State Representative Angelo D’Emilia (R-Bridgewater) issued the following statement today in response to the adoption of an amendment he filed allowing veterans to gain academic credit for military service:

Yesterday, the House furthered its commitment to veterans and job creation in the Commonwealth by allowing veterans to gain academic credit for comparable military experience.

Initially offered by the Republican Legislative Caucus as part of our comprehensive jobs package, this amendment allows Massachusetts’ public institutions of higher education to award academic credit to a student, who is a veteran, for relevant military work, training, and/or education.

The benefits of this amendment are twofold. First, we emphasize that the experience gained by our service members is invaluable. Second, we help combat the staggering unemployment rate for veterans by better preparing them to enter the workforce as highly-trained and prepared individuals.

I thank my colleagues in the House for rallying around this issue as a bi-partisan and united group.

BOSTON – In an ongoing commitment to providing fiscal certainty to the Commonwealth’s cities and towns Representative Angelo D’Emilia (R-Bridgewater) joined the House Republican Caucus in offering a Local Aid Resolution during today’s full formal session.

In an email distributed to House colleagues, House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading), said, “As our cities and towns continue to develop their local budgets during these very tough times they need certainty and reliable information more than ever. It is important that we, legislators, provide some predictability for our districts.”

The resolution proposes the following:

1. Establish a minimum level of Chapter 70 and Unrestricted Local Aid equal to the amount proposed by the Governor for FY13.

a. The minimum Chapter 70 appropriation – $4.14 billion for FY13,
b. The minimum Unrestricted Local Aid appropriation – $899 million,
c. Reimbursement to Cities in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) – $26.3 million.

2. Establish a modest increase in funding from the amount proposed by the Governor for FY13 for each of the following accounts:

a. Regional School Transportation – $51.5 million,
b. Special Education Residential Schools – $221.6 million.

“I am disappointed that the resolution failed”, said Representative D’Emilia. “I stand firm that it is our responsibility to provide our local officials with reliable information so that they may formulate our budgets. This resolution would have provided them with much needed information.”

This resolution would provide, among other things, flexibility during budget debate so that the Legislature may further increase local aid appropriations from an established floor. It would also provide predictability for municipalities who are in the midst of constructing their budgets.

With one single objection, the resolution was referred to the House Committee on Rules without any opportunity for debate.

BOSTON – Representative Angelo D’Emilia (R-Bridgewater) has been appointed by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) to a special advisory council charged with studying matters of gaming policy.

The Bridgewater Republican will join fellow legislators as well as individuals from federally recognized Indian tribes, organized labor and persons residing in the vicinity of a gaming establishment in studying community mitigation, compulsive gambling and the impacts of gaming on cultural facilities and tourism.

“Serving on the House Committee on Ways and Means, Angelo is extremely well versed on issues that have fiscal impacts on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Representative Jones. “As he currently represents a district that includes a gaming facility, I am confident that Representative D’Emilia will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this Council.”

“I am pleased Leader Jones appointed me to this advisory council,” said Representative D’Emilia. “We need to ensure that the facilities built in Massachusetts are second to none. We also need to guarantee that this new industry is successful for the long term and that the citizens of this Commonwealth will have jobs as we move forward into the future.”

Members of the advisory council shall serve for two year terms, and will meet at least once annually.

BOSTON – Representative Angelo D’Emilia (R-Bridgewater) joined members of the House Republican caucus in submitting a letter to Ann Berwick, Chair of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), as part of their ongoing effort to hold public utility companies accountable for their response to the October 2011 snowstorm.

The letter, which was submitted during the public comment phase of the DPU’s investigation into the utility companies’ storm response protocol, emphasizes that the “extended power outages not only created a significant risk to public safety but also inflicted substantial financial loss on residents and businesses in the Commonwealth.” The letter goes on to say, “While we recognize that both Tropical Storm Irene and the October snowstorm caused significant damage to utilities’ infrastructure within the short period of two months, in some circumstances, we believe the damage could have been prevented by adequate routine maintenance and mitigated by ample storm preparedness.”

With over 800,000 residents left without power for varying periods of time, the letter calls into question three areas of concern: preventative arbor maintenance by public utility companies; marginal preparedness for catastrophic events with a high regional impact; and the utility companies’ struggle to relay information in a time sensitive manner.

“Public utility companies should be held accountable for reliable electric service and timely customer support,” said Representative Jones. “Although the magnitude and scope of Tropical Storm Irene and the October Nor’easter were larger than usual, the disorganization that followed these storms was unacceptable and we must take the necessary steps to ensure that this cannot and will not happen again.”

The Republican caucus proposes requiring utility companies to invest not only in technology better suited to taking precise readings of system-wide damage, but also broadening forms of communication between customers and service providers.

“There is no question that the utilities failed to serve the people of Massachusetts miserably in the last few storms,” said Representative D’Emilia. “After witnessing this firsthand they need to rework how they distribute their assets. There is room for much improvement and the administration of these resources needs to occur in a more timely fashion.”

Having completed the public comment phase of their investigation, the DPU will deliberate as to whether or not the utility companies complied with DPU regulations and fully implemented their Emergency Response Plans.

BOSTON – Representative Angelo D’Emilia (R-Bridgewater) was congratulated by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) today for maintaining an impressive voting record so far this legislative session.

The Bridgewater Republican participated in 181 consecutive roll call votes in the House this year, a 100% voting record, casting votes on a number of initiatives this fall relative to pension reform, harsher penalties for repeat offenders, and an increase in funding to the Welcome Home Bonus account for returning veterans. Additionally, votes were cast to approve the redrawn legislative and congressional districts and to strengthen human trafficking laws aimed at ending organized forced labor and the sexual exploitation of adults and minors.

“It is a privilege and an honor to be here representing my district on Beacon Hill,” said Representative D’Emilia. “I continue to keep my promise to serve the needs of my constituents and I remain committed to representing my district.”

Representative D’Emilia also cast numerous votes challenging the Democratic-led House on a number of issues, including capping state pensions at $100,000, studying the cost of health services provided to illegal immigrants in the Commonwealth, and requiring state agencies to verify every adult’s lawful presence when applying for state or federal public benefits. Additionally, the House Republican caucus offered an alternative Congressional redistricting map that would have created a more contiguous Berkshire and Worcester county representation while retaining the same benefits of the Committee’s map, including a majority minority seat centered in Boston.

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced two newly-confirmed cases of mosquito-borne illness in the state. In the first case, an elderly woman from out-of-state who spent time visiting Bristol County has been confirmed to have eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). This individual was previously reported as a suspect case being investigated, and EEE virus infection was subsequently confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The patient spent several weeks in Bristol County prior to becoming ill on August 25th. She spent two weeks in a hospital and was discharged to a rehabilitation facility where she continues to improve.

In the second case, a woman between the ages of 49 and 64 from Essex County was diagnosed with West Nile Virus. She became ill on October 3 and was hospitalized. Her condition has improved and she is expected to be discharged to a rehabilitation facility soon.

Peak mosquito season is usually over by this time of year, however with unusually warm fall weather and areas flooded from recent heavy rain, mosquito activity remains significant when it is warm. Residents are reminded that mosquitoes continue to be present until the first hard frost.
Read the rest of this entry »

Marilee Kenney Hunt was one of ten recipients of the 2011 Kuehn Award, honoring the heroes of the first decade of the Community Preservation Act (CPA). This award recognizes Marilee’s significant contributions to the success of the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act (CPA). Marilee’s dedication, enthusiasm, leadership, and tireless commitment to community preservation has marked Marilee as a true hero of CPA, whose work best exemplifies the spirit of Bob Kuehn’s legacy.

The Robert Kuehn Community Preservation Awards were developed to honor the memory and work of former Community Preservation Coalition Steering Committee member Bob Kuehn. Bob, a community preservation visionary and practitioner, was actively involved in the process of drafting and passing CPA, and served as Vice Chair of the Coalition’s Steering Committee until his death in 2006.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced today that there is a suspected case of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in a person possibly exposed in Southeastern Massachusetts. In addition, since Labor Day Weekend, West Nile Virus (WNV) has been found in mosquitoes in the towns of Abington, Belmont, Berkley, Billerica, Boston, Boxford, Bridgewater, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Danvers, Freetown, Georgetown, Halifax, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lawrence, Lynn, Mattapoisett, Medway, Merrimac, Methuen, Milton, New Bedford, Newton, Quincy, Randolph, Salem, Seekonk, Sheffield, Swansea, Topsfield and Wenham. During the same time period, EEE has been found in Berkley, Dighton, Easton, Freetown, Halifax, Hanson, Kingston, Lakeville, Medway, Sharon, Sherborn, Shrewsbury and Westborough.

“We are finding both WNV and EEE infected mosquitoes in more and more areas,” said DPH State Epidemiologist Dr. Al DeMaria. “This is a difficult time of year. The weather makes mosquito-control difficult and most mosquito populations are decreasing, but there are still infected mosquitoes capable of spreading disease to you. It is critical that people continue to be aware of mosquito activity and to do everything possible to avoid mosquito bites.”

There has been one confirmed case of WNV in a Massachusetts resident this year, and seven were identified last year. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease. WNV is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. There has been one confirmed case of EEE in a Massachusetts resident this year. EEE is usually spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. EEE is a serious disease in all ages and can even cause death.

All WNV and EEE positive results from 2011 can be found on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page at www.mass.gov/dph/wnv.
Read the rest of this entry »

BOSTON – Representatives Angelo D’Emilia (R-Bridgewater) and Vinny deMacedo (R-Plymouth), in conjunction with Representative Susan Williams Gifford (R-Wareham), Daniel Webster (R-Pembroke), Geoff Diehl (R-Whitman), and Shaunna O’Connell (R-Taunton) along with fellow Republican colleagues would like to encourage residents to take part in the 2011 GOP Jobs Tour that will be stopping by Bridgewater on Tuesday, September 27th.

With the state’s current unemployment rate being 7.6% and the national unemployment rate being 9.1%, the goal of this tour is to provide businesses and constituents with a platform to propose ideas for improving the job climate in the Commonwealth. This tour will consist of stops in seven communities across the Commonwealth over a six week period. Additional dates and stops can be found at www.thecapitolviewlive.com/2011/09/2011-gop-jobs-tour-announced.html.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity for myself and fellow members to speak with local business owners in our area”, said Representative D’Emilia. “We need to enhance our job market here in the Commonwealth and the feedback of the people will give us much helpful insight into what we can do at the state level.”

Joining Republican legislators at the tour stops will be invited members from the business community, and local and regional Chambers of Commerce.

Details for the location of the 2011 G.O.P. Jobs Tour stop in Bridgewater is as follows:

Bridgewater Memorial Building
25 South Street
Bridgewater, MA 02324
7:00-8:30pm

Residents who are unable to attend the forum are still encouraged to email massgopjobs@gmail.com with ideas and insight. For more information on the 2011 G.O.P. Jobs Tour, please contact Representative D’Emilia at (617) 722-2582 or follow the tour on twitter: @GOPJobsTour.

BOSTON – Representative Angelo D’Emilia (R-Bridgewater) would like to invite the citizens of Bridgewater, Raynham, Easton, and surrounding communities to an informational meeting regarding the arbovirus and EEE risk in the South Shore area. This goal of this meeting is for members of the community to have an opportunity to hear from and speak with members of the Department of Public Health on the EEE risk and the efforts that are being made to address the matter.

The meeting will be this upcoming Tuesday, September 13th at 7:00pm at the Raynham Middle School.

Raynham Middle School
420 Titicut Road
Raynham, MA 02767

“I have organized this briefing for all my constituents, but the event is open to all concerned residents of the south shore and they are welcome to attend,” said Representative D’Emilia.

In attendance at this meeting will be State Representative Angelo D’Emilia, Dr. Al DeMaria of the Department of Public Health, Superintendent Anthony Texeira of the Plymouth County Mosquito Control Program, and Superintendent Wayne Andrews of the Bristol County Mosquito Control Program.

For additional information please contact Kristyn Taylor in the office of Representative Angelo D’Emilia at (617) 722-2582.