Senator DiDomenico addresses over 700 social work professionals and students at the Emmanuel Church of Boston

Senator DiDomenico serves as a panelist at NASW’s legislative workshop on the Senator’s bill to lift the cap on kids.

BOSTON- Senator Sal DiDomenico recently served as the keynote legislative speaker at National Association of Social Workers (NASW) 2018 Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) at the State House. LEAD is an annual event sponsored by the Massachusetts Chapter of NASW that brings together hundreds of social work students and professionals to the State House. The goal at LEAD is to engage social workers in learning about current legislative issues in Massachusetts affecting them and their clients and to allow them to participate in the legislative process and experience lobbying and advocacy firsthand.

 LEAD began at the Emmanuel Church of Boston, where Senator DiDomenico addressed over 700 social work professionals, graduate students, and staff before their “March for Social Work Values” to the State House. At the kick-off event at the Emmanuel Church, DiDomenico spoke about the important role that advocacy plays on Beacon Hill in shaping policy and influencing social, racial, and economic justice issues.  

 “It was a pleasure speaking to the hundreds of social workers and students at LEAD, and sharing with them my thoughts and tips on how they can become powerful activists for their profession, clients, and the causes they believe in,” said Senator DiDomenico. “Social workers change lives every day, and I want to thank them for their work and passion for helping others. Great job as always by the Massachusetts Chapter of NASW and thank you to their Executive Director Rebekah Gewirtz and her team for having me take part in yet another successful LEAD event!”  

Following the march to the State House, the social workers visited with dozens of legislators and participated in legislative workshops. Senator DiDomenico served as a panelist at one of these workshops on his bill, An Act to lift the cap on kids. The cap on kids denies benefits to children conceived while- or soon after- their family received assistance. As a result of this cap, Massachusetts denies benefits to 9,500 children, causing their whole families to suffer. 

DiDomenico was joined on the panel by the House sponsor of the bill, Representative Marjorie Decker, as well as Deborah Harris of Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and Naomi Meyer of Greater Boston Legal Services. Together, they discussed the critical role that lobbying and advocacy has played in their efforts to repeal the family cap and why this piece of legislation is so important to social workers and their clients.

An Act to lift the cap on kids has received a favorable report from the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities and is currently pending before the Senate Committee on Ways & Means.

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EVERETT- Senator Sal DiDomenico once again brought members of the Joint Committees on Ways & Means to Everett for a public hearing on the Governor’s budget proposal for the Fiscal Year 2018. The hearing was held on Tuesday, March 19 at 10 a.m. at Everett High School, and was one of eight hearings taking place across the state to aid legislators in the development of the state budget.

Each year the Joint Committee on Ways and Means holds a series of hearings to give government officials the opportunity to testify before the legislators who draft their budget recommendations.  As Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate and a member of the Senate Committee on Ways & Means, Senator DiDomenico was responsible for deciding where to hold one of these public hearings, and this is the fifth time that he has brought this important discussion to Everett High School.

“It was a pleasure to once again bring the members of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means to Everett for our public hearing,” said Senator DiDomenico. “I am also proud to have my colleague, Everett’s Representative Joe McGonagle as a co-chair for this hearing. Each year, I receive wonderful reviews from members of the Legislature regarding how impressive the Everett students and faculty are, and I was thrilled to once again show them why Everett’s Schools are Everett’s Pride.  The student ambassadors, musicians, and culinary arts team always shine and make this event a memorable experience for everyone in attendance.  I would like to thank Superintendent Fred Foresteire, the Everett School Department and Principal Erick Naumann for graciously welcoming the committee to Everett High School again, and for all their help in making this hearing a success yet again.”

Representative McGonagle added “In addition to showcasing Everett High School’s outstanding students and programs, we were able to hear some very specific information on proposals for the FY19 State budget.  I am strongly advocating for Everett as a location for a State career center which among other things would help to retrain workers for jobs in today’s new economy – health care, biopharmaceuticals, and other emerging industries”. 

Each Ways & Means hearing is focused on a particular subject such as education and local aid, environment and energy, and health and human services. The hearing in Everett covered economic development, housing, and labor and workforce development. Secretariats and representatives from the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, Labor and Workforce Development, Libraries, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Cannabis Control Commission, and the Commission on the Status of Women offered testimony.

Senator Sal DiDomenico served as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means for over three years, and was recently elevated by Senate President Harriette Chandler to serve as Assistant Majority Leader. With his promotion, he has also maintained his membership of the powerful budget writing committee.

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BOSTON- Senator Sal DiDomenico recently announced that his bill to extend the Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) was included as a critical provision in the Housing Bond Bill that was passed by the Massachusetts Senate. The Senator was the original sponsor of legislation that created the CITC in 2012, and since then he has continued to champion the tax credit and sponsor legislation extending the program.

“I am thrilled that my CITC legislation was included in the Housing Bond Bill passed by the Massachusetts Senate,” said Senator DiDomenico. “This tax credit enables local residents and businesses to work together to address specific local challenges and opportunities, thereby creating jobs, economic opportunity, and vibrant communities. The CITC has helped to drive innovation in Massachusetts and spur local development, and I am proud to have worked with the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations in championing this tax credit and helping to promote greater investment in our communities that need it most.”

The CITC offers a 50 percent credit to anyone who donates money to a community development corporation (CDC). CDCs are nonprofit, community based organizations focused on revitalizing the areas in which they are located— typically low- and moderate-income, underserved neighborhoods— by promoting and developing affordable housing, providing job training, and supporting local businesses, among other initiatives. Over the past three years, this program has generated nearly $24 million for CDCs across the state, enabling them to deepen their community engagement, create more housing opportunities, and increase their impact.

The CITC program is currently authorized through calendar year 2019 with up to $6 million in credits available each year, representing $12 million in fundraising potential. Under the provisions filed by Senator DiDomenico and included in the bond bill, the CITC would be extended to 2025 and the annual cap would be gradually raised to $12 million, representing $24 million in fundraising potential.

The Senator and his staff also worked closely with the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) to facilitate a key role for United Way as a fundraiser and investor in the CITC.  Since the CITC’s inception in 2014, United Way has raised over $2.5 million from donors to support CDCs across the state, which have built over 600 new affordable housing units, prevented more than 1,300 foreclosures, and provided more than 11,600 individuals with financial coaching and education to help them build savings, reduce debt, and improve credit scores.

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