It looks like there may be more reforms down the road for the Commonwealth. This time it is the welfare system that is on the table.

"We spend over $2 million a month placing people in motels who are on welfare," said Senator Stephen Buoniconti.

Senator Buoniconti says spending this money is not helping anyone on welfare or the community. That is why he and Representative Jim Welch proposed a bill to overhaul the welfare system. Something that hasn't been done since the 1990's.

"We have a tremendous amount of poverty and it doesn't seem to be getting any better," said Senator Buoniconti. Through a program with the Department of Transitional Assistance, homeless families who qualify are placed in motel rooms.

751homeless families in Massachusetts live in motels. 13 percent of those families are placed in West Springfield motels, many of them along Riverdale Street.

Senator Buonoconti and Representative James Welch want to get more of these families working and renting their own apartments. They also want to prohibit transitional aid benefits from being withdrawn as cash, or used to buy tobacco, alcohol or lottery products.

Although rarely discussed in the legislature, the local reps hope to build support for the reform bill when they file it on Monday.