BOSTON— Senator Sal DiDomenico recently testified before the Joint Committee on Education in support of legislation he filed to fight childhood hunger and boost participation rates in school breakfast programs. S.267, An Act regarding breakfast after the bell, would require all public K-12 schools with 60% or more students eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the federal National School Lunch Program to offer breakfast after the instructional day begins.

“We can have the best teachers, facilities, and technology, but if our kids are showing up for school hungry, they simply are not ready to learn,” said DiDomenico in his testimony before the Committee. “With 1 in 8 kids living in food insecure households, it’s clear that we need to take steps to ensure every student has the nutrition they need and deserve. I would like to thank the Rise and Shine Massachusetts Coalition for their incredible advocacy on this issue and partnership in helping to move this bill forward.”

Massachusetts currently requires all high-poverty schools to provide breakfast to every eligible student. However, because breakfast is typically offered before the bell and in the cafeteria, participation levels are low— at less than 40%— compared to 80-90% participation for free and reduced lunch. Consequently, children are showing up to school hungry and unprepared to learn. Moving breakfast from before the bell to after the bell is a proven, simple, and effective strategy to boost breakfast participation in an effort to ensure that all students are fed and show up ready to learn every day.

This is the second legislative session Senator DiDomenico has filed this legislation. In 2018, the Massachusetts Senate passed the bill with a unanimous and bipartisan vote.

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Last week, the Senate Ways and Means Committee released their proposed state budget for Fiscal Year 2020, and within that budget was a record amount of education funding for Everett Public Schools – funding that is also known technically as Chapter 70 funds. 

All cities in Sen. Sal DiDomenico’s district received an increase in Chapter 70 funding from the proposal, with the Everett Public Schools receiving a total of $75,001,079- which was a $6 million increase over Fiscal Year 2019 funding levels.

“I am grateful to both Senate Ways & Means Chairman Senator Michael Rodrigues for their dedication to making education funding a top priority in this budget cycle, and I am pleased that the funds I have advocated for have been included,” said Senator DiDomenico. “With this budget, we are making it clear that we are serious about securing more funding for our K-12 public schools and reforming our state’s outdated education funding formula. This has been- and continues to be- my top education priority, and I am proud that my district will receive the additional funds that they deserve in the Senate budget.”

The Senate will debate its Fiscal Year 2020 budget next week, where DiDomenico will work to secure additional funding for his district and local organizations.

Education funding has become the top priority on Beacon Hill this budget cycle, as it was primarily during last year’s contentious budgeting process. Already, students from Everett and surrounding urban cities have crowded into the State House earlier this year to rally for increased funding for the schools.

The Senate Budget was more generous than the House Budget in terms of education funding, which was encouraging to education leaders. 

Still, the Budget must go through a thorough review in a House/Senate Conference Committee – though a reduction in education funding within Conference is rare.

Senator Sal DiDomenico was awarded the Distinguished Advocacy Award, a prestigious honor bestowed by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in recognition of his leadership and commitment to strong public health policies around tobacco and other cancer issues. 

The award is presented by ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, to select officials who have demonstrated leadership and commitment in the area of cancer-related public policy advocacy. Sen. DiDomenico received the award during a ceremony at ACS CAN’s annual Lobby Day, which brought over 100 cancer survivors and advocates to Beacon Hill to lobby in support of cancer related policies. This year’s event urged lawmakers to build on the work accomplished fighting Big Tobacco in previous legislative sessions, including a tax on electronic cigarettes, an increased cigarette and cigar tax, and a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products in the Commonwealth. 

 “Sen. DiDomenico has been a champion in protecting Massachusetts youth from the targeting of the tobacco industry. He was instrumental in making the Commonwealth the first state in the nation to prohibit the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies and other healthcare institutions – an accomplishment that we know will help current users quit smoking and prevent others from ever picking up the deadly addiction in the first place,” said Marc Hymovitz, government relations director for ACS CAN. “His partnership with ACS CAN and dedication to keeping tobacco out of the hands of our youth have demonstrated his commitment to fighting cancer through public policy, and we look forward to continuing to work together to save lives in Massachusetts.”

 “Thank you to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network for presenting me with their Distinguished Advocacy Award,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “I am very proud to have played a role in the passage of last session’s youth tobacco prevention legislation and have my bill banning the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies included as a key provision. It is an honor to receive this award, and I would like to thank ACS CAN for all of their advocacy on this critical issue for our youth and residents throughout the Commonwealth.”

 ACS CAN applauds Sen. DiDomenico’s determination to enact meaningful legislation that benefits public health and saves lives from cancer across Massachusetts.

 The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state and local levels. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidence-based public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is critical to the fight for a world without cancer. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.