BOSTON – Last week, Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett) and his Senate colleagues unanimously voted to pass a monumental education reform bill to update the state’s 25-year-old funding formula. Established by the 1993 Education Reform Act, the Foundation Budget formula was designed to ensure every Massachusetts student was provided a quality education. However, in the 25 years since, little has been done to update the formula, hampering districts’ efforts to provide every student with the quality education they deserve.

 “Today, too many of our students are receiving their education in schools that face crushing fiscal challenges,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “Our teachers and administrators do everything they can to provide their students with the best possible education, to lift them up, and put them on a path to success.  Yet that job has become increasingly difficult, as year after year, schools have been forced to make difficult cuts as a result of state funding that fails to keep up with their needs. I am very proud to support this bill that will help to ensure that all of our students, regardless of their zip code, have access to the high quality education that they deserve.”

 In 2015, a bipartisan commission was convened with the purpose of reviewing the Foundation Budget and making recommendation for potential changes to the formula. Consequently, the Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC) found that health care and special education costs have far surpassed assumptions built into the original education formula. It also found that the original formula drastically understated the resources necessary to close achievement gaps for low-income and English Language Learner students.

 In all, the bipartisan commission estimated that Massachusetts is currently undervaluing the cost of education by $1-2 billion every year. This has forced deep cuts to classrooms and critical programs, and resulted in one of the worst achievement gaps in the nation. In recent years, schools in the Commonwealth’s Gateway Cities have been especially hit with crushing budget shortfalls, with two of the Senator’s communities— Everett and Chelsea— being some of the school districts that have been most severely impacted.

 The bill passed by the Senate and co-sponsored by Senator DiDomenico, An Act Modernizing the Foundation Budget for the 21st Century (S.2506), would implement the recommendations of the FBRC and begin updating the Chapter 70 education formula to more accurately and equitably distribute state resources to the Commonwealth schools.

 “While Senate Bill 2506 represents a seven-year fix to the Foundation Budget for school districts across our State it also represents far more,” said Mary Bourque, Superintendent of Chelsea Public Schools. “Senate Bill 2506 more importantly represents who we are as a Commonwealth and what we stand for and what we value. The passage of this bill says that children and their education, children and the opportunities we can provide, children and their future are important to us; we prioritize our children and their education. Senate Bill 2506 is about defining and supporting the future of our Commonwealth; but most of all, passage of Senate Bill 2506 is simply the right thing to do!”

 The vote follows months of advocacy by education stakeholders across Massachusetts. More than 50 school committees across the state have passed resolutions supporting the reforms, and Brockton Public Schools announced earlier this year that they are preparing to sue the Commonwealth for failing in its constitutional obligation to properly fulfill its obligations to funding.

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BOSTON – Last week, Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett) and his colleagues on the Senate Committee on Ways & Means released their Fiscal Year 2019 budget, which includes funding and language from Senator DiDomenico’s bill to lift the Cap on Kids. 

The Cap on Kids – also called the “family cap” -- denies benefits to children conceived while, or soon after, a family began receiving benefits. As a result of the Cap on Kids, Massachusetts does not provide benefits for nearly 9,000 children living in poverty. Their parents struggle to provide even the most basic essentials for their children, causing everyone in the family to suffer.

“I am thrilled that the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget includes language and funding to lift the Cap on Kids,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “Lifting the Cap on Kids is simply the right thing to do to ensure that families are not denied basic benefits simply because of when their children were born. This is a critical policy change that will help thousands of children and families across the Commonwealth, and I would like to thank Chairwoman Spilka and Senate President Chandler for their partnership and making the repeal of this ineffective policy a priority in the Senate budget.”

The Senate budget proposal says "aid shall be provided for each such child without regard to whether the child was conceived or born after the parent began receiving aid." Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Karen Spilka’s Executive Summary of the Budget describes the current policy as “outdated,” “unjust,” and “failed.” Under the Senate budget, the family cap would be repealed effective January 2019.

“We are grateful to Senate President Chandler, Assistant Majority Leader DiDomenico, and Chairwoman Spilka for taking the next step to Lift the Cap on Kids in Massachusetts,” said Deborah Harris of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, a lead member of the Campaign to Lift the Cap on Kids, a coalition of 118 organizations. “Parents shouldn’t have to let a child cry itself to sleep because they can’t afford a clean diaper. They shouldn’t have to send a child to school without a winter coat or boots. With this budget provision, the Senate recognizes the humanity and dignity of every child.”

“The Cap on Kids has been harmful to children and their families, forcing parents to make incredibly difficult decisions about what basic necessities they may not be able to provide for their children,” said Naomi Meyer of Greater Boston Legal Services, a lead member of the Campaign to Lift the Cap on Kids. “We applaud Senate leadership for including family cap repeal in the Senate budget proposal.

The House budget also repealed the family cap, but with a later effective date. Differences will be resolved by the conference committee on the budget. 

Massachusetts is currently one of only 17 states - including Arkansas, Mississippi, and North Carolina – that still have a Cap on Kids. Many states have repealed their family cap policies, and Massachusetts is now set to join them. 

 The House budget also repealed the family cap, but with a later effective date. Differences will be resolved by the conference committee on the budget.

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BOSTON – Last week, Senator Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed The BRAVE Act – new legislation that will expand benefits and increase access to a range of services for veterans, active-duty military, and their families.

 Understanding the sacrifice that military personnel and their families make not only while on active duty, but also after returning home, the Massachusetts Legislature has consistently provided a continuum of major veteran legislation to help with those who sacrifice the most for our freedoms.

 “The Commonwealth has a strong tradition of supporting our veterans and their families, and I am proud to support this legislation that continues this legacy,” saidSenator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “With the passage of The BRAVE Act, my colleagues and I in the Senate have once again reaffirmed our commitment to the brave men and women who have served our country and their families by expanding benefits and increasing access to the comprehensive programs and services that they deserve.”

 “This omnibus veterans legislation encompasses some of the very best ideas presented by my colleagues in the legislature and the veterans of the Commonwealth to assist veterans and their families with employment protections, tax exemptions, burial expenses, court programs, medical care, and also continues to recognize those who serve and who have served,” said Senator Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs.”  “We want to ensure that Massachusetts remains number one in the nation in providing for our veterans, men and women in uniform, and their families. This legislation goes a long way in accomplishing this goal.”

 “The BRAVE Act exemplifies Massachusetts’ commitment to the men and women who serve our country,” said Senate President Harriette L. Chandler (D-Worcester). “Veterans have dedicated their lives to service and it is our responsibility to ensure that they can continue to thrive back home. This legislation builds upon Massachusetts’ legacy of supporting veterans, and I want to thank Senator Rush for his service and his leadership on this bill.”

 On the recognition front, the legislation designates the 5th day of April as Gold Star Wives Day and the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mothers and Families Day and directs cities and towns to designate reserved parking for veterans at all city and town halls.

 The bill also grants paid military leave for those called to duty by the armed forces for up to 40 days for training and operation purposes.

 To help ease the costs of housing, the legislation changes the requirement for veterans to receive property tax exemptions from residing in the Commonwealth for five years down to two years.  It also increases the amount a veteran can earn on their property tax exemption for volunteering in their city or town.

The BRAVE Act increases the burial expense paid by the Commonwealth from $2,000 to $4,000 to ensure indigent veterans receive a dignified funeral. It also exempts any veterans who receive annuities for service to their country from income calculations when applying for state programs or services.

 The bill also does the following:

 ·         Addressing emergency medical transportation reimbursements;

·         Revising Veteran Court Diversion programs;

·         Updating the veteran bonus program at the State Treasurer’s Office, and; 

·         Provides several studies and analysis regarding higher education, incarcerated veterans, and National Guard recognition.

 The BRAVE Act, which now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration, is the legislature’s latest effort to support veterans, military members and their families.

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