PRESS RELEASE – COMMITTEE TO ELECT DOUG SEARS

19TH MIDDLESEX STATE REPRESENTATIVE – WILMINGTON and TEWKSBURY

ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES OF MASSACHUSETTS (AIM)

2011-2012 SCORECARD

MICELI’S SCORE of 50 IS LOWEST OF ALL MASS. LEGISLATORS

AIM’s Legislative Scorecard is the most widely read report on the voting of Massachusetts Legislators on issues important to employers. AIM releases the Legislative Scorecard at the end of each two-year session to ensure that its members know legislators’ records on key economic and public-policy issues, and to recognize lawmakers who understand the importance of a vibrant economy for all residents.

My opponent voted against the position of employers in three bills important to AIM:

• Municipal Health Reform (H.3400). The House approved an amendment to its Fiscal Year 2012 budget giving cities and towns the authority to set health-insurance co-pays and deductibles outside of collective bargaining. Cities and towns continue to negotiate over the percentage of premiums paid by employees. Savings have exceeded $100 million.  The measure was passed by the House and Senate and was signed into law by the Governor. I would have voted “Yes.”

• Home Child-Care Workers Unionization (H. 3986).  Classifies as a “public” or “state” employee every private-sector family child-care provider receiving public funds to provide service to low-income or at-risk children. These new “public employees” will be subject to a “card check” system and be “represented” by a single labor union. The bill passed both House and Senate and was signed into law by the Governor. I would have voted “No.”

• Health Care Cost Containment (S. 2400). Attempts to address the health-cost crisis by limiting the increase in medical spending in Massachusetts to the level of overall economic growth from 2013 to 2017. The spending growth targets drops to 0.5 percentage points below gross state product from 2018-2022 before returning to the economic benchmark in 2023 and beyond. The law changes the way doctors and hospitals are paid, expands discounts for tiered products, provides a wellness tax credit to employers, initiates targeted medical malpractice reform, and changes the fair share assessment standard.  The measure was passed by the House and Senate and was signed into law by the Governor. I would have voted “Yes.”

• Fair-Share Assessment Reform (H.4127). An amendment to the health-care cost containment bill requires that, in calculating the fair-share assessment, employees who have qualifying health insurance converge from a spouse, parent, veterans’ plan, Medicare, Medicaid or a disability or retirement plan, are not included for purposes of determining whether an employer is a contributing employer.   The measure was passed by the House and Senate and was signed into law by the Governor. I would have voted “Yes.” My opponent did not vote.

On September 6th, your can vote for a Representative who is more supportive of employers. It’s time to put Massachusetts back to work. www.Doug4Rep.com

Submitted Committee to Elect Doug Sears

P.O. Box 669, Tewksbury, MA

(978) 376 7390

Source: http://www.aimnet.org/