 Hello everyone welcome to talk of the town. I'm James Milan and we are back in the studio for our one of our regular meetings with our State Senator Cindy Friedman always a pleasure to talk to Cindy always Illuminating so thanks as always for coming in good to see you James glad to be here appreciated We know that that this is not an easy morning for you I know I This is one of my workout mornings, and they really put me through the paces today, so I'm But they're wonderful. I actually go to fitness together on Broadway and whoa Nice plug. I want to give them a great plug. They're amazing. Although right now. I'm not real happy with that That's right. It was a workout with capital W capital world today But all right, we'll see if we can revive you during during the conversation Oftentimes when we're talking and we like to get you know a general update about what's going on at the state house and with your priorities Etc. And obviously we are going to get to that But oftentimes we we start there and then we end up talking about Arlington specific issues near the end of the conversation I would like to invert that today and start by Saying that you know we'll talk a little bit more about where the budget is and the surplus of money that We know is the case in here in 2019 But just tell us about how either budgetary decisions or allocations or other kinds of policies Are going to be impacting Arlington specifically Okay, I think there's a couple Things that are noteworthy first we had a good budget this year and we increased money for chapter 70 which is education and we Funded local aid and so I think Arlington about about 14 million dollars in Chapter 70 money and I think About 7 million in in local aid and don't hold me to those right right in front of me but But are those let me sorry to interrupt but are those numbers like So it's 14 million compared to Something else something 12 million before or is it actually 14 million dollars more in no no It's it's not 14 million dollars more, but it is an increase. Okay, and right now we did mostly that increase in In specific Student funding so we increased the the number of dollars per student that we okay great We also As part of the supplemental budget we put in money for Additional money for chapter 90, which is roads and bridges, which is something that Will support Arlington hopefully and Then we also had some I put in some earmarks we about I think was 175,000 for Arlington Youth Counseling Center $85,000 for food link We also did I put in some money for English at large, which is a wonderful Wuburn program of supporting immigrants learning Learning English so we got some of those earmarks in and that right so just to clarify for those in the audience who might not know earmarks or kind of Budgetary allocations to very specific projects or organizations or yes, okay Yeah, it's a way of us getting it's a way of us being able to support specific local Local work, okay great and a white you know I'm sure the program in Wuburn as you say is really excellent and we all know that a YCC and Food link are both very value valued institutions in this town. So good news there Yeah, yeah, and the great thing too about food link is that it covers my all my whole district So even though it's it's Arlington based right they work with People all over the district. So I feel like it's it's something that benefits all my communities. Yeah, that's a great That's a great point that food link is based in Arlington and was born in Arlington, of course But as we know he's continuing to spread its tentacles in the best way the best possible way So yeah broad more and more broadly, which is great And probably the money that you you know got for them has got only going to help with us with those efforts I Don't want to interrupt where you know, I mean that so I think in the budget specifically those were some of the Pieces that I think were Arlington You know specific along with the how much money we put into for instance the Department of Mental Health We we have nine hundred million dollars that we you know the Department of Mental Health budget 100 million of that is if is for children or actually in addition there's 100 million dollars for children's mental health Those are the kinds of things that I feel like support all of our communities across the Commonwealth So those are some of the budget Items that I might point out it was so long ago that I Were on to the new budget at the supplemental budget So I'm trying to remember okay. What was it which one right so in a sense It was so long ago and yet budget Issues and questions are still with us. Yes, you know We were talking to you as well as our state reps a couple of months ago and got the word from all of you that That as you just repeated it's a good budget this year and I've obviously a good budget Can be and often is defined as more money there for lots of worthy programs and but From what I understand and I would love some clarification the the actual Allocation of especially there's surplus money to be spent etc. They're This is stalled in some way or can you just tell us what's going on with the budget right now? there's two pieces one is the annual budget which we passed and is moving forward and Then there is what we do throughout the year the supplemental budgets and At the end of the year there is a supplemental budget, which is called a close-out Budget and basically what it does is it makes whole any? Accounts that may not have gotten enough money. So perfect example is is salt Okay, the the the you know the salt and the plowing but we know You put a certain amount of money in Depending on the year you have you may have put enough money in or you may not and at the end of the year You make that account whole so that's what a close-out budget does this year We had Supplemental money. We actually had more money To the tune of maybe one billion dollars At the end of the year so there was a Effort to say okay, what should we do with that money? First of all, let's close out. Let's make everybody whole Secondly, let's put a chunk of that a large chunk of that into the stabilization the rainy day Rainy day fun and then we have some money left over to fund some programs that are important to us to fund So we did that and for instance in the supplemental budget on the Senate side we put in money for Sidewalks and streetscapes for Arlington. So there's sixty six thousand dollars in there for Arlington to To support the Broadway Plaza there was streetscapes and sidewalks for Lexington I put in and streets aid for for for Bill Ricka. So those were some of the things that we got to Put in we had some more money for Substance use disorder we put in put that money in What's happening now is this? Procedural issue of how we so the house did theirs. They did their supplemental budget We do our supplemental budget. We send our supplemental budget back to the house And now what's happening is what's going something is going on in the house for how they need to move that piece of legislation Forward so that it can come back to us so that we can have a conference committee and work out the differences And right now the procedural issue is in the house and they've got to figure out for all sorts of inside baseball Reasons how they're going to move that bill. So we're sort of the Senate is kind of sitting there going just kind of Let's let's we'll help you but let us know and so there's some back-and-forth going on So that's the money that stalled Not the big not the fifth why 20 budget money It's the closeout for FY 19 and some additional money right that people would love to have okay, so Again, we're talking about as we've mentioned in the past good problem to have Have to figure out oh extra money. How are we going to allocate it? Etc. But nonetheless things work the way that they work or don't work the way they don't work In the state house and we're stuck right now and in a moment. So hopefully this gets resolved quickly Things start moving along we can feel confident though that the things that you said the the the money going to Arlington Lexington Bell Ricker et cetera for these streetscapes it will it will come Great we will see that money Anything else you wanted to say about the budget more generally or just that we also got five million dollars in the budget for Substance use disorder treatment and harm reduction. I think that that's a really important piece That we're going to put more money into Those activities and those services and organizations that reduce harm around Substance use disorder. Okay, so I actually did want to ask you about that because I noticed the artful use of language Into in in referring to what you're talking about as harm reduction sites. I Know that other people would have other things that they call such places. Oh, yes So describe what you're talking about, right? Okay, so there's harm reduction reduction efforts So that's things like making sure people have clean needles to use to stop the spread of HIV and hep C There's Access to people who have substance use disorder increasing their access to just general health care very important There's Programs in that are helping people with substance use disorder. That's important There is also another piece and this is what people have been talking a lot about which is called a Safe use site or safe injection site or harm reduction highly controversial. We have to say highly controversial Which would allow There to be a place where a person with a substance use disorder who's using can go Use their drugs with oversight from medical professionals to make sure that they're First of all to watch to make sure that if there's a reaction somebody's there To make sure that their power finalia is clean That they don't reuse needles or that they're not They stop infection things like that and then Also to create a safe supportive place Which every bit of research says when you provide these kind of places You allow an opportunity for a door to open to treatment So while the first and foremost most we want to keep people safe The also the benefit of it is that you are you can create a space where certain people Would be willing to then go into treatment. So I think on that last point. That's probably where critics of this would Would be you know, we would voice some skepticism about you know, how? strong the evidence is there or something like that, but I am Intrigued by the fact that again if we I'm happy to refer to them as harm reduction sites for the moment But that those places are really bringing into high relief this wrestling match That has been going on for the last number of years in this state at least of How to look at the opioid crisis, etc Is it something that is a criminal that should be treated in a criminal way? should it be treated as a public health issue and this really does kind of put that you know make that in Rather a bold spotlight on that very intersection there. Yeah And I assume that you are a well, I'll ask you I shouldn't assume Are you a supporter of of the this approach? Yes, I am a very strong supporter of this approach. I Absolutely firmly believe that substance use disorder is an illness and not a crime now people who sell drugs people who You know are on the you know are out there trying to hook people and you know make money They're they're criminals and there's just no question about that But somebody who has who uses drugs who's a substance has a substance use disorder that is an illness in every sense of the word and We need to start treating it like the illness that is Nobody decides that they want to be addicted to heroin or opioids or methamphetamine. It's not a happy life These people are just at that point just trying to survive So it's our job to help them in any way that we can and we have different programs for people But we don't we don't have every door not every door is open and it has been shown That at least you need to keep people alive and safe before they can get treatment if they die they can't get treatment and And So this is just another tool in the toolbox. It has shown that it doesn't increase drug use It doesn't increase crime. In fact, it reduces crime because people go to places and are not victims Or they you know are not victims of crimes, which is often happens, especially for women and There's medical intervention. So I Just very strongly believe that it's and it can't be about our comfort. It has to be about what works for an illness and there's no other illness that we would get into This kind of discussion around saying well, should we give them a treatment that we think works? right and Again, you've just articulated that you see that the the you know for those who would be Using in a harm reduction site because they are drug users That really on a societal level the people that they are most likely to harm are themselves That's right. It's not others. So that's an important point That reminds me of the fact that you're also working on legislation I believe to address another aspect of that which is section 35 Civil right well you tell us about that so section 35 is a section in the chapter in the mass general laws that allows Somebody to go to court and ask the court to intervene for a loved one or somebody they know Who has a substance use disorder and is a harm to themselves. It is an imminent risk so if my child for instance is has an opioid addiction And I can't I'm worried that they're going to die. I can go to the court and say will you Put this person in into an involuntary treatment for and it's a very defined amount of time and If the court finds that that person is in fact a harm to themselves or others They will then commit them to a treatment program It's called a civil commitment because nobody's done it. They haven't broken any law You know, they haven't you know robbed anything or or hurt anybody, but they're hurting themselves And so that's a civil commitment Currently you can under a civil commitment Be placed in a correctional facility that is treating Substances like and the big one is Mesaq down in Plymouth We I firmly Believe that nobody that is civilly committed that has an illness should ever Ever be placed in a correctional facility. It is not where they belong if you had a heart attack We would never consider sending you to a hospital in a prison This what this bill says is that the the state is on the hook for having enough beds so that people with civil who are civilly committed because of a substance use disorder go to a Treatment center that is not part of a prison. And I Suggest everybody, you know Google Mesaq and find out all of the stories that have been going on around there for people who are civilly committed and how they're treated When they are in those facilities and they don't belong there It is not the it is not a medical model that we should be Perpetrating and that's what this bill would say is you can't do that Mm-hmm, and you said that it puts the onus on the state to ensure that there are enough beds Is that because at least in part the response to critiques of the current system is hey There aren't enough yeah I mean that's what the courts will say is if you take this away from us We don't have places to send these people and in fact, it's a valid It's a valid concern in the western part of the state the only treatment center is in the house of correction In Hampton that is the only place in the western part of the state where somebody who? Has a substance use disorder and is committed civilly. There's no other place for them to go they'd have to go to Worcester or go to Boston and That's a very valid Issue there's we need to have places in the western part of the state But that's our job to figure out and that's the why we have the department of public health and the Department of Mental Health and The Executive Office of Health and Human Services, so right so hopefully that if the bill goes through in fact We'll just see more we will see more facilities in places where we yeah, great Um Interestingly this topic that we were just talking about I think is a good intersection of two of your main concerns as a legislator I know and that is you know health and public health And and also the criminal justice system and how those two things yeah collide a lot of the time, right? Yeah, and don't necessarily work all that well together I'm wondering if I can now just zoom out a little bit and ask you more generally These are these are both areas that you're always I know working away to file legislation to Help different constituencies and constituents What's what's what's the update on what's going on with some you know the more major pieces you're working on The governor has just come out with a big on the bus health care bill which has some really interesting things in it and as the Chair the Senate chair of health care financing that bill will come to our committee So we'll be we'll be having a hearing on that We are working very hard in the Senate on specific pieces I think you're going to see a pharmaceutical bill very soon coming out of the Senate Which is going to hopefully address the issues of the high cost of drugs and I don't know if anybody had noticed but when the state every year does a cost-trend hearing where they look at the cost trends in in in health care and One of the biggest Increases has been in pharmaceuticals as and I I bet you could randomly call anybody and they will say yeah I either my either Drugs went up or I they're no longer Covered and now I'm paying out of pocket So it's a it's a huge issue. So we're going to be looking at that specifically and then we'll We're going to be looking at next pieces so Whether the Senate does an omnibus bill or not is up in the air, but we will be doing health care and taking up a lot of the pieces that you saw in the Governor's budget and that in the governor's bill and that bill Will it will have a hearing and then it will go to the house because it was filed in the house So they'll take it up first last session. We did a health care bill first Sent it to the house. They did one, but we never reconciled it. So let me ask you as you know now You've been at this for a while Working between the Senate in the in the house, etc How hopeful are you that something of substance? No pun intended will Will come from the pharmaceutical, you know the work on on You know kind of restraining Yeah Prescription drug prices, etc. How hopeful are you that something real is going to is going to come from this? I Am hopeful I think that there's so much pressure on the system that if we don't address pieces of it There's going to be a real It's it's going to implode even more than it is imploding today So I think there is a sense among My co-chair in the house and you know house members I'm sure and the Senate that we absolutely have to continue to address health care I don't think that's a question The question is always how do you do it? Okay, and there is so much at stake in health care There are so many players that have so much skin in the game Especially around money That it is a real effort it will take a real effort on our part to move that For to move the cost Containment forward because it really will mean that some people are going to have to make a little less money right That we have to get costs out of the system And these aren't costs that are helping improve health care They're costs that are going into the pockets of people doing of companies mostly doing business And I am all for people making a profit. I'm all for you know innovation But at some point It is so affecting the consumer They are not seeing the benefits of all of these great new fabulous things that we're doing in the health care space Because they can't afford it or it's not accessible so Revenue at the expense of the consumer is something that we really have to address and that's what we're looking at It's got to be about the consumer and I can hear the Urgency in your own voice and I assume what you're saying is that you're you're you're far from alone that you you have That sense from your colleagues from the two chambers that there is this feeling Yeah In the same way as you're describing that something has to be done about this and soon right I I think that's true I mean the governor put a great stake in the ground around Pharmaceutical pricing I don't I May not agree with Exactly the way that they're doing it, but they absolutely put a stake in the ground and said we're serious We've got to do something about about the cost So so we know it's coming that that they recognize it on the administration I believe the house recognizes because they hear from their consumers I mean you you you should look at the Hearing that we did around some cost pharmaceutical cost prices and listen to the stories of people who are who need insulin I mean it is when you start rationing your insulin when you have Pharmacies that are are telling to people if you don't use all you need I know somebody who needs it and they can't afford it When you don't go With your insulin you can't you go for days because you can't you're trying to right That this is that's unconscionable. They're you know there that is just beyond What any of us should spend any moment accepting? So I think people get that and I hope the pharmaceutical companies really begin to hear that We're serious But we have to show it in action right so right especially because as you said you're up against yep Very very deep pocketed With with a very vested interest in the status quo, so good luck with that speaking of Though things that need to be done and everybody agrees and yet Let's talk a little bit about transportation Do you have anything nice good hopeful or otherwise to share with us about Possibilities for how again to deal with what we have talked about so many times yeah a Transportation system in this country in this state and in this city even which is not adequate right To the existing needs much less You know looking into the future Anything going on there that we can hang our hats on at all Well, I think what we can hang our hats on is that Talking about pressure the pressure is intense and the pressure is intense on the state to address it And there was a couple different bills The house has a transportation bill that they're working on now. I know the Senate we've been I know that the the shares and The committee has been looking at transportation I Think we are getting to a point where we where we don't have to explain to the governor that it is a revenue problem Although you never know. I think they're looking at some short term and some medium terms the long-term fixes the The truth though about transportation is we do need to fix our transportation system and we need to do it now We actually needed to do it 20 years ago The problem is that anything what I've seen that anything we were looking at is a long-term solution We need to do it, but it's not going to immediately reduce the You know the traffic on 93 which I go through every day when I can't take the tea Oh, and by the way when I take the tea sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't it's you know so We're going to have to get smarter about how what we can do in the short term but we're also going to have to keep the will to make a change even though this current administration and maybe this Legislature isn't going to see the outcome of it because it's going to these these take five ten Twenty years to build the infrastructure that we don't have so in the meantime We've got a I think focus on housing and making sure that people have housing and they have housing near Transportation so that they can at least get on the tea or they're near where they work. So housing is critical To to helping to solve this problem and then I know we're looking at congestion pricing Which people are very interested in I have issues with because I think contrasting congestion pricing That's when you you have certain tolls and they go up and down depending on the time of day, okay? Great idea Except if you don't have an alternative Then what you're just putting the burden on people who have to get in their cars to drive, right? So when you say don't have an alternative you mean you got to get the public transportation, right? You know you have to get that you have to get that as a viable option for people if we had a great transportation system I'd congest in price Everybody on everybody Get on the train get on the bus get on the You know the tea but we don't have that people don't have that choice It's going to mean that That business that employers are going to have to say, okay, we'll have shifts We won't have everybody coming in at eight or nine o'clock We'll have shifts so that we can reduce some of the pressure on the streets. Are they willing to do that? Right, okay, so everybody's gonna add to just yet another thing that everybody's gonna have to put skin in the game So I wish I could tell you this is the answer and it's gonna happen right now, but it's not we've we've got to We've got to have a shorter medium and long term I do believe we need to reduce the price on the tea that we should make it very cheap to ride Buses and trains. I think the commuter rail prices are too high for many people coming from Bill Ricker or coming from Newbury port it's expensive to ride the commuter rail And I think we have to address that we've got to reduce the prices. That's something we could do That's something we could do and you're saying that you really feel like That is something there's either data to show or it's your sense for sure that there are Some number of people who are opting to get in their cars and get in increase the congestion simply because it costs too Much for them because hundreds of dollars for certain people to take the commuter rail every month if you're a If you're a minimum wage worker or even if you're you know, somebody making I don't know Middle-class middle-class wage. That's a huge amount of money a week Absolutely, and we need to get people to work and we need to keep I mean that's our job infrastructure is our job and It's not it's not the job of the private sector. It's the job of the government to provide that so One more job of the government that I just wanted the last thing that I know that I want to ask you about other than One little thing about Arlington that I forgot to ask you about before but one other thing that the government in my opinion is responsible for is Addressing and reducing discrimination in all its different forms and you know from Racial discrimination through sexual orientation through everything else I know also that that's an area that you're always working To to to mitigate I'm wondering if there are any at any updates on legislation that you're doing In the sexual harassment or discrimination area anything like that. Well, I do have a bill and The bill would include a venture capitalist firms and and grant makers to Come under our sexual our protected class rules. So right now employers have all sorts of requirements and and statutes around what they can and can't do and that are for protection of people and and to Give people the right if they are being discriminated against to seek course of course it turns out that venture capitalists and Grant makers in general do not fall under that category because they're not typical employers And it also turns out that especially in the venture capitalist world. There is a lot of discriminations especially gender and Well, I'm sure I'm sure minority too, but but gender is what I know about And and so this this bill would just say if you were in that type of employer You fall under you fall under the the requirements that we have for all other employers And so that's a bill that I've been working on and I think has some legs and hopefully we'll see We'll see that move. Mm-hmm. Great anything else from Your world that we haven't covered that you would like people to know about Well, probably but Maybe it'll come to you as you answer the following question, okay, which is There is one you know Well, it's an ongoing issue and yet and and it's cropped back up again on the Arlington radar and that is Disposition of the MuGar property and we have been talking about this Arlington has been concerned with this for years and years now But it is that property a budding budding route to near a wife that is There's going to be development there it looks like The town has long opposed the development as it has been posited up till now What are your what are your opinions about it? And Yeah, I guess that's what I would like to know where where do you stand? so I am very much opposed to The MuGar development especially as we are seeing it from oak tree. I think they're still called I believe so. I Have always I've opposed in the past. I oppose it now. It is does not belong in that Place. I'm a huge proponent of affordable housing But that size development. It's so clearly does not belong there and I I empathize with the neighborhood. I empathize with the people who are trying to stop it. I Firmly am in support of the work that they are doing and I will do anything I can as the state senator To help the town address the issues around that development and I know they just got a ruling from DHCD that It can move forward. It's going to be going to I think to the zoning board. It it just doesn't belong there and All you have to do Probably you can do it today is drive down a lifebrook parkway Or drive down that inner that exchange around the tea and You will see How what a disaster it is in terms of flooding and being able to mitigate water and the thought of just putting more massive buildings on there is just It defies logic so We will you know, I will I'll support help it I'll support the town and the neighborhood in any way I can as the state senator It's it's tough to change, you know, this is a 40 B It's very hard to change that legislation, but it's clear that we have to relook at that In a very thoughtful way so that we continue to make strides in affordable housing, which is the most important thing right now across the state is housing and So we really need to make sure that we have housing for people and we have to do it in a way that It can coexist with our environment, which is very very fragile right now. Thanks for that Yeah, and and that's a wrap as far as I'm concerned unless there's anything that we like all of a sudden You've remembered anything that that you'd like to mention. If not, that's fine No, I think we covered a lot of good areas, but I really appreciate being able to come on and talk to you and Be here at ACMI. Yeah, it's a great rhythm that we've developed and We appreciate both you and your office working with us because this is what one of the things that we see as a real public service That we can offer to the residents of Arlington and frankly the rest of your district as well But we you know, I've said it before I'm sure I'll say it again We really do appreciate the fact that you come on here you give us straightforward an answer to every question that we ask as you are able to do and It is both refreshing but also I said you were it's illuminating to talk to you It is because that's what we're getting so we're very appreciative of that. Well, thank you And we look forward to the next conversation as always I do too And that's it folks. I'm James Milan. This has been talk of the town with our state senator Cindy Friedman We appreciate you joining us and we'll see you next time