Dear Friends,
 
I hope that summer provided you and your family with downtime to relax and enjoy a slower pace and sunny days. My family spent time in Maine together in August, and I cherished each day knowing that the end of summer would bring big changes to our family. On the last Thursday in August Jim and I moved our oldest daughter, Maddie, into her dorm at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland, to begin her first year at college. With Caitlin a senior in high school and Patrick starting 8th grade, I am feeling both happy and sad at the same time as our children grow up!


Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)
Unfortunately the end of summer also brought the very serious threat  EEE, a rare but serious and potentially fatal disease that can affect people of all ages. There are seven confirmed cases of EEE, one of which has result in the loss of life.  All residents throughout the Commonwealth should continue to use mosquito repellent and those in high and critical risk communities, like Shrewsbury and Westborough, should consider staying indoors during the dusk to dawn hours to reduce exposure to mosquitoes. With seven confirmed cases of EEE and one fatality, Please click  here  to learn more about EEE and how to reduce the risk to you and your family members.
5th Annual Hannah Kane Charity Classic
On Monday, August 20th we hosted our 5th Annual charity golf tournament on a beautiful, hot and humid summer day with a little breeze and a little thunderstorm that thankfully held off till the last two holes. Together, our full field of happy golfers, generous sponsors, auction and raffle donors and a fantastic host committee and volunteers raised $60,000 to donate $20,000 to each of our three hard-working beneficiaries - Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, St. Anne's Human Services and the Westborough Food Pantry. In the past five years, we have raised over $267,000!

We also remembered JoAnn Keegan, an incredibly dedicated volunteer at St. Anne's Human Services who sadly passed away earlier this year, by presenting a plaque to her son Marshall, his fiancé Caitlin, and her fellow volunteers at St. Anne's. Host Committee member and Shrewsbury Police Officer David Faucher donated the plaque, which will be installed in the pantry and thrift shop entrance at St. Anne's so that all can remember JoAnn. I am grateful to all who support the charity tournament and especially want to acknowledge the work of our Tournament Director Beth Casavant and Auction/Raffle Chair Melissa Pride-Fahs for helping lead the effort. You can watch my show Conversations with Hannah that we taped at the tournament here   and look at all the pictures from the day here (thank you to Melissa Pride-Fahs for the excellent photography!).


On The Record
In August, I had another opportunity to be the Republican analyst on On the Record and I was thrilled to give a shout out for Best Week to the Shrewsbury Post 397 who won the Northeast Regional Championship and were competing in the American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina that week. You can watch part one of the episode here   and part two here.


Beacon Hill Update

Summer Interns
Jessica and I were thrilled to have three extremely impressive interns with a strong interest in public service working with us this summer. The House of Representatives Intern Speaker Series provides unique exposure to state government's processes and various stakeholders. Our interns researched and analyzed future legislation, attended numerous briefings on policy issues and current events on behalf of the office, compiled and summarized updates on local and regional areas of interest and worked on constituent correspondence. Shrewsbury residents Sophia Flionis, a sophomore at Fairfield University, and Serena Desai, a sophomore at Colby College, joined Westborough resident Tucker Morin, a senior at Dickinson College, for May, June and July in our office. Representative Carolyn Dykema and I also welcomed Westborough resident Bridget Lord, a junior at Westborough High School, as an intern in our offices for a week in July. It is always special to have young people working with us and I am grateful to Jessica for all the time she spends coordinating and mentoring our interns! You can read more about our interns here .


2019 Unsung Heroine Award - Dr. Nandana Kansra
Shrewsbury resident Dr. Nandana Kansra was recognized at the State House in June as one of the Commonwealth's Unsung Heroines. Nandana's commitment to the health and wellness of people living in Shrewsbury, in Central Massachusetts and in her travels to Haiti and Guatemala through her personal volunteer efforts is inspiring. I am proud to have nominated this dynamo of a woman whose heart and soul is poured into every effort she undertakes! Congratulations Nandana!


Saint John's Robotics Team Visits the State House
Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Senator Moore and I welcomed Saint John's High School  Pioneer Robotics Team, founded in 2017 to the State House in June. The team placed first in the state this year and 20th at the 2019 FIRST World Championship and we celebrated that remarkable achievement with the team members, team advisor Dr. Edward Tonelli and Headmaster Alex Zequeira.


Briefings & Legislative Forums
 
Municipal Utilities Briefing
The Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company held a briefing for legislators on the benefits to consumers and the value municipal utilities bring to the Commonwealth. It was great to have SELCO General Manager Michael Hale visit our office after the briefing.  Shrewsbury i s fortunate to have SELCO!
 
Legislative Briefing on Marijuana Addiction, Mental Health and Policy - Advances in Research: What we have Learned in the Past Five Years
Along with five of my legislative colleagues, we co-hosted a briefing for legislators and staff with experts on the most recent data and science to inform public health, safety and marijuana policy in Massachusetts. The briefing was planned by the Massachusetts Prevention Alliance with Westborough resident and policy expert Jody Hensley working together to facilitate a Statement of Concern from Massachusetts public health leaders and medical professionals that provided specific recommendations on how to improve our state's regulation of marijuana. You can learn more here.

Manufacturing Caucus Briefing
Jessica attended a fantastic meeting of the Legislature's Manufacturing Caucus, of which I am a proud member. The caucus meeting featured an insightful and exciting briefing from  MassBio President Robert Coughlin and Massachusetts Life Sciences Center President Travis McCready. The Massachusetts manufacturing industry is vibrant and in particular our Commonwealth continues to be a world leader in biomanufacturing. Over 10,000 people in our state are employed in the biomanufacturing field, with Worcester being a renowned hub for this industry. It's crucial that we continue to emphasize STEAM education in the Commonwealth so we build on our top-notch workforce and support our thriving manufacturing and life sciences industries.
 
Transportation Related Working Groups Update
 
I-90 Allston Multimodal Project
In late July members of the Allston Multimodal Task Force walked the site of the massive project that entails straightening the Turnpike in Allston as the existing viaduct that carries the Pike comes to the end of its useful life. The Pike will be realigned and run at street level while Soldiers Field Road will be elevated in some areas and contain an underpass in another. More green space is envisioned along the Charles and West Station, a new commuter line station "West" will be built along with ongoing and future development by Harvard University on the land they own that is adjacent to and in the project footprint. I am a member of the Task Force focused on ensuring the voices of Central MA are heard as the planning for this massive project continues. MADOT also held two public information sessions this summer, including the one I attended on the evening of Wednesday, August 14th at Worcester Technical High School. The meetings provided an opportunity for the public to hear more about the concept and planning work underway, with a hopeful construction period beginning in the later part of 2022 and lasting eight to ten years. My goal as a member of the Task Force is to find ways to lessen the impact to commuters during the complicated construction with the Pike, Soldiers Field Road and the commuter line all together in a tight area bordered by the Charles River and surface roads. You can read more about this project here .


495/I-90 Interchange Work
This summer MassDOT held multiple briefings on the preferred design for the overhaul of the 495/I-90 interchange that would eliminate the weaving at the interchange and significantly improve public safety. More than 450 crashes occurred at the interchange for the five-year period 2011-2015 and with the removal of the toll booths there is even less incentive to slow down as cars and trucks navigate through. The preferred design is estimated to also reduce delays by 91 percent in a much more efficient design. The current estimate of cost is $297 million and construction is projected to occur from 2022-2026. You can read more about the preferred design here .
 
Route 20 Corridor Master Plan Study
The master plan will provide for safety and operations improvements along this critical state roadway over the next 20 years. In June we held two Public Information Meetings, the first meeting covered the Route 20 Corridor from Centech Boulevard to the Northborough town line, and the second meeting covered Centech Boulevard west to the Worcester city line. You can learn more about the master plan and watch both information sessions  here .
 
Westborough Commuter Rail Station Parking and Bike Racks
Partnering with my legislative colleagues representing Westborough, we are working with town officials and MassDOT to expand parking at the Westborough Commuter Rail Station. In addition, I requested earlier this summer that MassDOT review the poor condition of the existing bicycle racks, which have had higher use given the lack of parking. MassDOT committed in late July to repair or replace the existing bike racks and to install an additional one as well.
 
Legislative Update

The summer is a very busy time of year for committee work at the State House, with many public hearings taking place for the over 6,000 bills filed in each legislative session, including several of my sponsored and co-sponsored bills.
 
An Act to Improve Patient Access to Cancer Clinical Trials
In May I testified on a bill I filed, H1933, An Act to improve patient access to cancer clinical trial programs, alongside Adrian Plesha representing the Lazarex Cancer Foundation and Dr. Jonathan Jackson, Director of the CARE Research Center at Mass General Hospital. Only 5% of eligible people participate in cancer trials, and the percent of minorities participating is less than 1%. While healthcare costs are covered in cancer trials, the ancillary costs such as transportation and lodging are not and this often times creates insurmountable financial barriers. This bill enshrines in state law what the FDA has clarified at the federal level, that reimbursement of direct expenses incurred as a result of their participation in a clinical trial is not inducement.


An Act to Ensure the Health and Safety of Children
In early July, the Joint Committee on Education heard H442 An act to ensure the health and safety of children, legislation filed by Representative Carolyn Dykema and I after Marquita Kelley's 10-week-old son Elijah passed away while in the care of a license-exempt private child-care program. The legislation drafted by Rep. Dykema's staff member Liz Walk and my Legislative Director Jessica Beliveau would require the Department of Early Education and Care to promulgate regulations requiring license-exempt programs serving infants through kindergarten-age children comply with basic health and safety standards with the hope of preventing another tragic loss of a young child. Marquita bravely testified at the hearing served as a powerful tribute to her son Elijah.
 
An Act Relative to the Creation of a Women's Rights History Trail
I was very excited and grateful that the bill my colleagues Representatives Carolyn Dykema, Danielle Gregoire and I filed, H2940 An Act relative to the creation of a women's rights history trail, was heard and unanimously passed out of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development on the 100th Anniversary of the Massachusetts House of Representatives voting to ratify the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution ensuring women right to vote. This legislation was previously filed in the last legislative session by our late colleague Rep. Gailanne Cariddi. Our all-female delegation representing Westborough filed the bill this session as a way to honor our colleague and because we are passionate about ensuring that the role of women in our Commonwealth's history is recognized and celebrated. This bill is one step in that direction and we will work hard with our 73 cosponsors to get this bill before the full House for a vote, which the Speaker of the House Robert Deleo publicly pledged to do at the Suffrage Centennial Kick-off Celebration at Faneuil Hall on June 25th.


Flavored Tobacco Restrictions
On Tuesday July 16th the Joint Committee on Public Health, which I sit on as the Ranking Minority House member, heard H1902/S1279 An Act regulating flavored tobacco products. The legislation filed by Rep. Danielle Gregoire and Sen. John Keenan, and which I am a co-sponsor of, would ban flavored tobacco products.
 
The vaping/e-cigarette use of youth is staggering: for every one adult who uses e-cigarettes, there are six youth. This high youth use rate is by design as the e-cigarette/vaping industry has developed over 8,000 kid friendly, candy and fruit flavors like cotton candy, cinnamon roll and grape jelly that target youth - along with the packaging and the marketing clearly intended for the youth market. One single Juul pod, which can be consumed in a 20-minute period, has the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.
 
The e-cigarette manufacturers, i.e. the new big tobacco, will tell you it is an important cessation tool for adults stepping down from combustible cigarettes. But e-cigarettes are not FDA approved as a cessation product (unlike other cessation products) because the e-cigarette industry went to court to make sure they were not regulated as a cessation product. And remember, the overwhelming majority of e-cigarette users are youth and e-cigarettes have more nicotine than combustible cigarettes - so of the 19% of adult combustible cigarette smokers who use e-cigarettes to stop their addiction, 80% just transfer their addiction to e-cigarettes.
 
Youth who use e-cigarettes are three to four times more likely to begin using combustible cigarettes. And unlike traditional combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes do not have an excise tax- so despite all the health impacts and the cost to the healthcare system - with a significant portion of that paid by taxpayers- we do not have revenue to offset a portion of this cost.
 
In the hearing I also raised the significant challenge of finding medical help for youth to combat their nicotine addiction and quit e-cigarettes. I have heard from many parents who struggle to support their kids who are sick and struggling with withdrawal on their own, and how hard it is to quit when so many youths are vaping. Students testified at the hearing that it is impossible to use the bathrooms at their schools because they are filled with students vaping. Some schools have resorted to removing all bathroom doors, but the reality is the odorless e-cigarettes and vaping products are designed by the industry to evade detection and to hide in plain sight. In addition, the Attorney General's office continues to crack down and sue e-cigarette online purveyors who market and sell to youth.


Cigarette use is the leading cause of preventable death - and as a co-sponsor of the legislation I believe we need to combat this new youth health challenge now. I also believe that we can act locally, so with Westborough already enacting restrictions, in early March I wrote to the Shrewsbury Board of Health to ask them to promulgate regulations that would restrict the sale of fruit and candy flavored tobacco products to adult-only establishments in Shrewsbury.
 
The Board of Health held a public hearing in July on the proposed regulation to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products to adults-only establishments and I was grateful to the many leaders in education in Shrewsbury who testified and attended in support including School Committee members Sandra Fryc, Dale Magee and Jason Palitsch, Assistant Superintendent for Partnerships/Well-Being Jane Lizotte, new Sherwood Middle School Principal Jonathan Kelly,  Oak Principal Ann Jones and Saint John's High School Headmaster Alex Zequeira. Also providing extremely compelling testimony was Selectman Beth Casavant and Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services Executive Director Christine Mowry, along with public health officials Cheryl Sbarra from the MA Association of Health Boards and Tina Grosowsky from the Central MA Tobacco Free Community Partnership.
 
I am very pleased that on Friday, August 30th the Shrewsbury Board of Health voted unanimously to restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products to adult only establishments effective January 1, 2020, excluding mint, menthol and wintergreen due to a current legal challenge in other communities. I am grateful to Board of Health members Steve Vigeant, Jennie Fishman and newest member Dr. George Abraham for their leadership on the public health challenge of youth vaping. While r estricting the sale of flavored tobacco to adult only establishments on its' own will not end the epidemic, it is an important and necessary step to take as a community who values the public health of its next generation. 


For an opportunity to learn more, please consider attending the upcoming even "Smoke and Mirrors, A Square One Panel Presentation on Vaping and E-Cigarettes." It will take place on Thursday, October 3rd, from 6:30 -8:30 pm at Mill Pond School in Westborough. The event,developed through a collaborative partnership among Rotary Club of Westborough, Westborough Youth and Family Services, Westborough Public Schools and Westborough Connects, is free and open to all and you can register or learn more about it  here.

FY20 State Budget
On Monday, July 22nd the House of Representatives unanimously passed the FY20 Conference Committee budget and sent the $43.3 billion budget to the Governor, who signed the budget into law on July 31st. The higher than anticipated revenue collection led to a $476 million deposit into the Commonwealth's "Rainy Day" fund, bringing the total estimated balance of the fund to $3.3 billion prior to the end of FY20. The state budget also limited the reliance on one-time revenue to just $33.5 million.
 
The spending plan includes significant funding increases in local aid to cities and towns and will provide Shrewsbury and Westborough with $20,068,648 and $8,064,504 in Chapter 70 education aid and $2,958,042 and $1,230,539 in unrestricted local aid respectively in FY20. I am also pleased to have secure $50,000 for Shrewsbury Youth Family Services to continue to provide Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to individuals and organizations throughout Central MA and the Commonwealth. SYFS has already provided training to Westborough Public Schools and Westborough Youth and Family Services through funding in last years budget. Senator Moore and I were also able to secure $50,000 for Shrewsbury to conduct a public safety feasibility study focused on improving the town's municipal communication system. The budget also included $50,000 for commercial grade air conditioning units for the Forbes Community House in Westborough where the Westborough Food Pantry is located.
 
Speaking Opportunities
 
Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce Women's Success Network
It was wonderful to join the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce Women's Success Network at the beautiful Whitin Lasell Manor in Whitinsville to talk about my experience as an active community member, elected official and Mom, and the critical importance of women getting involved in public service at all levels. I loved talking with three young ladies from the Grafton Job Corp who were there - two of whom were running for student government positions and another one was studying construction.
 
Red in a Sea of Blue - A Public Health Perspective
The Boston University School of Public Health hosted a Dean's Diversity and Inclusion Seminar "Red in a Sea of Blue: A Public Health Perspective" focused on how to bridge the gap between values and perspectives that often seem at odds between political parties and how to ensure that all voices are heard in the public health conversation. As a BU alum I am always happy to be with fellow Terriers and I was grateful for the opportunity to be a "red" speaker/panelist in this important dialogue.
 

Women in Government National Legislative Summit
In June I attended the Women in Government National Legislative Summit in Chicago and had the opportunity to moderate the panel "Unveiling Inflammatory Bowel Disease: What Policymakers Should Know." IBD has impacted our family - my daughter Caitlin suffers from this chronic disease, in addition to arthritis. Legislators heard from the Crohns and Colitis Foundation on the bills filed in various states to reform fail-first insurance policies that subject disease suffers from getting access to drugs that health care providers prescribed until they fail on less expensive drugs first. IBD patients also have significantly higher out of pocket costs compared to other chronic diseases. I also enjoyed the opportunity to mentor a Future Woman in Government Ashley Billups. Ashley is a remarkably courageous young woman from Oklahoma who is a junior at Oklahoma State University and a full-time Legislative Assistant to a State Representative. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Ashley and I am excited to see where her love of public service takes her!


Local Grants/Awards

Westborough Awarded $93,000 for Gilmore Pond Trails
The Department of Conservation and Recreation awarded $93,000 to the Westborough Community Land Trust to modify existing trails to make them accessible to all.
 
$20,000 for Westborough Climate Change Resiliency
The Town of Westborough received a $20,000 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grant from the Baker-Polito Administration for the funding and planning of new programs for the protection of the community against the effects of climate change.
 
Shrewsbury Public Schools Receives $70,000 for a Communications System
The Baker-Polito Administration Executive Office of Public Safety and Security awarded the Shrewsbury Public Schools a $70,000 Equipment and Technology Grant for a communications system for the high school to address school security that has already been installed in the elementary schools.
 
Assabet Awarded $281,000 for the Culinary Arts Program
Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School received a $281,000 Skills Capital Grant from the Baker-Polito Administration to expand their Culinary Arts Program for students seeking careers in the food service industry. Assabet will be able to expand the number of students who can study in the culinary arts program, as well as modernize equipment to better meet local market demand.
 
OptiMA in Shrewsbury Receives a Training Grant
The Baker-Polito Administration awarded $60,0000 to OptiMA in Shrewsbury to train 28 employees and in anticipation of adding two jobs by 2021. The grants help companies improve productivity and competitiveness by investing in their workforces.
 
Community Events, Town Celebrations & Recognitions

Groundbreaking for Beal Elementary School
With a planned opening for Fall of 2021 it was an exciting morning when we officially broke ground on the new Beal Elementary School in Shrewsbury! Grateful to the taxpayers of Shrewsbury for investing in this much needed new elementary.
 

Shrewsbury Firefighter Awards Night
It was a terrific evening celebrating Shrewsbury Firefighters who received numerous awards recognizing their distinguished public safety service in the past year. Congratulations to Michael Borowiec for receiving the 2018 Outstanding Firefighter Award, David Hodgerney honored with the 2018 Firefighter Achievement Award and Deputy Chief Bruce Card for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. We also recognized the promotions of Seth Colby to Deputy Chief, Shaun Weigold to Captain and newly appointed Firefighter Chris White coming on board, and we congratulated the five members of the Call/Volunteer Class that just graduated from the MA Fire Academy - Owen Bouffard, Steven Ebers, Michael Filiere, Connor Jordan and Alez Milosz!


Local Events and Initiatives

Spending time in Shrewsbury and Westborough supporting local initiatives, attending events and speaking on issues important to our community are the most rewarding aspects of being State Representative. Here is a sampling of initiatives and events from the last few months.
  • Jim and I greatly enjoyed the always spectacular 15-40 Gala which this year featured the very funny comedian Jay Leno. Congrats to Jim and Nancy Coghlin and family and the 15-40 Connection staff for surpassing your fundraising goals and working hard to share the critical message that early detection of cancer saves lives.
  • I joined Senator Moore to present citations on behalf of the Central MA Caucus to Spectrum Health System at their 50th Anniversary celebration at Mechanics Hall in Worcester. Spectrum has fought addiction and helped change people's futures who are impacted by substance misuse and has been a partner in fighting the opioid epidemic and addiction one person at a time, as many times as needed.
  • Celebrated the retirement of Shrewsbury resident Purna Rao with his family after Purna's 32 years of dedicated and consequential service at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection!
  • The always delicious Food and Brew Fest hosted by the Rotary Club of Shrewsbury did not disappoint at the 4th annual!
  • Congratulated and thanked James Canzano for founding and organizing the 8th Annual Kicking Butt for Crohn's 5K. Over the last 8 years and inspired by his two sisters' diagnosis, James has raised over $49,000 for research into how to prevent and cure Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis. I am proud to be a sponsor of this endeavor that focuses on a disease my daughter Caitlin has as well. James is an incredible brother and community member and we are all grateful for his humble and impactful leadership!
  • Met with Shrewsbury resident, Northeastern University student and a former intern in my office Liam Monahan to discuss the role of gender in politics, the topic of a paper he needed to write for his Gender & Politics summer course at NU.
  • It was terrific to join Podimetrics CEO and Co-founder Dr. Jon Bloom, Congressman Jim McGovern, Representative Danielle Gregoire, MA Deputy Secretary of Housing & Economic Development Tim McGourthy and NEO Tech President David Brakenwagen for the ribbon cutting of Podimetrics new manufacturing partnership with NEO Tech in Westborough. Podimetrics has developed a breakthrough method for preventing diabetic foot ulcers, one of the most debilitating and costly complications of diabetes. Congratulations and welcome to Podimetrics!
  • Served once again as the Beverage Sponsor for the Corridor 9/495 Chamber of Commerce 33rd Annual School/Business Partnership golf Tournament that raises funds for scholarships to area students.
  • Attended the Shrewsbury Council on Aging Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon to thank the many volunteers who work hard on behalf of the Senior Center and Council on Aging.
Events Coming Up!
  • Let Your Spirit Prevent - each year during the Spirit of Shrewsbury we choose a local charitable effort to support. This year on Thursday, September 26th at 7pm at Ski Ward we will be raising funds for SCAPE - the Shrewsbury Coalition for Addiction Prevention and Education. Please see the invite and response form here. We would love to have you join us! Tickets and sponsorship available on the form, and please let Beth Casavant at [email protected] or I know if you have any questions.
  • Spirit of Shrewsbury Parade - the always fun parade celebrating our community will be held on Sunday, September 29th in the afternoon. We love to have folks march with us in the parade and hand out American flags! Please let me know if you would like to join us - all are welcome!
Monthly Office Hours
I hold office hours in the district for residents to stop in and discuss an issue or problem. The upcoming times and locations can be found on my home page on RepHannahKane.com. I hope you can join me!
 
Thank you for all of your support. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or Jess. We are located in Room 167 and our office phone number is 617-722-2810. Stop in and see us if you are visiting the State House! I always welcome your thoughts, perspectives and questions and please know that it an amazing honor to serve as your State Representative.


With sincere gratitude,
Hannah Kane
State Representative
11th Worcester District

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