February 7, 2011

The New Year got off to a busy start, with the resumption of the 2011-2012 legislative session, State House events honoring our veterans and firefighters, meetings across the district, and the release of Governor Patrick's FY'13 budget proposal. I also had the distinct honor of welcoming home members of the 25th Marine Regiment based out of Fort Devens. I was humbled to see our community come together so quickly to thank these brave men and women, and their families. Thank you all for your support and I hope you enjoy this snapshot of my work this month.

This month, I kicked off 2012 with a number of events across the district. In mid-January, I celebrated Martin Luther King Day with Acton's No Place for Hate event at Congregation Beth Elohim. Carole Simpson, a pioneering African-American woman in journalism, spoke about her experiences during the Civil Rights Movement, the barriers she faced as a woman and a minority in the field of journalism, and her new memoir, "News Lady." As always, it was an incredible event.

In Boxborough this month, I met up with Senator Eldridge, Representative Atkins and members of the Acton and Boxborough Democratic Town Committees to drop off donations collected for the Acton Community Supper Food Pantry. Our local food pantries can always use assistance and I encourage you to donate when you can. I always enjoy running into constituents across the district and hope that I will see you at an event in your town soon.

As the new Vice Chair of the House Committee on Small Business and Economic Development, I co-hosted a Small Business Coffee Hour for legislators and staff at the State House this month. We shared resources for small businesses and how legislators can distribute that information in their districts. There was also a discussion on the results from the Committee's Listening Tour on the challenges facing small businesses across the state. The Committee is working on a number of bills to help address some of these concerns and I look forward to tackling these issues in the coming months.

This month, Governor Patrick released his proposal for our FY'13 budget and the legislature passed a supplemental budget for FY'12. The supplemental budget appropriated an additional $131 million in funding, including $35 million for the MassHealth Senior Care Adult Day Health program, and $21.2 million for Low Income Home Energy Assistance. As the co-chair of the legislature's Elder Caucus, I was pleased to see this funding directed towards programs our seniors rely on.

I will keep fighting for Adult Day Health, LIHEAP, and many other vital programs as we begin the FY'13 budget season. The Governor's $32.3 billion budget relies on a 3% increase over current spending and counts on savings through reforms, a reduced workforce, and increased taxes on candy, soda and cigarettes. I will spend the next few months reviewing the Governor's budget, listening to and meeting with advocates and constituents, and working with the House Committee Ways and Means, all in preparation for the House debate on the budget in mid-April. Please contact my office with your budget priorities and stay tuned for more information as we head toward FY'13.

Recently, I joined my legislative colleagues, and advocates from across the district as Governor Deval Patrick signed H3815, "An Act Relative to Enhancing the Practice of Nurse Midwives" into law. The bill will expand the authority of nurse-midwives, providing better access to effective, affordable health care for women across the Commonwealth. As a cosponsor of the bill, I have worked with advocates in fighting for this legislation for years, and I was thrilled to watch it finally become law.

Recent events and revelations from a string of audits conducted by the Inspector General and State Auditor drew attention to the deficiencies in the current laws regulating education collaboratives. This month, we passed a bill aimed at increasing transparency and oversight, and holding these educational collaboratives accountable.

After hearing of the abuses uncovered by the investigations, I joined my colleagues on the Joint Committee on Education in holding a series of comprehensive oversight hearings. The resulting bill sets forth several requirements for the governance of education collaboratives, including new ethics requirements for board members and personnel, more oversight by the Attorney General, State Auditor, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and stricter reporting requirements on programs, services, and progress.

During debate on the bill, I advocated for an amendment to ensure adequate staffing for nurses at the collaboratives. The adopted amendment requires at least one registered, certified school nurse at each collaborative, with appropriate facilities and staffing levels to meet the specific health care needs of the collaboratives' students. This measure ensures that students are provided with proper care from school nurses, helping them stay in class and focused on their education. The bill now heads to a conference committee where it will be reconciled with similar legislation passed in the State Senate.

Recently, the MBTA released two proposals aimed at closing their projected $185 million budget gap for the coming fiscal year. Each proposal would significantly impact fares and service. The current plans would eliminate commuter rail service after 10pm on the weekdays and completely end service on the weekends. Riders would also see increased fares and reduced bus and T service throughout the city.

Officials at the MBTA are hosting a series of public meetings across the Commonwealth in the coming months in order to hear from riders and to better understand the impact of the proposed cuts. I worked with our local delegation to get the MBTA to add a public hearing in Fitchburg so that riders along the Fitchburg Commuter Line have a chance to publicly share their concerns—the date will be announced shortly. I strongly encourage you to attend one of the hearings, or send your comments to the MBTA at: fareproposal@mbta.com, or:

Fare Proposal
10 Park Plaza, Suite 3910
Boston, MA 02116