News
Legislature Passes Balanced Budget with Targeted Investments in Housing, Economic Development and Food Security
Prioritizes relief to vulnerable populations, provisions to boost economic recovery and support for students Fiscal Year 2021 Budget – Conference Committee Report (BOSTON) – Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) and her colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature passed the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) budget, which invests in programs and services across the Commonwealth. Funded at $46.2 billion, the budget aims to address the sweeping effects of the global pandemic by making targeted investments in housing, food security, and substance use addiction services, as well as domestic violence, sexual assault treatment . . . Read More
Legislature Passes Legislation to Extend Unemployment Benefits to 17,000 Low-Income Recipients
(BOSTON) – State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) along with her colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature on Monday, October 26 passed An Act relative to additional unemployment benefits for the neediest recipients currently excluded from the Lost Wages Assistance program, which would enhance unemployment benefits for 17,000 people in Massachusetts by as much as $1,800 each. “We have heard from many residents how important the extra $300 weekly benefit has been during the pandemic,” said Representative Meschino. “Expanding the Lost Wages Assistance program to include all who receive unemployment . . . Read More
Representative Meschino and Senator O’Connor Encourage Residents, Towns to Advocate for Ferry and Commuter Rail Services
(BOSTON) - Facing the potential elimination of ferry services and major cuts to the Greenbush line, State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) and State Senator Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) are working closely with the towns of Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset to oppose eliminating ferry service and to oppose draconian cuts to the commuter rail. Representative Meschino and Senator O’Connor encourage district residents to speak up and advocate for continued public transit services. Already, there has been an outpouring of support for continued ferry and commuter rail service, in the wake . . . Read More
Representative Meschino Reiterates Importance of Mitigation and Environmental Justice in Transportation and Infrastructure Improvement Projects
(BOSTON) – When it comes to resilience in the face of the climate crisis, Representative Meschino’s (D-Hull) focus is forward, stressing the importance of public health and environmental justice as a lens for transportation policy. Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles cause 43% of Massachusetts’ carbon emissions and contribute to both climate change and local air pollution. Strong transportation policy supports Massachusetts economic recovery and is a means for reducing carbon emissions, mitigating harm to the environment, and protecting public health. The importance of such measures is magnified by . . . Read More
Representative Meschino to Refile Civil Rights Bill After Compressor Station Incident
(BOSTON) - State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) declared her intention to refile an important civil rights bill next legislative session in response to the gasket failure which allowed hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of methane gas to escape from the Weymouth Compressor Station into the adjacent residential community on Friday, September 11, 2020. Despite strong opposition by residents, local, state and federal elected officials, public health officials, and environmental advocacy groups, Enbridge began testing the compressor station facilities last week. Instantly, the communities’ worst fears were realized, . . . Read More
Representative Joan Meschino Submits Comments to MassDEP Advocating for Public Health Considerations Near the Compressor Station
(BOSTON) - State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) added her name to a long list of commenters this week in response to the public comment period issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) regarding the Weymouth Compressor Station. At stake are two different issues, both with real public health impacts on the surrounding community. The first centers on MassDEP’s acceptance of a fossil fuel-powered motor as the best available control technology (BACT), when an electric motor drive would offer a cleaner alternative. The second involves MassDEP’s proposed . . . Read More