Senator Rausch: Maternal Health Victories in the MA Senate

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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

Franklin Democratic Town Committee Calls to Franklin to Eliminate Systemic Racism

The Franklin Democratic Town Committee (FDTC) proudly supports the Black Lives Matter movement and its goals of dismantling systemic racism and ensuring equality for all, in Franklin, in our Commonwealth and across our nation. 

To achieve these ends, the FDTC is dedicated to working to eliminate the social and health care inequities that have resulted in disproportionate health risks, and the historic targeting and systemic violence against Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities by pursuing equal justice within our judicial system. This is not a political issue that should divide Franklin residents, but a required step in our never-ending efforts to perfect our democracy. 

The FDTC calls on all Franklin residents and community leaders to join in the hard work of achieving true social and racial justice in Franklin through the following action steps:

1. Support the continued movement of the Franklin Police Department toward greater community policing and the hiring of officers of color and diverse gender.
2. Call out and oppose any voter suppression attempts by elected officials or organized groups including efforts to suppress the vote of the poor or people of color within Franklin or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
3. We support the Town of Franklin in their continued efforts to hire a diverse professional staff and we stand by the Franklin PS in their efforts to create a diverse cultural curriculum.

We stand together in the words of Civil Rights activist, Congressman John Lewis:

“Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.”

Approved and endorsed by:

The elected and associate members of the Franklin Democratic Town Committee, July 15, 2020

For more information contact the FDTC Co-Affirmative Action Officers: Joni Magee (AffirmativeActionOfficer@FranklinDemocrats.org)

Dave McNeill (AffirmativeAction@FranklinDemocrats.org)

 

www.FranklinDemocrats.org

High School Experience cancelled - Refund Processing defined

Via Twitter we share that the High School Experience scheduled for next week has been canceled due to the on-going development of plans to re-open schools. Something to replace next week's event is being planned for FHS incoming freshman. Stay tuned for further updates.

High School Experience cancelled - Refund Processing defined

Franklin radar picked up via Twitter

https://twitter.com/FHS_PCC/status/1291436551390613505?s=09

You don't need a classroom to gain new skills

Check out our online courses today!

Lifelong Community Learning Add caption This is a great time to learn something new & get ready for your future! In partnership with Ed2Go, we offer online courses on a wide variety of topics. So take some time to gain business or personal skills from home. New sessions begin August 12th OR many courses also have a self-paced option that you can start anytime. We have a few suggestions below, or you can review the full array of career training and/or professional development courses using the links at the bottom of this email. SAT/ACT Prep Series  (https://www.ed2go.com/franklined/online-courses/sat-practice-act-prep/) This series will help to prepare you for the SAT or ACT verbal and math sections. You'll become familiar with the exams and learn how to answer questions in the most time-efficient manner. GRE Prep Series  (https://www.ed2go.com/franklined/online-courses/gre-prep-course/) If you're planning to apply to graduate school, you'll likely have to take the GRE. This series is here to help! Resume Writing Workshop  (https://www.ed2go.com/franklined/online-courses/resume-writing-workshop/) Create an effective resume or improve the one you already have. Transform your resume into a powerful tool that will get you interviews. Learn different resume formats and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Want to Learn Something Else? Career Training Programs (https://careertraining.ed2go.com/fps/) Professional Development (https://www.ed2go.com/franklined/)

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