal mandates and taxes, and prevent the federal act from penalizing Massachusetts residents with costly new insurance measures.

“Our state government has worked diligently to control costs, increase access to coverage, and create a model for others to follow when it comes to healthcare,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr.  “We shouldn’t now be penalized and punished by a federal law that takes away critical components of that model, and in doing so, causes undue costs for consumers and economic penalties for employers.”

Among the amendments that Senator Tarr, Assistant Minority Leader Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth), Minority Whip Richard Ross (R-Wrentham) and Ranking Senate Ways and Means Committee member Michael Knapik (R-Westfield) are seeking to secure include measures to:

•  Require reporting of the cost to comply with ACA mandates by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector, and the Center for Health Information Analysis, and the Health Policy Commission;

• Require reporting of the impacts associated with the medical device tax imposed by the act on Massachusetts manufacturers by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, and the Department of Revenue;

• Eliminate the mandate that all insurance policies must have prescription drug coverage, which increases premiums and limits choice;

• Increase of the membership of the Health Insurance Connector to include a consumer organization, and three who represent employers in various geographical locations and employee size;

• Increase the number of association health plan cooperatives to allow small businesses to purchase health insurance as a group; and

• Strengthen Federal Waiver efforts to prevent Massachusetts from losing tools to control insurance costs such as rating factors and annual rate settings.

Rather than the state summarily proceeding with the elimination of cost reducing health insurance rating factors that provide both small and large businesses with the financial flexibility to provide affordable healthcare to their employees, Senate Republicans want the state to go beyond the January 2016 phase-in extension provided by the federal government to seek an outright waiver of many of the costly provisions.

“Ensuring every Massachusetts citizen continues to have access to affordable health care coverage is paramount to strengthening our Commonwealth and growing our economy,” said Senator Hedlund.  “We need to make sure the progress we have made in creating a model for the rest of the nation continues to evolve rather than take a backseat to federal regulations that weaken our goal of access and affordability.”

“Massachusetts has become the model for the entire nation on quality health care reform,” said Senator Ross. “It is a shame that the federal government is now implementing new regulations that will effectively detract from the great strides that the Commonwealth has made in making affordable health care available. The federal government should refrain from interfering with a state’s working model, particularly one that has shown such success.”

“The federal Affordable Care Act should strengthen our model for healthcare, not weaken it.  We need to take decisive action to push back against federal measures that will undermine our state’s chances for success in controlling costs and increasing access,” said Senator Tarr.

Remember to Vote Today!

Today brings an important opportunity for everybody to vote for their candidate of choice in the special U.S. Senate election.  Please remember to visit your local polling location and cast your ballot by 8:00pm tonight.  If you’re not sure where to vote, please click here to find your polling place, along with the names of the candidates appearing on today’s ballots.

Senate GOP Caucus Successful in Amending Senate Welfare Reform Bill

The Massachusetts State Senate debated a major welfare reform bill on Thursday aimed to prevent significant fraud and abuse within the Massachusetts public assistance system recently identified in reports made by the state’s Inspector General and State Auditor.  Seizing the opportunity to enhance Senate Bill 1805, An Act encouraging low-income savings and economic opportunity, with substantive reforms, the Senate Republican Caucus succeeded in strengthening the welfare reform measure by providing new tools to combat fraudulent accounts, abuse of the system, and preventing unacceptable waste.

“Today the Senate has taken decisive steps to reform our state’s welfare system and begin to rebuild the precious public trust and program integrity that have been seriously damaged by a system with too much tolerance for waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester).  “Our caucus has been unrelenting in the pursuit of necessary reform measures, and we are pleased that many of them have been incorporated into the bill that now leaves the Senate chamber.”

“Our steadfast efforts to reform our broken and wasteful welfare system finally paid off today.  While not a perfect bill, today our Caucus was successful in making the reforms stronger and penalties tougher.  While this is a significant step in protecting taxpayer dollars against waste and abuse, we must remain vigilant in making sure this Welfare Reform Bill is not weakened on its way to becoming law,” said Assistant Senate Minority Leader Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth).

The bill released to the floor for debate already included several important provisions championed by the caucus, including:

• Ending the shell game of issuing a temporary placeholder number in lieu of an accurate Social Security number;

• Implementing the most vigorous system possible for verification of eligibility and identity by requiring the cross checking of all available state, federal, and commercial databases;

• Including the DTA website and fraud hotline on all EBT cards; and

• Ensuring EBT cardholders and those individuals who are authorized users are in fact the ones using them by verifying their identity through such tools as photos, fingerprints or other means of identification.

During yesterday’s debate Republican efforts continued to strengthen the bill through several key amendments. Many of the amendments that Senator Tarr, Senator Hedlund, Minority Whip Richard Ross (R-Wrentham) and Ranking Senate Ways and Means Committee member Michael Knapik (R-Westfield) succeeded in securing include:

• Requiring the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) to implement an electronic system to reduce inefficiencies and inaccuracies caused by an abundance of paperwork;

• Requiring the fraud detection program in DTA to refer any cases of suspected fraud to the Program Integrity Division within DTA and the Bureau of Special Investigations in the State Auditor’s office;

• Ensuring the DTA maintains proper control and custody of blank EBT cards, addressing the concern highlighted in a State Auditor’s report identifying over 30,000 missing blank EBT cards;

• Suspending the liquor and Lottery licenses of those businesses that repeatedly allow prohibited items to be purchased with EBT funds for 30 days;

• Requiring the DTA to post all reports online that are mandated by the bill;

• Requiring the DTA to conduct an enhanced review of recipients that use cash assistance in states outside of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and Vermont;

• Enhancing the penalties of the crime of EBT trafficking on a third offense from 5 to 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $25,000, an increase of the current $5,000 penalty;

• Denying the possibility of welfare benefits for those ordered to register as a sex offender but who fail to do so following the hearing of an appeal;

• Requiring welfare recipients who participate in training or education programs to prove their attendance and participation in them; and

• Preventing illegal immigrant families from displacing legal residents within public housing.

“Our constituents have called for legislative action to ensure those who are charged with spending taxpayer dollars are held to the highest standard,” Senator Knapik said. “Although several efforts offered by the Republican Caucus to increase accountability were defeated, I am pleased with the legislature’s efforts to restore integrity to the commonwealth’s public assistance programs and foster a more accessible pathway to self-sufficiency for our state’s most vulnerable citizens.”

“This legislation is a significant step forward in tackling the waste and fraud that has distressed the Commonwealth’s welfare system. Not only will these reforms strengthen and enhance the integrity of the system, but they will provide helpful resources for recipients to access employment opportunities and increase their financial independence,” said Senator Ross.

“Following the passage of this bill we will remain committed to capturing every opportunity for reform, including securing its passage into law,” said Senator Tarr.

Senate GOP Caucus Puts Real Welfare Reform on the Table in Advance of Thursday's Debate

With the Senate scheduled to debate a major welfare reform bill on Thursday, the Senate Republican Caucus is preparing to offer a series of substantive reforms that will strengthen the bill and provide significant new tools to alleviate fraud, waste and abuse.

“We are taking advantage of the opportunity before us to have a real debate on welfare reform, to strengthen the bill and to get meaningful reforms that will achieve real results,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), who noted that many of the reforms contained in the proposed bill released by the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday have long been considered priorities by the Caucus and have been offered as amendments as recently as last month during the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget debate.

“Our Caucus has been steadfast in its commitment to welfare reform, and we are going to persist until the job gets done,” said Senator Tarr.

Tarr, along with Assistant Minority Leader Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth), Minority Whip Richard Ross (R-Wrentham) and Ranking Senate Ways and Means Committee member Michael Knapik (R-Westfield) plan to file several amendments before Wednesday’s noontime deadline, including proposals to:

· Impose mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients who are arrested or convicted of a drug-related crime, and remove cash benefits for those who test positive for drugs;

· Eliminate cash benefits for high risk users, as recommended by The Ripples Group in its December 2012 report, a proposal that mirrors language included in last year’s Senate budget requiring direct payments for rent and utilities that was later vetoed by Governor Patrick;

· Ensure that people who are in the country illegally cannot displace people who are here legally on the waiting list for state subsidized housing, similar to the policy used for federally subsidized housing;

· Suspend the liquor and Lottery licenses of those businesses that repeatedly allow prohibited items to be purchased with EBT funds;

· Require non-EBT card holders using cards on behalf of another to be identified, given prior authorization and have their use of these cards tracked;

· Require all waivers and extension requests to go through the DTA Commissioner’s Office by taking these decisions out of the hands of caseworkers; and

· Direct DTA to develop and implement an inventory control system for EBT cards.

 “We have been awaiting the opportunity for a full and formal debate on welfare reform, and it appears that we will have that debate on Thursday,” said Senator Tarr.  “We want to leave no stone unturned in the quest to restore integrity and accountability and transparency to the welfare system on behalf of the people who truly need and deserve benefits and the taxpayers who pay for these benefits.”

“It is clear from the proposed Senate Ways and Means bill that our Caucus’ steadfast efforts to reform our broken and wasteful welfare system has started to pay off,” said Senator Hedlund.  “We need to finish the job during Thursday’s debate and give the taxpayers of Massachusetts lasting reform that is meaningful and effective.  The final welfare reform bill must ensure tax dollars are being used to help our veterans, elderly and families in need and not wasted on fraud and abuse.  Only then can we begin to restore the integrity of this very important service of state and local government.”

“We need to ensure that all who possess EBT cards use them responsibly, and in the fashion and spirit in which the taxpayer would hope was intended,” said Senator Ross.

“The Department of Transitional Assistance was never intended to become a crutch; it was intended to help people empower themselves,” added Senator Knapik.  “That is what we are looking to do again. By amending the current proposal, we can create a program of high integrity that provides people with the pathways to jobs and ultimately self-sufficiency.”

Senator Tarr's Statement on Today's Release of Senate Welfare Reform Bill

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) released the following statement today regarding the unveiling of the Senate’s welfare reform proposal:

“The bill released today by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and offered by Senate President Murray and others reflects a comprehensive approach that seeks to transition recipients away from dependence on welfare programs and towards sustainable economic independence.  The bill also contains some critical reforms to address fraud and abuse, although it does not contain additional reforms that were offered during Senate budget deliberations.  Today, however, it appears that the long-awaited opportunity for the Senate to act decisively to reform the welfare system is now just days away.  We look forward to fully engaging in the debate to make the bill stronger and working with our colleagues to achieve the goals of transparency, accountability and program integrity.  A prime opportunity is now before us and we have no time to waste to capture its potential.”

Senate Caucus Renews Call for Welfare Reforms

With the promise of yet another bill on Beacon Hill aimed at improving a welfare system in desperate need of real reform, the Senate Republican Caucus is vowing to take action on whatever legislative vehicle comes before the Senate to ensure that meaningful reforms are incorporated within a system wrought with fraudulence and a lack of integrity.

Last year, the Legislature made substantial reforms to the welfare system in the Fiscal Year 2013 budget, many of which were championed by the Senate Republican Caucus, including charging recipients for replacement EBT cards; prohibiting the purchase of certain goods and services with EBT cards, such as alcohol, tobacco, tattoos and jewelry; and imposing penalties on recipients and store owners who violate these provisions.  Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), Assistant Minority Leader Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth), Minority Whip Richard Ross (R-Wrentham) and Ranking Senate Ways and Means Committee member Michael Knapik (R-Westfield) believe that it is now time for the Legislature to build on those reforms to ensure the integrity of the state’s public assistance programs.

“How many audits is it going to take before we stop talking about reforms and start taking action?” said Senator Tarr.  “We shouldn’t be contemplating spending billions of dollars in the state budget and adding millions of dollars in new taxes when we are allowing welfare dollars to be spent in the name of the deceased.  It is intolerable that public assistance dollars continue to be wasted on those who fraudulently abuse them while others deservedly need them.”

The Senate Republican Caucus believes that any welfare reform measure – regardless of whether it originates in the House or the Senate – should not move forward without these components:

·  Ending the shell game of issuing a temporary placeholder number in lieu of an accurate Social Security number;

·  Ensuring that people who are in the country illegally cannot displace people who are here legally on the waiting list for state subsidized housing, similar to the policy used for federally subsidized housing;

·  Implementing the most vigorous system possible for verification of eligibility and identity by requiring the cross checking of all available state, federal, and commercial databases;

·  Promoting a clear path of information sharing for law enforcement, the Bureau of Special Investigations and DTA by designating a law enforcement liaison to ensure proper coordination and communication in the investigation of fraud and abuse;

·  Providing the Inspector General with the authority and the resources to operate an independent division of program oversight and integrity to ensure continued and sustained oversight of the state’s welfare system;

·  Including the DTA website and fraud hotline on all EBT cards; and

·  Ensuring EBT cardholders and those individuals who are authorized users are in fact the ones using them by verifying their identity through such tools as photos, fingerprints or other means of identification.

“We are going to insist that these common sense reforms are included in whatever bill moves forward,” said Senator Tarr.

“Given the extent and growing evidence of abuse and waste in our welfare system, reform must be meaningful, effective and have lasting results,” said Senator Hedlund.  “The reforms we continue to push for will help ensure that the millions of dollars in abuse and waste instead go to helping our veterans, elderly and families in need.  Passing these reforms is essential to restoring the integrity of a very important function of state and local government.”

Recent reports by the Inspector General’s office and the State Auditor’s office have shed light on a number of ongoing problems at DTA, including multiple EBT recipients associated with the same Social Security number, multiple Social Security numbers being used by one individual, and some recipients having no Social Security number.

“While Interim Commissioner Stacey Monahan has been responsive at addressing these deficiencies within the welfare system, the magnitude of the problem clearly demands corresponding legislative action,” said Senator Tarr.

“The Legislature has been made acutely aware of the frustrations and concerns that are felt by our constituents as they witness the many issues plaguing the Commonwealth’s public assistance programs,” Senator Knapik said.  “Reports from the Auditor and the Inspector General have confirmed major deficiencies exist within these programs. As stewards of the public purse, we have an obligation to respond and address any fraudulent or negligent use of public funds. I am pleased to join my colleagues in supporting these common sense reforms to ensure the long-term viability of these safeguards.”

“It has become evident that our public assistance programs are plagued with abuses and inefficiencies. By implementing these reforms, we will provide proper safeguards against potential fraud in the broken system and ensure that these funds are reserved for those individuals and families who are truly in need,” said Senator Ross.

“Now is the time for decisive legislative action that gets to the heart of real reform.  We can’t afford to have important measures lost in a flurry of bills and a tangled legislative process,” said Senator Tarr.

Senator Tarr, Municipal Officials Call for Greater Transparency in the Prevailing Wage Law

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) joined with several municipal officials this week to call for greater transparency and accountability in the setting of the prevailing wage for public construction and maintenance projects.

Tarr joined with the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA), the Massachusetts Highway Association and other municipal officials Tuesday afternoon to testify before the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development in support of Senate Bill 893, An Act relative to setting the prevailing wage rate, and Senate Bill 896, An Act providing for increased transparency in the prevailing wage.  Both bills were filed by Senator Tarr and co-sponsored by State Representative Lenny Mirra (R-West Newbury).

“Today we begin the process of bringing increased transparency and accountability to the process of setting the prevailing wage in Massachusetts,” said Senator Tarr.  “The law has been in place for over 100 years, but most people have no idea how it works or how much it impacts municipal finances.  Billions of taxpayer dollars are spent subject to its provisions, and it’s critical that accountability and transparency govern its operation.  The changes we are proposing will not only achieve those goals, but also the integrity that comes with a system that has the ability to consider all of the relevant facts to establish accurate wage rates that reflect market costs, and not those of a narrowly focused model with limiting restraints.”

“Prevailing wage makes every project we do a lot more expensive and results in higher taxes at both the state and local level,” added Representative Mirra.  “It raises costs so much that some projects simply don’t get done and that results in construction workers staying home collecting unemployment instead of on a job collecting a pay check.  Our communities suffer as well because necessary repairs are not getting funded.”

Senate Bill 893 would require the Director of the Department of Labor to set the prevailing wage rate, taking into consideration wages established by collective bargaining agreements or understandings in the private construction industry between organized labor and employers.  This bill would provide the director with the flexibility of setting the prevailing wage based on regional wage differences.

“Many of the Commonwealth’s smaller communities are required to pay the prevailing wage rate for projects using the rate that is based on the labor market areas for larger communities (Boston, Springfield, Worcester) or arbitrary sub-regions,” noted MMA Executive Director Geoffrey Beckwith in written testimony submitted to the committee.  “In many smaller communities this mandates a pay scale based on the highest labor market in other regions, not on the local market.”

Beckwith added that, “Many communities, especially those with smaller populations or located in less urban settings would achieve significant savings if they could use local wages in the region, not the prevailing wage determined by actions outside the region.”

Peter Durkee, Director of Public Works for the town of Georgetown, cited a local school construction project that cost the community $47 million but would have cost 10 to 15 percent less without the prevailing wage, savings which would have gone to both the town and the state.

Diane Norris, Assistant Town Manager for Danvers and Chair of the MMA Public Works Policy Committee, testified that the prevailing wage law can often increase the total cost of a project by as much as 20 to 30 percent.  This leads to less work getting done, fewer jobs created and more deferred maintenance, she said.

“We do a lot less work than we would do with a prevailing wage that reflects the entire market, not just a segment of the market,” Norris said.

Senate Bill 896 would establish a 12-member commission to review the effectiveness and practicality of establishing fair wage rates under the current Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law, and to consider whether the use of other methodologies could yield rates which more accurately reflect prevailing market rates. The bill also directs the Department of Labor Standards to provide information on the state’s website that details the current prevailing wage rates and the methodology by which those rates are determined.

Norris told the committee one of the problems with the current law is that “the people who pay” the prevailing wage rate – taxpayers and cities and towns – “are not at the table” when it comes to setting the rates.  Senate Bill 896 would address this concern by requiring the Department of Labor Standards within the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to conduct at least one public hearing per year on issues relating to the prevailing wage law.

Also testifying at Tuesday’s hearing were David Knowlton, President of the Massachusetts Highway Association, and Stephen Rollins, who served as Hanover’s Town Manager for 25 years and previously served as Weston’s administrative assistant to the selectmen as well as town treasurer.

Senate GOP Caucus Calls on Governor Patrick to Release Chapter 90 Funding Immediately

The Massachusetts Senate Republican Caucus is calling on Governor Deval Patrick to change his course and release the remaining half of the $300 million in Chapter 90 bond funding unanimously approved by the Legislature for critical infrastructure maintenance and repair funding for cities and towns. Patrick recently signed the legislation appropriating the Chapter 90 money, but has thus far refused to release half of it.

In a letter hand-delivered to the Governor’s office on Monday afternoon, the Caucus warned Patrick that “Your conditional release of only half of the funds not only puts our communities in an untenable position of choosing what projects to fund and whether to build half a bridge in the hopes that you will authorize the full amount, but it further delays projects that need to begin if they are to be completed this season.” The letter was signed by Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), Assistant Minority Leader Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth), Minority Whip Richard Ross (R-Wenham) and Senator Michael Knapik (R-Westfield), the Ranking Republican on the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

Last month, Governor Patrick informed municipalities that he would be authorizing the release of only $150 million of the $300 million in Chapter 90 funding approved by the Legislature. Senate Republicans are asking Patrick to communicate any remaining concerns he has “so that we can address those specific concerns and get this money to municipalities without any further costly delay.”

“Municipal officials have repeatedly heard the message that $300 million is coming to fund critical repairs to roads and bridges, only to now receive half that amount in the middle of the construction season,” noted Senator Tarr. “The Governor filed a bill containing $300 million and the Legislature approved that bill. Now it’s time to honor those terms and move forward on the one funding item everyone has agreed on, and continue debate, discussion and negotiations on the things on which we haven’t agreed.”

“There’s no practical reason our cities and towns should not receive these funds now, which are desperately needed to fix our area roads,” added Senator Hedlund. “The only reason to withhold these funds appears politically motivated and I do not believe cities and towns should suffer from the political games being played on Beacon Hill.”

Based on the Patrick Administration’s own recommendations, the House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously approved $300 million for the Chapter 90 program, an increase of $100 million over last year’s allocation for local road and bridge repairs. Patrick signed the Chapter 90 bill into law on May 24, and just last week the Legislature finalized an accompanying terms bill dictating how the funds will be distributed.

“The release of these funds is extremely important to our cities and towns as the construction season is already underway,” said Senator Knapik. “We must deliver on the full $300 million allocation to help maintain an efficient and functional transportation infrastructure, one that is so critical to the local economy.”

“This funding is crucial for communities across the Commonwealth as construction season has begun and municipalities are addressing their current transportation needs and projects,” added Senator Ross. “Not only will this funding enable cities and towns to maintain the safety and repair of local roads and bridges, it will provide a necessary economic boost to the construction industry and the Commonwealth’s economy as a whole.”

In their letter, Senate Republicans called on Patrick to fulfill the state’s commitment to assisting cities and towns in meeting their infrastructure needs.

“You recognized in The Way Forward: A 21st Century Transportation Plan, that previous commitments to road and bridge funding have led to ‘safer roads, less congestion, and more comfortable commutes for residents of every community in the Commonwealth,’” the Caucus letter notes. “Arbitrarily abandoning that commitment now jeopardizes those gains and will turn today’s cost-efficient repairs into tomorrow’s unnecessary and unduly expensive roadway replacements.”

A copy of the Caucus letter to Governor Patrick is posted below.

 

June 10, 2013

His Excellency Deval L. Patrick

Office of the Governor
State House Room 360
Boston, MA 02133

Dear Governor Patrick,

We are writing to respectfully request the release of the full $300 million allocated for Chapter 90 funding that was unanimously approved by the Legislature in House Bill 3379 and which you signed into law on May 24, 2013. The House and Senate’s prompt passage of the Chapter 90 Terms Bill last week demonstrates our commitment to getting these needed funds out to our communities as soon as possible. With construction season fully underway, and the April 1 deadline to get notice to municipalities of the amount allocated long past, we believe it is imperative that $300 million be immediately released.

Your decision thus far to withhold $150 million in Chapter 90 funding causes us great concern. The Senate and House Ways and Means Committees have both determined that the $300 million outlay is affordable. This figure has been debated on both the House and Senate floors, with its prudence and sustainability attested to by the members of the committee and the entire Legislature. The $300 million figure had its genesis in the bond bill filed by your Administration on March 13, 2013, and you signified your assent to H.3379 when you signed it into law on May 24, 2013. Given the totality of these approvals, cities and towns have an understandable expectation they will receive the full $300 million. If now you believe it was unwise to approve that funding, please communicate with us immediately your remaining concerns so that we can address those specific concerns and get this money to municipalities without any further costly delay.

We firmly believe that a 25 percent cut to road and bridge construction projects is both unnecessary and imprudent. The spring construction season is already well in progress, and municipalities are counting on the timely release of this funding to begin and complete important road and bridge projects. Your conditional release of only half of the funds not only puts our communities in an untenable position of choosing what projects to fund and whether to build half a bridge in the hopes that you will authorize the full amount, but it further delays projects that need to begin if they are to be completed this season.

We certainly hope that the withholding of half the Chapter 90 funding is not attributable to an effort to expand upon the tax increases contained in transportation finance bills approved by the House and the Senate. Clearly any further increase in taxation is beyond the scope of what the Legislature has approved and is in the realm of what the Legislature has overwhelmingly rejected. The timing of events demonstrates that no tax increase had been approved when you signed the Chapter 90 bill into law, and the release of those funds should not now be contingent upon a tax increase. Moreover, while we believe the tax increases that have been approved will have serious adverse impacts on the commonwealth and our uncertain economic recovery, it is clear that additional increases, beyond what the House and Senate have approved, will imperil our economic stability exponentially further. Each branch of the Legislature has passed a transportation financing proposal that raises over $500 million in new tax revenue. Those proposals are the only viable plans that are now on the table, and any new revenues now approved by the Legislature could be applied to even further address the cost of the Chapter 90 program.

You recognized in The Way Forward: A 21st Century Transportation Plan, that previous commitments to road and bridge funding have led to “safer roads, less congestion, and more comfortable commutes for residents of every community in the Commonwealth.” Arbitrarily abandoning that commitment now jeopardizes those gains and will turn today’s cost-efficient repairs into tomorrow’s unnecessary and unduly expensive roadway replacements.

We believe the $300 million funding allocation prudently respects the dramatic need for transportation improvements in our cities and towns, the requests from our residents for the funding to complete them, and the commitment implied by our actions to date on this legislation. Additionally, the funding will provide a needed economic stimulus to those in the construction industry and the overall economy of the Commonwealth. Accordingly, we respectfully ask that you authorize the release of the full $300 million of Chapter 90 road and bridge funding.

Sincerely,

Bruce Tarr

State Senator

Robert Hedlund

State Senator

Michael Knapik

State Senator

Richard Ross

State Senator

cc: Senate President Therese Murray

Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo

Senator Tarr's Statement on Today's Supreme Court DNA Decision in Maryland v. King

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) released the following statement today regarding a Supreme Court decision (Maryland v. King) allowing police departments to collect DNA samples from people arrested for a crime:

“Today’s monumental decision by the Supreme Court makes it clear that collecting DNA evidence from those arrested for a crime doesn’t violate the Constitution or the rights of those involved.  With this decision in hand, our Commonwealth should act quickly and decisively to provide our criminal justice system with a powerful tool that has tremendous power to exonerate the innocent, prosecute the guilty, and identify those who may pose a further threat to public safety.

My conversations with those in law enforcement, victims, their advocates, and others have made a compelling case that DNA evidence collected after arraignment can be properly safeguarded and disposed of if a conviction isn’t obtained, and that the benefits from collecting it are substantial.

Senate Bill 1176 authorizes this modern-day version of fingerprinting, and the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security should act on it as soon as possible.”

Click here to read the full text of Senate Bill 1176.

Senator Tarr's Statement on Welfare Reform

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) recently released the following statement regarding a welfare reform bill that Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) plans to file in the coming months:

“Last year the Senate put important welfare reforms into the state budget, and this year we failed to build on those reforms in last week’s budget debate.  Fortunately many of the important reforms remain alive in the House version of the Fiscal Year 2014 state budget. Senate President Murray has identified even more areas of the system that need reform and we welcome her to our ongoing efforts to bringing integrity to these public assistance programs.

While we await a promised reform bill and the opportunity to engage in its development there are things that are on the table now that should be acted upon by the joint conference committee.  Those measures would provide some of the necessary reforms needed to protect the precious public dollars the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is charged to administer, and while DTA has taken significant strides to protect those public dollars, the legislature must act decisively to ensure there is accountability and transparency.

Action must be taken as soon as possible to infuse integrity in a deeply flawed welfare system.  The legislature can make significant progress with that goal in mind immediately by passing these safeguards that would ensure only those most deserving with the public assistance they need.  There is absolutely no reason to prolong these commonsense measures any further.”