Massachusetts State Senator
Next Tuesday in Lexington: The Embodied Carbon Council, which I serve on, is holding its first public hearing. The group was created by the Legislature in last year’s climate law to find ways to reduce the lifetime carbon emissions of state-owned buildings. During the hearing, the Council will share some early findings and invite feedback from the public.
If you’re interested in attending, RSVP here
Fun fact: Massachusetts has its own Ice Cream Trail. It’s made up of a group of more than 100 ice cream vendors across the state, including Great Brook Farm in Carlisle. I joined Secretary Tepper at Great Brook, where the Duffy family showed us around the farm. Mark Duffy, our tour guide, was much more charismatic than the cows. Ice cream was terrific.
On a 37-3 vote, senators passed a bill that aims to better protect the identities and personal information of providers and those seeking abortion and gender-affirming care.
The bill, which beefs up a 2022 law, would restrict state agencies from sharing information with out-of-state investigations, require insurance companies in Massachusetts to limit access to patient electronic medical records, and require hospitals here to provide emergency abortions if medically necessary
I was pleased to address a large crowd on Sunday, as Concord Indivisible drew residents indignant at the showy, careless, and deliberately callous roundups by ICE.
Pleased to have offered opening remarks this past weekend at the start of the annual 5K race sponsored by CAAL, the Chinese American Association of Lexington. Participation was high. Sustainability was the theme. I sounded the starting horn. Happy to have received advice on proper technique from former Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao and CAAL executive Hua Wang.
Shining moment at Waltham Partnership for Youth’s annual celebration: Executive Director Magali Garcia-Pletsch (left) congratulates student speaker Victoria Silveira for a speech eloquently delivered.
Got good advice this week from former governor Mike Dukakis, who visited the State Senate as we paid tribute to his beloved wife Kitty.
Lawrence MacDonald, Lorena Betts, and Rebecca Gore, all from Chelmsford, lit up today’s listening session, co-hosted with 3rd Middlesex Area Democrats (3rd MAD), to chart an optimistic course for Democrats.
Sen. Mike Barrett here. An annual meeting of Democrats in my Senate district is set for next Saturday morning, May 3. People are deeply shaken by what’s happening in the country. So, this year, working with event chair Robert Logan, I’d like to try something new, a Town Hall open to all Democrats and Independents in the area interested in discussing what went wrong in 2024 — and what needs to go right in 2026.
In Lexington, 826 Boston supporter Sonali Shah hosted NYT best-selling author Vaishnavi Patel for a fascinating conversation on the experiences of women in India and in Indian fiction. Good turnout. 826 Boston exists to nurture and highlight the writing talents of young writers in urban neighborhoods. Great organization. Shoutout to Read My Lips Boston for inviting my wife and me to the session.
