Politics

Senate Passes Safe School Package

Bills Ban Bullying, Promote Healthy Foods in Schools

BOSTON – The Senate on Thursday advanced measures to ban bullying and update nutritional standards in schools with a pair of bills aimed at promoting a safe, healthy and productive learning environment for all students. The anti-bullying legislation was based on a bill originally filed last year by State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton), who voted in favor of both the bullying bill and the school nutrition bill today.

Senate anti-bullying legislation prohibits physical, verbal and written acts that threaten or cause harm to another student, including Internet “cyber-bullying,” while a separate school nutrition bill establishes new standards for fresh food options in school cafeterias and vending machines.

“These two bills working together will make a dramatic difference in our school environment,” Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) said. “We all know there’s a strong connection between health and safety and learning. By striking out fear and improving nutrition, we’re going to provide students with a more valuable and rewarding educational experience.”

“This is comprehensive, prevention-oriented legislation that will work to end the persistent cycle of bullying we’ve seen in the Commonwealth’s schools for years, leading to tragedies like those in South Hadley, Springfield and too many other communities. Every student deserves to feel safe in their own schools, and this bill is a strong step in that direction,” said Eldridge.

House Unanimously Adopts Amendment to Protect Minors;

Peterson Pleased with Bipartisan Support

Boston – Representative George Peterson is pleased the Massachusetts House of Representatives today unanimously adopted a bipartisan amendment that if signed into law would provide greater protection to minors.

While taking up An Act Punishing Assault and Battery by Means of a Bodily Substance upon Correction Facility Employees, Representative Peterson was one of the dozens of co-sponsors who supported the amendment.  It was offered in response to the Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling made on February 5th.   The SJC ruled in favor of a child predator that had been sending sexually explicit content through online communications.

The amendment will expand the statute by prohibiting the dissemination of harmful material to a minor via instant messaging or other online communications.

The Grafton lawmaker supported legislation a couple weeks ago because he was concerned that the state’s statute under which the defendant was convicted had not been updated to reflect society’s current electronic age.

After an examination of the statute and its legislative history, the Court stated that the Legislature must take action if it wanted to ensure that our children are protected from predators seeking to electronically disseminate obscene material to minors.

“With the Supreme Court saying that the Legislature needed to be more specific with our protection of minors, it is great to see that we could act so quickly,” stated Representative Peterson. “It is great to know that our minors have an added level of protection now through this amendment.”

The bill now heads to the Senate for approval.

[Note: Reader L.D. comments that the issue of "cell phone numbers being released to telemarketers" may be misinformation, as this article at snopes.com indicates.  We suggest you read both articles and decide for yourself. --webmaster]

Boston, MA - Representative George N. Peterson, Jr. (R-Grafton) is urging any citizens throughout the Commonwealth to call the National Do Not Call Registry, to avoid your cell phone number being released to telemarketing companies.

The process is fairly easy, and takes only a few minutes. From your cell phone, you must dial 888-382-1222, which is the National Do Not Call List phone line. From there, it is just a matter of minutes before your number will be blocked from this list for five (5) years.

“Even though this is a limited list, it is great that this is available,” stated Representative Peterson. “I am glad that this has been set up to hopefully avoid the majority of telemarketing calls.”

It is imperative that you call from your cell phone number that you want to have blocked. This takes only a matter of minutes, yet will save the headaches and frustration that come along with telemarketing calls.

REP. DYKEMA’S SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION BILL RECEIVES FAVORABLE REPORT 

Boston— Representative Carolyn Dykema is pleased to announce that a bill she filed last January, H.3658, An Act Relative to School Transportation, has been reported favorably out of the Joint Committee on Education as part of a consolidated bill that establishes a commission on school transportation concerns.

The assessment of bus fees, which was the subject of Representative Dykema’s bill, is among the issues that will be scrutinized by the new commission.  In addition to addressing the question of fees, the commission will investigate regional school and special education transportation and propose ways to manage school transportation more cost-effectively. Specific cost saving measures to be looked at include optimization of bus routing through the use of shared software, collaboration among school districts, and outsourcing transportation administration to a third party.

“As towns struggle to balance their school budgets, the state needs to play an active role in proposing strategies for controlling the high cost of school transportation,” saidDykema. “This commission will be charged with providing actionable solutions and I hope the bill will come up for a vote soon so the commission can start its work. It’s especially good news that the commission will also look into concerns raised by my constituents related to the assessment of fees.”

A report of the Commission’s findings and recommendations would be due by the end of 2010. The bill must be passed by both the House and the Senate before the Commission can be established.

 ###

State Representative Carolyn represents the towns of Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway (pct. 1), Southborough (pct. 2 & 3) and Westborough (pct. 2).