 Fun, I'm James Milan and welcome to this talk of the town, which is a legislative update and I am delighted to welcome our very excellent State Senator Cindy Friedman into the studio. Cindy, always glad to see you. Always glad to see you, James. Thanks for having me. Yeah. Glad to be here. Happy summer. Happy summer to you. We have to remember that it's summer. I know. I wonder if you get to... A little wet. A little wet. Does a legislator in Massachusetts get to have summer in the summer? Yeah, absolutely. August is our quiet month, so yeah. Yep, excellent. So that's a good way to start things is that we're anticipating you being able to relax sometime soon, but not till the end of this interview. So with the legislative updates, as always, we want just to find out, get a sense of what you've been up to in the month since we last spoke to you. And specifically, what of interest to Arlington and the other towns in your district has been going on, is currently going on. I know... Let's start with the budget because that's... It's at some point near the end of the process, I think, right, and it needs to happen pretty soon. But tell us where things stand right now. Things stand in conference committees. So the House does their budget in April and the Senate does their budget in May, and then they come together with both versions, and it's called conferencing, and they come up with a budget, a compromise budget. It's supposed to be done at the end of June, done by July 1st. Whoops. We are still at it. Yes. Yes, we are still at it. Some years are thornier than others. But the conference committee is hard at work, and I expect that we're going to see something in the not too distant future. Well, I certainly hope so, for everybody's sake, including yours. But you were saying that some years are thornier than others. How typical or atypical is it for things to not come in by the June 30th or July 1st deadline? It happens, and it happens in Massachusetts, and we do these partial budgets. So we'll do a budget that will fund for a month and then another month. It's not the way we like to do business, but it happens, and I don't control the world. Well so my sense then is that it's not what anybody would prefer, obviously, and the aim and the goal is to not have that happen. But if it does, it happens, like you said, and so people are whatever, they're philosophical about it and ready just to keep going. We have to work till it's done. Exactly. So that is where things stand. So that's the story in terms of process. How about content? Anything that you want to highlight from the 2024 fiscal budget? Well I can highlight on the Senate side, because that's the one I know. We did a couple, I think, really notable things. So we passed in-state tuition. So anybody who has lived here, gone to school here for three years or more, is eligible for in-state tuition. We added another $200 million to workforce development in loan forgiveness in the primary care and mental health space. So that brings it up to about $400 million that we've invested. We have... So again, that's loan forgiveness for people who are choosing to get to... Yes, who are working either in a community-based mental health center, in a community health center, in a psychiatric hospital, or in a clinic. And there are some requirements around it. You have to stay, in some cases, four, in other cases, five years. And you have to be working in a place where there is at least a minimum amount of public payers, so people who are on mass health, but it's very substantial. So for psychiatrists, it's $300,000 for docs and nurse practitioners, it's over 100. So they're very substantial in the loan forgiveness programs. And they are at every level of delivery, service delivery. Right. So the people who are doing the grunt work, so to speak, are just as likely to... They have exactly the same opportunity. So I think we're... I'm excited about that because I think we need to keep doing that. We also have money in there for home care and elder service home care and personal care attendant rates to stabilize and come up a little bit, which is really important because we're having so much trouble in getting workforce. So there's some, I think, really good things in there that help the state and the most vulnerable people. Yeah, and I know from reading about this, that the Senate's version of the budget passed unanimously in the Senate, which is pretty cool. And I don't know if that's typical or not, but I do think that we want to, again, remind people that we're talking about things as if they're going to happen, we hope. But that is still to be... The two budgets still need to be reconciled and you're in, hopefully, the last stages of that process. And there's money in there for Arlington, there's money in there for AYCC, and for the rebuilding of the memorial, the Veterans Memorial, there's a couple other funding for specifically Arlington. My towns ask for things and we try and provide as much as we can for local earmarks. Right. And I do think that the things that you've mentioned already, those are game changers in a lot of ways, the in-state tuition, that loan forgiveness. This is like... I think people cannot just understand what the terms are and what the impact might be, but there will be a discernible dramatic impact, I would think. And we really took this whole notion of workforce and the crisis in workforce. We took it very seriously. Another thing that I'd point out is we've made all nursing programs in the Commonwealth free tuition. So... Really? Yeah. And we also have a pilot that we're doing just next year to get ready to make all community college tuition free. So how will that work? You're going to take a pilot, like when you say pilot, is that like you're going to do in miniature what you would then like to expand out to? Yeah, but I think in this case what I think the focus is going to be is how do you implement that so that all of that is free? How do you ensure that the other needs that people have when they go to community colleges are met like stipends, transportation, all of the issues that we've learned about about what barriers people have to getting an education, getting into the workforce, staying into the workforce and trying to remove as many barriers as we can. So I think part of this next year is going to be setting up the structure for free and state tuition. I think that I really... For free, sorry, community college. Community college. And I do really appreciate the fact that you just gave us an illustration of what you're talking about in terms of eliminating barriers because I think people would hear or could hear, I myself, certainly a candidate, to hear such a thing as, oh, moving towards potential free tuition for community colleges. And I would just say, wow, that's great, and that's that. But it's not because like you said, it's more complicated than that and you need to address the other things. In order for that to have the full force of the benefit you want, you have to address the other real life situations of the people who are going to be taking advantage of that program. So that's the thoughtfulness that I just want to acknowledge and appreciate. I did some reading around your website as I often do before we talk, and I could tell that you were excited about various provisions in the Senate budget, at least. And wondered whether there's anything else that you wanted to share about that or we can move on otherwise. Now, I think just the only thing I would point out is that once again, Massachusetts is paying attention to what's going on in the rest of the country. There was a very significant serious ruling that in Texas, around preventative services and preventative health care services. And the Affordable Care Act ensured that there was a baseline of preventative services for cancer treatment, for some reproductive stuff, some diagnostics that people now go to the doctor and get for free and have to get because they're mandated. And there was a ruling that overturned that. And so Massachusetts immediately in this budget, and it's in both the House and the Senate, have stated that all of those preventative services will continue to be available for health care plans in Massachusetts. So people will not be losing cancer treatment, diagnostic services, things that people have come to very much rely on. And I think it's very much as you just said that it is something that once again you are showing that our statehouse is paying attention to what's happening out there. This has been a real theme of our conversations in these last few years. Under the Trump administration, with various Supreme Court rulings that we are all dealing with, et cetera, over going back to last year's DoB's decision, et cetera, Massachusetts state legislature acts fast in the face of those things is what I've noticed in these last few years. Yeah. No, I think because they're just so critical to our commonwealth. And I think the next one we're looking at is the affirmative action decision. Oh, boy. Yeah. Oh, boy. Actually, there's already a bill that would outlaw or outlaw would make illegal legacy admissions. Admissions. Yeah, I'm sure it didn't take long on that end either. But yeah, I mean, it stands in stark contrast as well. We're just talking about in terms of the alacrity with which Massachusetts responded to things happening in Washington and emanating out from there. That stands in pretty stark contrast to the generally slow way that things work in this state, that's for sure. You know, one of the things that I saw in your website was that you were talking about the tax relief provisions, that there were some tax relief provisions again in the Senate budget. So it wasn't in the budget, it was in a separate bill, there was a house tax bill and a Senate tax bill and those now are also being conferenced. Gotcha. So it's a little complicated. Right. So there's a lot of groups of six people meeting, I guess, around some important issues. But what can you tell us about the tax relief provisions? The Senate tax package really focused on relief for working families, middle income families. You know, both the House and the Senate have a version of raising the estate tax. So we both raise it to 2 million. We do it a little differently, but we've also gotten rid of the cliffed effect. So up until now, you got a million dollars and then rode on everything. Now we've stopped that, so 2 million dollars and then it becomes, you get taxed on the first dollar above that, the second dollar, so there's no longer this cliff effect. That's in both of them. Little differently the way we do it, what we calculated on, so I think we'll be looking at that. We've doubled the senior circuit breaker. We've increased the earned income tax credit. So I'm going to interrupt you and just make sure that we clarify for people a couple of things. First, what the senior circuit breaker is and then secondly, if we can go take another step back about the estate tax, you mentioned 1 million versus 2 million. So I just want to clarify. What you're saying is that if the legislation passes, that people will not be taxed at all on the first 2 million dollars that pass on to them through an estate. And then from that point forward, they will be taxed on each new dollar. Okay, thanks for that. And then circuit breaker? So the circuit breaker is what, it puts a cap on how much somebody that meets a certain age and a certain income has to pay. We've doubled that now. So in other words, if somebody, well, you've doubled the eligibility basically. So we basically doubled the cap. So now you can make up to, I think it's 120,000. Wow. Don't quote me on that because you're not in front of me. Don't quote her. You know me with numbers. But anyway, that's in there. We've increased the earned income tax credit for families, which turns out to be one of the most important tax credits that there is anywhere. I mean, that really gives money back to people, puts it in their pockets. So we've kind of done, our focus has been on those kinds of things. The house has things like they've reduced the tax on short term capital gains. You know, they've done a tax on a very complicated issue around large corporations and whether they pay tax, single sales tax. So it has to do with where do you pay tax if you are located in a certain place? Do you have to pay in pencil in Massachusetts? It's something that I understand for about five minutes. Right. You understand for the five minutes you need to understand or to vote on. But there's more corporate, I think more corporate and more more breaks for those at the higher income level. Right. So it sounds like there's a little bit of reconciling as you've often talked about before. It's a it's a I don't know whether it stands in contrast or not with other other state legislatures, you know, around the country. But here what I've noticed is that it does seem like the Senate is more likely to be a source of more progressive legislation and the House is more likely to be a source of more business oriented or not necessarily, you know, not prioritizing business over other interests. But, you know, again, as you were just illustrating where where that is a little bit more of a concern or something that there. Yeah, I mean, to some extent it's true and to some extent it's not. I mean, we all did the reproductive rights stuff very quickly. We all did the immigrant drivers license bill. So, you know, it's right. There's plenty of stuff that we do that they don't do that they do that we know. So it's it's sort of I think I would say that the Senate is more focused on doing more things. We'll just leave it at that. I'm sure you're any House colleagues who happen to be or, you know, House members who happen to be tuning in. Maybe they'll have something to say about that. You'll see. So I want to take, you know, a portion or perhaps all of the time that reminds to us to talk about things, you know, what we're looking forward to or what you're looking forward to besides your August break. And specifically, you know, for things that are going to be a particular import for Arlington residents. And then just more generally around those areas of interest of yours that we've long talked about, whether there's anything that's exciting for you or that you want people to know about coming up for the next next session. OK. Well, in terms of Arlington, there's a number of homeroom petitions that have been sent to us. So these are these are warrant articles that have been passed by the town and have and now need approval for of the state. So there's the electrification fossil fuel bill that would all new construction would be electric. Right. You know, and would be renewable. It will be renewable. There's the rodenticide bill, which would allow towns would allow Arlington to ban certain rodenticides and toxins that have been killing animals. There's a same early registration, homeroom, early voter and and rank choice voting and local for local elections. Those are for everyone's been heard at the committee they've been sent to, except one. And so now we'll we'll focus on the the delegation will focus on moving those out of those committees and getting them onto the floor to be passed. So those are the big. I think those are the main Arlington ones that are happening. And then in more broadly, we will see a health care bill and we are very much focused. My my group, my guys are really focused on pharmaceutical costs, pharmacy benefit managers, private equity and how that's you know, cost, just the cost of everything and how we need to better analyze and understand where all these astronomical costs are coming from that people that pass down to the to the patients. And so those are some of the things that we're going to be really that we are really going to be focused on. Primary care is another one and reducing the administrative via that doctors and providers have to go through in order just, you know, that it's nothing to do with the service of the delivery of service. It just has to do with. Archaic, you know, insurance and payments and and and stuff that happens at the systems level where they, you know, they are the recipients of just this incredible burden. And it's really moving, pushing people out of the out of the workforce. So so that's the kind of one of the health care pieces. And then the other thing I think we'll definitely see is some kind of nursing home bill, which I think is a good thing. I think it will come from the house and. And when you say nursing home bill, do you mean regulation? Yeah, to update nursing homes, so you know, regulations. I hope we'll see some wage information in there, training, oversight and accountability on the sides of the nursing home. I think there's been a lot of focus on that since the pandemic. And I think now they'll, you know, I know that Elder Service Committee has been working very hard on a bill to to address some of the issues and some of the learnings from COVID. You know, I'm reminded in what you were just saying, I'm reminded of the deep dive that you came in here and took with us on the pharmaceutical bill that is not law. Right. But we try again. Exactly. Exactly. But but really, I think a lot of the issues that you were just saying were stuff that you really explained in good detail during that session. And they will they will continue to be pertinent because they will be part of every bill that gets introduced until something is actually passed, as you said. You know, we have to we have to do something about the cost of pharmaceuticals and the role of pharmacy benefit managers in exactly determining those costs and those rebates. Those. Yeah. I hate to say it, but those wicked PB, you know, you gave me an education that day that I have actually taken forward with me in terms of how I kind of see and read between the lines of the things that I that I am taking in in this in that area. I have one quick question about something that you were you were talking about the different home rule petitions from Arlington. And obviously, I'm sure every year you have home rule petitions. We're just about, I would assume, from all of your communities. Are is that true? Or is that an Arlington? Is that more like from our town? No, we get them. We get we get them actually across the across the across the district, across the district. I mean, for instance, we often get liquor license home rules. So for some very bizarre, archaic, probably not very flattering reasons, the state is towns are required to get their liquor license approved by the state. I think it's ridiculous. I don't think it's anybody's business in the state, but it is there. And so we'll often get liquor licenses, especially around places that are doing commercial development. So Burlington, Burne, often that's the kind of, you know, things that they need to get done because of their their communities and what's going on there. Arlington and Lexington are also they're pretty active. Right. And so we get them from there. We get that we get. So I was I was partially interested in that, but also even more so in the fact that you you described that each one of these is still in process in some way, like three out of four of them have been considered by the committees and they're all in process. What I'm curious about and I expect people in the audience might be curious about is is this going to be a heavy lift for any of these to get through? Or with home rule petitions of this sort? It's not a rubber stamp, either, I'm sure. But is it like, can we expect that there will be action on these things? So on certain things, you absolutely can, like liquor licenses. And sometimes sometimes members will play politics on things. They don't have anything to do with the actual issue at hand. Some of them are much harder. So what happened, for instance, Arlington had a home roll to their initially the home roll for the fossil fuel and it was stopped in the committee. The the chair of the committee did not agree that this is how it should be approached, that it should be, you know. And so we had to fight to get something in the bill that was broader, but it didn't didn't necessarily help Arlington and Lexington. OK, so in that case, it wasn't a rubber stamp and it was a big it was a very heavy lift. And I don't I don't feel like it ended to the satisfaction of, you know, so that's an example. Yeah. Yeah, that's really that's great clarification that, you know, it depends on kind of what the content is of the thing itself. And again, liquor licenses are a great illustration of the thing that are almost rubber stamped, because everybody recognizes, as you've just said, that this is just some kind of hold over from a time. And it's no longer relevant if it ever was. And so you just need to deal with it as quickly as possible. Yeah, we've had homeroom petitions, which have taken police and or fire or police and fire out of civil service. And sometimes they can become a little bit. You know, contentious. My feeling is, is if my town, sorry, asks me to do something that the town has voted on and it is not illegal or immoral, it is my responsibility as a as the elected official and representative to move that, you know, those requests through. So that's how I feel about homeroom petitions. And I strongly believe that unless you have some incredibly good reason that you can explain and make sense and really it shouldn't happen because it's it's negatively affecting so many other people. I just I think it's I think we should honor the towns. It's there, you know. Yeah. And in this case, the three things that you mentioned already, which have been, you know, which are in their various committees, I know those things are really important. They're very important to this town. He may not be important to legislators from other places or whatever, but they are definitely important to this town. So and why we need to have rodenticide to in our water and on our land and, you know, is is beyond me. I just that's a no brainer. So let us hope that rational minds prevail. And I expect so and hope so. And look forward to, you know, our next conversation and hopefully confirming that that is the case. Yes. So thank you, as always. I really appreciate it. I said to you before we started taping, oh, yeah, we don't have that much to talk about today. Maybe we won't go the whole half hour. Never. So just make sure you book a half hour every time. OK, I will. And thanks for having me. And I hope you have a good Russell summer. Thanks. Thanks very much. And you too. Enjoy your break. I have been speaking with Cindy Friedman. She is our state senator. And this has been a legislative update as part of the talk of the town series. We really appreciate Cindy's time. We really do. And we appreciate yours as well. Thanks so much for joining us. We'll see you next time. Bye.