Now we face a totally predictable surge of disease and death as tens of thousands of families lose their homes in 2 weeks when the eviction and foreclosure moratorium expires on October 17.

This week, fifteen of my colleagues and I sent a letter to Secretary Turco regarding the new medical parole regulations. Here is the text of our letter:

On Monday, I wrote a letter to the Joint Committee on Education regarding S.2814, An Act responding to the COVID-19 emergency by instituting a moratorium of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. The moratorium would pause use of MCAS as a graduation requirement and a part of school assessments, and respond to both the disruption of schooling due to the pandemic and to the demand for eliminating structures that reflect and promote racial injustice.

This week we received really good news: the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) has finally put out new instructions for claimants certifying their identity. Details below. The good news is that, if you are finally approved, you will get all your back benefits including the $600/week supplement from the federal government that expires this week. Please make sure you act within five days after receiving the notice!

On Tuesday, the Senate passed the Reform, Shift + Build Act to enact reforms to raise police accountability standards, shift resources to communities and build equity, justice and fairness. We started debate on the previous Thursday. It was tabled till the next day three times, and the Monday session lasted until 4:30 Tuesday morning as we debated 145 amendments.

This newsletter is about the evictions moratorium bill Rep. Connolly, Rep. Honan, and I filed last week, as well as a new housing assistance program from Mystic Valley NAACP and Century Bank.

We're all flooded with updates about coronavirus, and the situation changes constantly. But people have sent me many questions about local resources and questions about state policy in the past few days. Here are some responses; please stay in touch with other questions and suggestions. I will keep this updated, so please continue to check back.

Tune into Somerville Media Center on Facebook, on their website or on SCATV (check cable listings) for 30 min “Virtual Town Halls” I have been doing with the Somerville State Delegation. We hope to do these regularly with information about the State response to COVID-19. Send us your questions, we want to make sure we are using these to get best information out.

More than half the COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts have been among residents of long-term care facilities, though fewer than 1% of people live there.
This is of course incredibly frightening for residents, their families, and staff, especially since families can't visit unless the resident is near the end of their life.

Automated traffic enforcement was postponed last week before coming to a vote. I supported the bill & still believe that cameras will save lives and change behavior in places where traffic is too dangerous even for law enforcement. 

Senator Jehlen, Representatives Barber, Connolly and Provost with staff members met with Commissioner Montgomery and Deputy Engineer Raul Silva at the state house on Tuesday, February 25.

Legislators can visit prisons at any time. On Sunday, February 2, Sen. Jamie Eldridge and I and Representatives Mike Connolly, Mary Keefe, Lindsay Sabadosa made an unannounced visit to the prison. We were able to speak with about 15 inmates. Superintendent Steve Kenneway, DOC Commissioner Carol Mici, and Public Safety Undersecretary Andrew Peck came to talk as well.