Western Massachusetts representation is experiencing another round of change this year. Holyoke state Rep. Aaron Vega said this week he'll leave the House at the end of this term, and Springfield state Rep. Jose Tosado also announced plans to retire.
Vega said he's ready for the next thing — maybe in higher education or economic development, but closer to home. Tosado said he's making way for the next generation, and that he loved his work as an elected official.
"It's a very collegial kind of atmosphere, unlike what happens at the national level," Tosado said. "It's been a great experience, and I'll miss it dearly."
Will these lawmakers' achievements be continued?
"I mean, I hope so," said panelist Elizabeth Román. "I think Aaron Vega, in particular — he comes from a legacy of having his father be so beloved in the city of Holyoke, and in the Latino community in general. I think that he's been very vocal about things that he's passionate about, particularly in the Holyoke area."
Román said topics around mental health and behavioral health have been very important to Tosado.
"We talked a little bit about some of the bills that he was passionate about, including getting rid of this archaic conversion therapy in the state," Román said. "So there's things that I think will stand the test of time. And I'm hoping that, you know, whoever comes in their place will take those things into consideration."
And this year, Westfield Mayor Don Humason is leaving the state Senate, too, noted panelist Mike Dobbs.
"So we have state Rep. Velis, who is running for the state Senate seat against businessman John Cain," Dobbs said. "That means there's another election, which will be for Velis's seat, down the road. So you take that, and then you take Rep. Tosado's announcement, and Rep. Vega's announcement, and — yeah, there's going to be a lot of changes in the Massachusetts delegation."
In 2018, the Hampshire and Franklin County delegations saw a big turnover, losing for a variety of reasons a bunch of longtime lawmakers on Beacon Hill.
Dobbs said he understands why the elected officials are moving on to something different — but he said the continuity of the same people can be good, too.
Román said it is a concern that the delegation could potentially lose representation on the Black and Latino Caucus.
"Because you're going now from four — you have Carlos González and you have Bud Williams — and now Vega and Tosado will be gone. We do already have two people in the ring for the position: Denise Hurst, a school committee member in Springfield, and City Councilor Orlando Ramos, both of them Latino and black. And so hopefully, you know, they'll be taken seriously, and we won't lose that representation."
The coronavirus out of Wuhan, China, has raised some alarm. In Massachusetts, by the end of the week, there were no confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The risk to residents, according to the state Department of Public Health, is considered "low." As of Friday, there were six confirmed cases in the U.S., but none on the East Coast.
Rates of influenza in Massachusetts and Connecticut, on the other hand, are elevated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 15 million people in the U.S. have gotten sick with flu already this season, and says that more than 8,000 people have died from their infection.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker's new budget proposal includes an increase of $135 million in operating funds for the MBTA. That's a big boost for the aging transit system around Boston. Baker's budget also included a modest $3.5 million increase for the 15 regional transit authorities across the state who are always strapped for cash.
Paul Burns-Johnson of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority told NEPR Baker's budget is probably good enough to avoid any significant service cuts, but the transit agency certainly won't be able to make any big improvements.
Guests:
- Elizabeth Román, reporter/editor, Springfield Republican and El Pueblo Latino
- Mike Dobbs, managing editor, The Reminder
