The People's Blog

On October 30, I testified before the Joint Committee on Education in support of S. 2388 and H. 3567, An Act to provide a sustainable future for rural schools, which […]

This fall, my team and I are working with an incredible cohort of interns and fellows. Read on to learn more about the newest members of the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester […]

This summer I was honored to be selected by Senate President Karen Spilka to serve as the Senate Chair of the Massachusetts Commission on Agriculture in the 21st century. Below, […]

I offered the following testimony on October 20, 2023 for An Act relative to end of life options. You can watch the video here. *** Chair Decker and Chair Cyr: […]

I offered the following testimony on October 16, 2023 for An Act allowing spouses to serve as caregivers. You can watch the video here. *** Chair Kennedy and Chair Livingstone, […]

Our hearts are shattered by the wrenching and ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza. I am horrified by the terrorist assault by Hamas on Israeli civilians, the killing, torture, and […]

I delivered the following testimony before the Joint Committee on Education on October 4. *** Chair Garlick and Chair Lewis: I am glad to be here with Senator Miranda, Gomez, […]

On October 2, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary, Rebecca Tepper, and her team joined Representative Aaron Saunders, Senator Jake Oliveira, and me for a tour of the Quabbin Reservoir and [...]

The House and Senate Conference Committee charged with working out differences between the two branches’  tax relief proposals successfully negotiated a compromise bill. The bill is linked here. [...]

Alternative route announced during tunnel closure for a Hadley section of the Norwottuck Rail Trail. We heard from many of you with concerns about bicycle and pedestrian safety during the […]

On September 20, Mass Cultural Council announced the FY’24 recipients of their Festivals & Projects grant program, which included several organizations in our district! I’d like to thank the [...]

Cities and towns throughout the state do not have the tax base or borrowing ability to build new or upgrade existing public safety and municipal buildings. We have each seen […]

I offered these remarks at the 2023 Launch of the UMass Amherst School of Public Policy.   Thank you to the School of Public Policy for inviting me to speak […]

On August 31, 2023, elected officials and community college presidents joined together at Greenfield Community College to celebrate MassReconnect, the administration’s program to provide free [...]

This week, August 6 – 12, marks the 24th Annual National Farmers Market Week! This is a great opportunity to show our local farmers some love, especially after the devastating […]

On the final day of July, both the House and Senate took up and passed a $56.2 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget. This is the last step in the […]

It has been a hot summer so far, and it is only getting warmer! Below please find a list of locations across our communities that are open to the public […]

On Thursday, July 27, the Legislature passed a bill that includes $375 million in funding authorizations for transportation needs across the state. Included in the bill is $200 million for […]

I offered the following remarks on July 27 during a floor debate on An Act relative to gender identity on Massachusetts identification *** This bill advances basic human dignity. The […]

On July 26, the Senate passed a $513 million supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23), which included $20 million for natural disaster relief for farmers and growers affected by […]

On July 20, the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs and the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resouces announced that 165 organizations across the Commonwealth will [...]

The following is a brief and very preliminary summary of the impact of significant and sustained rain on farms in the Commonwealth’s four western counties during the week of July […]

July is Disability Pride Month. My team and I wanted to take a moment to share some of the bills we’ve filed, in partnership with House members, thanks to the […]

Extraordinary and moving testimony from constituents Laurie Millman (executive director of Center For New Americans) and Asani Furaha in support of a bill I filed, S. 1336, An Act *Expanding* [...]

On Thursday June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC) are unconstitutional in violation of the Equal [...]

I joined Representative Mindy Domb in nominating mother-daughter pair Debora Bridges and Anika Lopes for the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women’s (MCSW) annual Commonwealth Heroine [...]

Yesterday the Senate debated and voted to approve a $590 million tax relief bill. This bill was full of responsible changes to our tax code, focused on providing relief to […]

I was honored to offer the following remarks on June 10 at Franklin County Pride 2023 and to close by introducing Congressman Jim McGovern. *** Hello Franklin County Pride! Let’s […]

On May 31, my team and I met constituents across the Commonwealth from Beacon Hill to Greenfield.  Chief of Staff Jared Freedman met with the Starlight Girls Club during their […]

Just like pollen, there is lots of high-stakes policy in the air this spring!  As we continue with the 2023-2024 legislative session, please find our combo April and May newsletter […]

On May 25, the Massachusetts Senate approved a $55.9 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). Over four days of debate, the Senate approved 478 amendments, adding $82.2 million in […]

On Monday, May 22, as Assistant Vice Chair of Ways and Means,  I spoke – during opening speeches – to the historic investment in higher education outlined in the Fiscal Year […]

District Director Elena Cohen had the pleasure of visiting JFK Middle School in Northampton to see Project Bread’s free lunch program for everyone in action.  This was a special visit […]

I wanted to update you on a promising new development in the End of Life Options Act, the bill I filed along with Representatives O’Day and Philips to provide autonomy […]

This morning, I was so pleased to offer this testimony in support of S. 596, An Act Relative to Trans-Inclusive Health Care Access. I introduced this bill in partnership with […]

The Quabbin Reservoir is an invaluable resource in western Massachusetts that provides pristine drinking water to millions of people in eastern Massachusetts, as it is one of the largest [...]

Just to be the legislator who drove 1,000 miles to represent you.  Last week, I traveled about 1,020 miles all across the Commonwealth to attend important events and advocate on […]

Now that spring has sprung, let’s celebrate our beautiful planet by cleaning up the parks in our district on Earth Day.  This year, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) […]

We are in full swing over here at Team Comerford!  District Director Elena Cohen and I began the day at the Delaney House in Holyoke, talking with Fire Chiefs from […]

Last week, I had the privilege of joining leaders from western Massachusetts to host a progress report on ending hunger in our region.  Folks on the frontline of ending hunger […]

The Boston Globe recognizes the powerful benefits of midwifery care and the need for policies that will enable access to midwives and birth centers [...]

District Director Elena Cohen recently visited Quabbin Harvest Food Co-op and took a tour of their beautiful store in Orange. Elena is pictured below (on the left) with deeply dedicated […]

The year has circled round again and it’s sugaring season. So very glad to mark this season — which kicks off growing and producing in our region — at Williams […]

Now that Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll’s proposed budget is public (read more here), the Joint Committee on Ways and Means is holding hearings across Massachusetts over the [...]

Off we go! We’re two months into the 2023-2024 session. Read about what my team and I were up to in our March 2023 newsletter. This newsletter includes important updates […]

The Healey-Driscoll Administration released its $55.5 billion Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal on March 1. Below we’ve unpacked just some of the funding highlights. Learn more about the budget [...]

This week I had the opportunity to host a briefing with Rep. Hannah Kane and the Food System Caucus, on the projected end of the SNAP emergency allotments for Massachusetts […]

I had the privilege of joining fellow legislators and advocates from around the Commonwealth to launch the End of Life Options Act. The bill allows someone who is terminally ill […]

My team and I are thrilled to launch “Toward the Future,” our legislative agenda for the 2023-2024 session.  We’re releasing this on Valentine’s Day because policy is one of the […]

Happy Valentine’s Day!  This Valentine’s Day, I am celebrating my love and appreciation for the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester District. There are so many reasons why our district is my [...]