State Rep Jeff Roy: Joe Kennedy is coming to Franklin on Sunday Aug 9

View this email in your browser KENNEDY VISIT TO FRANKLIN Sunday, August 9, 2020 in Franklin from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Small Business Walk and Standout REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE https://www.mobilize.us/kennedyforma/event/296071/ We have a big weekend planned for Franklin, and I'm excited to let you know that my friend Joe Kennedy will be stopping by on Sunday to meet with small business owners, our Franklin firefighters, and residents. Joe will be touring La Cantina Winery, Simon's Furniture, and the Franklin Fire Department before heading on over to the Town Common to address the crowd, meet residents, and share his vision for Massachusetts. We ask that you please wear a mask and maintain social distancing to be safe. I hope you will be able to join us on Sunday, August 9 at 1 pm and meet our next United States Senator. I've had the pleasure of working with him over the last 8 years, and appreciate his compassion, empathy and commitment. Please take a peak at the video below which speaks to Joe's character and tells you why I and five of our Franklin Town Councilors have endorsed him in this race. Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. Please view my video endorsement of Joe video Sign up for the Kennedy Visit Here Our mailing address is: State Rep Jeff Roy State House Room 43 Boston, MA 02133

New climate legislation on Beacon Hill: The Climate Minute (podcast)

"Climate legislation moved forward in the Massachusetts legislature recently. Both the House and the Senate have passed slightly different versions of a bill. We talk about what is included and left out of these bills with Tim Cronin of Climate XChange."

 

Franklin radar picked up via Twitter

https://twitter.com/TedMcIntyre100/status/1291726465709625345?s=09

New climate legislation on Beacon Hill: The Climate Minute

In the News: "Last-ditch virus aid talks collapse; no help for jobless now"

 From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"A last-ditch effort by Democrats to revive Capitol Hill talks on vital COVID-19 rescue money collapsed in disappointment Friday, making it increasingly likely that Washington gridlock will mean more hardship for millions of people who are losing enhanced jobless benefits and further damage for an economy pummeled by the still-raging coronavirus.

“It was a disappointing meeting,” declared top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, saying the White House had rejected an offer by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to curb Democratic demands by about $1 trillion. He urged the White House to “negotiate with Democrats and meet us in the middle. Don’t say it’s your way or no way.”

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, “Unfortunately we did not make any progress today.” Republicans said Pelosi was relying on budget maneuvers to curb costs and contended she has overplayed her hand.

Often an impasse in Washington is of little consequence for the public — not so this time. It means longer and perhaps permanent expiration of a $600 per-week bonus pandemic jobless benefit that’s kept millions of people from falling into poverty. It denies more than $100 billion to help schools reopen this fall. It blocks additional funding for virus testing as cases are surging this summer. And it denies billions of dollars to state and local governments considering furloughs as their revenue craters."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20200807/last-ditch-virus-aid-talks-collapse-no-help-for-jobless-now?rssfeed=true 

"We also want to keep this virus out of our communities"

 From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Gov. Charlie Baker is indefinitely postponing the next step of the state’s reopening in response to the uptick in COVID-19 cases that Massachusetts has seen in recent weeks.

The governor said the second step of Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan will be put on hold and the outdoor gathering limit will decrease from 100 to 50, effective Tuesday. He said he was authorizing all state and local police to enforce the orders, and that people who host events — even on private property — that exceed gathering limits will be subject to fines.

Amid reports of large parties and unauthorized gatherings, Baker said “some residents feel a bit too relaxed about the seriousness of this virus.”

He also announced the creation of a COVID Enforcement and Intervention Team that will ramp up enforcement efforts and coordinate intervention efforts in yet-to-be-named high-risk communities."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) 

https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200807/baker-orders-new-enforcement-gathering-size-limit-to-fight-virus-spread/1?rssfeed=true

Video link = https://youtu.be/kCGEj58c2hM

Franklin's weekend entertainment options

Concerts on the Common - after the Farmers Market on the Town Common  (Friday)

• Purple Heart Recognition at 5:45 pm, 
• Matt Zajac Duo 6:00 - 8:00 pm, 
• FSPA lmprov (on High Street) 8:00 - 9:15 pm

THE BLACK BOX presents Diane Blue in outdoor seating (Saturday)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/the-black-box-summer-concert-series_6.html

Circle of Friends Coffeehouse presents Peter Yarrow in a virtual concert to benefit the Franklin Food Pantry (Saturday)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/circle-of-friends-coffeehouse-peter.html

Franklin's weekend entertainment options

Senator Rausch: Maternal Health Victories in the MA Senate

This newsletter was shortened for publication here, to view the full contents visit  https://mailchi.mp/1e181e7c2f10/covid19-update-12618212?e=0c2c9810fe

Last week was a great one in Massachusetts for maternal health justice.

View this email in your browser Dear friends, Last week was a great one in Massachusetts for maternal health justice. My Senate colleagues and I passed four (4!) bills that support reproductive health and justice for everyone in the Commonwealth. I filed and led the charge on two of those bills, both of which were passed by unanimous, bipartisan votes.   One bill, An Act to reduce racial disparities in maternal health (S.2865 - https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S2865), creates a special commission to examine and make legislative recommendations to eliminate racial disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity in the Commonwealth. It is unconscionable that people giving birth today are more likely to suffer injury, illness, or death than our mothers and grandmothers who delivered in the previous century, and birthing people of color face these heartbreaking results in gross disproportion.  Among the developed nations of the world, only the U.S. continues to allow people giving birth to die in increasing numbers, evidenced by a 238% increase in maternal death (https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternal-mortality/pregnancy-mortality-surveillance-system.htm) between 1987 and 2015. These outcomes are staggeringly worse for people of color. From 2011-2016, there were 42.4 deaths per 100,000 births for non-Hispanic Black women, compared to 13.0 for non-Hispanic white women. These disparities persist, even when controlled for factors such as income, age, and prenatal care. Massachusetts is not immune to this structural racism in our maternal health care. Black people giving birth in our Commonwealth are *twice* as likely to die as white people due to complications from pregnancy or labor.            In my floor speech above, I shared some of the many stories from a recent COVID-19 maternal equity town hall that I co-hosted with state and federal legislative colleagues, spearheaded by the MA COVID-19 Maternal Equity Coalition. Centering the voices of Black and brown patients and healthcare providers is especially important on the floor of the Senate since it is a predominately white body, with no Black members. I encourage you to listen and hear their stories.   My second bill to pass the Senate unanimously, An Act relative to out-of-hospital birth access and safety (S.2683 - https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S2863), will create formal licensure for certified professional midwives to make homebirth care more accessible, affordable, and safe in our Commonwealth. While I filed the bill long before the pandemic, COVID-19 made passing this bill ever so much more pressing. Watch my floor speech to learn about why this bill is not only a health care access and cost reduction bill, but also a maternal justice bill:              Now more than ever, we must affirm our commitment to reproductive justice to ensure that people are empowered to self-determine whether, when, and how they parent. That includes the ability to make safe, informed choices about birth care, and ensuring our dedicated midwives have the professional and legal support and recognition they deserve.    As a reminder, the Department of Public Health issues a comprehensive daily dashboard of data, including a breakdown of coronavirus cases by county and other demographic distinctions. Town and city level data is updated weekly. I am deeply concerned about the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts. I encourage everyone to continue to follow physical distancing guidelines and wear a mask whenever you are unable to distance, especially indoors.     If you or any of your loved ones in my district have fallen on hard times during this public health crisis and need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office. My team and I are hard at work connecting constituents with resources they need, whether it is collecting unemployment benefits, accessing food stamps, reaching state agencies, or otherwise. My office line is 617-722-1555 and my email is becca.rausch@masenate.gov. We are here to help.    Wishing you and your families strength, health, and resilience.     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

THE BLACK BOX - Ayla Brown - August 15

Ayla Brown - August 15

THE BLACK BOX, the region’s premiere concert, theater, and event venue, will present country singer Ayla Brown as part of their outdoor concert series in the theater’s parking lot on Saturday, August 15 at 8:00 PM. 

The concert is sponsored by the Franklin Cultural District Committee and the Franklin Downtown Partnership. THE BLACK BOX Summer Concert Series is sponsored by Dean Bank.


Visit the box office online for ticket information
https://www.theblackboxonline.com/news.php?id=1343


What does the outdoor seating look like? Check out this aerial view

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/08/the-black-box-outdoor-concert-setting.html