State House Spotlight: Week of celebration Olivia Ray — WWLP

Several annual celebrations were held at the State House this week, and 22News attended them all.

BOSTON (WWLP) – Several annual celebrations were held at the State House this week, and 22News attended them all.

Lawmakers and the Massachusetts community came together this week for an early Diwali celebration, to cheer on disability employment, and to honor Latino excellence.

The festivities kicked off on Tuesday with an early Diwali celebration, which saw the speaker of the House lighting the diya, a traditional light to signify the triumph of good over evil.

The speaker spoke about religious tolerance. “It’s the way we all should be trying to live our days, regardless of what religion you practice, where you are practicing it, or how you’re practicing it,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano.

The Lieutenant Governor joined the disability community to celebrate growing employment opportunities on Wednesday. She shouted out some of the state’s resources, including a dashboard that keeps track of opportunities. “This is just the beginning. This is a tool we can build off of…we’re helping keep everybody in the workforce that wants to be in it and providing those pathways,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll.

Friday brought a Latino Excellence Ceremony that honored western Massachusetts residents and lawmakers.

Representative Bud Williams spoke about how growing up among activists in Springfield inspired him to run for office. “We didn’t have any elected officials, but you know what? They got the job done. And they moved mountains! They moved mountains, and they were unapologetic in terms of what they wanted,” said Williams.

Outside of the celebrations, the senate suspended their usual rules, which allowed bills to pass more easily in informal sessions. The Senate started by passing a clean energy bill.

22News will keep you informed on the House’s next steps.

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