Important Information...

I am posting the following information for your information. As usual, your comments are welcome.
_______

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO ATTEND
“BALANCING THE STATE BUDGET”
The third annual TOWN MEETING briefing on the
“Hows and Whys” of balancing the
Fiscal Year (2009) Massachusetts State Budget.
Learn how the decisions made impact YOU
and YOUR CITY/TOWN.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
7:00 – 9:00 pm
WEST MEDFORD COMMUNITY CENTER
111 Arlington Street, West Medford
DIRECTIONS: From Boston Avenue (heading west toward High Street): left at lights onto Harvard Avenue;
right onto Arlington Street. The Community Center is the 3rd building on the left.
ON-STREET PARKING
Sponsored by SENATOR PATRICIA D. JEHLEN
featuring panelists
DAVID SULLIVAN
Legal Counsel, Governor’s Office of Administration and Finance
and
NOAH BERGER
Executive Director of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center
Members of the audience will have the
opportunity to contribute ideas and ask questions.
Refreshments will be served.
For more information, please call Senator Jehlen’s office at (617) 722-1578.

Important Information...

Here is some important information for my constituents:

Mandatory Health Insurance: Constituent Information and Enrollment Event

Do you need health insurance or know someone who does? Are you confused about the requirement that all Massachusetts residents have health insurance or face a penalty? Are you worried about the November 15 deadline? Do you need help figuring out what to do?
Part of Massachusetts’ new “universal” health care law requires that everyone over 18 have health insurance by Dec. 31 if they can afford it, or lose their personal deduction on this year’s taxes. That means a cost of about $219 per person. Because insurance plans start on the first of the month, you need to enroll by Nov. 15 to avoid the penalty.
On Nov. 13, you’re invited to learn more, and you can even enroll immediately at an event at the Mystic Activity Center in Somerville.

From 4 to 7:30 at 530 Mystic Avenue, specialists from the Cambridge Health Alliance will be on site to provide real-time enrollment for residents. To be prepared for the enrollment process, I encourage residents to bring identification and their two most recent pay-stubs. These documents will help determine what plans you qualify for.
We'll also have experts to explain the law and the plans.

More information is available at www.MAhealthconnector.org, or by calling 1-877-MA-ENROLL weekdays. Health Care for All is another helpful resource: hcfama.org, or 1.800.272.42

Tight vote looms on same-sex marriage...

We are in Constitutional Convention today to vote on the issue of same-sex marriage. The vote of whether to allow voters to decide on this issue will be very close. I'll post an update later this week.

If you have any questions or comments you can contact me by email at RepDonato38@aol.com.

Update: Opponents of gay marriage lost. They got 45 of the votes needed to put the measure on the ballot. They needed 50.

You are invited...

Come meet with Representative Paul J. Donato, Representative Carl M. Sciortino, Jr., Representative James Marzilli and Senator Patricia Jehlen regarding environmental legislation that will affect us locally. *

Find out about major environmental bills pending or being filed soon in the Massachusetts legislature by lawmakers representing Medford,Somerville, Arlington, Malden.*

Get a really gorgeous view of the Mystic River from six stories up.* Enjoy refreshments provided by Century Bank. When: Thursday, May 24Time: 6:30 pm (networking and refreshments); 7:00 (program begins)

Please join us for this free event coordinated by Susan Altman, a member of the Medford Environmental Alliance, Medford Climate Action Network, Medford Clean Energy Committee, Massachusetts Climate Action Network Board of Directors

Brief update...

The FY08 budget will be debated the week of April 23. I'll be providing updates on this blog over the coming weeks. In the meantime if you have any questions send me an email. The address is Repdonato38@aol.com.

This past Wednesday we had a fundraiser at Montvale Plaza in Stoneham. Thanks to my many wonderful friends who supported this event.

Over the next few days I'll post information on a couple of news releases published by my office.

Update for Constituents...

We are currently working on a bond transportation bill that will have important benefits for both Medford and Malden...and also for the Green Line.

We are working on a House Budget that we hope will be ready in two weeks.

May I take this opportunity to wish all constituents a Happy Saint Patricks Day. Drive safely!!

Update...

This is to let constituents know that I've been re-elected as Chairman of the Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling.

Op Ed - Bullying...

Responding to what is emerging as an important social issue I recently authored the following Op Ed on bullying. I would welcome the comments of constituents. Send an email to RepDonato38@aol.com.

Here is the Op Ed in full:

Date: January 29, 2007


The time has come to take initiative and address a source of school trouble. Bullying in schools is a problem that has negative effects on school environment and on student’s ability to learn in a safe atmosphere without fear. Bullying can also have negative life-long consequences both for students who bully and for their victims. Bullying can be comprised of direct behaviors or more indirectly by causing a student to be socially isolated through intentional exclusion.

There are problems other than lack of money and opportunity that can make children troubled or desperate enough to lash out. Mental health difficulties, family problems, domestic violence are not just confined to the poor. Bullying happens in all schools- rich, middle-class, and poor. Sometimes we call it “teasing,” “taunting,” or “kids being kids,” but it is all the same thing- kids being abusive to each other.

Research shows that bullying and abuse are important causes of school violence. The studies of school assaults in the 1990’s established that fact. The good news is that bullying is one thing we can change – in any school, in any town, and in any community.

At the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, kids tell us about the perils of standing by or laughing along while another student is being abused. They talk about not being an active bystander, because going along with abuse helps the bully and anyone can become a victim. In a way, though, we’re all bystanders – we all stand by while kids abuse each other, and maybe we don’t always try hard enough to change how kids and adults think about bullying. We know that sometimes parents of victims feel like they’re all alone in their struggles to help their child. Sometimes towns and schools don’t want to take a hard look at preventing bullying because they worry that it might mean they have a “bullying problem.” Does practicing fire drills mean that a school has a serious fire problem? No; fire kills, and we want to keep kids safe. Bullying kills too. Let’s practice bullying prevention, and keep kids safe.

Together, we can all make a difference. Tomorrow call your local State Representative or Senator and send a message saying “PLEASE SUPPORT ANTI-BULLYING BILL HD842”. Together, we can send a message loudly enough to make a difference and to begin the journey towards understanding that school violence doesn’t just happen “somewhere else” – it can be prevented everywhere.

Sincerely,


Rep. Paul J. Donato (D-Medford, Malden)
Chairman
Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling

and

Elizabeth Englander, Ph.D
Professor of Psychology
Director, Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center
Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater, MA 02325

Again, I welcome your comments.

A New Governor and a New Legislature...

This morning I was sworn in as your State Representative for another term. Photo shows people gathered in front of the State House for the swearing in of our new Governor - Deval Patrick.

(Globe Staff Photo / David L. Ryan)

Best Wishes for 2007!

May I take this opportunity to wish all constituents the very best for the coming year. May you be blessed with good health and prosperity!

We expect a busy hear at the State Legislature. I'll be using this blog to keep you updated. In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments you can contact me at RepDonato38@aol.com.

Again, Happy New Year!!

Update:

Today is the last day of the current legislative session. We are meeting this afternoon to consider the Marriage Amendment. I'll provide an update later this week.

Update #2:

Here is the report from the Boston Globe webside on our meeting this afternoon:

BOSTON --Lawmakers in Massachusetts, the only state where gay marriage is legal, on Tuesday voted to advance a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, a critical step toward putting the measure the 2008 ballot.

The proposed amendment, which would define marriage as between one man and one woman but ban future gay marriages, still needs approval of the next legislative session before it can go onto the ballot.

Gay marriage supporters lost a bid to use parliamentary moves to reverse the vote, which came without debate immediately after Senate President Robert Travaglini officially opened the joint session.

Lawmakers recessed for an hour, returned and agreed to reconsider, but backers of the amendment still had plenty of support to move the proposal to the next session.