Rausch Report: Bills Meet the Sorting Hat 🎩 (March 2025)

Rausch Report: Bills Meet the Sorting Hat  (March 2025)

Dear Neighbor,

I hope you're having a happy Women's History Month! In what's become an annual tradition, all month long I've been recognizing outstanding women from across the district in a social media series celebrating these often-unsung leaders. (Click or read more about these women below.)

Speaking of amazing women from our district, I watched live as Sunita Williams, a NASA astronaut, science educator, and Needham native, splashed down into the Gulf of Mexico and was greeted by a pod of dolphins! Her perseverance through her eight-day-turned-nine-month mission on the International Space Station has inspired many, and her safe return has brought great relief and rejoicing. Welcome home, Suni!

March has been lively at the State House. We welcomed farmers, fishermen, and foresters for Agriculture Day, when the Great Hall is transformed into a smorgasbord of local food samples and knowledge. I hosted a panel for Massachusetts Civics Learning Week, hearing from students about the significant impact of Civics Education Trust Fund grants. As Senate Chair of the Environmental Committee, I also co-hosted a Green Budget Briefing with House Chair Christine Barber and environmental advocacy organizations to discuss our state's environmental agencies' vital work stewarding our incredible natural resources.

Last month, legislators received their committee assignments; this month, bills were assigned to committees based on their subject matter, with the House and Senate Clerks' offices serving as switchyard and sorting hat. The committees I chair, the Joint Committees on Environment and Natural Resources and Municipalities and Regional Government, have received 324 and 178 bills, respectively. That number is sure to grow, and I look forward to reviewing and hearing testimony on all 500+ bills.   

Read on in this month's Rausch Report for legislative updates, a glimpse into the amazing women from our district who we recognized throughout this Women's History Month, a snapshot of events I attended, information and updates on upcoming town elections, and more.

For real-time updates, please follow me on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram. If you are a constituent and need assistance, please don't hesitate to call me and my team at (617) 722-1555, email me at becca.rausch@masenate.gov, or attend upcoming office hours. We are here to help.     

Yours in service,  

 

Senator Becca Rausch  

Continue reading the Rausch Report online -> 

https://mailchi.mp/masenate/monthlynewsletter-18246370

Mental Health: Amanda Ayer & David Gove (video)

Dr Anne Bergen: 

"Welcome to Mental Health, the crisis of our time. 

My name is Anne Bergen. I am the host of this series of programs brought to you by Franklin TV whose mission is really to bring important topics relevant to the community out so we can inform the residents aware of issues that are very very important. 

The issue we have to address is mental health."

Video link ->  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNf1U5CtzVo

Mental Health: Amanda Ayer & David Gove (video)

FHS Class of 2026 fund raiser at Panera April 14

FHS Class of 2026 fund raiser at Panera April 14

 

"Join us at Panera on 4/14 (a half day) for a fundraiser! 

Either show the flyer to the cashier or use the code FUND4U on the app or at the kiosk in-cafe. 

Any participation is greatly appreciated!"

Shared from ->   https://www.instagram.com/p/DHoGK7ppw6U/

First amendment under attack

Dan Kennedy writes: "New at Media Nation. We are in a very dark place as the Trump administration targets the First Amendment"

'My ethics and diversity class on Wednesday was devoted to a brief overview of First Amendment law. The class comprises nine graduate students and advanced undergrads, and they have shown throughout the semester that they are engaged and compassionate young people. I began with a video in the news. You’ve probably seen it. It shows black-clad, masked thugs, apparently with ICE, approaching a young woman on a sidewalk at Tufts University, hauling her off to a van and driving her away. Her name is Rumeysa Ozturk, and she’s a Ph.D. student and a Turkish citizen who’s in the U.S. on a student visa. It’s the latest shocking image in a series of shocking images we’ve been subjected to recently as the Trump administration — my friend Adam Gaffin of Universal Hub has simply taken to calling it “the regime” — tracks down international students who have been involved in some form of pro-Palestinian activism and targets them for deportation."

Continue reading the article -> https://dankennedy.net/2025/03/27/we-are-in-a-very-dark-place-as-the-trump-administration-targets-the-first-amendment/?

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/1AKo532oeS/

Speaker Announcement: State Reps. to Join Policy Webinar

Join us April 3rd at 6 pm via zoom!

Dear Neighbor, I am excited to announce that State Representatives Andy Vargas, Meghan Kilcoyne, and Manny Cruz will join our Statewide Policy Agenda Webinar next Thursday, April 3rd at 6:00 PM on Zoom. As primary sponsors of our priority bills, we are thrilled join our policy webinar and share why they decided to champion these important pieces of legislation.  In addition to hearing remarks from our bill sponsors, we will take a detailed look at our priority bills, discuss AHMA's strategy for getting them passed, and end with a Q&A session.  I hope to see you there and share our exciting legislative priorities! Register Today Sincerely, Mike Kriesberg Policy and Advocacy Manager at Abundant Housing MA Become an AHMA member today! AHMA is a membership organization that is open to everyone. We stand up for abundant housing for all in communities across Massachusetts. We drive policy at the state and local level by identifying pro-housing changemakers, building the power of local organizers, and connecting a statewide network. Become a member today and join our statewide coalition. Together, we can make Massachusetts for everyone. Join our network!   Abundant Housing Massachusetts 50 Milk Street 16th floor Boston, MA 02109 United States

Milford Daily News: "Voters in Natick approved a $7 million tax override during Tuesday's annual town election"

Natick voters pass $7M override

Milford Daily News: "Voters in Natick approved a $7 million tax override during Tuesday's annual town election"

Key takeaways:

• Natick voters approved a $7 million tax override to fund recurring costs and save municipal and school jobs
• The $7 million override passed comfortably, with 4,645 votes in favor (60.5%) and 3,034 opposed
• Voter turnout was about 30%, with 7,775 ballots cast among 25,878 registered voters

Shared from Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/share/15GtY9y1vs/

Whether you're in the "Circle of Concern" or "Circle of Control" nurture your circle of friends

nurture your circle of friends 

Via Dr. Julie Gurner (@drgurner)

"Great reframe for any day that you feel a bit out of the right headspace, is to focus on the "Circle of Control."

If you can't control it, you don't need to spend energy on it.

Shift up your perspective, and take on the right things."

Shared from ->  https://t.co/Fa7YLujU4t

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm schedule for Friday, March 28, 2025

Yes, Franklin has it's own radio station -> wfpr.fm. Franklin Public Radio has a brand new schedule for the locally produced shows that fill our air waves. 

It ia available anywhere, anytime at wfpr.fm or in the local Franklin, MA area at 102.9 on the FM dial.

Tune in to listen to the following:

Franklin Public Radio - wfpr.fm schedule for Friday, March 28, 2025

8:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 6:00 PM - Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock
Franklin and its local government, services and events 

• This segment features my conversation about the Party For The Pantry scheudled for March 29 https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/talking-all-about-party-for-pantry.html

9:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 7:00 PM

10:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 8:00 PM - Talkin’ the Blues – Jim Derick & Nick Remissong. 2 hours of awesome blues music, info, interviews

11:00 AM, 4:00 PM, and 9:00 PM - “The Vibe” show plays music for everyone searching for some enjoyment, some dance, a happy or thinking mood, and most importantly, having fun.  Tune in to wfpr.fm and listen to “DJ Vibe” spin music across many genres and join this new vibing experience

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf   

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

Franklin TV schedule for Friday, March 28, 2025

• Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel         (Comcast 6, Verizon 26) = FRIDAY

7:00 am FUMC: Cathy Cargill Koch

8:30 am Care For Ukraine

10:00 am Riffin' on Main Street: Tom Mercer

11:00 am Senior Connection: Council on Aging

12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: Meatballs

12:30 pm Cooking with Linda: Meatballs

1:30 pm Pizzapalooza: Meat-Lovers Pt. 2

2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer 2019 Show 3

3:00 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Referee Shortage Pt1

7:00 pm Franklin Art Association: Christine West

8:30 pm Veterans' Call: Tune It Out

9:30 pm ArtWeek: Airmen of Note

• Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel        (Comcast 8, Verizon 28) = FRIDAY

7:00 am Public School Concert: Annie Sullivan Winter Music 2023

8:30 am Mental Health : Amanda Ayer & David Gove

9:30 am All-Town Showcase 2024: Band

11:00 am FHS Girls Varsity Hockey v Stoughton 12-18-24

1:00 pm Cultural Council: BT ALC Big Band

2:30 pm Track and Field: v Taunton 05-18-21

6:00 pm FHSTC - Flowers for Algernon

8:30 pm Critical Conversations: Student Wellbeing

• Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 9, Verizon 29) =  FRIDAY

8:00 am  Zoning Board of Appeals 03-13-25

2:00 pm  Zoning Board of Appeals 03-13-25

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf   

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Thursday, March 27, 2025 ???

For additional details on Library & Senior Center events ->     
https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

Thursday, March 27

* "Look Up" Gallery (Franklin Public Library during open hours)

5pm Board Game Night (Pete's Nerd Emporium)

7pm Jennifer Tefft (live music) (Start Line Brewing Co, Hopkinton)

**  Town Meetings today   **

Zoning Board of Appeals, ZBA Meeting

Thursday, March 27th  Time: 7:30 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03272025-1619 

-------------

Why are there multiple calendars?

What's happening today in Franklin? 

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

Franklin Garden Club Presents Program on House Plants - April 1

The Franklin Garden Club will present a program on “What’s Wrong with My Houseplant” on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street, from 6:30– 8:30 PM.    An informal social get-together will take place from 6:30– 7:00 PM followed by the program, which is open to the public at no charge.The speaker will be Massachusetts Master Gardener Bonnie Power.

Franklin Garden Club

As with our outdoor gardens, many things can go wrong when you grow plants indoors. Learn the factors that make for happy houseplants, including light, water, and soil and how to provide them. Common houseplant pests and diseases, as well as how to treat them, will also be discussed.

Power, a serious outdoor/indoor gardener, has many horticultural interests and areas of expertise. She holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in zoology, which informs her perspective on the management of garden and plant insects and pests. She is a member of the MGA Soil pH Testing team and also volunteer guide at Garden in the Woods, a Native Plant Trust botanical garden in Framingham. 

Franklin Historical Museum: The Joy of 12-Tone Music - Sunday, March 30

Beyond Do, Re, Mi -  We Will `Scale New Heights’ of Musical Appreciation with TWO Franklin Music Educators as we discover…

The Joy of 12-Tone Music

Our March "Music at the Museum" program has been rescheduled to March 30. The program offers a deep (but accessible!) dive into 12-tone or serial composition -- a very influential aspect of "modern" music that emerged in Vienna about a century ago and was widely championed by composer Arnold Schoenberg.  Over time, the technique increased greatly in popularity and eventually became widely influential on Mid 20th-century and later composers.

The Joy of 12-Tone Music - March 30

The "joy" of 12-tone music, or dodecaphony, lies in its unique and challenging approach to musical structure, where all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are treated as equally important, leading to a potentially more complex soundscape. Learning about 12-tone music (also known as 12-tone technique or serialism) can offer a new perspective on how music can be organized and can help you develop your creativity across different musical languages as well as your appreciation of modern pop and classical music where 12-tone has been influential.

Using all 12 notes of the chromatic scale equally, avoids the traditional emphasis on a "home" key or tonal center.  Our guides are Franklin native, Randy LaRosa, a multi-instrumentalist who has played with many of the greats – even including Duke Ellington-- and took classes with 12-tone pioneer Karlheinz Stockhausen. He will be joined by Jon Mitchell, a composer (including the Franklin-premiered Opera, Mary Anning: Fossilel Hunter) and retired conductor. Come to be amazed and entertained at this free event at the Franklin Historical Museum, on Sunday, March 30.  

The Museum is open 1-4, program starts at 1:15. 

Use of Opioid Settlement Funds to bring Art Pharmacy to Franklin "another first of many" (video)

The Art Pharmacy Community Conversation was held at THE BLACK BOX on March 5, 2025. Cory Shea, Director of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy opened the event with 3 panelists who made brief presentations and then participated in a Q&A session.

Panelists:

• Michael Bobbitt, Mass Cultural Council

• Emily Devlin, Art Pharmacy

• Amy Friguiletti, Deputy Town Administrator

Franklin TV video link -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKvpBwHdyNE

The audio version (minus the Q&A section) can also be found online here ->

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/use-of-opioid-settlement-funds-to-bring.html

Use of Opioid Settlement Funds to bring Art Pharmacy to Franklin "another first of many"

The Party for the Pantry: online silent auction is still open

While tickets for The Party for the Pantry are SOLD OUT, the online silent auction is still open!

The Party for the Pantry:  online silent auction is still open

Anyone can bid on amazing prizes which have been generously donated from our community! 

All proceeds benefit The Pantry so bid, bid, bid! The silent auction promptly ends at 9:15 PM on March 29, 2025, during Party for The Pantry - so make sure you check back early and often!

Click here to start bidding, https://givebutter.com/c/partyforthepantry25/auction

Find out more about the silent auction and the travel auction in this episode

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/03/talking-all-about-party-for-pantry.html

8 Unforgettable Vacations at  Party for the Pantry Event