Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The new legislative session is well underway. Legislators are filing bills now. The deadline for timely filed bills is this Friday, February 19th. We will know the universe of bills soon. Committee assignments have been made. Once bills are sent to committee, the bill hearing process will begin.
As always, constituent services are our top priority. We continue to work remotely and our office is fully functioning. Please contact us if we can be of assistance.
Very truly yours, Joan Meschino
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COVID-19 Vaccination Updates |
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As of last Sunday, February 7th, Massachusetts has administered over 850,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. On Thursday, 74,000 appointments will be posted online for mass vaccination sites and pharmacies at locations statewide. Approximately 30,000 additional appointments will be posted over the course of the week at pharmacies— totaling over 100,000 new appointments this week for mass vaccination sites and pharmacies.
Be sure to check with your local town, too. Cohasset, Hingham, and Hull have on-line registration pages to administer the vaccine to local residents.
You can also use this link to the COVID-19 vaccine map to find the closest vaccination centers and schedule an appointment.
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Caregiver Attestation for Vaccination Sites |
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Moving forward, a caregiver who accompanies a person age 75+ years to get the vaccine at a mass vaccination site may schedule his or her own appointment to be vaccinated on the same day at the same location as the 75+ years old resident.
Individuals can go to mass.gov/covid vaccine and schedule two separate appointments at either the same time or adjacent. For the companion appointment, select the option ‘I am accompanying someone who is age 75+ to their vaccination appointment and my appointment is the same day.' |
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Health Connector Webinar - Thurs. Feb. 8th @ 10 AM |
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Lost health insurance from a job? Know your options &...
Eventbrite - Massachusetts Health Connector presents Lost health insurance from a job? Know your options & how to shop for plans - Thursday, February 18, 2021 - Find event and registration information.
Read more
www.eventbrite.com
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Grant Application Open for Annual Summer Job Program for Young People |
Attorney General Maura Healey is taking grant applications for summer jobs programs for young people across the state. Applicants must detail plans to run the programs successfully and safely, in light of the ongoing pandemic. This year’s Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Program will use funds secured by the AG’s Office in child labor-related settlements to provide funding to organizations to hire young people for jobs that focus on health and wellness. The program enables young people to have a direct impact in their communities by working in jobs that promote good nutrition, physical fitness, and healthy living.
Grant awards will fund youth employment from July 5, 2021 through September 3, 2021. Interested applicants can visit the AG’s website for more information and for application instructions. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 5, 2021.
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RMV Launches New Safety & Educational Tools for First-Time Drivers |
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) announced the availability of new resources and tools that individuals can use as they begin the critical process of learning how to drive safely and responsibly. A new informational online portal has been created to provide easy access to a variety of educational resources and materials that can be used to help guide first-time drivers, and parents and guardians of Junior Operators, through the detailed step-by-step process of securing a Massachusetts driving credential. The RMV is also for the first time offering online practice learner’s permit exams which can be accessed by customers through Mass.Gov/RMV or by logging into their myRMV account.
The portal can be found here.
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Legislative Committee Assignments
Legislative committee assignments have been made for the 192nd General Court, and will be posted to the MA Legislature website soon. I have the honor to serve on the following committees:
- Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy
- Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure
- Advanced IT, Internet and Cybersecurity
- Export Development
Residents can visit my profile page on the MA Legislature website to learn about my bills, committee assignments, and the district description. See Rep. Meschino Profile. |
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Hingham League of Women Voters Forum - Climate Action
Kudos to the Hingham LWV for their January 27 regional forum highlighting climate action in Cohasset Hingham and Hull. Local community officials and activists presented initiatives within each community. I was pleased to co-present on climate action at the state level with Sen. O'Connor.
My 2050 Roadmap bill call for net-zero carbon emissions is a key piece of S.9, The Next Generation Roadmap, which is pending in the Senate and House. We expect to take up the final vote soon. |
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Announcing Virtual Office Hours
We continue to hold office hours via Zoom! Please call the office at 617-722-2320 or email to reserve a time slot in the new year:
- Tuesday, February 16, 4-5 PM
- Monday, February 22, 4-5 PM
- Monday, March 1, 4-5 PM
- Monday, March 8, 4-5 PM
To learn more about our constituent services, please visit our website. |
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Important Links and Resources |
- MEMA has developed an interactive map showing the locations of COVID-19 testing sites around the Commonwealth.
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HandholdMA.org website for parents of school-aged children in Massachusetts concerned about their child's mental health.
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Massachusetts residents can seek COVID-19 testing through the Stop the Spread Initiative which provides free testing in high-priority locations.
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DESE's report on the number of positive COVID-19 cases in schools.
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SafeLink 24/7 Crisis Hotline for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: 877-785-2020.
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Visit your town websites to learn the most recent information, local services, and guidance from our municipal officials.
State Resources
Federal Resources
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