Today, the House of Representatives passed legislation to fund a $36 million COVID-19 Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program. Fisheries, farms, and other local food system businesses will be eligible for grants under the program to help them adapt to disruptions and to allow them to provide greater access to local food. Over the past several…
Last week, Governor Baker announced the creation of the Reopening Advisory Board, a 17-member advisory board to discuss the needs of the business community in order to open safely. I am honored to share that Massachusetts Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo has selected me to monitor the deliberations of the Reopening Advisory Board…
“We are in the surge.” That was what Governor Baker said at his press conference on Wednesday. The “surge” refers to the influx that is expected to put health care workers and emergency medical providers under tremendous stress as those diagnosed with COVID-19 seek treatment. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been expecting this surge in…
“We know how crucial our museums, theaters, historic sites and science centers are to our community and how much our artists and cultural workers contribute to the education of our children. Their survival and vitality depend on support at the federal, state, and local level, and on the continued generosity of all of us.” Read…
Today, Governor Baker announced details for the initial implementation of federal unemployment benefits in the CARES Act, the federal based COVID-19 relief package. This federal program, enacted on March 27, 2020, will be administered by states. Today’s announcement reflects the first set of partial guidance that Massachusetts will immediately implement to support unemployed workers. The…
Congress passed COVID-19 relief legislation last week, which has now been signed by the president. The newsletter we sent out last week contained an overview of the legislation. Three specific parts of that legislation will be particularly relevant to our small businesses and workers: Direct rebates: The CARES Act provides a $1,200 rebate to individuals and heads of households and $2,400…
Last week, in his State of the Commonwealth address, Governor Baker announced the inclusion of the “Career Technical Institute Initiative” in his FY2021 budget proposal. This initiative would transform vocational schools in order to provide classes in shifts, allowing for greater use of these technical resources, just as we have done on Cape Ann with our…
This week, the House of Representatives advanced and finalized several pieces of important legislation, covering the topics of education, nutrition, public safety, and children’s health before breaking for the holidays. As formal sessions end for the remainder of the year, I’m pleased we advanced these critical pieces of legislation, sending several to the Governor’s desk…
Last week, the House of Representatives unianimously passed the Student Opportunity Act to update the education funding formula for our K-12 schools. This historic legislation invests $1.4 billion in the Commonwealth’s public education system, including a projected $3.4 million in new Chapter 70 funding for Cape Ann’s schools once fully implemented.
Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester) announced Julie LaFontaine as the recipient of the third annual Jeremiah J. Healy Service Award. Established by Ferrante in 2017, the award is given to an individual who best epitomizes the social gospel of Matthew: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me…
