Senator Becca Rausch achieves big wins for FY2020 Senate Budget

Boston, MA – During the three full days of Senate budget debate last week, Senator Becca Rausch (D-Needham) successfully secured statewide funding for seniors, young people, and census work, as well as funding for critical programs and infrastructure in her district. The Senator voted in favor of the Senate FY2020 budget proposal (S.3) on Thursday evening, which passed on a unanimous, bipartisan 39-0 vote.

Reflecting on her first budget as a Senator, Rausch stated, "it is a such an honor to be a member of this chamber. My colleagues and I worked collaboratively to make serious investments in areas of critical need throughout our Commonwealth, including education and health care, while maintaining a balanced budget and fiscal responsibility. I am also particularly proud to have achieved a near-90% success rate on my budget amendments, securing advancements for each of the communities in my district and the Commonwealth at large. I am grateful to so many people, including Senate President Karen Spilka and Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues, who helped me realize this tremendous accomplishment."

Priorities for Natick, Needham, Wayland, and Wellesley

For the towns of Needham and Wellesley, Senator Rausch prioritized safe streets initiatives. Her amendments for streetscape improvements for the Needham Heights neighborhood and signalization of the Bacon Street and Route 135 intersection in Wellesley were both adopted. Senator Rausch said Thursday, "this funding is critically important to ensure pedestrian safety, particularly after a recent tragic loss of pedestrian life in Needham. Similarly, the Bacon Street intersection in Wellesley needs notable safety improvements."

In Natick, Senator Rausch secured full funding for the Veteran's Oral History Project housed at the Morse Institute Library, which will permit this important work to continue. In addition, Hunnewell Fields, home of the Natick Little League, will soon see $50,000 in improvements.

The Senate also adopted Senator Rausch's amendment that provides $50,000 for Wayland to upgrade and improve community playground space.

Priorities for Statewide Programs

Councils on Aging

Senator Rausch's amendment (#655) to fund innovation grants to municipal Councils on Aging will benefit seniors statewide. "Our collective moral compass is set, at least in part, by whether and how we respect our elders," Senator Rausch stated during her floor speech. She continued, "not only do our elders want to age in their chosen communities, but also … this approach to aging builds community, reduces costs, enriches lives, and improves health outcomes by notably reducing isolation." The Senate, via roll call vote, unanimously adopted Rausch's amendment to fully fund the Service Incentive Grant (SIG) program while maintaining the Formula Grant rate of $12/senior per year, restoring critical funds cut in 2018 and 2019.

Healthy Relationships Program

Noting the growing crisis of teen sexual assault and domestic violence, Senator Rausch sponsored an amendment (#656) to drastically increase funding for the Healthy Relationships Grant Program. This $1 million allocation represents the Commonwealth's largest investment in domestic violence and sexual assault prevention in many years, and supports partnerships between the Department of Public Health and community- and school-based organizations to offer effective programming that promotes healthy intimate partner relationships among our young people and reduces teen dating violence. "The numbers on this issue are staggering," Senator Rausch said. "Nearly 1.5 million teenagers nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner every year…. One in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped, or physically hurt by a dating partner." The Senator also noted that girls and young women aged 16-24 experience a rate of intimate partner violence that is nearly triple the national average. "Supporting the development of healthy, respectful, and nonviolent relationships will reduce teen dating and sexual violence and prevent the harmful and long-lasting effects on individuals, their families, and the communities in which they live." Her colleagues agreed, adopting this amendment unanimously on a roll call vote. Senator Rausch filed the healthy relationships amendment in memory of Lauren Astley, a young woman in her district who was killed by her ex-boyfriend just weeks after graduating from high school, and in recognition of the significant advocacy and education work by Ms. Astley's parents, Malcolm Astley and Mary Dunne.

Census Complete Count Committee

The 2020 census is right around the corner, and our Commonwealth must do everything possible to achieve a complete count. So much depends on statewide success with the decennial census, from federal funding to congressional representation to local election districts. Indeed, every uncounted person represents a loss of nearly $2,400 per year, for a decade. Senator Rausch secured an amendment (#398) to support the work of the Statewide Complete Count Committee in developing and implementing culturally competent outreach to hard-to-count communities, in advance of the census rollout.

Fiscal Oversight and Transparency

Noting expenditures of over $850 million in the last five years, which could increase to nearly $1.5 billion if Governor Baker's recent bond bill passes, Senator Rausch successfully secured an amendment (#408) to the Senate budget to significantly improve transparency and fiscal oversight of the Executive Office of Technology Services and Supports (EOTSS). New requirements include enhanced reporting to the Auditor, quarterly reporting on projects costing $250,000 or more, and the creation and implementation of a comprehensive information governance plan for EOTSS internal work and technology support services provided to other administrative offices and agencies.

Senator Becca Rausch represents the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District, comprised of Attleboro, Franklin, Millis, Natick, Needham, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Plainville, Sherborn, Wayland, Wellesley, and Wrentham. Currently in her first term, Senator Rausch serves as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government and the Senate Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs.

For more information on events, legislation, votes, and other updates from the Senator, you can visit her website at https://www.beccarauschma.com/or follow her on Twitter (@BeccaRauschMA) and Facebook (Senator Becca Rausch).