On Tuesday, the Legislature’s Transportation Committee heard testimony on several bills aimed at expanding use of electric cars. One proposal, backed by Reps. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester, and Lenny Mirra, R-West Newbury, would reauthorize the rebate program for low-emission and electric vehicle purchases up to $75,000 and create a new rebate offering a $400 discount on…
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…
State Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester) today announced the availability of $300 in annual household electricity savings through JOE-4-SUN, the state’s largest Low-Income Community Shared Solar program. The initiative from Boston-based Citizens Energy Corporation, launched earlier this month, offers discount solar credits to about 2,000 low-income Massachusetts families each year. “This is a terrific new program…
Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester) joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to unanimously pass legislation investing $1.3 billion to help cities and towns across Massachusetts fund infrastructure projects aimed at fighting climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation establishes a $1 billion, 10-year grant program – known as GreenWorks – to…
Gloucester lawmakers Senator Bruce Tarr and Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante have secured a significant amount of state support for innovative and important initiatives serving Cape Ann communities in the state’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget bill now on the desk of Governor Charlie Baker. The lawmakers authored, proposed, and successfully championed, amendments which will aid in public safety, water…
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…
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…
“Between the fishing industry, ancillary businesses, and the tourism industry, the economic loss to Massachusetts would be profound should the proposed drilling occur,” Rep. Ann Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester, and nearly 60 other state lawmakers wrote in a letter to Baker in January. Read more on the Gloucester Daily Times website→
