Session DetailsSenate Session (Full Formal with Calendar)

The Senate will be in order. And the question before the body is amendment number 655. And the question comes on the amendment. And the chair recognizes the senator from Plymouth and Barnstable, Mr. deMacedo.

Thank you, Mr. President. We appreciate the opportunity to say a few words. I was hoping that the gentle lady in her beautiful purple outfit from Worcester might be able to share with us a little bit about this long term care insurance deadline adjustment amendment and what it does for--

From Worcester, Miss Chandler.

I thank you for asking the question because to me, this is a very important amendment. This amendment provides a much needed fix to the wording of the MassHealth Asset Recovery Exemption, assuring that it will remain a robust incentive for residents to buy private long term care insurance, which I am a big champion of. This was also filed as Bill Senate 607, which has been heard by the health care finance committee. But I am convinced it has to be fixed as soon as possible. And I hope that you'll agree when you hear why.

This is a very simple change. It adds just four words to an existing statute, but with an important purpose. The statute it modifies allows homeowners to keep their primary residence even if they spend money on their own care until they would otherwise be eligible for MassHealth. This benefit is an incentive, and a big incentive, for them to buy and retain an adequate level of long term care insurance.

The formula under the current statute looks to the level of long term care insurance at the time of purchase, which is a change we as a legislature made several years ago. Previously, if you remember, the formula looked to the level of insurance at the time the patient entered a long term care facility, which meant that if you use long term care insurance for at home care, you might not have enough by the time you actually needed it to enter a long term care facility.

So some of our constituents had relied on their policies appreciating by the time they entered a facility and were harmed when the law changed because they no longer could protect their homes. To rectify this issue, this amendment changes the formula so that the formula will now look to whether insurance was either purchased at an appropriate level when it was purchased or has appreciated to the appropriate level.

So it's either what you paid for it at the time or appreciate it to the level that it then clicks in. This will ensure that all long term care policy holders who had planned for this exemption are able to take advantage of it. I believe this is the right thing to do for our seniors and the right way to keep our long term care costs down. We have been encouraged to do this by seniors, by long term care elder attorneys. And it seems that it is the right thing to do. And for these reasons, I encourage the Senate to adopt Amendment 655.

On adoption of the amendment, all those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Amendment number 656 has been withdrawn. 657 is offered by the senator from Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex, Mr. Ross, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 657 by Mr. Ross-- Franklin Downtown Partnership.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Number 658 is offered by the senator for Plymouth and Barnstable, Mr. deMacedo, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 658 by Mr. deMacedo-- [? Borne ?] Financial Development Corporation.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. 659 is offered by the senator for Plymouth and Norfolk, Mr. O'Connor, the title of which the clerk will read. Amendment number 659 by Mr. O'Connor-- Homelessness Status.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 660 offered by the Senator from Middlesex and Norfolk, Miss Creem, the title of which the clerk will read. Amendment number 660 by Miss Creem-- From The Top.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted.

Amendment 661 offered by the same senator, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 661 by Miss Creem-- Independent Film Society of Boston.

The question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. 664 is offered by the senator from Bristol and Plymouth, Mr. Rodrigues, the title of which the clerk will remember.

Amendment number 664 by Mr. Rodrigues-- Swansea's 350th Anniversary Celebration. The senator from Bristol and Plymouth, Mr. Rodrigues [AUDIO OUT] asks for unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment. Is there an objection? The chair hears none. It is so ordered.

Amendment number 665 offered by the senator from Middlesex and Norfolk, Miss Creem, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 665 by Miss Creem-- Newton As Home.

The senator from Worcester and Norfolk, Mr. Fattman.

Mr. President, through you to the members, minority [INAUDIBLE] is very interested in hearing a little bit about Newton At Home, if the gentle lady would be so kind as to explain to us.

Senator from Middlesex and Norfolk, Miss Creem.

Thank you, Mr. President, and through you. Newton At Home is a program that helps residents of Newton age in place. It was founded almost a decade ago by residents who realized that often it is a social network similar to that found in a small village or town that can assist seniors to stay in their homes with some volunteer assistance. It provides many practical and social services including transportation to medical appointments, help with home repairs, and technology assistance.

95% of the services provided are by volunteers, often, other more active seniors in the same community, in my community. The program also benefits family members by reducing the stress of knowing a loved one has the needs that are difficult to meet at a distance. It organizes field trips, outings, cultural outings. And this also gives scholarship to those in need who cannot afford to pay for any of the services provided by Newton At Home. This modest request of $15,000 will be quite meaningful enhancing the quality of life for those seniors and many of whom cannot afford to enjoy what others can. So I hope this amendment passes. Thank you, Mr. President.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. And the amendment is adopted. Number 667 is offered by the senator from Plymouth and Barnstable, Mr. deMacedo, title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 667 by Mr. deMacedo-- Home Base.

Mr. DeMacedo.

Thank you, Mr. president, and appreciate that. I am rising to support this home base amendment. This simply changes the word 24 to 12. This particular program in the past was a much more robust program in regards to assisting people with rental subsidies for a 24 month period. However, over a period of time, that became so cumbersome and expensive that they modified it to assist people for a 12 months period. However, if they did not comply, they would be out of the program for 24 months. However, since this program is now a shorter period of time, this brings it back to the original intent to 12 months. So it was 24. Otherwise, these individuals would not be able re-enter for another 24 months. So I hope the amendment is adopted.

Question on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. The next amendment by the same gentleman, number 668, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 668 by Mr. deMacedo [AUDIO OUT] Services Grants.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. Amendment is not adopted. The same senator offers number 669, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 669 by Mr. deMacedo-- Micro-lending.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 670 offered by the senator from Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex, Mr. Ross, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 670 by Mr. Ross-- Franklin Historical Commission.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 671 offered by the senator from Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth, Mr. Timilty, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 671 by Mr. Timilty-- Avon Economic Development.

Question comes on the adoption of the redrafted amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. 672 offered by the same senator, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 672 by Mr. Timilty-- Avon Intersection Improvement.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. The Amendment number 673 has been withdrawn. 674 is offered by the senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Lesser, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 674 by Mr. Lesser-- Spirit of Springfield.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. The senator from Plymouth and Barnstable, Mr. deMacedo.

Thank you, Mr. President. And I was hoping that the gentleman from Hampden and Hampshire might explain to us what the Spirit of Springfield, since he hails from that area.

Senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Lesser.

Mr. President, through you to the members, I rise in support of Amendment 674, the Spirit of Springfield. The Spirit of Springfield is a Springfield-based organization that's responsible for several community-wide celebrations throughout the year. From Bright Nights at Forest Park, consistently ranked among the nation's top winter light events to the world's largest pancake breakfast to the parade of big balloons to the Star-Spangled Springfield 4th of July celebration, the Spirit of Springfield gives our Springfield and greater Springfield community a sense of community.

And frankly, in a time of increasing cynicism where it's easy to believe that good fences make good neighbors, the Spirit of Springfield's role in bringing people together in our community is immeasurable. This amendment specifically will provide this organization with $100,000 to continue to deliver high quality family-oriented programming with a strong economic impact.

Bright Nights, for instance, is our annual holiday light display, has been held at Forest Park in Springfield for 22 years. This past winter, nearly 40,000 cars and 230 buses passed through the display, creating $15 million in overall economic impact. Throughout the year, the Spirit of Springfield attracts a total of 400,000 people to all of its events. I would include there are a lot of events ranging from veterans appreciation events to community-wide celebrations like the pancake breakfast, which are specifically aimed towards young people, in particular, young elementary school age children and their families.

These projects are a massive undertaking. And this state funding will help them continue their work and improve and expand their offerings and provide our entire community with a greater sense of community. I'm pleased to give the Spirit of Springfield my full support. And I ask that you vote yes. Thank you.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Number 675 is offered by the senator from Essex and Middlesex, Mr. Tarr, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 675 by Mr. Tarr-- Economic Forecasts.

Question comes on the amendment. The senator from Essex, Mr. Tarr.

One of the most vexing things that we faced as we started to consider this budget in the weeks preceding the initiation of this debate was the situation where we have a robust economic recovery, but underperforming tax collections. And so, Mr. President, we know that there is a widely-celebrated annual exercise each year when an economic forecast is produced. And the result of that forecast is a joint revenue estimate upon which we base the budget.

And Mr. President, it seems that it would be appropriate to have the folks that are responsible for the office of forecasting such things, which exists in the budget, to not do that on an annual basis, but to do it on a quarterly basis so that we can understand what's happening in a timely way and understand if we need to make adjustments rather than being locked in to an assumption about economics and about revenue that simply is inaccurate.

And Mr. President, I would daresay say that the absence of that practice is going to have consequences for the budget that we are debating right now. And so Mr. President, since we already have folks that are charged with this responsibility, it makes sense to have them do it in a timely way on a quarterly basis so that we can stay on track and have a sustainable budget. Mr. President, I hope the amendment is adopted.

Question comes an adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. This is number 677 offered by the senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Lesser, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 677 by Mr. Lesser-- New England Public Radio.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. 678 is offered by the senator from Plymouth and Bristol, Mr. Brady, a redrafted amendment, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 678 by Mr. Brady-- [? Crosby ?] Central Administration Building.

Question comes on the amendment. The senator from Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex, Mr. Ross.

If the good gentleman from Brockton could give us a little information on this particular amendment please.

The senator from Plymouth and Bristol, Mr. Brady.

Thank you, Mr. President, through you to the members. And I thank our good friend for asking me some questions on the building that we are trying to do some repairs to. This was once an old post office building. And it was a beautiful historic building. In the early 1970s, we were able to get some funding through the federal government to build a new post office, which is-- the new post office is named after our only undefeated heavyweight champion in the history of heavyweight boxer, Rocky Marciano. So in the due diligence of the school department, they were able to utilize this former post office building as a main building for the school department.

And it's been utilized for the past 30 years, which has saved the taxpayers many dollars. But being an old building, it's in need of some minor repairs. So this is a small portion of the budget to do some much needed repairs to the building. Thank you.

[INAUDIBLE]

[AUDIO OUT] comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Number 680 is offered by the senator from Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth, Mr. Timilty, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 680 by Mr. Timilty-- Randolph Amvets Post Repair.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. 681, a redrafted amendment offered by the same senator, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 681 by Mr. Timilty-- Randolph Financial Opportunity Center.

The senator from Plymouth and Barnstable, Mr. deMacedo.

Thank you [AUDIO OUT] I appreciate-- I appreciate the opportunity to stand here and get a little bit more information and enlightenment from the gentleman from Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth in regards to what the Randolph Financial Opportunity Center does and how it's going to benefit the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Thank you.

The senator from Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth, Mr. Timilty.

Thank you, Mr. President. [AUDIO OUT] --friend and classmate and maybe soon to be former friend from the town of Plymouth. The Randolph Financial Opportunity Center will cause-- this will allocate $25,000 for the residents of the town who are desperately in need of coordinated local services and resources to help augment and build financial assets.

The new Randolph Financial Opportunity Center will be based on a model of integrated services established in the early 2000s. By co-locating these services together, establishing client case managers, relationships, and tracking progress of decisions via database, these [INAUDIBLE] have been effective increasing financial stability for families and increasing long term economic prospects. But with that, I thank you, and I hope the amendment is adopted.

Question comes on adoption of the redrafted amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. And the amendment is adopted. Number 682 offered by the senator from Plymouth and Bristol, Mr. Brady, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 682 by Mr. Brady-- Senator Thomas P. Kennedy Main Branch Library.

The senator from Plymouth and Barnstable [AUDIO OUT].

Thank you, Mr. President. I was hoping to ask the gentleman from Plymouth and Bristol if he might be able to share with us what this Senator Thomas P. Kennedy Main Library amendment does.

[AUDIO OUT] from Plymouth and Bristol, Mr. Brady.

Thank you, Mr. President, and through you to the members, and to our good friend from the town of Plymouth. This was a historic building in our downtown that was built with a Carnegie grant at the turn of the 1900s. Mr. Carnegie wanted to be a philanthropist and give a lot of funding back to a lot of communities. So this was built with funding from the Carnegie grant. But it was never handicap accessible. So several years later, with some of the members who served with the body, they were able to make the building handicap accessible.

And Tom Kennedy was very supportive of libraries. So our good friend Representative Cassidy came up with an idea as Representative Cassidy was [INAUDIBLE] to Tommy Kennedy for many, many years and-- bless you. And our Senator Tom Kennedy was a good friend and advocate on behalf of libraries. So he came up with an idea to name our downtown library after Senator Tom Kennedy. And this was to name the library after Tom Kennedy. So I hope the amendment passes.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. And the amendment is adopted. Number 683 offered by the senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Lesser, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 683 by Mr. Lesser-- Wilbraham Nature and Cultural Council.

Question comes on the adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 684 offered by the senator from Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth, Mr. Timilty, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 684 by Mr. Timilty-- Sharon Commuter Rail Station Parking Lot Study.

The senator from Plymouth and Barnstable, Mr. deMacedo.

Thank you, Mr. President. And again, I was hoping that the gentleman from Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth might be Amendment 684 does for the edification of the membership.

Senator from Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth, Mr. Timilty.

[AUDIO OUT]

--from the town of Plymouth. This amendment will advocate $50,000 for a feasibility study for the expansion of the commuter rail lot in Sharon, which of course is a regional transportation asset. The lot currently is at capacity. And this will enable the region in a small sense to move forward economically and develop local businesses and enable the citizens of the region to make the passage to and from work, creating further economic opportunity. With that, I hope the amendment is adopted. Thank you.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Amendment 685 offered by the senator from Worcester, Mr. Moore, the title of which the clerk will read.

Number 685, right?

Five.

--by Mr. Moore-- South Worcester Neighborhood Improvement Corp.

The senator from Plymouth and Barnstable, Mr. deMacedo.

Thank you, Mr. President. Again, I thank you for this opportunity to ask my good friend from Worcester county if he might be able to share with the membership what his Amendment 685 does.

Senator from Worcester, Mr. Moore.

President, this amendment provides $40,000 to the South Worcester Neighborhood Improvement Corporation. The center has been in operation for 36 years and provides needed service to the community, such as parent building skills, leadership development, job creation, planning and youth programs, many of which have received state-wide recognition since 2002. They've expanded their efforts to include the construction of affordable housing and increase their economic development program to address physical and human development needs in the community. Thank you.

[AUDIO OUT] --say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. 686 is withdrawn. Amendment 687 offered by the senator from Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth, Mr. Timilty, the title of which the clerk will read.

Number 687 by Mr. Timilty-- Restoration of the State Theater in Stoughton.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. And the chair recognizes the senator from Plymouth and Barnstable, Mr. deMacedo.

Thank you, Mr. President. And I was hoping that the gentleman from Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth, because he has been so successful for the past few amendments might be able to share with us the secret of his success, and also share with us about the restoration of the State Theater in Stoughton.

[AUDIO OUT]

--Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth, Mr. Timilty.

Thank you very much, Mr. President, and through you to the members. And I would be more than happy to bring my friends from the minority crescent to this theater and bring a little culture into their lives. This amendment will advocate $50,000 for the restoration of the State Theater in Stoughton. Specifically, this will contribute to the revitalization of Stoughton Center, which is a town center on the rise of which we are all very proud of. Moreover, this project will enable that future generations will be able to enhance their cultural experience in the region. With that, I hope the amendment is adopted. Thank you very much.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Number 688 offered by the same senator, the title of which the clerk will read.

Number 688 by Timilty-- Blue Hills Observatory Science Center.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 689 offered by the senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Lesser, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 689 by Mr. Lesser-- Springfield Dr. Seuss Museum. The senator from Plymouth and Barnstable, Mr. deMacedo.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you again for this opportunity that I might be able to ask the gentleman from Hampden and Hampshire, who as well has been up quite a few times today and has clearly shown his success in this legislative process, and I was hoping that he might be able to share with us about the Springfield Dr. Seuss Museum.

[AUDIO OUT]

--would love to recognize the gentleman from Hampden and Hampshire who is so enthusiastically ready to talk about the Dr. Seuss Museum. And so the gentlemen may now proceed.

[AUDIO OUT] --Mr. President. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you Mr. President, through you to the members. I rise in support of Amendment 689, the Springfield Dr. Seuss Museum, which is opening in two weeks. The Springfield museums and Dr. Seuss are two iconic pieces of Springfield's identity. In particular, the country's first museum devoted to Dr. Seuss is going to be opening next month in early June in Springfield, which also happens to be Dr. Seuss's birthplace.

Last year, this Senate appropriated state funding for an interactive, bilingual exhibit. This exhibit is going to be interactive and focusing on activities that promote literacy, teamwork, and creative thinking. The museum will also explore Dr. Seuss's deep connection to Springfield. In fact, Seuss's first book, To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street is based on the actual Mulberry Street in Springfield, Massachusetts just around the corner from where the museum will be. It's that detail that will actually be in the new museum and be highlighted on the museum floor.

This is, frankly, the only museum like it in the world. And the deep ties that Dr. Seuss and Springfield share are important from an economic standpoint, but also a cultural standpoint. We also know that this museum is expected to be a major tourist attraction for the city and a source of pride for all of our residents. And I point out it's very important that this museum be inclusive of our entire community, which is why this specific funding will go to bilingual exhibits so that all members of the Springfield community, and frankly tourists and visitors from all over the world, will be able to experience this museum in multiple languages. I hope this amendment is adopted. And I could quote some Dr. Seuss books. But we'll leave it at that. Thank you, Mr. President.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment-- yeah, don't press your luck. The question comes on the adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it, and the amendment is adopted. Number 690 offered by the senator from Worcester, Mr. Moore, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 690 by Mr. Moore-- Worcester Latino Elders Program.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. 691 is offered by the senator from Worcester and Middlesex, Ms. Flanagan, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 691 by Ms. Flanagan-- [INAUDIBLE].

The question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Amendment number 692 offered by the senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Lesser, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 692 by Mr. Lesser-- Local Consortiums To End Family Homelessness.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 693 authored by the same senator, a redrafted amendment, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 693 by Mr. Lesser-- Valley Venture Mentors Collegiate Accelerator Program.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. The senator from Essex, Mr. Tarr.

[AUDIO OUT]

--western Massachusetts has operated the redraft-a-tron a little bit here this evening. And we're very eager to hear what it produced, particularly given the combination of understanding Dr. Seuss very well and having access to the redraft-a-tron. You can imagine a question about what might be in this redrafted amendment. I hope you can provide us with some insight. Thank you, Mr. President.

The senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Lesser.

Thank you, Mr. President, and through you to the members. One fish, two fish, red fish-- I rise today in support of Amendment 693-- the Valley Venture Mentors Collegiate Accelerator Program. Valley Venture Mentors is a Springfield-based accelerator program modeled after Mass Challenge, which of course, we're familiar with in the Boston area. Valley Venture Mentors is working to grow an entrepreneurial renaissance in the pioneer valley. This amendment will fund the collegiate accelerator program, which is a new program launching next month at the Springfield campus for Valley Venture Mentors.

This program will take place in Springfield's new innovation district, which this body has spent a lot of time and energy helping to create. It's a project funded by Mass Development's transformative development initiative. Through this specific program, VVM, as it's called, will provide eight weeks of hands on intensive mentoring, education, and support for college-age entrepreneurs in the pioneer valley.

A critical element of this programming is that each student who successfully completes the program will earn a modest stipend, allowing those students to spend the summer working on their startup, rather than working a traditional summer job. This program is very important for our area for several reasons.

First, participants in the accelerator will grow strong roots in the pioneer valley. And we're hopeful that they will stay in the valley or return to the Springfield area after their college graduation to launch their business in western Massachusetts. We have significant talent retention challenges in the western part of the state. This program is very specifically tailored to get young entrepreneurs interested and engaged in western Massachusetts, in downtown Springfield, and to start and grow their businesses in downtown Springfield.

Second, we know this model is successful because students who have participated in other VVM programs have generated $1.2 million in revenue already, the companies that have started from this accelerator model. And these investments have already created 23 full time positions with several companies maintaining their headquarters in the pioneer valley. Again, these are incubations that started through the VVM program.

Finally, Valley Venture Mentors is hoping to build on the success of this summer's programming by utilizing this state support, which I'm asking this body to support, will provide 75 additional students with stipends for the summer.

Another large focus of this nonprofit is to increase the diversity in a sector, frankly, that disproportionately is occupied by white men, the startup technology space. The 36 startups in Valley Ventures current regular accelerator cohort, 65% are women-led companies. And 50 are led by people of color. This is way ahead of pure incubator programs both in Massachusetts and in the rest of the country.

This is the type of ecosystem we're trying to develop that already exists in the eastern part of this state in Kendall Square through Mass Challenge. We're trying to pull that innovation west through the Valley Venture Mentors accelerator program. Valley Venture Mentors, again, is designed to position Springfield as a center for entrepreneurship, for ideas, for investment. And I would point out it's perfectly situated to do that in between the insurance capital of Hartford and the academic center just to its north in North Hampton and Amherst.

This amendment will take an underutilized resource, which is our college students, and give them a chance to build a business in Springfield. I'll quote one of the leaders of the Valley Venture Mentors program who said to me this. He said, we used to hear from our entrepreneurs, why Springfield? Why would I go to Springfield? Now we hear from our entrepreneurs, why not Springfield? Why wouldn't I go to Springfield? And I frankly couldn't agree with that sentiment more. This is a very important program, narrowly tailored to a key economic development goal of this chamber, and frankly all of state government, which is to promote our entrepreneur and innovation economy. And I hope the amendment is adopted. Thank you.

Question comes on adoption of the redrafted amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Number 694 is on hold. Number 695 offered by the senator from Hampden, Mr. Welch, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 695 by Mr. Welch-- it's West Springfield.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 696 offered by the senator from Hampden Hampshire, Mr. Lesser, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 696 by Mr. Lesser-- Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival. Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. 697 is on hold. 698 offered by the senator from Hampden, Mr. Welch, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 698 by Mr. Welch-- New England Farm Workers Council.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 699 offered by the senator from Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex, Mr. Ross, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 699 by Mr. Ross-- Preventing Fraud in Massachusetts Public Housing.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 700 offered by the senator from Hampden, Mr. Welch, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 700 by Mr. Welch-- Revitalize CDC.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 701 is offered by the senator from Hampden, Mr. Welch, the redrafted amendment, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 701 by Mr. Welch-- Springfield Neighborhood Housing Services.

Senator from Essex, Mr. Tarr.

[AUDIO OUT]

--the last hour, we've been on a tour of western Massachusetts. And we seem to have landed in Springfield. And certainly, we want to hear from the gentleman who represents at least west Springfield about the Springfield Neighborhood Housing Services program. I look forward to his explanation. I thank you, Mr. President.

[INAUDIBLE] Hampden, Mr. Welch.

Thank you, Mr. President. [AUDIO OUT] --give information about Springfield Neighborhood Housing Services. And this amendment would provide $75,000 in funding for the Springfield Neighborhood Housing Services. This is an organization that provides many services related to housing in the city of Springfield, including homeownership, development, and blighted property recycling.

Notably, Springfield Neighborhood Housing Services provide support through the full cycle of the home buying process from credit counseling, financial guidance, and post-purchase services that include foreclosure intervention. Given the importance of encouraging and supporting stable homeownership as we continue to recover from this past recession and a housing crisis, I ask that you all support this amendment. Thank you, Mr. President.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. And the amendment is adopted. Number 702 offered by the same senator, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 702 by Mr. Welch-- Springfield Performing Arts Development Corporation.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Just read a couple more pages. Number 705 is offered by the senator from Hampden, Mr. Welch, a redrafted amendment, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 705 by Mr. Welch-- Western Massachusetts Sports Commission.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. And the redrafted amendment is adopted. Number 704 offered by the same senator, a redrafted amendment, the title of which the clerk will read.

Going back to 704, Mr. President.

We're on 704. We did 703?

No, 705.

OK. So the Senate will be in a brief recess.

If there's no objection, we'll consider no action as having been taken on Amendment number 705. And it will be held for just a couple of minutes. And we will now go to amendment number 703, a redrafted amendment offered by the senator from Hampden, Mr. Welch, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 703 by Mr. Welch-- Stone Soul Community Festival.

The senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Humason.

Thank you, Mr. President. I'd love to hear from my friend from western Mass about the Stone Soul Community Festival.

The senator from Hampden, Mr. Welch.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you to the gentleman from Westfield for his question. And I certainly would encourage all of my colleagues to come to the Stone Soul Community Festival in Springfield this year or any year. Actually, this amendment would allocate $25,000 to the Stone Soul Incorporated in Springfield to fund their annual Stone Soul Community Festival. Stone Soul is a nonprofit organization that was founded to promote a community gathering in the Mason Square community. Over the years, this organization and the gathering has grown into a three-day festival for the entire greater Springfield community known as the Stone Soul Community Festival.

Not only does the festival celebrate the history and community and spirit of Springfield, but it also hosts job fairs, social service agencies, health care providers, and other community service groups. Thank you, Mr. President for your consideration. And I ask the fellow members to join me in supporting this amendment. Thank you.

The question comes on adoption of 703, a redrafted amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. Number 704, another redrafted amendment offered by the same gentleman, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 704 by Mr. Welch-- Talk, Read, Succeed.

Senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Humason.

The gentleman did such a phenomenal job that I'm going to ask if he will stand up and tell us about 704-- Talk, Read, and Succeed. Thank you.

The senator from Hampden, Mr. Welch.

Thank you, Mr. President. Again, thank you to the gentleman from Westfield for asking this question so I can highlight this wonderful program-- Talk, Read, Succeed. This amendment would provide $100,000-- actually $105,000-- in funding for the Talk, Read, Succeed program in Springfield, an innovative program run by the Springfield Housing Authority involving collaboration between city housing developments and city elementary schools. Talk, Read, Succeed is designed to boost early literacy in children residing in public housing, focusing on students from kindergarten to grade three. It does so by engaging not only the child, but the entire family in the process, emphasizing the important role parents play in encouraging literacy for their children.

Talk, Read, Succeed also provides family support, recognizing that a stable home environment is integral to a child's achievement in the classroom. Talk, Read, Succeed has seen outstanding results, and its model has gained attention throughout the region and the commonwealth. Again, thank you, Mr. President. And I ask my fellow members here to join me in supporting this amendment. Thank you.

Question comes on adoption of the redrafted amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. And now we're at number 705 offered by the senator from Hampden, Mr. Welch, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 705 by Mr. Welch-- Western Massachusetts Sports Commission.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 706 is offered by the senator from Essex and Middlesex, Mr. Tarr, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 706 by Mr. Tarr-- Energy Conservation.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 707 offered by the senator from the Berkshires, Mr. Hinds, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 707 by Mr. Hinds-- Working Cities Transportation Pilot Program.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor say, aye. Opposed, no. The nos have it. The amendment is not adopted. Number 708 offered by the senator from Middlesex, Mr. Lewis, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment number 708 by Mr. Lewis-- Zoo New England.

The senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Humason.

[AUDIO OUT] --the senator from Zoo New England. I love to hear you speak about this amendment. But I will tell you that even as a western Mass guy, I have been to the zoo. And I loved it. So I can't wait to hear more about the amendment. Thank you, Mr. President.

[AUDIO OUT] Mr. Lewis.

[INAUDIBLE] Senate stand at a brief recess?

Yes, the Senate may stand in a brief recess.

--be in order. And the chair recognizes the senator from Middlesex, Mr. Lewis.

[AUDIO OUT]

Thank you very much, Mr. President. And thank you to the gentleman for the question. I rise in support of this amendment, which will increase the funding by $1 million for Zoo New England. Zoo New England operates both the Franklin Park Zoo in the city of Boston and the Stone Zoo in the town of Stoneham. They are a wonderful, recreational, cultural, scientific, and economic development asset in the entire region and, in fact, draw visitors from the entire New England region, not to mention even foreign tourists as well. They're a significant employer in the area. They also have wonderful programming for students. Students from across the Commonwealth can attend Zoo New England and the many programs they offer free of charge.

They have a fantastic summer employment program for at-risk teens. They also do a lot of research and conservation work all around the world, which is actually a big part of the mission for zoos and aquariums these days. As most of you know, zoos and aquariums today are very different from what they were in years past. They are all about teaching children, appreciating biodiversity, and also supporting the conservation of species around the world. Zoo New England has been working very hard over the last number of years to improve their self-sufficiency, to generate more of their own revenues through memberships, through ticket sales, through special programming, and increasingly through fundraising. And they've been doing a great job of moving more and more in that direction.

But this is a public/private partnership. That is how virtually every major accredited zoo and aquarium in the country operates. They are public/private partnerships, and so it continues to be essential that we provide strong public support. Remember that the land that these zoos are built on is state land. It's DCR property. So Zoo New England is different from any other zoo in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. There is a strong state responsibility for the operation and success of Zoo New England, both the Franklin Park Zoo and the Stone Zoo.

Their attendance continues to increase. The number of memberships continues to increase. If you have visited one or both of the zoos recently, as I know some of my colleagues have, you've seen some of the terrific new capital investments that have been made, including a really wonderful new children's zoo at Franklin Park, which those of you who have children or grandchildren or nieces or nephews who haven't visited yet, I urge you to do so. You will both have a wonderful time there, both adults and children. And then at the Stone Zoo, there's also some-- a lot of building going on. There's a new education center being built, a new entrance, and some other investments as well. A lot of that money is from private sources where they've leveraged public dollars to increase, again, their private investments.

So, Mr. President, I think this is an excellent investment of our resources, and I thank the body for their longstanding support for Zoo New England, and I hope the amendment is adopted. Thank you.

Question comes on adoption of the amendment. All those in favor, say aye, opposed no. The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. The next amendment, Number 709 offered by the senator from Hampden, Mr. Welch, the title of which the clerk will read.

Amendment Number 709 by Mr. Welch, Irish Culture Center of Western New England, Inc.

The senator from Hampden and Hampshire, Mr. Humason.

Thank you, Mr. President. I had the opportunity to go by the Irish Cultural Center, but never inside. So I'm hoping the gentleman might invite me to attend. Thank you.