Greetings from your State House:
We’re in a new year, complete with new challenges and new opportunities. This is the second year of our state’s 2-year legislative session. You’ll see increasing activity as all joint committees take action on their bills (with a spike in early Feb.). I expect some big legislation to come to the Senate floor focused on everything from climate to health care to transportation. And we’ll tackle the Fiscal Year 2021 budget this spring.
I take stock of what’s ahead in January’s ‘Dear Jo’ column. As always, please reach out with your thoughts to me personally at jo.comerford@masenate.gov.
My team and I are also engaged in a number of very complex regional issues, like watchdogging the Valley Flyer north south rail service, working with municipalities around projected changes to recycling programs, working with the Department of Transportation on some critical road and bridge projects, and more. It’s all important. Our job is to find the right prioritization (since we can’t seem to stretch each day to 48 hours!). 
Our region will celebrate the life and work of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the coming days. King’s call to action in his letter from a Birmingham jail has long been a touchstone. A source of inspiration.
He wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Our network of mutuality calls me forward to fight for causes dear to the hearts of the people in our region, including work to form a commission to review the Commonwealth’s seal and motto. I joined the amazing Senator Jason Lewis and a busload of western Massachusetts neighbors at a State House rally (pictured above).
In case you missed it:
- Scroll to the bottom for some pictures from the last month.
- The full line up of last year’s ‘Dear Jos,” is here. What questions do you have for 2020? Submit your question for my Dear Jo monthly column here.
- Here’s a Greenfield Recorder piece on my work as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health.
- I ask ‘What’s keeping us from leaping to Net Zero?’ via this op-ed.
- I had the honor to address public health students and faculty from across the Commonwealth at the State House. I focused on the need for health equity and Medicare for All. Read my remarks, here.
A few of the upcoming district events (Find more here.)
ConnectorCare Card to Culture Launch
January 17 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West St., Amherst, MA 01002
Join as we celebrate a new partnership and launch the ConnectorCare Card to Culture program.
Note: Beginning January 1, 2020, Health Connector (Massachusetts’ health insurance marketplace) and Mass Cultural Council are partnering to provide discounted admissions to art and cultural institutions.
ConnectorCare members can enjoy discounted admission by simply showing their health insurance ID (which reads “ConnectorCare” on the ID) at participating institution beginning on January 1. You can see a full list of participating institutions here, and western Mass participating institutions here.
The People’s Office Library Tour in Warwick
January 25, 2020 @ 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Warwick Free Public Library, 4 Hotel Rd., Warwick, MA 01378
The People’s Office Library Tour in Orange
January 25, 2020 @ 12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Wheeler Memorial Library, 49 E. Main St., Orange, MA 01364
Five College Learning in Retirement Legislators Forum
January 27 @ 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Jones Library, 43 Amity St., Amherst, MA 01002
The People’s Office in Amherst
January 29, 2020 @ 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Sen. Comerford’s District Office with District Director Elena Cohen
UMass Amherst, Isenberg School of Management, Suite 101
121 Presidents Dr., Amherst, MA 01003
Warmest wishes to all.
Jo
Monte’s March X with Congressman Jim McGovern and Reps Natalie Blais & Dan Carey
Chairing a packed Public Health hearing focused on vaccines
Chairing the first meeting of the Special Legislative Commission on the Vaping Industry
Rep. Mindy Domb and I celebrating Education Support Professionals Month at Crocker Farm Elementary in Amherst
One of the founders of the Hot Chocolate Run, Jen Dieringer, and I staying warm at this wonderful fundraiser for Safe Passage
Meeting with advocates in the State House about PFAS
Talking to an incredible force for good (and snazzy dresser) in our region,
Monte Belmonte, during his 10th walk to end hunger.
Cheering Northampton Chamber of Commerce, Vince Jackson, who worked with me to push through $150,000 in earmark spending to four critical Hampshire County organizations through the most recent supplemental budget.
