It’s hard to believe we’ve entered the final month of 2023. As we approach the new year and the fifth anniversary of our service in the State Senate, our team has been reflecting on our work and evaluating our impact.
In our first newsletter for 2024, we’ll attempt a fuller accounting of the past five years. In this letter to you, I'll acknowledge just some of the more recent wins, while also addressing some of the hurdles — challenges that make us work both harder and smarter on your behalf.
Through good times and hard times, your engagement, advocacy, and tenacity mean the world to me and my team. You inspire us. You are the reason that we’re always moving forward — that our state government is always moving forward.
If you make it to the end, there’s a bonus photo of Weird Barbie (aka my dear friend Monte Belmonte) doing a split (strange and wonderful and true).
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Let's talk about the supplemental budget |
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Each fall, the legislature passes what’s called a “closeout supplemental budget,” to tie up loose ends for the previous fiscal year and allocate additional funds for urgent needs that were not anticipated in the annual budget. This year, the fiscal year 2023 close out supplemental budget was $3.1 billion and included funding for collective bargaining agreements (with cost of living adjustments) for state workers, as well as critical funding to support the emergency assistance program to keep families housed as we enter the winter months. Additionally it included $15 million in funding for municipalities — like those in western Massachusetts — which endured storm-related damage this summer.
This year’s closeout was delayed and I apologize for the hardship experienced by constituents. We received visits, rallies, calls, texts, emails, and more from constituents expressing frustration, anger, and outrage — holding me accountable and calling me to action. Your advocacy bolstered my own.
Senate President Karen Spilka and Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues also received all of this advocacy and worked diligently to reach a deal. They kept their doors and hearts open to me, and to our region and our people and I’m grateful to them.
Last night, the bill was signed into law by Governor Healey. I am deeply relieved that the funding is on its way, yet I know my relief is nothing compared to the relief of the thousands of affected public servants, families in need of shelter, and municipal officials.
More detail on the closeout and our work to secure funding for police reform, MassHire Career Centers and more here.
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Three fiscal years in play at once |
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This is a rare moment when we are working on three different fiscal years at the same time. Even as we were passing the supplemental budget to close out fiscal year 2023, we were closely watching the tax revenues coming in for fiscal year 2024 and planning for fiscal year 2025. This is deeply wonky stuff, but really thrilling for the nerd in me, which is why I’m grateful to have a seat on the Ways and Means Committee. Yesterday, I split my time between the Senate Chamber, where the closeout supplemental budget was being voted on, and what’s called the Consensus Revenue Hearing, where we hear from economists about the health of our economy and how much revenue we should anticipate in the coming fiscal year. Remember: Fiscal year 2025 is just around the corner. Buckle up.
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Introducing new disaster relief legislation
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At the top, I noted hurdles during our nearly five years in office. In addition to a multi-year global pandemic, our district has experienced extreme weather events in two of the past three Julys, each causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. In July 2021, I worked with former Senators Anne Gobi and Adam Hinds to secure more than $7 million for affected communities, largely in Franklin County towns. Similarly, this summer I worked with Representative Natalie Blais and western Massachusetts colleagues to secure $20 million for affected farms, and the closeout supplemental budget includes an additional $15 million for municipalities damaged by flooding this July. I was glad to also advocate for that spending.
The lesson I learned — again and again — was that unless legislators secure a budget appropriation, when disaster strikes state funding is not immediately available to help.
At the request of the Senate President, I attended a National Conference of State Legislatures’ conference last spring in San Diego where I learned that Massachusetts is one of only a handful of states that does not have a permanent disaster relief fund. This means that when a small town gets hit with millions of dollars of unexpected damage, there may not be any funds available to assist with repair and rebuilding — and certainly no timely funding.
That’s why Rep. Blais and I filed a new bill to create an emergency disaster relief fund and program, An Act creating a state disaster relief fund for emergency management (H.4181/S.2506). With climate change making extreme weather events more frequent and severe, the state must be proactive.
Under the bill, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency would establish eligibility criteria and application procedures. The fund would be capitalized with $250 million from excess capital gains revenue that would otherwise be automatically transferred to the state’s rainy day fund. We also propose that this fund be sustained over time through that same revenue stream.
We launched this bill on November 14 with a virtual press conference, featuring speakers from affected communities across the Commonwealth explaining the potential impact of this fund. Read more about the bill here and watch the full recording of the press conference (featuring municipal leaders from our district and statewide) here.
This week our team’s Chief of Staff Jared Freedman is in Austin, Texas continuing the conversation on disaster relief policy and fiscal pressures facing states with the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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Sometimes, the policy changes proposed in bills don't require changing the law. Legislation can spark conversations that help build the social and political pressure necessary to make the change. Some of these changes can be implemented by state agencies, just by changing their regulations.
These victories don’t make headlines, but they do make a difference in people’s lives. And that’s what counts.
The following are some recent examples of wins that we’re celebrating — even without the passage of a bill. We’ll keep sharing these stories because it’s important for constituents to see the totality of the progress being made thanks to a strong partnership with the Healey/Driscoll Administration.
Working Together with DPH
On November 15, the Department of Public Health (DPH) released a report on access to maternal health care and essential services in Massachusetts, informed by listening sessions held across the state. The report includes many recommendations to improve care in rural and underserved communities. (Some of you may remember that I co-chaired a Special Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health last session. This DPH report aligns with and furthers the work of the Commission.)
The report’s recommendations contain policies from two bills we filed this session:
- DPH will update the hospital and clinic regulations governing birth centers to better align with national standards.
- The Executive Office of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with DPH and the Department of Children and Families, will update guidance for health care providers so that substance-exposed newborns with no indication of neglect or abuse can be identified for support but not investigated for neglect or abuse.
The first recommendation would implement An Act updating the regulations governing licensed birth centers in Massachusetts (S.1335/H.3616) which I filed in partnership with Representatives Chynah Tyler and Manny Cruz. Advocacy on this bill has been led by the Bay State Birth Coalition and Seven Sisters Midwifery and Community Birth Center in Florence. I am thrilled to see these updated regulations from DPH which will allow additional birth centers to open in the Commonwealth and will expand access to this care.
Seven Sisters Midwifery and Community Birth Center is the only independent birth center in the Commonwealth — having already served more than 500 families since opening. I was delighted to invite Northeast Regional Director for the federal Department of Health and Human Services Everett Handford and Women’s Health lead from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health Tina Sang for a recent tour of Seven Sisters. Sincere thanks to Clinical Director Ginny Miller for hosting us. Everett, Tina, Ginny, and I appear below in one of the exquisite birthing rooms.
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The second recommendation from DPH’s report would implement An Act to support families (S.64/H.173) which I filed along with Representative Sean Garballey. Under current Massachusetts law, the birth of a substance-exposed newborn child triggers a requirement for health care providers to report the birthing parent to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) for suspected abuse or neglect — even if the substance identified is prescribed medication that the pregnant individual was taking for addiction treatment. By conflating prenatal substance exposure with child abuse, these reports stigmatize people receiving medically-recommended treatment and lead to unnecessary and harmful over-reporting to DCF. With this recommendation, providers would no longer be required to file reports because of prenatal substance exposure but could use discretion, for example if the substance was prescribed. Thank you to Boston Medical Center, the ACLU, the Committee for Public Counsel Services, and the Massachusetts Medical Society for helping to lead the advocacy on this bill.
Plumbing Board Supports All-Gender Bathrooms
On November 17, the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters held a public hearing as they considered a proposed code change to allow multi-user, all-gender bathroom designs without a variance. Currently, any public building seeking to install a gender neutral restroom must apply for and seek a variance, akin to a special permit, which isn’t always granted. Immediately after the hearing, the Board voted unanimously to change its code!
This was a major victory on the heels of a favorable report from committee on An Act establishing gender-neutral bathrooms (S.1978/H.3019) which I’ve filed with Representative Mindy Domb for the last three sessions. I’m grateful to Rep. Domb for her leadership on the bill and the issue. We’ll keep pushing for our bill to become law and lock this change into statute. Also grateful to the broad coalition of supporters, including GLAAD, MassEquality, SEIU 509, Massachusetts Facilities Administrators, Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ+ Youth, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, Mass GLBTQ Political Caucus, Transhealth, and the American Institute of Architects for their sharp advocacy — with special thanks to Green Tape, the group of UMass Amherst students who organized student support.
You can read the testimony that Rep. Domb and I submitted with other legislators in support of this code change here.
DCF Recognizes Concerns with Foster Children Benefits
This is one of those policies that I couldn’t believe was true when I first learned about it from a constituent. Foster children whose parents have died or who are disabled and who receive monthly Social Security payments from the federal government have those payments intercepted by the state, which deposits the money in the state’s General Fund. Some $6.8 million was intercepted by the state in 2016. The bill I filed in partnership with Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier, An Act protecting benefits owed to foster children (S.65/H.157), reverses this policy and directs state officials to preserve these funds for the child to use as they transition to adulthood and independent living. This bill also establishes a reporting and accounting system to track the receipt and use of these funds. (The Boston Globe covered this issue and legislation in July, here.)
My team and I have had good conversations with DCF officials about this practice and we are grateful to DCF for beginning to lay the foundation necessary to implement this change. We’ll keep advocating, along with the Disability Law Center, the Committee for Public Counsel Services, and other supporters.
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Update on the Grid Modernization Advisory Council |
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We’ve had another record-breaking year for hot temperatures. At the urging of tireless constituents, we’re working to phase out fossil fuels in Massachusetts and to prevent the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure. As we phase out fossil fuels, we expect our electricity consumption to increase over the next decade — more than it has since the 1960s. We need a complete rethink and overhaul of our electric grid to meet this demand.
Overhauling our electricity grid also means redesigning it with the understanding that power no longer just travels one-way, from power plants to homes and businesses. Power is now also generated on rooftops, on parking lot canopies, on landfills, and elsewhere, requiring a grid that can store energy, and receive and send electricity to and from multiple distributed locations.
That’s why my team and I were thrilled last session when our work with Rep. Blais and the Acadia Center led to An Act promoting local energy investment and infrastructure modernization (S.2144) which was passed into law as part of the omnibus An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind (Acts 2022, Ch.179), creating a Grid Modernization Advisory Council, known as the GMAC.
Just one year after the bill’s passage and one year into the GMAC’s work, the feedback is quite positive. State regulators and energy industry analysts agree that the GMAC is an innovative, important, and necessary body for achieving the grid of the future — that we really needed yesterday.
The GMAC has been meeting regularly and has received over 1,000 pages of proposals from the state’s utilities for modernizing their electricity infrastructure over the next five years. Just to give you a sense of the scope and scale of what’s being proposed: Eversource’s plan includes building 15 new substations, upgrading 26 substations, and upgrading one-quarter of all of their infrastructure over just the next five years. The GMAC gives agencies like the Department of Energy Resources a chance to consider how these plans align with its energy siting recommendations, and how they integrate into planned buildings and electrification. By considering all of these things together, we can help achieve an equitable transition while maximizing the money that ratepayers are putting into the system.
A slideshow summarizing the GMAC’s work is here. On November 20, the GMAC released a report providing its comments and recommendations on the utilities’ proposals with an eye toward equity, fairness to consumers, synergy, and rightful urgency for the work ahead. These recommendations will now be reviewed by the Department of Public Utilities. The full GMAC report is here.
I am glad for this work which is led by Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. Learn more about the work of the GMAC and who sits on the Council, here.
Stay tuned for more GMAC news. I’m grateful to continue my partnership with Natalie — and grateful for her leadership and expertise.
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Health care workforce in western Massachusetts |
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On November 2, I was delighted to partner with Rep. Domb and the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at UMass Amherst to help organize the Western Massachusetts Healthcare Summit.
This summit brought together hundreds of frontline leaders, educators, and providers to take a fresh and unvarnished look at the toughest health care challenges we face in the four western counties, as well as our greatest opportunities and assets.
Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Joanne Marqusee and DPH Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein listened, spoke, and moderated panels of thought leaders and practitioners tackling everything from training and recruitment to retention and financing.
Now our job is to move what we learned into action to strengthen our systems and generate more resources for the kinds of changes we need. Happily that work has begun in earnest.
Thank you to Senators Adam Gomez, Jake Oliveira, and John Velis and Representatives Shirley Arriaga, Brian Ashe, John Barrett, Natalie Blais, Nicholas Boldyga, Dan Carey, Pat Duffy, Michael Finn, Carlos Gonzalez, Kelly Pease, Smitty Pignatelli, Angelo Puppolo, Orlando Ramos, Aaron Saunders, Todd Smola, Susannah Whipps, and Bud Williams for co-sponsoring this summit and for leading on health care reform in so many ways.
In the photo below: Steve Walsh (Massachusetts Hospital Association), Rep. Domb, me, Nursing Dean Allison Vorderstrasse (UMass), Commissioner Goldstein (DPH), and Representative John Lawn (House Chair, Joint Committee on Health Care Financing).
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Green and healthy schools |
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Last session we also passed legislation I filed in partnership with Rep. Domb to advance green and healthy K-12 school buildings. The new law requires a coordinated effort between the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), the Department of Energy Resources, the Department of Public Health, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to assess the environmental health factors and energy use of our existing K-12 school buildings, and then to develop a plan for renovations that will result in the green and healthy school buildings that our students, staff, and faculty deserve. I’m ever grateful to the American Institute of Architects and Undaunted K-12 for their strategic advocacy and follow through.
We recently heard from the MSBA with an update on this work. MSBA staff have been meeting with the other agencies outlined in the law, and there is now an ad-hoc state working group working specifically on green and healthy K-12 school buildings. Rep. Domb and I filed legislation this session to formalize this working group, and we will continue to engage with state agency partners and to track their progress on this issue.
Learn more about the ongoing work here.
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In the new year, we’ll give you updates on more bills we’ve filed that have passed into law including net zero building construction, solar equity, the restart of passenger rail along the Route 2 corridor, healthy soil and carbon sequestration work, and more — as well as a look back at other highlights from five years of service in the State Senate. |
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Lowering prescription drug costs |
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On November 15, the Senate passed a major drug cost control bill known as the PACT Act (An Act Relative to Pharmaceutical Access, Cost and Transparency (S.2520)). The image below summarizes the highlights of this legislation.
Our health care system and our pharmaceuticals only work if people can afford to access them. A 2021 study found that nearly 25% of Massachusetts residents did not fill a prescription, cut pills in half, or skipped a dose because they couldn’t afford it. For Black and Latino residents, the rates were significantly higher at 36% and 33%, respectively. The PACT Act will bring real relief to millions of Massachusetts residents who simply cannot afford the high price of prescription drugs.
The PACT Act heads to the House for its consideration. In the same week that the Senate passed the PACT Act, the House of Representatives passed a strong long-term care reform bill that I have heard from many of you about, and I am already working with Senate colleagues in hope that we take up similar legislation in the new year.
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Touring with the Joint Committee on Higher Education |
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As I noted in last month’s newsletter, the Joint Committee on Higher Education has set out to tour many of the Commonwealth’s 29 public higher education campuses.
On November 6, I joined my colleagues as we toured UMass Lowell and Middlesex Community College’s Lowell Campus. At both institutions, we met with students and campus leaders and engaged in conversations about the importance of public higher education — in terms of equity, workforce, innovation, and its role in transforming our Commonwealth. (I’m pictured below with wonderful groups of students, faculty, staff, and administrators — and also looking wide-eyed in a lab dedicated to bio science research.)
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On Friday, November 17, the Committee toured Bridgewater State University and Massasoit Community College.
While at Bridgewater State University, I had the chance to speak with many professional staff union members who greeted us as we arrived and wanted to talk about their delayed contracts. I was glad to engage with these faculty and staff and appreciate the power of their organizing.
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I am delighted to share that all of our bills that were filed at the start of this session have been heard at a public hearing! This means that all of these bills are now ready to be advanced by Committees.
Here’s what happened with our bills in committee this month:
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Reduce Youth Suicide
On November 16, An Act relative to student mental health (S.1237/H.1999) was heard by the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. I filed this bill in partnership with Representatives Jack Patrick Lewis and Natalie Higgins.
The state’s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 17.5% of high school students seriously considered suicide during the previous year, with 14.8% making a plan and 7.3% attempting suicide. For middle school students, 11.3% seriously considered suicide and 5% attempted suicide.
Our bill directs that school ID cards for public school students in grades 7-12 and students in public colleges and universities include the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline directs all callers to trained call takers who are available to provide free, confidential emotional support.
Prohibit Native School Mascots
On November 13, An Act prohibiting the use of Native American mascots by public schools in the Commonwealth (S.245/H.477) was heard by the Joint Committee on Education. I filed this legislation in partnership with Representative Brandy Fluker Oakley.
Many Indigenous leaders in the Commonwealth and the Indigenous Legislative Agenda are calling for an end to public school mascots that make one-dimensional caricatures of Native American images, words, and symbols. I am proud to join them.
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Improving the Earned Income Tax Credit
On November 14, An Act improving the earned income credit for working families (S.1768) was heard by the Joint Committee on Revenue.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) assists 400,000 low- and moderate-income households in Massachusetts. It has been proven to lift families out of poverty and increase employment. This, in turn, boosts recipients’ long-term earnings and improves health outcomes. Our bill would increase the state supplement to the federal credit (above the amount already increased in the recent tax package), expand age eligibility, and allow people without a social security number to qualify.
Medicare for All
The list of bills heard this month wouldn’t be complete without a shout-out to the Medicare for All legislation which also had a hearing in November. While I’m not a lead on the bill, I’m certainly a proud cosponsor. A shout-out to Western Mass. Medicare for All which is leading advocacy in our region.
You can read my testimony here.
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We often don’t share media clips, but we try to catch them when we can and post them on our website here.
Yet we do want to share three clips given significant constituent interest in the related issues:
“The glaring reality is nieces, nephews, cousins, daughters, sons, aunts, uncles, even divorced spouses can be paid. This is an omission, and shame on us for letting this happen.”
“We should not have our public health dependent on the wealth of our community.”
“[T]he CHERISH Act would create a path for debt-free college in Massachusetts, expand student support services, provide funding to repair crumbling campus buildings and improve wages and working conditions for staff.”
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Food insecurity and 21st century agriculture |
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On November 16, the Special Commission on Agriculture in the Commonwealth in the 21st Century held its fifth hearing to discuss food security. As the Senate co-Chair, I was proud to welcome Congressman Jim McGovern (pictured) for keynote remarks to the Commission and attendees. |
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Invited speakers testified on statewide and regional food security trends in Massachusetts, the role and contribution of Massachusetts farms and farmers in combating food insecurity and strengthening the state’s food system, and a regional approach to food system resilience.
Watch the recording of the hearing here.
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I was so glad to participate in a roundtable with Governor Healey and Housing Secretary Ed Augustus in Amherst at The Gables on November 1. Thank you to the Governor’s western Massachusetts Director Kristen Elechko for her wrangling to make this happen. |
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After the roundtable, I was delighted to join Secretary Augustus and municipal leaders in Athol at a site for future senior and affordable housing, and I was grateful that District Director Elena Cohen could join folks in Pelham to celebrate the opening of a new affordable housing development. And the very next week, Elena and I were delighted to see Secretary Augustus again in Greenfield!
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The Housing Bond bill filed by Governor Healey is loaded with funding and policy to help accelerate housing production. I look forward to engaging deeply with colleagues on this legislation and to the bill's passage. |
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I am grateful to John Paradis, Steve Connor, Molly Maxner, and all the participating artists. I am also thankful to Congressman McGovern, recognized at the event for the work he did to raise a storm of opposition to the proposed closure of the VA in Leeds. Big shout out to Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra for her opening words and her Administration’s commitment of a portion of Northampton's ARPA funds towards this work.
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On November 15, I was honored to join Senator Joan Lovely and Representative Manny Cruz at the historic announcement of $62 million of additional investment in MASSGrant Plus (financial aid for Massachusetts students) made by the Healey-Driscoll Administration through an appropriation by the Legislature of Fair Share revenue.
This will benefit 25,000 Commonwealth students and all of the state's public colleges and universities.
A summary of the specifics are as follows:
- Not including room and board, MASSGrant Plus Expansion will cover the full cost of tuition and fees for Pell-eligible students, including an additional allowance of up to $1,200 for books and supplies.
- Students whose families earn between $73,000 and $100,000 annually will have their costs for tuition and fees reduced by up to half.
- The expansion will extend MASSGrant Plus financial aid to both full- and part-time Pell Grant-eligible students for the first time.
This financial aid expansion is in addition to the state’s recently launched free nursing at all community colleges and MassReconnect programs. It is also in addition to the Free Community College Working Group which is engaging in highly productive conversations.
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On November 18, I joined Rep. Whipps, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley, MSBA Executive Director Mary Pichetti, Director Elechko, and a cadre of dedicated Town of Orange staff and volunteers at a wonderful ribbon cutting for the Fisher Hill Elementary School.
Congratulations to all who powered this forward. So glad to continue advocating for more funding for the MSBA and for green and healthy public schools for all our children.
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On November 19, I was honored to witness the opening of the South Asian Fall Festival organized by Amherst Town Councilor Shalini Bahl-Milne. Councilor Bahl-Milne offered a truly moving opening focused on Diwali, sharing that the festival of lights is celebrated in a beautiful diversity of ways across the globe with the common theme of moving away from ignorance and toward greater awareness, returning back to the light within us that we can easily forget. Pictured below are two photos — the first with Councilor Bahl-Milne and representatives from Amherst reading a proclamation. The second is of a pretty fabulous UMass South Asian acapella group. |
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On November 30, I joined Representative Susannah Whipps for a beloved annual tradition: The AOTV Holiday Live Auction. It’s hard to describe the overwhelming community spirit and support for this event, where local donors join local bidders to raise funds for community access television. This year, Rep. Whipps and I were the Thursday night hosts. What’s true is that Susannah knows the entire community, so it makes the auction that much more fun and meaningful. We have some plans for next year’s outfits (which I am not at liberty to share at the moment :)). Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who believes in the power of community and local media. |
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On December 1, I joined an outstanding tour of the Children's Advocacy Center of Hampshire County. Thank you to Director Kara McElhone and her fabulous team for the work they do every day to help children in Hampshire County who have been sexually assaulted or abused, while also caring for their families. More on its healing work: https://cachampshire.org/.
Deeply grateful to the Chairs of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities (Senator Robyn Kennedy and Representative Jay Livingstone), western Massachusetts delegation members, Northwestern District Attorney Dave Sullivan, DPH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Estevan Garcia, Children's Trust Executive Director Jennifer Valenzuela & staff member Tammy Bernardi, CAC Board member Nancy Lapointe, Kristen Elechko, and great colleagues who represent Hampshire County for a tour, conversations, and learning.
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After the CAC, Rep. Domb and I headed to UMass Amherst to meet with the students, faculty, and staff of MAICEI — the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative.
MAICEI provides students ages 18-21 with significant (typically autism or intellectual) disabilities access to a college experience alongside their peers. MAICEI students are supported by the MAICEI program coordinator, educational coaches, and peer mentors.
Rep. Domb and I have been working on what we call the "blue envelope bill" thanks to a call to action from a MAICEI student, Max. This bill is focused on facilitating better interactions between people with autism and the police. Read more about it here. It has been reported favorably out of the Joint Committee on Transportation. We'll have more news on this bill soon!
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On December 2, I joined the joyous 20th Anniversary Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage!
Cheers for Safe Passage’s staff, board, volunteers, donors, and participants — all working for a world without domestic violence and relationship abuse, and with ample services for survivors!
Beyond thrilled to work in the Senate to increase the funding for the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance, which directs funds to Safe Passage.
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And last but certainly not least, on November 21, I walked the second day (12 hours, 26 miles (!)) of the annual March for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
Two of my favorite people in the world, Congressman McGovern and Monte Belmonte, led us from Northampton to Hadley to Amherst to Deerfield, and into Greenfield. These two walk 43 miles (!). I believe that they must exist on faith and love.
I've been taking part in Monte's March since way before I was elected. But since taking office, this annual walk has felt more powerful and immediate. And necessary. Very necessary.
Thank you to everyone who donated to support my walk, Monte, Jim, and the Food Bank. The picture below was taken at the 6 a.m. launch, featuring Monte doing a split as Weird Barbie. Have mercy.
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In this season of light, my team and I send love to you and those you love, |
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Jo, Katelyn, Rachel, Elena, Brian, and Jared |
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Did you find the content of this email useful?
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Boston office
(617) 722-1532
State House
Room 410
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Amherst office
(413) 367-4656
UMass Amherst
Isenberg School of Management
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Please send all mail correspondence to the Boston office. |
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