NORTHAMPTON — Roughly two dozen area constituents participated Friday in a lively panel discussion, which brought the area’s state representatives to Forbes Library to discuss local issues and reaction to fallout stemming from President Donald Trump’s string of executive orders.
Reps. Solomon Goldstein-Rose, D-Amherst; Peter Kocot, D-Northampton; Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington; and John Scibak, D-South Hadley, each outlined legislative priorities for the current session and welcomed questions after presentations.
Five College Learning in Retirement organized the event and has done so for the past decade.
First up was Kocot, who right out of the gate touched on criminal justice reform, emphasizing repealing mandatory minimum sentences, reforming Criminal Offender Record Information laws, additional job training opportunities for inmates and abolishing defendant fees for probation and parole.
Kocot also gave a nod to the proposed Fundamental Freedoms Act, a bill headed by Sen. Majority Leader Harriette L. Chandler, D-Worcester, that would prohibit state agencies from creating, or helping to create, any registration system based on religion or national origin.
The proposed law would also “prevent government agencies from collecting information about residents’ protected First Amendment activities,” which includes speech, associations or religious beliefs, according to a fact sheet outlining the bill.
“I hope for your support and guidance,” Kocot told those gathered at the forum.
Next, Scibak told the attendees that he’s filed about 50 bills, including HD 559, which aims to improve access and financial assistance for those seeking hearing aids.
“There’s mandatory coverage for children,” Scibak explained. But “what happens when these children become 21, 22 years of age … (do we) say ‘sorry, now you have to pay for your hearing aids on your own?’”
Scibak also talked about two bills that related to the licensure and access to equine dentists.
“It’s fascinating. There are 7,000 horses in Massachusetts,” he said. If there are not enough veterinarians in the state who can perform this function, Scibak added, “I see that as animal cruelty.”
When it came time for Kulik to take over the lectern, he told the crowd that the majority of public schools in Massachusetts are up against declining enrollment and advocated for even more state support, though it’s not yet clear exactly what form that support would take.
“We have to sustain rural schools … because they mean so much to the lifeblood of the community,” he said. “We’re going to have to figure out (how) to send extra … money to rural school districts to keep them viable, to keep them alive.”
The last of the representatives to present was Goldstein-Rose, who is just a month into his first term as a representative. Goldstein-Rose said, citing his lack of experience as a legislator, that he planned to introduce four bills that would adopt a more “broad” and “systemic” approach to his priorities: Creating energy jobs, election modernization, creating a state position that advises on promoting diversity in schools, and investing in education.
Questions from the audience covered topics including the fate of so-called sanctuary cities (which include Northampton and Springfield) and how Democratic lawmakers planned to mobilize against the Trump administration.
“We are a legislature that’s very, very carefully evaluating everything that comes out of Washington,” Kocot said. “I’m cautiously optimistic the inertia will build the other way.”
The other representatives echoed that sentiment, followed by a chuckle-inducing quip by Scibak: “I’m trying to stay as educated as possible, so I’m not missing ‘Saturday Night Live.’”