News from Beacon Hill

State Representative Carl Sciortino writes about MCAS reform in the latest issue of Commonwealth Magazine.  Rep. Sciortino argues the high-stakes exam is an imperfect measure of student performance and needs to be improved.  He is part of a coalition of lawmakers that recently filed the MCAS Reform Bill.

State Representative Jim Marzilli will hold office hours on Friday, August 3, 9AM-11AM at the Council on Aging at the 27 Maple Street entrance of Arlington Town Hall.  Representative Marzilli recently proposed two bills concerning car travel, one that would allow insurance companies to assess higher premiums on cars based upon how likely they are to cause damage to other cars and pedestrians in an accident, and a second bill proposing sales and excise tax incentives on a sliding scale for vehicles based on fuel efficiency and carrying capacity.

State Representative Paul Donato will serve as Acting Speaker of the House on Mondays and Thursdays during informal sessions.  Representative Donato recently filed a Child Abuse Bill and will host an anti-bullying forum at Medford City Hall on September 19 with Dr. Elizabeth Englander from Bridgewater State College.