Upon the bill’s unanimous passage, Senate President Spilka hailed the legislation as “part of our ongoing effort to protect our residents, defend our values and lead Massachusetts during a time when those values are under attack.”
Read MoreThe branch's combined veto overrides return previously agreed-upon funding levels to Trial Courts, MassHealth nursing home supplemental rates, early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays, career technical institutes, the emergency assistance family shelter system workforce, and charter school reimbursements, among other accounts.
Read MoreSheriffs — and the facilities they operate — remain a critical part of the state’s criminal justice system, one funded by the taxpayers. This long overdue scrutiny — by lawmakers and the inspector general — couldn’t come at a better time.
Read MoreThe state can’t make up for all of the federal government spending cuts that are occurring, according to Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka, who also said she’s not looking to raise taxes as part of any response.
Read More“I’m not talking about new taxes right now. I am trying to figure out — working with my partners in government, my partners in the state — how to protect Massachusetts,” Senate President Karen Spilka said during an interview on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” that aired Sunday. “We have a good rainy day fund,” she said, adding, “We’re not going to have enough to cover everything.”
Read MoreSenate President Karen Spilka joins Jon Keller to discuss the impacts of the Trump Administration, her opposition to tax increases, and the Senate’s action on data privacy legislation.
Read MoreSenate Democrats this week advanced perennial legislation to raise the age at which a person becomes subject to the adult criminal justice system to 21, a change that would divert 18-to-20-year-old offenders into the juvenile system's rehabilitative programming.
Read MoreRecently, Greater Framingham Community Church, Senator Karen Spilka, Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky, and DoorDash commemorated Hunger Action Month by celebrating the strong partnership between Greater Framingham Community Church and DoorDash’s Project DASH, which has contributed to over 8 million total deliveries to people experiencing food insecurity in the United States and Canada.
Read MoreSenate President Karen Spilka joins local leaders at Framingham Community Church to mark Hunger Action Month.
Read MoreOn September 16, Senate President Karen E. Spilka announced that MetroWest Medical Center is set to receive millions in state funding from the Legislature’s agreement on a supplemental budget.
Read MoreSenate President Karen Spilka discusses funding for MetroWest Medical Center that was secured in a supplemental budget that was signed into law.
Read MoreThe Massachusetts Senate approved three bills last week aimed at combating the opioid epidemic, protecting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and managing car rental costs for residents.
Read MoreThe Senate will vote next week on wide-ranging legislation that would erect strict guardrails around collection and distribution of personal data, a practice that has become ubiquitous with cell phones in every pocket.
Read MoreEarly data suggest Massachusetts’ experiment with free community college has been successful. Enrollment has shot up by more than 15,000 students, student retention has increased, and newly graduated students are now transferring to four-year universities.
Read MoreAn update to Massachusetts law reinforces students’ federally protected right to a public education regardless of immigration status or disability.
The new law also establishes standards for interpreters and translators, ensures English learners who are disabled have access to services, and prevents disabled students from being punished for behavior related to their disability.
Read MoreSenate President Karen Spilka and Senator Jo Comerford talk transparency, agriculture, regional equity, and more.
Read MoreMassachusetts Democrats are fighting President Trump's federal government overhaul by passing laws preserving civil protections.
Read MoreSenate President Karen Spilka talks the latest about MetroWest, the state’s budget, and free regional transit.
Read MoreState House and Senate leaders said Friday that they have reached an agreement on a spending plan for the fiscal year that begins Tuesday, a budget that will touch every part of state government from transportation to healthcare, but may ultimately be upended by an economic downturn or federal cuts to spending in Massachusetts.
Read MoreSpilka was asked about her recent proposal to make schools cellphone-free in an effort to eliminate distractions in the classroom, something Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has commented on as well, saying “we need to rain in the use of cell phones during the school day.
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