After various meetings with the Town of Hanover, at the Board of Selectmen meeting last night. Town Manager Joseph Colangelo announced that they will begin the initial study to resolve issues along route 139, and has requested funds. 

With the numerous complaints and traffic problems regarding this area in the center of Hanover, many constituents within the town are pleased that studies will soon begin so that there will be smoother and more efficient transportation.

New England Commissioned Officers Association presented Representative David DeCoste of the 5th Plymouth District an award for his continued support of their legislation and mission to help protect and serve the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Just posted in the State House News Service:

Early this afternoon at the Joint Committee on Public Service, legislation to support Officer Chesna and his family were introduced and looked upon favorably by members.

PENSION, PROPERTY TAX BILLS IN WORKS FOR CHESNA FAMILY

By Matt Murphy
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, OCT. 9, 2018......The widow of slain Weymouth police officer Michael Chesna could be in line for a boosted survivor pension after two key lawmakers on Tuesday gave their blessing to legislation that would allow the city to posthumously promote Chesna to the rank of sergeant.

Rep. Jerald Parisella and Sen. Paul Feeney, who co-chair the Committee on Public Service, said they hoped to quickly advance a bill that would authorize Weymouth retirement officials to pay Cindy Chesna a sergeant's pension.

Michael Chesna was shot and killed in the line of duty this past July. He was a patrolman at the time, and had two children.

While Weymouth Police Chief Richard Grimes posthumously promoted Chesna a day after his murder, officials say legislation is needed to allow Weymouth to pay out a higher pension based on a sergeant's salary.

"I think it's important that we send a message, not only to the Chesna family that we appreciate what they have gone through and the service of Sergeant Chesna but at the same time we're sending a message that in the case of unspeakable tragedy we respect our officers, we respect law enforcement and we will take care of their families in the event of a tragedy," Feeney said at a hearing Tuesday.

Both Parisella and Feeney said they hoped to vote the bill out of committee quickly, and Feeney said it could be recommended "in the next couple of days."

"From my perspective, honored to do it," said Parisella. "I certainly believe that he and his family deserve that honor."

No one testified at the hearing, but the bill's main sponsor Rep. Jamie Murphy submitted a letter to the panel and issued a statement to the News Service.

"I am honored to represent the Town of Weymouth and our entire community continues to show our strong support of Sgt. Chesna's family and all of the members of the Weymouth Police Department," Murphy said. "This piece of legislation has bi-partisan support and I will continue to work with my colleagues Senator Patrick O'Connor and Representative Ron Mariano on passage of this bill. Sgt. Chesna's sacrifice will never be forgotten."

Rep. David DeCoste, a Norwell Republican, said Gov. Charlie Baker is also writing legislation that would give Chesna's family relief from their property tax bill in Hanover.

DeCoste, who represents the Chesna's hometown of Hanover, said the governor's office asked to take the lead on the legislation, and told him Tuesday morning that they were in the process of writing it.

"It should be down here very quickly and that will provide some property tax relief for this fiscal year," DeCoste said.

State law provides for an annual survivor pension equal to the salary a police officer, firefighter or correction officer killed in the performance of their official duties would have received "had he continued in service in the position held by him at the time of his death..."

Committee staff did not know how much higher the pension would be for Chesna's widow if the bill passes, but the Patriot Ledger in Quincy and other media outlets have reported that police officers in Weymouth receive a base salary of about $98,809, while sergeants receive about $112,320.

-END-

ADAPTIVE REUSE OF FORMER KENNEDY BUILDING IN HANOVER UNDERWAY

OCTOBER 2017  Yesterday Archbishop of Boston Seán P. O’Malley and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts Karyn Polito were joined by The Planning Office for Urban Affairs, NEI General Contracting, and The Architectural Team to celebrate the groundbreaking of Bethany Apartments in Hanover, MA. The project involves an $8.5 Million adaptive reuse of the former dormitory at the Cardinal Cushing Centers into much needed affordable housing for the community.

The Kennedy Building will be converted into 37 spacious units within the former classrooms and other parts of the building. Of the 37, there will be a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom units and the four lowest-income units will be rented with a preference for state Department of Mental Health clients. The design will preserve the historic envelope of the three-story H-shaped brick building and maintain the existing structure. HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems will be incorporated to ensure long-term functionality of the building.

The redevelopment of the underutilized building will provide bright, spacious new homes to 37 families in the community of Hanover as well as fulfill the Boston Archdiocese’s mission to help create true communities where people with a wide range of incomes and abilities can live together with dignity and respect. NEI is excited to be a part of this project.

Courtesy of the NEI General Contracting.

MA: State Representative Donates Pay Raise to Charity

                                                         

Courtesy of the Patriot Ledger:

To get full article, click on the image below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                    CONTACT: Caitlin Favreau (617) 722-2430

MAY 25, 2018

Representative David F. DeCoste supports bill to enhance veterans benefits in Massachusetts

BOSTON – State Representative David F. DeCoste, R-Norwell, is backing legislation to enhance veterans benefits in Massachusetts.

House Bill 4525, An Act relative to veterans’ benefits, rights, appreciation, validation and enforcement, also known as the BRAVE Act, passed the House of Representatives on a unanimous vote of 150-0 on May 23.

In addition to doubling state funding assistance for indigent veterans’ burial costs from $2,000 to $4,000, the bill provides for an increase in the property tax exemption available to veterans who perform volunteer work for their home community, raising the cap from $1,000 to $1,500.  The bill also adjusts the residency requirement for veterans and surviving spouses to qualify for real estate tax exemptions, reducing the amount of time these individuals must reside in Massachusetts from five consecutive years to two consecutive years.

An additional provision contained in the BRAVE Act gives cities and towns the option to adjust veterans property tax abatements on an annual basis.  The amount of the increase would not be able to exceed the cost of living increase for that year, as calculated by the Consumer Price Index.

The BRAVE Act also:

• updates the current military campaign eligibility for the Welcome Home Bonus, and authorizes the family of a deceased service member to receive the $1,000 stipend;

• adds Prisoners of War (POWs) to the list of veterans eligible for a property tax abatement;

• allows municipalities to designate a spot for veterans parking at their city or town hall during normal business hours;

• requires employers to provide employees who are veterans with time off, with or without pay, to observe Veterans Day;

• establishes a special commission to study the cost and feasibility of exempting veterans from tuition and fees when attending a public university, with a report due by December 31, 2018;

• allows combat medics to use their military training and experience to receive EMT certification in the Commonwealth without having to repeat duplicative classes;

• requires the Department of Veterans Services to maintain and publish a list of law firms and organizations that provide pro bono legal representation for veterans;

• allows parents or surviving guardians of veterans who died in service to the country to receive a real estate credit on their property beginning on January 1, 2019;

• authorizes recipients of the Bronze Star to be eligible for Bronze Star License Plates through the Registry of Motor Vehicles; and

• allows qualifying individuals whose vehicles are owned by trusts, partnerships, or corporations to be eligible for Gold Star Family license plates.

The Senate previously approved its own version of the BRAVE Act on May 3.  The House and Senate will now attempt to reconcile the differences between the two bills and reach agreement on a final bill that will be sent to Governor Charlie Baker for his signature.

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Facebook Post on H.4001 Success by Representative David DeCoste.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                  

CONTACT: Caitlin Favreau (617) 722-2430

JULY 19, 2018

BOSTON – The House of Representatives and Senate have finalized legislation creating a new dedicated revenue stream to pay for municipal police training in Massachusetts.  The bill is now on Governor Charlie Baker’s desk awaiting his signature.

House Bill 4516 authorizes a new $2 surcharge on car rentals to support the Municipal Police Training Fund, which was created as part of the criminal justice reform law signed by Governor Baker on April 13.  Money from the fund will be used to provide basic training for new police recruits, as well as mandatory in-service training and specialized training for veteran police officers. 

State Representative David DeCoste, R- Norwell, supported the bill when it first came before the House on May 23, where it passed on a vote of 149-4. The bill was engrossed by the Senate on July 18, and enacted in both branches the same day.

The Municipal Police Training Fund is already authorized to receive money generated by the licensing of marijuana establishments, the state excise tax on recreational marijuana sales, and civil penalties imposed under the voter-approved recreational marijuana law.  The car rental surcharge – which is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2019 – is expected to produce an additional $8 million in revenues for the fund.

Certain car rentals will be exempt from the surcharge, including rentals lasting less than 12 hours.  The surcharge will also not apply to ride-sharing services offered through companies like Uber and Lyft.

House Bill 4516 caps the amount of money that can be deposited in the Municipal Police Training Fund from the car rental surcharge at $10 million annually, with any additional revenues transferred to the General Fund.

Governor Baker has until July 28 to sign the bill into law.

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Office of Representative David F. DeCoste

State House, Boston, MA 02133-1054

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 18, 2018

CONTACT: Caitlin Favreau (617) 722-2430

The $41.88 Billion State Budget Compromise

Boston – After a few long and busy months, Representative David DeCoste (R-Norwell) joined fellow legislators of the MA House of Representatives and Senate in a general consensus over the budget for the 2019 fiscal year, which began July 1. This process, which consists of the House and Senate passing individual budgets, required extensive negotiation between the two branches before they can come up with a singular budget plan to present to Governor Baker. Next steps require the Governor to review the proposed legislation and issue any vetoes or amendments within ten days of it reaching his desk. The budget, H4800, is estimated to be on track to reach the Governor’s desk by the end of the day on Wednesday, July 18, 2018.

The 2019 fiscal year budget’s late arrival was primarily due to work complication on other bills, as many lawmakers had less than two weeks to finish writing other major bills that addressed consumer data protections, short-term rental regulation and taxation, health care, education funding, environmental spending, animal welfare, veterans benefits, civic education, automatic voter registration and clean energy. Additionally, House Ways and Means Chairman Jeffrey Sanchez told reporters that he did not think there was “any one thing” that kept negotiators from producing an on-time budget, as “they weren’t simple policy pieces… I’m just happy and proud we got out of the woods and we have a budget before you that does have significant policy pieces in it.”

On Wednesday, the fiscal 2019 budget was quickly approved in the House with a 143-6 vote and a Senate vote of 36-1 with a bottom line that is nearly $400 million more than what either branch approved. It is also anticipated to add an additional $271 million deposit for the state’s rainy day fund, which would address concerns over inadequate reserves. The supplementary $400 million includes an estimated $190 million for what is characterized as priorities in both branches, and about $150 million to address structural deficiencies in accounts like snow and ice removal and the Committee for Public Counsel Services. In total, the budget includes $1,098,945,897 in unrestricted general government aid, $4,907,573,321 in Chapter 70 aid to local schools, $5.02 million for state parks and recreational areas, $7.99 million for the Cannabis Control Commission, $12.79 million for youth-at-risk summer jobs, and $161.75 million for emergency assistance family shelters. It does not include the Senate proposal to restrict local authorities’ cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

David DeCoste represents the towns of Norwell, Rockland and Hanover in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

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