Dear ,

We are living through incredibly challenging times and it's hard to keep a positive outlook. But every day, we see people across the country, world and our state of Massachusetts stand up for human and civil rights, and for the future of the nation. These efforts help me and my colleagues keep our local towns, our Commonwealth, and the efforts of YOU, our community members, in perspective. Your voice matters. 

Many of you are asking what our state can do, and how you can get involved in making positive change. This article outlines many questions regarding state and federal powers. Our Attorney General, along with AG's from other states, have filed an extraordinary number of lawsuits against federal budget cuts, changes to essential programs and services, and efforts to keep our communities safe and healthy. Continue to stay engaged with our local and federal delegations, (U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator Edward Markey, Congressman Bill Keating), and scroll down to the State Actions & Protections section below to learn more about steps taken by our Attorney General and others on behalf of Massachusetts. 

Thank you for your efforts and support. Together, we will preserve our democracy. 

With gratitude,

Hadley

Standout for Peace on January 10th in Eastham, MA.

Upcoming Community Office Hours

Monday, February 9, 4:30-5:30 PM Wellfleet Public Library

Wednesday, February 18, 4-5 PM Orleans Town Hall

Monday, February 23, 4-5 PM - Harwich Community Center

State Actions & Protections

Attorney General Andrea Campbell has launched two new tools in Massachusetts:

1) A federal accountability dashboard, which includes highlights regarding the AGO’s 47 lawsuits (to date) to hold the federal administration accountable; and

2) A storytelling portal, to collect and record the stories of Massachusetts residents from across the Commonwealth whose lives have been impacted by these actions.

Last week, Governor Maura Healey signed an executive order to ban new 287(g) immigration enforcement agreements (unless there is a public safety need), prohibit ICE from making civil arrests in non-public areas of state facilities, and ban the use of state property for immigration enforcement staging. She also announced her filing of HD.5610, designed to keep ICE out of courthouses, schools, child care programs, hospitals and churches; make it unlawful for another state to deploy is National Guard in Massachusetts without the Governor’s permission; and allow parents to pre-arrange guardianship for their children if they are detained or deported. 

Our legislature is developing laws and taking actions including an effort to stop the end of protection for Haitian immigrants. The Black and Latino Legislative Caucus is also championing a late-file bill in response to political unrest, called the PROTECT Act. Similar to the Governor’s bill, this legislation would also bar ICE from courtrooms, and boost protections for immigrant communities. House members and leadership are working to swiftly to review these and other possibly enforceable initiatives.

Community Tours & Visits

Click here or the thumnail above to watch a video covering our visit to the dredge site in Truro.

My team and I visited with many groups and organizations in December, including: 

• Barnstable County Dredge Program 

• Cape and Islands District Attorney Rob Gallibois

• Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce

• Center for Coastal Studies

• Fine Arts Work Center

• MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle

• AI Ethics Roundtable

• Project VALOR

• Wellfleet Town Manager Tom Guerino

• Wellfleet Select Board Chair, John Wolf

• Barnstable County Sheriff Donna Buckley

• Massachusetts Recreation and Parks Association

• Orleans Mill Pond Alternatives Study Meeting

• Lower Cape Outreach Council 

The Barnstable County Dredge Program spent January dredging Pamet Harbor in Truro. Director Ken Cirillo, hosted us for a tour of the dredge vessel and a hands-on explanation of the importance of dredging our coastline. Dredging is essential to our coastal environment and blue economy to: 1) Create safe passage ways for boats to travel through channels and 2) Use dredged sand to rebuild infrastructure for coastal resilience, reduce flooding, and beach nourishment.

The Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, Ashley Randle, visited the Outer Cape. The day began at the Orleans farmer’s market where local vendors sell produce, baked goods, flowers, prepackaged meals and more. Following the market, Salty Market in Truro hosted a delicious and locally sourced lunch, prepared by Chef Liam Luttrell Rowland. The day wrapped up with a Mackerel cooking demonstration led by Shareen Davis of the Chatham Harvesters Cooperative, who paired her culinary skills with stories of her days fishing on Cape Cod in the 1990s. She highlighted the Chatham Harvesters Cooperative role in strengthening the connection between our community and locally-caught seafood.

The AI Ethics Roundtable, hosted by Senator Michael Moore, aimed to answer one question: how can innovation in artificial intelligence continue to advance while trust, transparency, and human judgment remain at the center? Panelists included representatives from five sectors with distinct AI responsibilities who discussed how Massachusetts can keep leading in innovation while staying true to our values.

It was great to join my friends and colleagues on Rep. Badger's Podcast, Legislative Lense, to reflect on our first year in office. In Episode 11: Freshman Perspective we talk candidly about what we've learned, challenges we faced, and what has surprised us most along the way. Listen and learn about our experience!

Touring Lower Cape Outreach Council's newly renovated food pantry in Orleans. 

Intern Spotlight

Dan Morgan, sophomore at Monomoy Regional High School, has been with our team for five months. He helps cover events in the district, draft testimony and letters for our legislative priorities, and compile district happenings for the newsletter. 

Riley Holmes, is a junior studying Political Science at UMass Amherst. Our newest intern, Riley attende events, does research and has developed community surveys.

Mackenson Laguerre, a junior at Dennis-Yarmouth High School, has been helping with research and outreach. As an aspiring immigration lawyer, Mackenson has a bright future ahead. We thank our wonderful interns for their hard work!

State House Updates

The House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation in January, including:

H.3417 - An Act designating [June 16th] as Domestic Workers’ Rights Day in the Commonwealth.

H.4993- An Act requiring automated external defibrillators at sporting events.

H.4994 - An Act relative to preparing apprentices in the Commonwealth, which establishes a clear and responsible schedule to increase the percentage of work performed by apprentices in a bone fide, state-certified leadership program.

As a member of the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, I participated in a public hearing for the Mass Ready Act (S.2452 - An Act to build resilience in Massachusetts communities), where we heard testimony from state environmental leaders, labor organizers, and advocates.

The Mass Ready Act is a $3 billion environmental bond bill that invests in land protection, environmental infrastructure, clean water protection, food security, and local environmental projects- bringing important funding opportunities to the 4th Barnstable to address our unique community needs and challenges.

Community Resources

Tax filing season has begun, and there are many resources readily available to ensure your taxes are filed completely and on-time:

• Available refundable tax credits: Workers, families, and seniors may be eligible for thousands of dollars in state tax credits, including the Massachusetts Earned Income, Child and Family, and Senior Circuit Breaker. Visit the state’s website to learn more about available tax credits.

• VITA sites : the IRS sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers in-person, expert tax filing help across the state at no cost. This invaluable resource ensures people earning $69,000 or less annually can claim key tax credits. You can schedule an appointment at our local VITA site, Community Action Committee of Cape & Islands, Inc, by calling 508-771-1727.

• FindYourFunds.org: a trusted tax filing resource for Massachusetts residents, features accessible information about tax credits, how to file taxes for free, answers frequently asked tax filing questions, and other available tax, legal, and economic supports.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.

Please continue to reach out to me at hadley@hadleyluddy.com or contact my office.

I appreciate hearing from you!

Best,

Upcoming Community Events

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