Latest news with #RebeccaRausch
Boston Globe
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Healey's $3B bill seeks to future-proof Mass. against flash floods and more
If passed by the Legislature, the so-called 'Mass Ready Act' would be a historic investment in climate-readiness, said Stephanie Cooper, the state's undersecretary for the environment — 'the biggest ever.' Advertisement During a six hour hearing Tuesday before the joint Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the overwhelming reception for the bill was positive, said Senator Rebecca Rausch of Needham, the committee's co-chair. 'The base has a lot of really strong pieces in it,' she said. 'I'm looking forward to kind of digging in further and to building upon it.' But in some cases — such as the availability of grants for local preparedness, the mitigation of air pollution in vulnerable neighborhoods, and the protection of nature — advocates say it doesn't go far enough. Advertisement The Nature For Massachusetts Coalition, made up of more than 40 local environmental groups, said the bill doesn't provide sufficient funds for the acquisition, restoration, or improvement of nature, which is necessary for many reasons including the sequestration of carbon. The bill includes $340 million for the five-year term of the bond, but Sam Anderson, director of legislative and government affairs at Mass Audubon, which is a member of the coalition, said that's 'a fraction of what's needed to actually meet our goals.' At the hearing, many speakers voiced support for increased funding for the state's Related : The act includes $93 million in authorization for seawalls and dam repairs and upgrades, and it establishes a $200 million 'Resilience Revolving Fund' that would provide low-interest loans to municipalities, tribal governments, and water and wastewater districts to improve stormwater systems, restore natural systems, and enhance infrastructure that can reduce flood and heat risks. As the revolving fund loans get repaid, the money can be loaned out again. It's a program modeled after existing revolving funds for clean water and drinking water, which have seen that for every dollar of initial state and federal investment over the lifetime of the program, three dollars have gone out in loans, according to Antos. A $3 billion bill may seem hefty, but spending this money on prevention now could save a lot down the line by readying the state for the increased extreme weather events triggered by a warming planet, state officials and advocates said. Advertisement Already, there's proof. An earlier culvert replacement program swapped undersized culverts — which couldn't handle increased stream flow during heavy rain events, leading to flooded out roads — with ones that were properly sized. As a result of those changes, roads that previously flooded out repeatedly 'have not overtopped since, said Katherine Antos, the state's undersecretary of decarbonization and resilience. 'They were able to withstand the 2023 and subsequent storm events that we have had,' she said. In some ways, the bill is innovating, by proposing big, pricey investments in resilience. In others — as with the requirement that flood risk is disclosed to homebuyers and renters — it's catching up. 'Honestly, Massachusetts was behind what many other states have done in terms of requiring flood disclosures,' Antos said. As the legislature continues to work on the bill, Rausch said she's hoping one issue that's not currently included — plastics — gets added in. 'We certainly heard in the testimony … about reducing our reliance on fossil fuels,' Rausch said. That goes beyond energy. 'With 99 percent of plastics originating with fossil fuels, we have to address particularly single-use plastics,' she said. Related : If passed, this would be the fourth successive major climate bill, building on legislation that has set ambitious, legally binding targets for cutting climate-warming pollutions, bolstered the offshore wind industry and other clean energy resources, and streamlined regulatory processes to allow for more clean energy to power the state. But it would be the first passed during the new Trump administration, when federal funds for climate resilience and clean energy are being eliminated. Advertisement 'We know that we can't fully fill the hole that the federal government is leaving,' Cooper said. 'But we know that it's that much more important for us to invest, and to do it really wisely.' Sabrina Shankman can be reached at
Boston Globe
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘Saturday changed everything.' Mass. lawmakers weigh what personal info should be public after Minnesota shootings.
'We don't have drivers, we don't have security details,' Oliveira said of state lawmakers. 'There's a misnomer in the public that we're isolated. We go to the grocery store, we go to Home Depot, we go to big box stores. People see us. We're not in an ivory tower.' Advertisement Legislators around the country have begun reexamining what they make public in light of Saturday's attacks that left one lawmaker and her husband dead. In New Hampshire, officials Advertisement Some elected officials here say they may be uniquely exposed, at least as far as the ballots voters see. The Globe reviewed sample ballots from counties in 49 other states, many of which were posted online by government officials or local news media during last fall's election. While those in a handful of states, including Vermont and Maine, list a candidate's hometown, the Globe found no others besides Massachusetts that listed specific home addresses. Oliveira's bill is similar to It's not the only proposal to emerge in recent days. State Senator Rebecca Rausch, a Needham Democrat, filed an 'There are a whole variety of ways in which people's personal lives can be harmed by bad actors,' Rausch said. 'This may not be all the right pieces or all the right approach, but we need to think about all these different angles. It's not just about someone's address.' Saturday's attack is not the first incident to prompt policy makers to reconsider their approach to personal safety. Advertisement A Danvers man was charged in 2020 with And in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol, Massachusetts campaign finance regulators said they The attacks in Minnesota, however, struck an altogether different chord. 'I never thought as a state lawmaker that we were ever in harm's way. I never thought that we were important enough for people to harm us,' state Senator Barry Finegold said. 'Saturday changed everything.' Prior to Saturday's shooting, the Andover Democrat or a home address in campaign finance records. He said he pursued that change in the wake of the incident at Baker's home. The attacks Saturday, Finegold said, brought home the 'risk of harm to someone in elected office is not worth knowing where someone lives,' he said. 'If it can happen in Minnesota, it can happen in Massachusetts,' he said. 'What really was tough about Saturday is that [the shooter] went after not only the legislator, they went after their spouse. That shakes you to the core. . . . I signed up for this, but my wife has not.' Advertisement Secretary of State William Galvin, a Brighton Democrat who serves as the state's chief record-keeping and public information officer, said efforts to shield some of elected officials' personal information may be well-intentioned but he questioned how far they would need to go in order to be effective. For example, those who make political contributions — lawmakers included — have their address disclosed with each donation. Other public records, such as the nomination papers candidates must file, also include their addresses. Shielding elected officials' home addresses on the ballot alone wouldn't be a panacea to political violence, Galvin said. 'We need to look at the practical side,' Galvin said. 'We're giving up a certain degree of public information. [People should ask] will this be an effective protection of public officials?' Authorities said Vance Boelter appeared to spend months preparing before he allegedly killed former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded state Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. Boelter, 57, also listed dozens of other politicians in his writings, all of whom were Democrats, and some 45 state and federal elected officials in Minnesota, according to prosecutors. 'It's scary,' said state Senator Michael Rodrigues, the chamber's budget chief, 'and it's probably more scary for our families, my wife, for my children, for my grandchildren. 'They saw that, they read that,' the Westport Democrat said of reports of the shootings. 'They're very nervous also.' Elected leaders around Massachusetts quickly denounced the attacks in public statements Saturday. Meanwhile, state lawmakers were exchanging a flurry of messages among themselves, expressing both horror and disbelief. Oliveira said Senate President Karen E. Spilka sent an email to lawmakers reminding them that if they see any threats, they should contact State Police. Advertisement 'We were all texting each other that day,' said state Representative Aaron Michlewitz, the House budget chief, 'and just saying, 'Wow, what a world we're living in.'' Matt Stout can be reached at
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Students and teachers push for civics education
BOSTON (WWLP) – Students and teachers are advocating for civics education to get kids involved with local government and community issues. These advocates are requesting a funding increase in the upcoming budget to provide grants to Massachusetts schools to run civics education programs. These programs can take many forms–for some Massachusetts schools, it means completing social change projects, while for others, it may mean arguing a first amendment case in mock court. For one civics teacher, the biggest accomplishment students can achieve is to no longer need his help to interact with their local government. 'You give them the tools, you give them the knowledge, they learn the levers of change and how they work, and they don't need you anymore,' said Patrick McGravey, eighth grade civics teacher in the North Andover school district. One legislator, who was behind the push for civics education when a bill establishing funding was passed in 2018, says this program is more essential than ever as deep blue Massachusetts struggles to work together with the federal administration. 'We are going to need an engaged generation. Many engaged generations. To lead this commonwealth and the country,' said Needham Democrat Senator Rebecca Rausch. With federal funding in question this year, and significant cuts to the national department of education, lawmakers expect the Fiscal Year 2026 budget to be very tight. Lawmakers say that keeping funding level to previous years for the civics education program would be a win, and they're hopeful that funding can increase in future years. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
