On a snowy Monday, Rep. Ruth Balser’s colleagues and environmental allies gathered in the State House Library to celebrate her success in passing the Public Lands Preservation Act, after leading the effort for nearly quarter of a century. Former Governor Charlie Baker signed the bill into law on November 17.…
Posts published in “State Delegation”
In the closing hours of the 117th Congress, Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) secured $7 million dollars in the 2023 federal budget to improve Newton’s three commuter rail stations at Newtonville, West Newton, and Auburndale. Among the improvements included in the allocation are new stairs, ramps, elevators; full-length in- and out-bound…
In two weeks, the 118th Congress begins its 2023 session, after a tumultuous and surprising mid-term election. In 2023, Ed Markey will have served the Commonwealth for fifty years — first in the Massachusetts House, then in the United States House, and since 2013 as United States Senator. He was…
Twenty-five years ago, State Representative Kay Khan began her quest to upgrade the three commuter rail stations in her Newton district — Auburndale, West Newton and Newtonville — because none of them are accessible and none have both in-bound and out-bound platforms. In fact, trains stop less often in Newton…
Senator Markey, State Senator Cynthia Creem, and State Representative Kay Khan joined the staff of Cradles to Crayons (C2C) at its national headquarters in Newtonville last Friday to mark C2C’s 20th anniversary. C2C Founder and CEO Lynn Margherio led a tour of the facilities and explained the agency’s mission to…
Last week, Fig City News reported that State Representative Ruth Balser’s nearly quarter-of-a-century effort to protect public lands came to fruition when the Legislature voted in favor of her Public Lands Preservation Act. Governor Charlie Baker has signed the bill and made it the law of the Commonwealth. Under the…
On November 10th, the Massachusetts Legislature voted to pass the Public Lands Preservation Act (PLPA, H.5381), designed to preserve open space in the Commonwealth. For Rep. Ruth Balser (D, Newton) it was the successful culmination of a twenty-four-year legislative journey, with roots in her service on the Newton Board of…
Massachusetts State Senator Cindy Creem has shown a genuine commitment to her constituents to get climate solutions enacted into law. Nevertheless, it was her granddaughter’s concerns about the climate crisis that prompted her to do even more to work for progress at the Statehouse in recent months. As Chair of the…
On August 11, Governor Baker signed a comprehensive climate bill into law that will hasten Massachusetts’ transition to energy free of fossil fuels, including a pilot program allowing ten municipalities, including Newton, to ban fossil fuels in new multi-family buildings. Climate activists and legislators had expressed some concern that the Governor…
State Representative Kay Khan began her quest to ban child marriages (i.e., marriages of people under the age of eighteen) nearly six years ago when she learned that children — 89.9% girls, some as young as fourteen — could be married in Massachusetts with only the consent of their parents…