Summer News from Hadley

Dear ,

On July 14^th, I was honored to testify in support of Manie's Law, H.2489, co-presented with State Representative Kip Diggs. This bill would implement education for nursing students to identify early signs of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). This strain of breast cancer presents itself differently from other strains, making it easy to misdiagnose, resulting in 30% of cases becoming incurable. Marnie Schulenburg died of IBC at age 37 after being initially misdiagnosed. Her family was inspired to create "Marnie's Army", which has mobilized support for this bill from across the country, and even raised funding for its implementation.

On the last day before the August recess, the Massachusetts State Legislature passed critical legislation, including:

The Healthcare Shield Act 2.0 (S.2543) to protect access to reproductive and transgender healthcare in Massachusetts
Annual Chapter 90 Legislation to distribute $1.2 Billion among cities and towns to maintain and repair roads and bridges
Mid-year Supplemental Budget, S.2572, to protect students, strengthen the Massachusetts public defense system, and fund food security

Along with these bills, the House of Representatives also unanimously passed benefit extensions for retired teachers and requirements for human trafficking training and awareness. You can read more about these pieces of legislation below.

Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Public Hearing.

Family Food Pantry of Cape Cod with Governor Healey, Senator Cyr and Paul Lonergan.

Thank You for Your Support

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Constituent Spotlights

This month, I was honor to honor Harwich Fire Department retirees. Congratulations to Captain Donald Parker (41 years), Captain Joseph Mayo (37 years), and Inspector Bruce Young (35 years) on their retirement! It was a pleasure to attend Donnie and Joe’s last coffee alongside members of Harwich FD and the broader Harwich community to celebrate these dedicated public servants. Thank you for your service.

Marnie Schulenburg’s family and friends have been incredible advocates for HB 2489 and shared moving and educational testimony on the bill's behalf. Marnie's parents, John and Candy, and friend Joshua Koopman have been integral to the bill’s progress which will increase diagnosis of Inflammatory Breast Cancer, and save lives.

At Donnie and Joe's Last Coffee.

With Rep. Diggs and Marnie's Law family and friends.

Community Tours & Visits

My team and members of the Cape & Islands legislative delegation have visited or attended events with many groups and organizations in recent weeks including:

Harwich Fire Department
Local Town Officials
Family Pantry of Cape Cod
American Public Works Association
Barnstable County
Harwich Cape Verdean Festival
Parkinson's Foundation of New England
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources

Family Pantry of Cape Cod- Earlier this month, Governor Maura Healey signed an executive order to establish the Anti-Hunger Task Force in response to Federal SNAP cuts. I was fortunate to join Governor Healey on her tour of the Family Pantry to discuss food insecurity in the 4^th Barnstable, learn more about the food assistance initiatives through the Pantry, and how public-private collaboration through the Governor’s new Task Force will help to mitigate federal cut.

To locate more food pantries, soup kitchens and other resources on Cape Cod, visit https://www.capecod.gov/departments/cooperative-extension/programs/nutrition-education-food-safety/food-access-resources/. For information about SNAP benefits, learn more at https://www.mass.gov/snap-benefits-formerly-food-stamps

The Parkinson’s Foundation gave a presentation at the State House on the resources and services they provide. The foundation provides resources including online education, no-cost genetic testing and counseling, policy advocacy work, and more.

If you or someone you know is struggling with Parkinson’s, please contact their helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636) or email helpline@parkinson.org.

News From the State House

I attended Committee hearings for the Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development Joint Committee, the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries, and the Joint Committee on Bonding, Expenditures and State Assets. I also presented testimony in support of a few pieces of legislation I’m passionate about. Committee hearings at the State House slow down for August, but will resume actively in September.

On July 31st, the Massachusetts State Legislature passed historic legislation including the Shield Act, transformational Chapter 90 Funding, and supplemental budget funding for FY25. The Shield Act, named after its intention to shield personal and sensitive data, enhances the original 2022 Shield Act to mandate abortion access in the case of a medical emergency and also allows prescription medication labels to display the medical practice’s name instead of the prescriber.

H4307, a bill that would support a $1.2 billion bond that would expand Chapter 90 funding. Chapter 90 would provide local funding for bridge, road, and other transportation infrastructure improvements. Included in the bill would be an unprecedented, one year $300 million authorization to assist municipalities with road and bridge repairs, as well as additional enhancements to transportation. This authorization represents a 50% increase from its previous funding level.

We passed a $259 million supplemental budget to go toward midyear funding for state priorities including the Healthy Incentive Program (HIP), the Committee on Public Counsel Services, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) costs. The midy-ear supplemental budget also puts forth:

$60 million for Home Care Services
$43 million for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT)
$15.5 million for increasing the security of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards by transitioning to chip cards
$10 million for extraordinary cost reimbursements in the EMS system, with $5 million specifically dedicated to the communities impacted by the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center
$7.5 million for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), which both strengthens food security for residents and supports Massachusetts farmers in the face of federal funding cuts
$6 million for veterans’ benefits
$4 million for the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) crime lab
$1 million for the Fair Housing Fund.

I’m also proud to have been apart of the bipartisan efforts to extend teacher retirement benefits and expanding human trafficking awareness and education. Bill H.4361, An Act relative to benefits for teachers, will provide some teachers with another chance to enroll in in an alternative superannuation retirement benefit program if they missed the original 6-month window to do so in 2001. To combat human trafficking, the House passed Bill H.4360, which would require licensed inn-holders to mandate employee participation in human trafficking recognition training.

Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development Joint Committee.

Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital, and Expenditures Public Hearing.

Important Community Resources

As summer wraps up, recreational services and childcare options tend to end early, leaving locals in a childcare desert. In the town of Truro, residents of Truro and Wellfleet can participate in an extended childcare summer program, taking place from August 18th to the 29th. Registration for children ages 5 to 13 is open now! Please contact Adam Leiterman at (508) 776-5019 or aleiterman@truro-ma.gov with any questions.

You can also find local babysitting groups on Facebook and be sure to check out your town’s recreational programs.

Upcoming Community Events

The Town of Eastham is inviting residents to the Energy and Climate Action Committee meeting on August 11th at 4:30 pm in the Eastham Town Hall.
The Town of Provincetown is offering free Personal Safety and Self Defense Trainings on August 5th at Town Hall.
The Friends of Pleasant Bay are celebrating their 40th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting on August 7th from 4 pm to 6:30 pm at Wequassett Resort and Golf Club. Learn more about their programs and plans, RSVP with this link.
Chatham is Celebrating the Arts from August 10th through the 17th. For a full list of events, please use this link.
The Kalmar Nyckel Tall Ship will be visiting Provincetown from August 8th through the 17th. To schedule a day sail, please visit this link.
Orleans Police Department Block Party is August 20th. This event is an opportunity to bring the community together to celebrate the town of Orleans and socialize before summer is over.
Provincetown's Carnival this year from August 16th through the 23rd.
The Orleans Planning Board and the Planning and Community Development Department is hosting a Downtown Orleans Community Meeting to provide more information regarding the new mixed-use, multi-family development in downtown commercial areas served by the sewer. August 19th at 3 pm.