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DAY ON THE HILL 2013

March 13, 2013

Massachusetts State House, Boston 9:30 am – noon

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Contents Letter to Legislators ...................................................................................................................................... 3

Day on the Hill Speakers ............................................................................................................................... 4

Talking Points Meeting Basic Human Needs ....................................................................................................................... 5

Bill #: S.37/H.93 – An Act to Promote Financial Stability and Asset Development Bill #: S. 1317 – An Act Improving the Earned Income Tax Credit for Working Families Bill #: S.35/H.114 – An Act Regarding Pathways to Family Economic Self-Sufficiency

Education ...................................................................................................................................................... 8

Bill #: S.208 – An Act Preventing Students from Dropping Out of School Bill #: S.254 – An Act to Involve Youth in Civic Engagement

Election Process and Voting Rights ........................................................................................................... 10

Bill #: H.63 – A Legislative Amendment to the Constitution Relative to Qualified Voters of the Commonwealth Bill #: H.600 – An Act to Ensure Secure Voting Equipment Bill #: S.327 – An Act Reforming Election Laws

Environment ............................................................................................................................................... 12

Bill #: S.354/ H.235 – An Act Relative to Healthy Families and Businesses Bill #: H. 2943 / S.1588 – An Act Updating the Bottle Bill

Equal Rights ................................................................................................................................................ 14

Bill #: S.427/H.838 – An Act Providing Equitable Coverage in Disability Policies Good Governance ....................................................................................................................................... 15

Bill #: S.321/H.651 – An Act Relative to Disclosure of Political Spending/An Act Strengthening Campaign Finance Bill #: H630 – An Act to Close Certain Campaign Finance Loopholes Bill #: S320/H559 – An Act Relative to Accountability for Corporate Political Spending

Health Care ................................................................................................................................................. 16

Bill #: S.515/H.1035 – An Act Establishing Medicare for all in Massachusetts/An Act to Provide Improved Medicare for All Bill #: S.572/H.1053 – An Act to Ensure Effective Health Care Cost Control

Water Quality ............................................................................................................................................. 18

Bill #: H.805 – An Act to Mitigate Water Resource Impacts Policies

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Dear Legislator, Members of the League of Women Voters from across the state are gathering at the State House this Wednesday, March 13, for our annual Day on the Hill event to hear about the League’s legislative

priorities and to lobby their legislators. "Democracy is not a Spectator Sport: How to be an Effective Advocate" is the theme of this year's Day on the Hill. We hope that you will join us. Registration will begin at 9:30am and the event starts at 10am in the

Gardner Auditorium. State Representative Thomas Conroy and Elizabeth Saunders, director of Clean Water Action, will discuss how League members can most effectively impact issues at the state and local level. State League Program Specialists will also provide briefs on key legislative initiatives. As an organization devoted to encouraging informed and active participation in government, the League aims to ensure that the public’s voice is an important part of political dialogue. Day on the Hill is an opportunity for League members to learn more about current issues and to lobby their legislators on issues important to the League and the Commonwealth. We are enclosing information that represents some of the League’s legislative interests. We urge you to review the information and would be happy to answer any questions you may have. We hope you can join us at the League’s Day on the Hill. Sincerely,

Eva Valentine LWVMA President

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Day on the Hill Speakers

Representative Thomas Conroy Tom Conroy is the state representative for the 13th Middlesex District (Marlborough, Sudbury, Wayland and Framingham), having served in this role since January 2007. He is the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. Tom has also been serving since 2009 as the Speaker of the House’s appointee on the Governor’s Science Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Advisory Council. Tom started his public service in Washington DC by helping craft a more effective and less expensive alternative to the Reagan military budgets. He

then worked for Senator Gary Hart (D-CO) and served as a foreign policy and national security assistant for Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). His passion for helping those who were not in a position to help themselves led him next to Thailand, where he managed a refugee resettlement program for Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian, and Burmese refugees fleeing persecution in their home countries. He also worked in Cambodia during the United Nations occupation of that country in 1992. During 1993, he helped establish an in-country refugee interviewing center in Haiti for the Clinton Administration in order to prevent the further loss of life by stemming the tide of Haitians fleeing the country in risky boats.

Elizabeth Saunders is the Massachusetts Director of Clean Water Action. She has worked with CWA since 2001 and has specialized in campaigns to prevent harm to our health from toxic chemicals in consumer products. Her work has included grassroots organizing, lobbying, media outreach, educational workshops on toxic chemicals, and other campaign activities. Elizabeth currently coordinates the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow coalition in Massachusetts and the Multi-state Mercury Products Campaign.

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Meeting Basic Human Needs – Clarice B. Gordon, Specialist

Bill #: S.37/H.93 – An Act to Promote Financial Stability and Asset Development

Chief Sponsors: Senator James Eldridge/Representative Linda Dorcena Forry

Committee: Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

The overall purpose of these bills is to alter policies of the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) to enable low-income parents to become self-sufficient over the long term instead of keeping them in low-wage jobs to meet work requirements and plunging them into dire poverty when benefits expire. Talking Points:

Most recipients of state aid are young parents. The period of time they receive benefits (usually two years or less) is probably the best time there will ever be to get them onto a learning track to improve the prospects for their family.

The bills require listings in each DTA office of available higher education and vocational training

programs as well as individual notification and counseling regarding suitable programs.

Employment Services Programs would be expanded to integrate adult basic education (ABE) and

English for speakers of other languages (ESOL).

Work requirements could be satisfied by participating in vocational training and recipients

would not lose benefits while completing educational programs.

Work-study payments and educational grants would not count as income that reduces the

amount of the family grant.

The bills modify resource and asset limits so that persons with little or no income are eligible for

assistance instead of needing to sell possessions or use all their assets first.

DTA would establish a work expense deduction policy to cover transportation, payroll

deductions and clothing that would be adjusted annually to reflect inflation

Recipients who receive lump sum payments up to $10,000 could establish Individual Asset Accounts to pay for costs related to education, transportation, retaining or remaining in housing, health care and other responsible expenses.

______________________________________________________________________________ Bill #: S. 1317 – An Act Improving the Earned Income Tax Credit for Working Families Chief Sponsor: Senator Cynthia Stone Creem Committee: Joint Committee on Revenue The purpose of this bill is to increase the Commonwealth’s match of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit from 15 percent to 20 percent and to promote the availability of this incentive to low income workers. Talking Points:

The Earned Income Tax Credit is the single most effective anti-poverty program in the U.S. and annually raises over 5 million individuals out of poverty nationwide, over half of them children.

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The high cost of living in Massachusetts provides good reason for the state EITC increase on behalf of working people who do not make enough to buy adequate food, clothing, housing and other necessities. It reduces the demand for other subsidies.

Funds go to people very efficiently because administrative costs are lower than for other types of assistance. Once approved, the EITC uses the mechanisms of payroll tax collection already in place for all workers, and the benefit is added to the regular paycheck.

The EITC encourages work with its advantages of having people in the mainstream of public life and gaining experience and skills.

The EITC is an economic stimulus where people live since low income families tend to spend the modest increase in paychecks locally.

The federal government through the IRS sets the rules for who qualifies for EITC, the income limits and annual adjustments. Information is available online and in tax forms. Massachusetts residents get the additional incentive automatically with no bureaucracy needed.

Outreach to workers not enrolled in the program is needed because of the number of low- wage earners who have low education levels and lack English mastery.

The state expenditure for the EITC is balanced by about five times as much money coming to poor families from the federal government and likely spent locally.

______________________________________________________________________________ Bill #: S.35/H.114 – An Act Regarding Pathways to Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Chief Sponsors: Senator Eileen Donoghue and Representatives Kay Khan and Thomas Conroy Committee: Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities The purpose of these bills is to create new opportunities for education beyond high school and/or job training for low income heads of families through a three-year pilot program structured to meet their specific needs. Talking Points

Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) grants have time limits and work requirements that often keep recipients locked into low-skill jobs and long term poverty. The League has always supported measures that move people out of poverty.

85% of TAFDC recipients have a high school diploma or less education, making it difficult to compete for jobs in the Massachusetts economy.

Massachusetts ranked 44th among the states in the proportion of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients involved in education or training (2009 report).

Massachusetts spends much less on vocational training and education for TAFDC recipients than a decade ago; in 2002 $36.2 million was spent, down to $7.9 million in 2013.

Families in poverty with young children have specific needs that could be met by a program that offers appropriate supports and coaching to improve their success.

The pilot program requires that at least 40% of participants would be TAFDC recipients when they begin. Other participants would be adults responsible for one or more children who received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Mass Health or TAFDC benefits in the last two years.

The pilot program would be administered by the Commonwealth Corporation under agreement with the Department of Transitional Assistance and include areas outside of Greater Boston

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where there are less opportunities now. The Commonwealth Corporation does other workforce training for government and private groups.

An independent evaluation of the pilot program is part of the bill.

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Education – Terry Yoffie, Specialist

Bill #: S.208 – An Act Preventing Students from Dropping Out of School

Chief Sponsor: Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz

Committee: Joint Committee on Education

The bill requires children to remain in school until 18 years of age unless they have graduated from high school and establishes a K-12 early-warning indicator system to support students to complete their education successfully.

Talking Points:

8,000 – 10,000 students drop out of high school every year. There has been a persistent equity gap that will not change without effective interventions.

Improves systems for identifying students who may be at-risk of dropping out by expanding Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Early Warning Indicator Index, providing schools the data that are critical to targeting appropriate resources to kids in need.

Creates the Massachusetts Graduation Coach Initiative, matching at-risk students with caring adults tasked with helping to guide them to success in the school system.

Supports parents in playing an active role in their children’s education by requiring employers to provide modest time off for academic activities (e.g., parent-teacher conferences).

Charges schools and graduation coaches with including family engagement in their dropout prevention strategies.

Creates better communication between schools and parents when a child is suspended or expelled, and pushes schools to reduce dependency on suspension and expulsion.

Promotes the availability of alternative educational options for students who leave school before graduating, either by dropping out or through long-term suspensions or expulsions.

The bill was reported favorably out of the Joint Committee on Education in the last legislative session. The current bill provides more information about graduation coaches for at-risk students, on how the early-warning indicator system will work, and by dropping the requirement for employers to allow family leave for school meetings, substituting a pilot system employers may choose to try.

______________________________________________________________________________ Bill #: S.254 – An Act to Involve Youth in Civic Engagement

Chief Sponsor: Senator Richard T. Moore

Committee: Joint Committee on Education The bill mandates the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education develop a model curriculum aligned with the history/social studies curriculum framework. It is to address the function and composition of local, state and federal governments, the history of social movements and current events, to provide community-based action and service-learning projects and requires the Department to create an evaluation assessing the curriculum, pedagogy and teaching materials before piloting the program. The curriculum is to be designed in collaboration with a youth advisory committee.

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Talking Points

Our students receive very little preparation for being citizens. Nationally and in Massachusetts, data show that students are illiterate in civic knowledge and have few opportunities to practice civic engagement in their schools.

S. 254 seeks to improve how we prepare students to be citizens.

The LWVUS position supports equality of opportunity of education for all. The education position advocates for programs that would inform individuals of their civil rights in education, employment and housing and of the opportunities open to them. It promotes full use of mediation and conciliation in efforts to bring about integration of minority groups into full participation in community life.

Since the passage of the Education Reform Act of 1993, the League has monitored the development of statewide curriculum frameworks and has written to the Board of Education supporting a strong civics component in the social studies framework.

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Election Process and Voting Rights – Linda Freedman, Specialist

Bill #: H.63 – A Legislative Amendment to the Constitution Relative to Qualified Voters of the Commonwealth

Chief Sponsor: Representative William Straus

Committee: Joint Committee on Election Laws

The purpose of the bill is to amend the Massachusetts Constitution to add “qualified voters of the Commonwealth who might otherwise choose to vote prior to the date of the election” to justifications for submitting an absentee ballot.

Talking Points:

At this time, only three excuses are legal for absentee voting – being absent from their city or town on election day, unable to get to vote in person by reason of a physically disability or hold religious beliefs in conflict with the act of voting on election day.

It will facilitate early voting and allow more voters to participate in elections.

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Bill #: H.600 – An Act to Ensure Secure Voting Equipment

Chief Sponsor: Representatives Jay Kaufman and Michael Barrett

Committee: Joint Committee on Election Laws

The purpose of the bill is to require all electronic voting systems used in the Commonwealth to produce permanent paper records of votes cast.

Talking Points:

The current voting procedures used in the Commonwealth employ optical scanners and paper ballots. They have demonstrated ease of voting, secrecy for the voter, and the ability to verify the accuracy of the tallied votes. It is important that we continue the use of a system, i.e. the use of paper ballots, which provides these benefits.

Research of many direct recording electronic voting systems, also known as touch screen machines, have demonstrated problems with the equipment during elections and the difficulty voters have using the equipment and reviewing their vote. This often leads to delays causing long lines. There is also serious concern about potential tampering with the votes on touch screen machines, which can easily escape detection.

Touch screen machines are more expensive than optical scanners and require more maintenance and security.

The proposed audits for the vote will need paper ballots. There is no way to do a proper recount on direct recording electronic voting systems. They only regurgitate the original numbers from Election Day. Even where there are paper receipts, with electronic voting, they are often not retained and can be changed. Paper receipts are not like our paper ballots – they are easily torn and smudged.

Few voters check the paper receipts to see if their votes were recorded accurately. _____________________________________________________________________________________

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Bill #: S.327 – An Act Reforming Election Laws

Chief Sponsor: Senator Barry Finegold

Committee: Joint Committee on Election Laws

The purpose of the bill is to improve the administration and integrity of elections, expand voter registration and voting, promote accuracy by audits of the vote and provide accountability for some printed election materials.

Talking points:

The bill combines important election reforms that will increase registration and voting. This includes early voting and pre-registration of 16 and 17 year olds who will become voters after their 18th birthday.

It requires training of local election officials.

Incorrect information in poll books is a huge problem on Election Day. The bill prescribes a secure, online portal for voters to check their registration. This will allow changes to be made before going to the polls and reduce the need for provisional ballots.

Post-election audits of the vote are necessary to determine if our voting systems are reliable. We need to know if the winners were elected by the majority of voters. Losers need the assurance that they lost. Unused HAVA Funds for Massachusetts may be used for audits. Audits are recommended by LWVUS and other voting integrity organizations.

This bill would establish an elections task force to study the implementation of pre-registration of 16 and 17 years olds, early voting, audits and the costs of audits. The League is listed as a participant on the task force.

It includes disclosure of funding for some printed election materials.

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Environment – Lynn Wolbarst, Specialist

Bill #: S.354/ H.235 - An Act Relative to Healthy Families and Businesses

Chief Sponsors: Senator Kenneth Donnelly and Representative Jay Kaufman

Committee: Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture

The purpose of this bill is to begin to eliminate toxic chemicals in consumer products by requiring the replacement or substitution of the toxic substance with a safer alternative substance or process. The plan would apply annually to a maximum of 5 toxic chemicals known to have serious human health effects (cancer, asthma, birth defects, neurological damage, etc.) with priority given to toxic chemicals used in children's products and those which consistently expose workers to chemical harm.

Talking Points:

A loophole that allows toxic chemicals that negatively impact public health to be used in consumer products would be closed incrementally.

The public health of residents of Massachusetts, especially infants and children, will be highly improved by reducing their everyday exposure to toxic chemicals and associated health care costs would decrease.

It will help Massachusetts businesses stay competitive in global markets – over 37% of Massachusetts trade is with the European Union’s member states who have stricter chemical policies than the US.

A fee on toxic chemicals imported into Massachusetts would be used to pay for costs to assist businesses to transition to cleaner alternatives and to pay for enforcement of the regulations.

Priority chemicals for replacement would be chosen based on: 1. Existing Independent research on chemical exposure and health effects. 2. Specific toxic chemical uses that cause widespread exposure to children and workers. 3. The availability of innovative and cost effective alternatives to the product or process (e.g. digital thermometers replacing mercury thermometers).

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An Act Updating the Bottle Bill

Bill #: H. 2943 / S.1588

Chief Sponsors: Representative Jonathan Hecht and Senator Cynthia Creem

Committee: Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

The purpose of the bill is to update the highly effective 5-cent container deposit law (The 1982 Bottle Bill) to include non-carbonated, nonalcoholic beverage containers (bottled water, juice, ice tea, energy drinks etc.), which will increase recycling in Massachusetts by an estimated 1 billion additional beverage containers annually.

Talking Points:

Deposits work to increase recycling. The 20-25 % recycling rate for non-deposit containers jumps to 80% when those containers have a redeemable deposit. Updating the Bottle Bill will cause an estimated 1 billion new beverage containers to be recycled here annually.

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Deposits work to reduce litter. In states that have deposit systems, litter for those containers goes down by an average of 78% while all litter is reduced by an average of 45%.

Deposits save municipalities money. Recycling these additional beverage containers will save between $4.53 to $6.5 million annually in trash collection and disposal costs when consumers redeem their deposits rather than litter or throw these containers in the trash.

Container recycling reduces energy use and carbon emissions since PET plastic #1 is comprised of 99% petroleum.

A January 2011 poll by Mass Inc revealed that 77% of a broad sample of Massachusetts residents said they supported an expanded bottle bill.

The 5-cent deposit is not a tax - it is fully refunded when the container is returned.

Prices in Bottle Bill and non-Bottle Bill states are comparable. Donald Dowd, Vice President of Coca Cola of New England, stated, "Our prices pre-bottle bill and post-bottle bill are virtually the same." A study funded by the National Food Processors Association found that soda in Massachusetts “costs roughly the same as soda in New Hampshire”.

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Equal Rights – Carole Pelchat, Program and Action Chair

Program and Action Chair – Carole Pelchat

Bill #: S.427/H.838 – An Act Providing Equitable Coverage in Disability Policies

Chief Sponsors – Senator Katherine Clark and Representative Ruth B. Balser

Committee – Joint Committee on Financial Services

Talking Points:

Statistics note that 61.6% of married couples have both husband and wife in the work force, 30% of working women are self-employed, 84% of single parents with dependent children are women (79.5% of whom are gainfully employed).

Social Security disability benefits are gender neutral

Workers Compensation, which all employers are required to purchase, is gender neutral

There is no negative impact on the state budget other than to reduce the number of women who need state aid when they become disabled

Women and their families will benefit with more economic security if they have a disability

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Good Governance – Carolyn Lee, Specialist

Bill #: S.321/H.651 – An Act Relative to Disclosure of Political Spending/An Act Strengthening Campaign Finance

Chief Sponsors: Senator James Eldridge and Representatives Martha Walz and Cory Atkins

Committee: Joint Committee on Election Laws

The purpose of the bill is to establish requirements for any electioneering communication that is paid for by an entity other than an individual and prohibits contributions by a foreign national or foreign corporation.

Talking Points:

This bill passed the Senate in the 2012 session. It needs to pass in both houses in this session. The governor has stated he will sign it, if passed.

Clarifies that current disclosure and reporting requirements apply to all political communications allowed under the law.

Requires corporations and labor unions paying for political advertisements to disclose their spending even if the advertisements are made by another group or entity.

Requires entities or groups paying for political ads to report on funds they receive.

Requires organizations spending large amounts on political advertisements to register as political committees.

Requires political advertisements to include disclaimer statements that identify their top contributors, so that big donors can’t hide their spending behind a “shadow organization” with an innocuous sounding name.

Prevents coordination between candidates and outside groups.

Bans contributions, independent expenditures, and electioneering communications by foreign nationals and foreign corporations.

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Bill #: H.630 – An Act to Close Certain Campaign Finance Loopholes

Chief Sponsor: Senator Thomas Sannicandro

Committee: Joint Committee on Election Laws

The purpose of the bill is to limit contributions by a political party and non-resident individuals in local elections.

Talking Points:

Limits the amount that any committee of any political party can contribute to a local election in any town or ward.

Limits the amount of money any individual can contribute to a local (town or ward) election that is not in the jurisdiction of the giver’s primary residence.

Prevents a PAC or group or individuals from using a town political committee or direct contributions to unduly influence local races where the donors have no jurisdictional interest.

Keeps local elections local, rather than having the majority of funds come from persons or PACs outside the district

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Bill #: S.320/H.559 – An Act Relative to Accountability for Corporate Political Spending

Chief Sponsors: Senator James Eldridge and Representatives Martha Walz and Cory Atkins

Committee: Joint Committee on Election Laws

This bill mandates that all campaign finance spending by any corporation be reported to the shareholders of that corporation and that any spending greater than $5000 on any political campaign by any corporation must receive the express approval of either the board of directors or the executive committee, as appropriate. At the state level it puts back into effect some provisions of state law invalidated by Citizens United vs. FEC.

Talking Points:

Corporations need to be accountable to shareholders for how corporate money in spent.

Requires corporations to disclose all spending to finance campaigns in the state.

Requires express approval of the board of directors or executive committee for any corporation spending more than $5000 on any campaign in the state.

Disclosure and accountability are the sunlight on campaign financing that is needed to assure open and fair political processes.

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Health Care – Judith Deutsch, Specialist

Bill #s: S.515/H.1035 – An Act Establishing Medicare for all in Massachusetts/An Act to Provide Improved Medicare for All

Chief Sponsors: Senator James Eldridge and Representative Jason Lewis

Committee: Joint Committee on Health Care Financing

The purpose of the bill is to establish a single-payer health care system in Massachusetts.

Talking Points:

Will guarantee continuous quality health care coverage for all Massachusetts residents at a cost affordable to the Commonwealth and to individuals.

Currently, many Massachusetts residents cannot afford premiums of plans currently available, can only afford limited coverage, or have excessively high co-pays and deductibles.

Will reduce costs to the State, employers and individuals.

Will save $13 million for the Commonwealth, employers and individuals – costs that are currently wreaking havoc with government, business and personal budgets by eliminating for-profit middle men and high administrative costs charged by private insurers that provide no health care and often deny coverage.

Health insurance companies are making huge profits and paying excessive CEO salaries.

Includes cost-containment measures.

Is funded by federal Medicare and Medicaid funds and a small tax (which will be significantly offset by eliminating health insurance premium expenditures) on employers, employees, the self-employed, and unearned income (except Social Security and pensions)

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Bill #: S.572/H.1053 – An Act to Ensure Effective Health Care Cost Control

Chief Sponsors: Senator Daniel Wolf and Representative Tom Sannicandro

Committee: Joint Committee on Health Care Financing

The purpose of the bills is to ensure that Massachusetts will have quality health care that is also cost effective.

Talking points:

It will compare the cost under the current system with a benchmark for a single-payer system

If after three years the Single-payer Benchmark outperforms our actual health care spending, the Legislature shall consider a “single-payer health care implementation plan”.

The monitoring will be done by the Center for Health Information and Analysis, the successor to the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy.

If single-payer is shown to be more cost effective, the legislature will be charged with implementing a single payer plan.

The bills are a version of an amendment to the Governor’s cost containment bill that was introduced in the Senate in the spring of 2012. The amendment lost by only four votes after much favorable discussion on the Senate floor.

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Water quality – Susan Abbott, Specialist

Bill #: H.805 – An Act to Mitigate Water Resource Impacts Policies

Chief Sponsor – Representative Frank Smizik

Committee – Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture

The purpose of the bill is to establish a Sustainable Water Resource Fund

Talking Points:

The unremitting use of water by towns and cities systematically depletes the fresh water supplies because of increasing population

Communities continue to build on porous land, resulting in less and less places for infiltration of water

The bill provides cities and towns with the ability to create a local system to replenish depleted water supplies

Adequate water resources are essential to public health and thriving industries

A water conservation bill was passed in the last session, passage of this bill will provide the additional needed resources for an adequate water supply to our communities