Volume 6, Issue 10 (October 30, 2024) | |
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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying the spooky season and fall activities. October's newsletter includes recent legislative updates, news from my office, district happenings, and resources available at the state level.
We prioritize our constituent outreach and support in my office. In November, I will host four in-person office hours with me or a member of my staff. If you cannot attend scheduled office hours, you are welcome to contact my staff to schedule a meeting. Please see below for our office’s updated contact information.
State Representative Joan Meschino
State House, Room 162, 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133
Updated phone number: 617-722-2092
Wishing you a wonderful month!
Very truly yours,
Joan
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FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE | |
Women's Caucus Recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month | |
On October 2nd, the Women’s Caucus hosted a breast cancer equity expert panel with survivors, doctors, and service providers. Their message was clear: positive breast cancer outcomes are driven by early diagnoses and increased equity of resources. Women’s Caucus members learned about The Ellie Fund, a Massachusetts breast cancer support service non-profit that works to decrease racial and economic disparities that exist in breast cancer outcomes. The Ellie Fund provides support services like grocery and gas gift cards, child care reimbursement, meal delivery and more to ANY person in treatment for breast cancer in Massachusetts. For more information, visit The Ellie Fund’s website. | |
Rep. Meschino and fellow legislators gather in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month | |
House Passes Closeout Supplemental Budget | On October 27th, the House passed a spending bill (H.5077) to officially close FY24. The $730 million spending bill, also called the closeout budget, included several provisions to wrap up the fiscal year that ended on June 30. The bill included $565.4 million for MassHealth, $7.3 million for the Rental Assistance to Families in Transition (RAFT) program, and $20 million to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. The House bill would also establish a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in the state, which would cover costs to send books to children age zero to five years old. The bill now goes to the Senate. | |
STATE AND FEDERAL HIGHLIGHTS | |
Hingham and Hull Win Coastal Resilience Grants | |
The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that Hingham and Hull received $287,928 and $152,805 respectively to address coastal resilience. The Coastal Resilience Grant Program is administered by the Office of Coastal Zone Management and funds innovative projects related to local planning and shoreline management. Hingham plans to use the funds to develop a coastal flood protection strategy to address storm damage and sea level rise, and Hull plans to address flooding for its Department of Public Works and Municipal Light Plant. Read more about the grant program here. | |
The Sumner Tunnel marked its final full weekend closure as part of the restoration project. The project is now considered substantially complete. The schedule allowed for an additional five weekend closures that would have continued into mid-November but no more will be required. Remaining work will be finished under normal off-peak operations. You can read more here. | |
Massachusetts Election Day Approaches | |
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The Massachusetts General Election Day is on November 5, 2024. For general information about elections in the Commonwealth, visit the Secretary of State’s website. For town-specific voting information, visit your town’s website:
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State Representatives Discuss Blue Economy at Blue Future Conference | |
This past week, I joined Rep. Matt Muratore, Rep. Kathy LaNatra, and policy experts to discuss marine public policy at the Blue Future Conference put on by The Plymouth Foundation. The Conference sought to showcase the South Shore’s leadership in the blue economy by highlighting progress in aquaculture and fisheries, robotics, AI, climate resilience, and marine technology. It is an exciting time for this sector and I will continue to promote sustainable innovation in the blue economy. | |
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(Left) Rep. Meschino with fellow panelists
(Right) Plymouth Harbor
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Rep. Meschino Gives District and Legislative Updates on WATD 95.9 FM | |
This month, I talked with Christine James on WATD 95.9 FM about ferry services, climate updates, breast cancer awareness month, and Veteran suicide awareness and remembrance. You can listen on WATD's website. | |
Rep. Meschino sits down with Christine James on WATD | |
Shore Shore Legislators Visit East Elementary | |
Senator O’Connor and I spoke with the wonderful 5th grade class at East Elementary School in Hingham. We shared how we got involved in local politics, what we love about our jobs, our current policy priorities, and the work we collaborate on. Thank you to the students for being so engaged and inquisitive. And thank you to East Elementary for having us. You can read more about our visit here. | |
Rep. Meschino and Senator O'Connor speak with the 5th grade class at East Elementary | |
Rep. Meschino Attends Road to Responsibility Gala | |
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This month, I attended the Road to Responsibility Gala, an opportunity to showcase the services that Road to Responsibility provides to support citizens with disabilities to truly live in their local communities.
We had the opportunity to celebrate George Ford, who is retiring from the Road to Responsibility Board of Directors after more than 33 years of service. The night also included a poignant video about the experiences that led to Dana’s Law, a key protection for individuals with disabilities. Thank you to Senator O’Connor for all you do in this area and to the families for their courage that led to this protection.
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Rep. Meschino addresses attendees at the Road to Responsibility Gala | |
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Announcing Office Hours for November
Constituent services are our top priority. We continue to work remotely on Mondays and Fridays. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, a staff member will be present in the State House. On Mondays, I host in-person office hours in the district with me or a member of my staff.
If you would like to reserve a time slot for virtual office hours or outside of the times listed, please call the office at our new phone number 617-722-2092 or email my Legislative Aides, Jane and Harrison.
- Monday, November 4, 10:00am - 11:00am, Linden Ponds, for Linden Ponds residents
- Monday, November 18, 10:00am - 11:00am, Hull Council on Aging, 197A Samoset Avenue, Hull
- Monday, November 25, 9:00 am - 10:30 am, Willcutt Commons, 91 Sohier Street, Cohasset
- Monday, November 25, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Hingham Public Library, 66 Leavitt Street, Hingham
To learn more about our constituent services, please visit our website.
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General Resources
COVID-19 Vaccines
- Schedule a COVID-19 Vaccination appointment using the Vaccine Finder
- COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Line (Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-6:00 PM; Saturday-Sunday, 9 AM-2 PM) is available by calling 2-1-1 and following the prompts for assistance / translation services.
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Homebound Vaccination Program information
- COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard
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MyVaxRecords.Mass.Gov allows residents to access their COVID-19 digital vaccine card and vaccination history
COVID-19 Tests, Cases & Treatment
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