Dear Neighbor,

By now you know this isn't a "news" letter.  Even though we don't have the local news sources we used to have and need now, you probably follow major state house bills in the Globe - or on social media.  Many of you write to us about bills and amendments, and we try really hard to get back to people if they live in our district.  If you want to keep up day to day, my staff posts things on Facebook.

It's the end of session, and things are happening really quickly.  I'm working hard to pass my top priorities, and will write about them.  Today I wanted to share some thoughts about history, based on my opening remarks at the Winchester League of Women Voters annual meeting.  The photos with Ruth Trimarchi and Gloria Legvold are from that event.

Dear Neighbor,

Happy Independence Day!

(John Oliver says that the most celebrated secular holiday around the world is Independence Day from England.)

Today in Person: Reading Frederick Douglass Together 

Today, July 4, noon to 3 pm, you're invited to join in reading Frederick Douglass' speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? at the Royall House & Slave Quarters, 15 George St. in Medford.

If you're trying to celebrate while staying cool, I recommend these for your viewing:

Dear Neighbors,

There's so much happening at the state house.  For example, I'm following the negotiations about the rent stabilization ballot question; I've done a few updates on Facebook; things changing daily.  But I'm hopeful.

Alain and I wrote an article for Commonwealth Beacon about the failure of high stakes testing to improve learning - using test score evidence.  Here it is.  At least look at the charts.  (I love charts!)  And keep reading for a link to an article making similar points from yesterday's Globe, with more data.



New end-of-course testing unlikely to do much good.

Now that voters have eliminated the MCAS graduation requirement, some supporters of the old system are afraid many students will graduate without a foundation of basic skills.

Dear Neighbor,

This is an extremely busy time in the legislature, with multiple budgets (FY 27, supplemental, and Fair Share) and lots of bills.  When we passed the FY 27 budget, I spoke about how our constrained budgets are not keeping up with the needs of the increasing numbers of older adults.

Last week, I was happy we passed the Retirement Plus bill; I'd heard from many teachers about its importance.  Coming up soon are comprehensive bills on child welfare, primary care, and energy affordability.  

Also last week the House and Senate finally - after months of language review - gave final approval to our Archaic Language bill, which I wrote about here.  

Dear Neighbor,

Last week, the Senate passed our version of the PROTECT Act.

The Senate's PROTECT Act holds federal immigration agents legally accountable for civil rights violations, bars local and state police from participating in civil federal immigration enforcement, and prohibits immigration civil arrests at courthouses, houses of worship, schools, hospitals, and childcare facilities.  

The House previously passed its own version, initiated by the Black and Latino Caucus.  WGBH has a good summary of the differences, which will have to be resolved by a conference committee of three members from each house.

Senators, including me, filed 79 amendments, but only 7 were adopted.  In the end, all Democrats and two of the five Republicans - including the minority leader, voted in favor.

Dear Neighbor,

It's frustrating when you work for years to pass a bill, and then it's not carried out as intended.  That's happened with medical parole.  A little history, then individuals' stories by MassLive on "Death Under Watch."

WHY MEDICAL PAROLE?

In 2011, I filed a bill to allow dying and incapacitated people to be released from prison into care by their family, a nursing home, or other facility. 

I visited the Health Services and the Activities of Daily Living Units at MCI Shirley with other legislators.  We saw a quadriplegic who could not sit up in bed, being cared for by a prisoner from another unit. Others required dialysis to survive.  There were many men with dementia, some of whom had no idea where they were.  The unit was like a nursing home, but much more expensive, with no benefit to public safety.  None of the men was a danger to others. 

Dear Neighbor,

FLIGHT OF THE MILLIONAIRES

This is the third in a series on the causes and effects of the rapid transfer of income, wealth and power upward.  The first demonstrated the concentration of wealth.  The second was about how that concentration showed up in life expectancy and food. 

This one has immediate policy implications.  It's about the "flight of the millionaires."  Are the uber-wealthy fleeing Massachusetts because of the Fair Share Amendment? That law, passed by 52% of the popular vote in 2022, added a 4% surtax on incomes over $1 million.

Dear Neighbor,

This set of short takes is the second in a series about the wealth gap and its effects.  ICYMI, here's the first.

Dear Neighbors,

Amid the hourly onslaught of mostly bad to horrific news, it's easy to lose sight of something that's both cause and result of those events.

That's the rapid and enormous transfer of income, wealth and power upward.  This newsletter just shows the scale of the wealth and income gaps.  How do those gaps affect housing, taxation, spending, health, education, food, war, and more?  How do our policies affect those gaps?  I'll be writing about that in future newsletters.  And we'll examine the urgent question of whether millionaires are fleeing Massachusetts because of the Fair Share Amendment.  

Dear Neighbor,

In December, I wrote about Governor Healey's Graduation Council's Interim Report.  After voters passed Question 2 by almost 3-2, eliminating MCAS as a graduation requirement, districts have been allowed to set their own graduation standards.  Healey (who opposed that elimination) established a Graduation Council to propose replacements for the test as a graduation requirement.

Dear Neighbor,

Last week:
     - I filed a bill to unmask ICE 
     - The Assisted Living Commission filed our report and commendations
     - The Senate passed my Senior Property Tax Deferral bill

Dear Neighbor,

Happy New Year!  

I always start every year full of optimism.  This year, almost all bills have been reported out of their primary committees.  Many are now waiting for action in the Ways and Means committees.  So we have a lot to work on.

Thanks to all of you who sent kind words after I announced that I won't be running for re-election this year!  

Here's a roundup of some recent news reports on issues I'm working on.