Op-eds & columns

Two hundred million. That’s how many gallons of water the Quabbin Reservoir sends each day to meet the needs of 3 million people living in metro Boston. The water leaves […]

By Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Jo Comerford   When we learned of David Almond’s death on Oct. 21, 2020, we were heartbroken. Tragically, this was not the first time we had […]

Every once in a while there’s a lightning bolt. A clarion call to action. A brave, galvanizing force, capable of moving mountains. (Or legislatures.) Enter 10-year-old Sammie, a miracle of […]

Massachusetts is often celebrated nationally as a leader in health care. But if we look closely, we see another painful reality — chasm after chasm of racial and ethnic health […]

The governor should follow science and not politics. By Marjorie C. Decker and Jo Comerford We are concerned about rising COVID-19 cases, the predominance of the aggressive Delta variant, and [...]

This week, our air turned hazy as winds blew in wildfire smoke from the west coast, a stark reminder that when it comes to climate change, we’re all in this […]

3% revenue increase each year not fair to ratepayers By Rep. Natalie Blais, Sen. Jo Comerford, and Daniel Sosland Electrifying buildings and appliances that now run on gas, oil, and […]

I never imagined writing to you about mosquitos. About integrated pest management. About chemicals so toxic that one part per million could make an entire drinking water source nonpotable. But [...]

In words unchanged since 1780, the education clause of our state’s Constitution reads that “[i]t shall be the duty of legislatures and magistrates, in all future periods of this commonwealth, [...]

People sometimes ask me to point to a moment in my life that set me on a path to public office. The following is one of those moments. In the […]

Last week, the Massachusetts Legislature passed two bills — a sweeping piece of legislation to tackle climate change and one laser-focused on economic recovery. These bills have more in common [...]

We’ve faced the ravages of a global pandemic and economic crisis for over a year, marshaling as much courage and patience as humanly possible. Municipal leaders, health care and frontline […]

Two years ago, The Daily Hampshire Gazette and I launched the Dear Jo column so that I could address constituent questions in a public forum in the name of transparency, […]

Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that COVID-19 is claiming one life every 33 seconds, with the death toll projected to rise to approximately 340,000 in the U.S. by year’s end. […]

The basis of our democracy is that voters choose their leaders. Leaders do not choose their voters. Leaders cannot keep people from voting. And they certainly cannot prevent votes from […]

Here’s a question that my team and I field over and over again: What’s it going to take? What’s it going to take to fully reopen? What’s it going to […]

Dear Jo: We’ve heard the Legislature voted to extend formal sessions through the end of this year. What does that mean? What will happen in the fall? — Julie and […]

Dear all, Over the past weeks, I’ve received more than 300 emails, calls and social media messages from K-12 educators and families. More on top of that about early childhood […]

DEAR JO: While I share your view that high-stakes testing is a flawed method to measure a student’s success, what can we do to ensure that children with learning disabilities […]

Dear all, perhaps this is the last time I’ll break from this column’s tradition of answering just one constituent’s question. These last months have been a time of intense community […]

Dear friends and neighbors, if ever there was a need for government, this is it. A government that’s relentless in service. A government that’s visionary, fearless and scrappy as we […]

Dear friends, what we’re experiencing is unprecedented. Brutal. That’s why I’m breaking the norm of this column, as we face down COVID-19 together. I’ll address some of the most frequently […]

By Sen. Jo Comerford, Sen. Adam Hinds, Rep. Natalie M. Blais, Rep. Paul Mark, Rep. Susanna Whipps & Sen. Anne Gobi As our commonwealth, and our nation, grapple with the […]

DEAR JO: The Wendell Select Board will meet with our Board of Health and first responders to discuss town planning for response to the COVID-19 virus. It would be helpful […]

DEAR JO: We raised our voices about the Next Generation Climate Policy that passed the Senate last week. What does it mean for our commonwealth? — Constituents from across the […]

By Senator Jo Comerford Twenty-twenty is upon us yet it feels like mere moments ago that I was sworn into the Massachusetts Senate — my team and I first putting […]

One year ago, in my first Dear Jo column, I wrote that a government that works for all demands active engagement and an unbreakable partnership between legislators and their constituents. Or more [...]

By State Sen. Jo Comerford The problem is clear: Climate change. We have already seen life-threatening weather events in Massachusetts as the result of a warming climate, and can expect […]

DEAR JO: How can constituents have an impact? How have you cross-walked your work as an organizer into the Legislature? — Preston Smith, South Hadley DEAR PRESTON: I get these kinds […]

DEAR JO: I’ve been asked by some of my constituents to explain the process behind the recent supplemental budget, and to describe how Western Mass fared this time around. Could […]

By Jo Comerford, Daniel Donahue, Anne Gobi, Hannah Kane, Eric Lesser and Paul Schmid Wednesday is World Food Day, an opportunity to celebrate Massachusetts’ food system — from our fertile […]

On Oct. 3, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed S.2350, the Student Opportunity Act — a watershed education bill. I ran for the Senate so that I could fight for a reinvestment in […]

DEAR JO: I’ve heard a lot about the education bill that just passed the Senate. Is this really a big deal? What does it mean for western Massachusetts? — Constituents […]

Inspired by the Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg, students and allies around the world have been striking every Friday to hold lawmakers like me accountable for the lack of effective action […]

DEAR JO: The gaps in public bus routes make it difficult for Valley residents who do not drive to accept jobs in key local industries, such as health care and […]

DEAR JO: I just drove my husband to the train in Fitchburg for his daily commute into Boston. Northern tier rail in Massachusetts would be a game-changer for our family. […]

DEAR JO: Given the increasing threats to LGBTQ people nationally, what is the status of your efforts to enable transgender/nonbinary folks to identify on state documents and what else are […]

There are many memorable experiences that come during a first term in the Legislature. I won’t soon forget being sworn in and I expect I’ll long remember my first vote. […]

DEAR JO, Near daily news about the strict limits on abortion access being passed in Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, and other states worries me that the Supreme Court might overturn Roe v. […]

DEAR JO, I read in the newspaper that gambling and marijuana revenue is pouring in. Employment in at least the eastern part of the state is very high so income tax […]

DEAR JO, given that our federal legislators will not act on climate change in the near future, what can the Massachusetts Legislature do this year to address the urgent problem […]

In “Dear Jo” last month, I promised to answer some important questions about Medicare for All raised by fellow Gazette columnist Richard Fein of Amherst, who emailed me his January […]

DEAR SENATOR JO: I have become increasingly concerned as the opioid crisis has gained momentum over the past few years and more and more people have become afflicted by it. […]

On Jan. 18, I introduced “Progress for All,” an ambitious package of legislation to maximize opportunities and address a wide swath of critical concerns in the Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester [...]

Democracy depends on you. Your big, bold ideas. Your hopes and concerns. Your sustained participation and action. Civil Rights and labor leader Dolores Huerta issued this powerful call to action: [...]