Representative Ferguson Appointed to Student Opportunity Act Conference Committee

State Representative Kimberly Ferguson (R-Holden) has been appointed to the conference committee to resolve differences between Senate Bill 2365 and House Bill 4145, An Act relative to educational opportunity for students.

The Student Opportunity Act was released by the Education Committee on Sept. 19. This legislation looks to implement the recommendations of the Foundation Budget Review Commission, and would add $1.5 billion in new funding to the public school system over a seven-year time frame.

The Senate engrossed its version of the bill on Oct. 3 and the House engrossed its on Oct. 23.

“I am honored to be appointed to the conference committee on this historic piece of legislation and thank the House Minority Leader for this opportunity. To me, this bill represents a road map and a true commitment to our future. Not a week went by that this critical legislation didn’t work its way into conversations with my constituents, various representatives from our schools, and various stakeholders. I continue to be proud that here in the commonwealth we have a strong, bipartisan commitment to education, and the bottom line is that we won’t stop pushing for high academic standards, achievement, and success for all of our children, and the funding to support just that” said Ferguson.

“As a member of the Foundation Budget Review Commission whose 2015 report provided the impetus to revisit the state’s education funding formula, Representative Ferguson understands the key issues that need to be addressed to help eliminate disparities between school districts,” said House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr., R-North Reading. “I have no doubt that she will take an active role on the conference committee by advocating for meaningful reforms and accountability measures to ensure that all Massachusetts students have access to a quality education.”

Ferguson joins her House colleagues Rep. Alice Peisch, chairwoman of the Education Committee, and Rep. Paul Tucker of Salem.

Senators Jason Lewis, Michael Rodrigues, and Patrick O’Connor are the Senate conferees. The six-member conference committee could begin meeting as early as this week.

Representative Muratore to Serve on Skilled Nursing Facilities Task Force

State Rep. Mathew Muratore, R-Plymouth, has been named to a legislative task force that will explore ways to help stabilize the state’s nursing home industry.

In addition to making recommendations to ensure the financial stability of nursing homes in Massachusetts, the Skilled Nursing Facilities Task Force will also consider how these facilities fit within the continuum of elder care services and determine the best approach for addressing workforce shortages within the industry.

Muratore was appointed to the task force by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr., R-North Reading, who cited the Plymouth legislator’s nearly three decades of work on elder care issues. Prior to his 2014 election to the House of Representatives, Muratore began his career as a nursing home administrator in 1991, and spent 12 years as an administrator at Plymouth Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.

“Matt’s extensive hands-on experience gives him a unique understanding of the many challenges facing our state’s nursing homes,” said Jones. “I expect he will play a key role in helping the task force identify ways to put nursing homes back on a solid financial footing so that seniors and their families will continue to have access to a wide range of long-term care options.”

“Nursing homes play a vital role to residents of the commonwealth by providing options for both short-term rehab and long-term care,” said Muratore. “I am honored to be asked to lend my knowledge and experience as a licensed nursing home administrator for nearly 30 years to the legislative task force and am hopeful that we can continue to find solutions to assist struggling facilities.”

According to the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, nearly 150,000 elderly Massachusetts residents currently live in nursing homes, which employ about 77,000 workers in the commonwealth. Between 2016 and 2019, 24 nursing homes in the state closed their doors, and the MSCA has warned that dozens more are at risk of closure due to the lack of funding and workforce shortages.

Created as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 state budget, the 15-member task force will be chaired by Health and Human Services secretary Marylou Sudders. Other members serving on the task force include the House and Senate chairs of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs; the secretary of elder affairs; the secretary of labor and workforce development; the commissioner and public health; the assistant secretary for MassHealth; and representatives from the MSCA, LeadingAge Massachusetts Inc., 1199SEIU, the Massachusetts ASsociation of Residential Care Homes Inc., and the Massachusetts Senior Action Council Inc.

The task force will file a report on its findings and recommendations by Feb. 1.