Senator Rausch: 2021 Beacon Hill Roundup (newsletter)

We achieved so much together last year, and we're just getting started.

View this email in your browser Senator Rausch State House Briefing    Part 2, Chapter 12 (January 10, 2022)    Dear friends,    I hope you had a joyful holiday season and a positive start to the new year. 2021 was certainly a challenging year for many of us. Now in the heart of the legislative session, I remain deeply committed to advancing equity, transparency, and justice through policies that keep you and your family safe during this pandemic and delivering top-notch constituent services to our district alongside my team.  In this newsletter you will find a 2021 Beacon Hill Roundup, an invitation to my 2022 Virtual Town Hall and monthly office hours, and a snapshot of upcoming community events in our district.   With the current record surge in COVID-19 cases, I strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated and boosted if you have not yet done so, wear a mask whenever you are in a public space, practice physical distancing, and limit your social engagements to small groups, held outdoors. As always, if you or any of your loved ones in my district have fallen on hard times, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office. My office line is 617-722-1555 and my email is becca.rausch@masenate.gov. We are here to help.      Wishing you and your family strength, health, resilience, and joy throughout the year.        Yours in service,   Senator Becca Rausch     Senator Rausch's 2021 Beacon Hill Roundup I am very proud to have accomplished so much on behalf of my constituents this last year in the Senate, including a robust COVID-19 response, billions of dollars invested into our Commonwealth's communities, and advancing critically needed reforms through the legislative process on Beacon Hill.  COVID-19 Safety: My top priority has been keeping you and your family safe throughout this crisis. Last year alone, my team and I worked on over 500 constituent cases – including nearly 200 COVID-19 unemployment cases – helping individuals receive the supports they deserve, especially during these difficult times. I hosted monthly virtual office hours, senior coffees, and two youth legislative forums for middle and high schoolers in my district to remain accessible to my constituents even while physically distant.   Getting the second dose of my COVID-19 vaccine at Gillette Stadium. Thank you to all the healthcare workers for keeping us safe over the last two years!  I also worked in partnership with my legislative colleagues, frontline community organizations, and public health experts to pressure the Baker Administration to implement policies to keep our communities safe and local economy afloat through this crisis. Some of our victories included universal masking in all K-12 schools, paid time off for families and caregivers taking children to COVID-19 vaccination appointments, and implementing a COVID vaccine pre-registration system for mass vaccination sites.   This newsletter was shortened for publication here. To view the full contents, follow this link ->   https://mailchi.mp/44aace7ac384/reopeningupdate-15648360?e=0c2c9810fe  Our mailing address is: The Office of Senator Becca Rausch Massachusetts State House, Room 218 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133