For Immediate Release

March 2, 2010

Contact: Michael Lawlor

(617) 722-1415

KNAPIK SEEKS TO ELIMINATE CERTAIN PAID HOLIDAYS

Westfield Senator Testifies Before Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Boston – Senator Michael R. Knapik (R-Westfield) testified before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary today in favor of his bill which would abolish the Suffolk County legal holidays of Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day. 

Senate Bill 1735, An Act Eliminating Certain Paid Holidays seeks to repeal the two holidays from the legal holiday statute, and requires that government offices through Suffolk Country remain open on March 17^th and June 17^th so that Massachusetts citizens can pay their bills and conduct business with the state on those days. 

“I fully respect the significance of these two holidays in the history of the Commonwealth and the United State of America,” said Knapik.  “However, I strongly believe there are better ways to observe these occasions beyond allowing a select group of public employees a paid holiday,” he continued.

In addition to this stand-alone bill, the minority party offered this initiative as an amendment to the fiscal year 2010 budget, and it received a significant bi-partisan support.  The amendment fell just short of passage on a 17-22 vote in the Senate and in a tie vote of 78-78 in the House of Representatives.  The Governor also filed this proposal as part of his October 2009 Fiscal Year 2010 supplemental appropriation bill, but the House removed this provision from the final legislation. 

“We can no longer justify two special, exclusive holidays for public employees.” Knapik said abolishing the holidays should be “one of the easiest reforms we can do this year.” He said, “I hope they take it seriously, because it’s not funny. There are too many people who don’t have a job.”

This important piece of legislation will need to be voted favorably out of the Committee before coming to the Senate and House of Representatives for a vote.

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