Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester) along with her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted to pass legislation to protect public sector employees’ rights following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus v. American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCM) ruling. The bill enables Massachusetts employee organizations to charge non-members the reasonable costs associated with…
Last month, Governor Baker brought his cabinet to Cape Ann, giving our communities the opportunity to showcase local initiatives, highlight areas of concern, and discuss state investments. Senator Bruce Tarr and I started off the day by joining Secretary of Education James Peyser and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rosalin Acosta at Gloucester High School to have…
Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester) and her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives have passed legislation to ban drivers from using hand-held electronic devices in vehicles unless they are in hands-free mode. “Distracted driving is a factor in too many dangerous and fatal motor vehicle accidents, and the House is proud to take this step…
Last week, the House of Representatives passed its FY2020 budget, including substantial investments in education, economic development, and local aid, as well as other areas. Here are a few highlights on issues that are especially important to our district because they will have a positive impact on Cape Ann. This year, the House Budget makes a down…
A bipartisan group of lawmakers want the MBTA to shelve planned fare hikes until the Tobin Bridge project is completed, arguing that the higher fares will add to traffic woes by deterring commuters from using public transit. In a letter to the T’s fiscal control board, the lawmakers said the 6 percent fare increases, which…
More and more each day, we have watched our friends and neighbors move off of Cape Ann because housing has become unaffordable. In order to maintain our communities of diverse social and economic backgrounds here on Cape Ann, we must address this issue. Let’s be honest, we all have relatives who find the current market…
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced an additional $400,000 funding award for the Cape Ann Transit Authority (CATA) as part of a grant program to regional transit authorities to implement best practices and innovative services to benefit customers. Regional award winners have been selected based upon factors such as whether projects will increase ridership,…
Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester) has sponsored a number of bills relating to the environment, clean energy, and climate change filed in the 191st session of the General Court of Massachusetts. “While talking with voters during election season, I heard repeatedly how worried people are in our communities about climate change and the impact it will…
Massachusetts Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) announced a new House of Representatives initiative to invest $1 billion over the next 10 years to help communities across Massachusetts adopt technologies – including clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate change resiliency measures – that cut greenhouse gas emissions, fortify infrastructure and reduce municipal costs. The…
State Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, elected last November for a sixth term of representing Gloucester, Rockport and Essex, was named the new House chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. The nomination from House Speaker Robert DeLeo and her election by the full House place her in a key role as the…
