joanmeschino

(BOSTON) – Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues in the House of Representatives this session to pass an economic development “bond bill.” The legislation, An Act relative to economic development in the commonwealth, authorizes more than $1 billion in spending to spur economic growth and expand economic opportunity in the Commonwealth. “Ensuring access to economic success for all is critical to the sustainability of the Commonwealth,” said Representative Meschino. “This legislation makes important investments in infrastructure, industry, and coastal communities, and aims to make the economy work better for everyone.” The legislation seeks to spur economic development through a wide array of programs including public infrastructure projects like street and sewer improvements, multi-family housing and mixed-use development, and transportation. In addition, the legislation invests in manufacturing innovation, technology development, and career technical training programs.  The legislation also establishes and apprenticeship tax credit for employers, and limits enforcement and sets standards . . . Read More

(HULL)- On Saturday, July 21st, intertidal sand artist Andres Amador made extraordinary art in the sand at Nantasket Beach in Hull as part of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)’s Better Beaches program. This program has brought the California-based artist to Boston for several years to create interactive art on the region's public beaches. This year in Hull, Amador led a sand-raking workshop in the morning. Participants included Bart Blumberg of the Hull Artists Association and Chris Maher of the Hull Cultural Council. In the afternoon, community members had a chance to participate in a collaborative community mural on the sand. The theme for the day was "sea life" and beach goers created fish, sea horses, sharks, jelly fish, and more across several hundred feet of Nantasket Beach. “It was great fun for beachgoers, young and old, to share in the joy of creating . . . Read More

(BOSTON) - Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, July 25th to enact S.2631, An Act to Promote and Enhance Civic Engagement. This legislation is the result of years of advocacy and collaboration between a bipartisan collective of legislators in the House and Senate, and would implement a civics education curriculum in all Massachusetts public schools. The legislation promotes a hands-on and experiential approach to fostering civic engagement. It incorporates project-based learning components, encourages the instruction of civic competencies – including news and media literacy – and provides extracurricular civic-participation opportunities. “Students will learn the ways to become engaged in their communities, and hopefully their experience will inspire them to step forward as our future leaders,” said Representative Meschino. “Teaching the value of civic engagement is a critical part of maintaining a healthy democracy.” The Governor has returned the bill with an amendment, which is . . . Read More

(BOSTON) – On Thursday, August 9th, a bill establishing an automatic voter registration process for the State of Massachusetts was signed into law. With the implementation of automatic voter registration, the legislature seeks to facilitate civic engagement for the 700,000 residents of Massachusetts who are eligible to vote but are unregistered. “The democratic process requires broad civic engagement that reaches across all demographics to ensure that all are represented and heard.” said Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull).  “Automatic voter registration is a convenient process that will promote participation among all eligible citizens.” The bill, H.4384, An Act relative to automatic voter registration, contains provisions that would link voter registration to initial applications and information updates to the Registry of Motor Vehicles and MassHealth. Rather than requiring eligible voters to opt-in to register, this provision would instead create an opt-out process for eligible residents who may not wish to register to vote. This . . . Read More