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An Act providing rightful opportunities and meaningful investment for successful and equitable education: S.238/H.586

LWVMA presented the following testimony in support of S.238/H.586, 3.22.19

Testimony submitted to the Joint Committee on Education
In Support of S.238/H.586, An Act providing rightful opportunities and meaningful investment for successful and equitable education
By Mary E. Frantz, LWVMA Education Finance Specialist March 22, 2019 

For nearly 50 years, the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (LWVMA) has monitored both general municipal aid and education aid. And since the passage of the Education Reform Act of 1993, the League has been a critic of the Chapter 70 formula for distributing education aid and has proposed solutions to provide a more equitable formula. 

Despite our concerns, the League has strongly supported the basic premise of the education reform act that, as the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled, the Commonwealth must provide an adequate education for all of those enrolled in its public schools. The Education Reform Act defined the cost of an adequate education by the Foundation Budget, a calculation which is defined by a second formula in Chapter 70. The two formulas work together so that, each year, the state aid distributed to local schools is based upon each individual school district’s Foundation Budget as calculated for that year. 

The 2015 Foundation Budget Review Commission found that actual costs, particularly those associated with health care and special education, have far surpassed assumptions built into the original Foundation Budget formula. As a result, those increasing costs have forced districts to cut other critical investments, including professional development, counseling, arts, technology and books, early education, social-emotional supports, and extended days and a longer school year. 

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts supports S.238/H.586, sponsored by Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, Rep. Aaron Vega and Rep. Mary Keefe. This bill renews the promise that every  student in Massachusetts will have equal access to an adequate quality 21st century education by significantly revising the Foundation Budget formula. It will adjust the formula to more accurately project districts’ costs, to more equitably distribute resources, and to empower schools to improve outcomes for all students. 

The bill sets a multi-year phasing in of the recommendations contained in the bipartisan Foundation Budget Review Commission’s 2015 report. Until all the recommendations are implemented, the Foundation Budget will continue to fall short of accurately representing the full cost of an adequate education. Passing S.238/H.586 will, however, represent the legislature’s commitment to making these necessary changes. 

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts urges the members of the Joint Committee on Education to give S.238/H.586 a favorable report and urge its enactment. The League further urges the legislature to make certain that changes in the Foundation Budget formula do not increase the flow of funding to charter schools at the expense of the district schools. All schools should equally see a benefit from these changes. 

Thank you for your consideration.

What should I say?

Hinds, Comerford, Humason, Carey, and Sabadosa are all cosponsors.

Thank you for cosponsoring the Education Promise Act.  This bill provides essential updates to the Foundation Budget that will more equitably distribute resources to all districts. Your support is critical to ensuring that during the multi-year phasing in of reforms, the legislature will continue to appropriate adequate funds.

Senator Adam Hinds                                                Senator Jo Comerford

Room 109-E                                                                 Room 70C

24 Beacon St.                                                              24 Beacon St.

Boston, MA 02133                                                       Boston, MA 02133

Phone: 617-722-1625                                                 Phone:617-722-1532

Adam.hinds@masenate.gov   Jo.Comerford@masenate.gov                                     

Senator Donald Humason, Jr.

24 Beacon St.

Room 313A

Boston, MA 02133

Phone: 617-722-1415

donaldhumason@masenate.gov

Representative Daniel Carey                Representative Lindsay Sabadosa

24 Beacon St.                                                  24 Beacon St.                                      

Room 33                                                         Room 443

Boston, MA 02133                                         Boston, MA 02133

Phone: 617-722-2060                                   Phone:617-722-2460

Daniel.carey@mahouse.gov                          Lindsay.sabadosa@mahouse.gov

Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019

 “Restoring the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019, H.R.4, S 561, will strengthen democracy by ensuring that race is not a factor in determining who has access to the ballot box.” It “will restore sections of the Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court stripped in the Shelby County v. Holderdecision in 2013.”

“More than 50 years ago, we saw the most sweeping advancement to voting rights with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which made racially discriminatory voting practices illegal.  Since the court’s decision in 2013, voters across the country have faced issues at the ballot box including unlawful purges, shortening of voting hours, and the closing of polling places in communities with large populations of voters of color…

The League of Women Voters implores all members of Congress to support this important legislation.” LWV CEO, Virginia Kase.

What should I say?

Representative Neal – Vote YES for H.R. 4, Restoring the Voting Rights Advancement Act. This is essential to protecting the voting rights of all Americans, especially voters of color.

Representative McGovern – Thank you for cosponsoring H.R. 4, Restoring the Voting Rights Advancement Act.  This is essential to protecting the voting rights of all Americans, especially voters of color.

Senators Markey and Warren – Thank you for cosponsoring S561Restoring the Voting Rights Advancement Act.  This is essential to protecting the voting rights of all Americans, especially voters of color.

James McGovern

Washington office                                                         Northampton office

408 Cannon House Office Building                          94 Pleasant St.

Washington, DC 20515                                               Northampton, MA 01060

Phone: 202-225-6101                                                  phone: 413-341-8700

Fax: 202-225-5759                                                      hours: M-F 9-5:00pm

https://mcgovern.house.gov

hours: M-F 9-5:30

Richard Neal

Washington office                                                        Springfield office

2309 Rayburn House Office Building                     300 State Street

Washington, DC 20515                                               Suite 200

Phone: 202-225-5601                                                 Springfield, MA 01105

Fax: 202-225-8112 fax                                                Phone: 413-785-0325

https://neal.house.gov/contact                                Fax: 413-747-0604

Senator Elizabeth Warren.        www.warren.senate.gov/contact

309 Hart Senate Office B.                   Washington phone: 202-224-4543

Washington, DC 20510                       Springfield phone: 413-788-2690

 

Senator Ed Markey                      www.markey.senate.gov/contact

255 Dirksen Senate Office B.           Washington phone: 202-224-2742

Washington, DC 20510                     Springfield phone: 413-785-4610

Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019

HR8 and S42 will require Brady background checks for all firearms, which is a position supported by 97% of Americans.

HR8 passed the House!

 LWVUS signed the following letter to all members of Congress, along with many other organizations:

“Members of the 116^thCongress:

We, the undersigned organizations, strongly urge you to cosponsor and quickly pass H.R. 8, the  Bipartisan Background Check Act, and S 42, the Background Check Expansion Act, to require Brady background checks for all firearm transfers.

In the 25 years since the Brady Law was enacted, more than 3 million prohibited firearm purchases have been prevented. In 2015 alone, an average of 619 individuals per day were deemed by law to be too dangerous to possess a gun and were blocked by this system.

Background checks are conclusively effective and have saved countless lives.  However, because only federally licensed firearms dealers are required to conduct these checks, an estimated one in five gun sales or transfers – those conducted by private sellers, including sales online and at gun shows – are completed without a background check.  Felons, domestic abusers and other dangerous people have long exploited these gaps in the law, often with deadly consequences.

H.R. 8 and S. 42 will make us all safer by requiring a background check for virtually every firearm sale and transfer. The bills include narrow, reasonable exceptions like transfers among close family members and short-term gun loans among hunters and sport shooters.  The legislation does nothing to impede lawful gun purchases, while closing off a wide and well-known avenue for illegal transactions by prohibited, and often dangerous, buyers.  And it enjoys the support of 97% of Americans, including large majorities of gun owners and NRA members.

We urge you to act quickly to pass this life-saving legislation.”

Sincerely,

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, LWVUS, and many others.

Now the Senate must pass S42

What should I say? Thank you Senator Warren, and Senator Markey for cosponsoring S42. Work for swift passage of the Background Check Expansion Act and save countless lives.

Senator Elizabeth Warren.              www.warren.senate.gov/contact

309 Hart Senate Office B.                          Washington phone: 202-224-4543

Washington, DC 20510                             Springfield phone: 413-788-2690

 

Senator Ed Markey                             www.markey.senate.gov/contact

255 Dirksen Senate Office B.                   Washington phone: 202-224-2742

Washington, DC 20510                             Springfield phone: 413-785-4610

BIG ENVIRONMENTAL VICTORY!

PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED THE LAW 3/12/19

The LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND IS PERMANENTLY AUTHORIZED & FUNDED

INFORMATION FOR ACTION 3

This is a huge opportunity to protect wildlife and wild public lands and waters!

The Senate just passed (2/21/19) a public lands package that will:

1. Permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

  2. Protect over a million acres of wilderness.

  3.Protect hundreds of miles of wild and scenic designation for rivers.

  4. Include additional sporting conservation bills.

This would be an historic win if it just gave permanent funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, but it includes additional extensive conservation measures!

Last year our league wrote many post cards urging our members of Congress to fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund for 2018.  It does not cost taxpayers a dime.  Every year $900 million of royalties paid by oil and gas companies is set aside for the LWC fund.  But each year Congress decides how much of that money will be kept for conservation and how much they will divert to other uses. This vote would forever prevent Congress from raiding the fund for other purposes.

Land and Water Conservation Funds are used for big public areas like national parks, as well as for small conservation projects in every county in every state.  Massachusetts has received over $229 million for projects, including improvements to Look Park.  There was recently a column in the Hampshire Gazette that explained the importance of the LWC fund and how it has been used in MA.

Contact your Representative: James Mc Govern or Richard Neal

What should I say? Vote YES for the Public Lands Package, which will permanently reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Act, and protect over a million acres of wild public lands and hundreds of miles of our waterways.

James McGovern

Washington office                                                   Northampton office

408 Cannon House Office Building                    94 Pleasant St.

Washington, DC 20515                                          Northampton, MA 01060

Phone: 202-225-6101                                            phone: 413-341-8700

Fax: 202-225-5759                                                 hours: M-F 9-5:00pm

https://mcgovern.house.gov

hours: M-F 9-5:30

Richard Neal

Washington office                                                   Springfield office

2309 Rayburn House Office Building                300 State Street

Washington, DC 20515                                          Suite 200

Phone: 202-225-5601                                            Springfield, MA 01105

Fax: 202-225-8112 fax                                           Phone: 413-785-0325

https://neal.house.gov/contact                           Fax: 413-747-0604