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.
As fall begins and our formal sessions resume at the State House, I want to update you on some of the important work that is happening on Beacon Hill and around Cape Ann! First, some exciting news on education. The Joint Committee on Education released an education funding reform bill last week that fully implements…
This week, I joined my colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass a balanced fiscal year 2020 budget that invests heavily in education, economic development, and local aid, strengthens Cape Ann’s local economy and celebrates its history. The funding in this year’s budget for Cape Ann is reflective of our area’s people, our…
Arts and culture are important aspects of Cape Ann’s character and economy. Our history is full of artists capturing the spirit of Cape Ann: its natural beauty, our fishing traditions, and more. World-renowned artists such as Fitz Henry Lane, Winslow Homer, Paul Manship, and Walker Hancock have called Cape Ann “home” and captured its history…
Last week, I sent a letter requesting that the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Export Development hold a hearing on Cape Ann to determine the effects of the Trump Administration trade war with China on the Massachusetts lobster industry. I am concerned that two prominent Cape Ann seafood businesses, National Fish & Seafood and Pigeon Cove Whole Foods have recently shuttered…
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…
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…
I’m excited and humbled to share with you that I have been named the House Chair of the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies by my colleagues in the House of Representatives! Prior to serving as a Floor Division Leader last session, I was elected as the House Vice Chair of this committee and…
The beginning of 2019 is bringing new opportunities for our students on Cape Ann. The first Gloucester High School students have matriculated into the new vocational training program that we facilitated with the Laborers Union and Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School. Last week, they were given new boots and jackets to be equipped…
Today, the Massachusetts House and Senate sent an important supplemental budget to Governor Baker. Priorities include the stability of the Commonwealth’s economy, supporting our neighbors in the Merrimack Valley, improving roads and bridges, and addressing gun violence and mental health services. While interest rates continue to rise and some have forecasted a correction in the…
