Friday, October 1, 2021

Senator Becca Rausch: Fall Updates from Beacon Hill


Policymaking is in full swing in the Legislature, and because of your advocacy, we delivered some big public health victories!
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Senator Rausch State House Briefing  

Part 2, Chapter 9 (September 30, 2021) 

Dear friends,   

Fall is here, kids are back in school (fully masked!) and work on Beacon Hill is in full swing.  

Just this week, I passed legislation to provide paid time off for parents and caregivers taking their children to COVID vaccines. Parents keeping their families and communities safe and healthy should also be keeping their entire paychecks. The bill was signed into law yesterday. Earlier this month, the Senate passed the Healthy Youth Act, creating comprehensive and inclusive sex education; the Gender X Bill, creating nonbinary gender markers on state identification cards; and legislation to support student nutrition. 

Over the summer we passed the state budget for our current fiscal year (2022) and I'm proud to share several notable victories, including: a pilot program for a statewide youth mental health support text line, available 24/7/365; reproductive justice advancements, such as combating fake women's health centers and creating safe spaces for domestic violence survivors; and hundreds of thousands of dollars to support local projects and priorities in our district, such as direct anti-racism and equity and inclusion work, supporting seniors, helping children and families in needfire safety, and paving the way for long-term outdoor dining

Looking ahead, there's plenty on our plate! Next week we'll debate critical voting rights legislation, one of my long-time priorities. I'm hard at work on climate action through my own bills and as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (ENRA). Several of my bills on reproductive justice and immunization infrastructure have already moved through the first part of the legislative process. And of course, my team and I will continue doing everything in our power to help keep you, your families, and our communities safe as we continue living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about our COVID work below.  

For real-time updates, please follow me on Twitter and Facebook. If you are a constituent and need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me and my team via phone (617-722-1555) or email (becca.rausch@masenate.gov). We are here to help. Our COVID-19 resources are still available on my website. Remember to mask up indoors and keep your distance if you are not vaccinated or otherwise at higher risk. 

I wish you and your loved ones strength, health, resilience, and joy.  
  

Yours in service,  

 
Senator Becca Rausch   

 Office Hours 

 

Sign up for a 15-minute appointment here.    

My team and I host virtual office hours every month. Residents from any part of the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District are welcome to share their questions and opinions on state issues with me and my team via video chat or phone call. Office hours are available to discuss any matter.   
    
Upcoming office hours:   

Friday, October 8, 10-11 AM
​Friday, November 5, 10-11 AM
​Friday, December 10, 10-11 AM


Our mailing address is:
The Office of Senator Becca Rausch
Massachusetts State House, Room 218
24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133                          

The newsletter was shortened for publication here. To review the full set of content follow this link ->  https://mailchi.mp/b83010e12e18/reopeningupdate-14814680?e=0c2c9810fe

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