Timilty Files Budget Amendments To Benefit Braintree

BRAINTREE, MA - Senator Walter F. Timilty (D-Milton) filed amendments this week to the Fiscal Year 2023 Senate Ways and Means budget recommendations. The amendments will support substance abuse prevention efforts, mental health services, and public safety improvements in the Town of Braintree.

Timilty is advocating for a $180,000 allocation to be distributed equally among the nine substance abuse prevention coalitions in the Norfolk, Bristol, and Plymouth District. Specifically, if voted favorably, $20,000 will be distributed locally to the Braintree Community Partnership on Substance Use.

“These programs provide much-needed resources for individuals and family members, establishing and implementing prevention practices,” said Timilty.

“Staying apart throughout the past couple of years has created a great deal of stress on those suffering from substance abuse disorder," said Timilty. "Those who are impacted are our neighbors and our friends, who have needed programs and a community of support.

"The opioid crisis continues to affect our communities in such a significant way,” he added. “We must continuously strive to end this deadly epidemic. Our substance abuse prevention coalitions do great work in their communities, like the Braintree Community Partnership on Substance Use. I fully support the outreach, awareness, and education efforts within the district that I proudly serve.”

According to the CDC, more than 107,000 people in the United States died of drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending in November 2021. A staggering 66 percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids.

Furthermore, the mental health of many individuals has been impacted throughout the pandemic, especially among the youth. As a result, Timilty has filed an amendment advocating for $300,000 to be earmarked for mental health services in the Braintree Public School system.

“The challenges facing our students right now are many. Funding mental health services in the Braintree schools will help to foster both social and emotional well-being,” Timilty said.

In addition, Timilty has filed the following budget amendments:

• $200,000 for the Braintree Police Department’s Family Service Unit. This unit focuses on substance abuse prevention. Specifically, educating youth in Braintree, this unit specializes in the outreach for the prevention of drug and alcohol use, helping post overdose individuals and families, and overall community outreach to create bond between police and citizens.
• $200,000 for parking and traffic improvements
• $200,000 for Braintree Fire Department equipment
• $800,000 for improvements and reconstruction of the John Mahar Highway
• $300,000 for remediation support to assist students in recapturing lost academic time and to address the gaps in lost learning in the public schools

In addition to those amendments benefiting the citizens of Braintree, Timilty filed several amendments that advocate for programs throughout the district.

He filed an amendment that will allocate $300,000 of retained revenue for the operation of the summer program at Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, which serves the young people of the Commonwealth. The summer program stretches over a 7-week period, providing day services for children and young adults. Each year, the program serves 90 individuals. Further, Timilty filed an accompanying amendment for Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital requiring the hospital to maintain a minimum of 120 beds.

Timilty also filed an amendment to allocate $1,000,000 for the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. The Trailside Museum serves as the visitor center for the 7,000-acre Blue Hills Reservation. Located just a few miles outside of downtown Boston, the facility features a natural history museum, outdoor wildlife exhibits, school programs, and summer camps.

“The Blue Hills Trailside Museum is a phenomenal community asset, serving as the public’s window into the Blue Hills Reservation,” said Timilty. “Each year, the museum welcomes more than 100,000 visitors, including numerous school groups from across the Commonwealth who seek to avail themselves of the museum’s environmental education programs. The funds included in this amendment will ensure that the museum will be able to continue educating the public about the Blue Hills Reservation.”

In addition, Timilty filed an amendment advocating for Firefighter Cancer Screening. The amendment calls for allocating $250,000 for a municipal grant program to be administered by the State Fire Marshal for critical firefighter cancer screening including advanced blood screening and imaging. Given the known occupational risk of exposure to carcinogens and the excess number of certain cancers in the Fire Service, Firefighters have recommendations beyond those made for the general population when it comes to cancer screenings.

The Massachusetts State Senate will begin their FY23 budget debate on Tuesday. To view the full list of Timilty’s budget amendments, please visit the Massachusetts Legislature’s website at malegislature.gov.