Boston- Representative Jeffrey D. Perry of Sandwich today issued the following statement in response to the inaccurate depiction of a budget amendment he offered on the floor of the House last week.It seems my budget amendment has created quite the stir in the political world this week and though the topic of illegal immigration may be an attractive campaign topic, Governor Patrick should probably read the amendment in its entirety before commenting on it again.
Today, Governor Patrick’s reelection campaign released a statement saying the proposal would “turn a homeless child out into a cold night or deny a poor person a meal.” This is ridiculous and further proof that Governor Patrick is playing politics as usual.
My amendment is simple and pretty easy to understand. It simply says that in order to receive state benefits such as transitional assistance or public housing, there must be proof of citizenship. It also clearly lays out that all children 18 and younger are exempt.
In addition to that exemption, I specifically included in the language that a person cannot be turned away from receiving emergency medical care, immunizations, food and emergency housing at homeless shelters.
Today, I am calling on Governor Patrick to implement this common sense proposal through executive order. This is good public policy that deserves the backing of the Commonwealth’s Chief Executive Officer.
