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Senator Rausch State House Briefing Part 2, Chapter 14 (March 24, 2022)
Spring has sprung! We finally made it through winter; days are getting longer, flowers are poking through the soil, and my colleagues and I are working hard on Beacon Hill!
Before I get into the legislative nuts and bolts, I want to take a moment to wish you a happy Women's History Month. This March (and every month), I am grateful for both the prominent and invisible work that women do – every day – to keep our world running. Without question, I stand on the shoulders of so many women trailblazers, without whom my work for our Commonwealth would not be possible, and I pledge to continue uplifting women around me in my service as your State Senator. It has been an absolute blast highlighting women leaders from our district through my weekly Local Leadership Lunches (read more below!), and I hope you'll join me for the last few Facebook Live streams as we wrap up the month.
In the Legislature, my colleagues and I are gearing up for the FY '23 state budget deliberations, an opportunity to pour billions of dollars into our Commonwealth's municipal governments, schools, infrastructure, and local projects. Last year I secured more than a million dollars for initiatives and innovations that uplift our communities, including $250,000 for a youth mental health text line pilot program (that's now up and running – more below!). If you have any budget priorities, please do not hesitate to share them with me and my team.
With only four months to go before the end of session, my colleagues and I continue to advance forward-thinking bills through the legislative process. The Senate unanimously passed the I AM Bill, ensuring menstrual products – a basic human need – are provided for free in schools, prisons, and shelters across Massachusetts. We also unanimously voted YES on a sorely needed Veterans Home Bill to significantly improve oversight and management of facilities taking care of our veterans. I passed an amendment that ensures public transparency and accountability, so that veterans, their families, allies, and advocates have the information necessary to identify areas of improvement and prevent the recurrence of the tragedies that befell so many in Holyoke and Chelsea during the early days of COVID.
In this newsletter, you will find updates on my brand-new Small Business Advisory Council, Local Leadership Lunch series, grant opportunities for small business owners, a pilot youth mental health text line I secured in the FY '22 budget, and more. 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.
I wish you and your loved ones strength, health, resilience, and joy.
Yours in service, Senator Becca Rausch
Our mailing address is: The Office of Senator Becca Rausch Massachusetts State House, Room 218 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133
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