Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you in good spirits for the last few weeks of summer. After a hectic first seven months of the 194th General Court, we are continuing our work on Beacon Hill and in the community, while demanding solutions to Mass/Cass.

All summer our office has been flooded with calls and emails calling out incidents related to open drug use and crime in the South End and elsewhere in my district. The issues surrounding Mass/Cass are undoubtedly complex and long-standing. Yet I cannot stress enough that things are different this summer. I point out to anyone who will listen that as a South End resident myself, I see more frequent and more severe issues in front of my very eyes. And they occur more deeply into residential territory than ever. We absolutely need to do more right now to mitigate them. Among our other efforts here in my office, we’ve created a new newsletter section in which I’ll provide regular monthly updates on the topic.

Last week, Boston was thrilled to host over 9,000 people at the 2025 National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL). Click [HERE] to check out my interview at the NCSL about my impressions of the week’s events. As part of that conference, I joined a historic rally on Beacon Hill to support our fellow Texas legislators who face ‘rig’ districting ordered by the Trump administration.

Meanwhile our office would like to say a huge thank-you to Noah Springhorn, who did a fantastic job interning with the team this summer. Whether he was researching policy or scooping ice cream at community events, he always had a smile on his face and maintained a true service spirit. As he heads back to the University of Chicago for his sophomore year, we wish him the best of luck!

In Service,

Update on Mass/Cass Solutions

I have engaged my problem-solving background by going to see issues surrounding Mass/Cass firsthand. Over the past few weeks, I have attended two meetings with South End businesses , our bi-monthly public meeting of the Mass/Cass Working Group, and a walkthrough of several hotspots with the city’s Coordinated Response Team (CRT), law enforcement, and local leaders. All these events confirmed that while everyone is trying, more must be done. Residents and businesses are especially frustrated how often they need to call 311 and 911. And they’re increasingly annoyed that they have to initiate security measures themselves—often at great expense. One action the city must undertake immediately is instituting dedicated BPD bike patrols for the area afflicted by Mass/Cass overflow. Patrols will serve as a consistent early warning system before issues escalate.

I have been actively participating in the Mass/Cass Working Group’s strategy team meetings, where we are hunting for solutions in the areas of recovery, justice reform, and public safety.

During the two recovery meetings thus far, I have learned a lot, especially from the provider community. These folks are helping us grasp why people come to Mass/Cass and why recovery is so difficult. It’s clear we can’t just continue moving people from point A to point B. While we wait for the Long Island center to reopen, we must find a place to provide support for meaningful recovery.

At our first justice reform meeting, we discussed the problem of recurring offenses among drug dealers. We agreed that we can’t allow detained drug dealers to go back on the streets the same day without going through the justice system. Do not hesitate to contact my office with any concerns.

On Beacon Hill

On the legislative front, we had a very successful hearing on my bill H.3594, An Act regarding Free Expression [WATCH HERE], where librarians and key supporters from across the state came to testify in support. We look forward to a favorable report from the committee in the fall.

Before heading into August recess, the legislature passed some key pieces of legislation. These included a midyear supplemental budget, expanded funding for the Chapter 90 Program, and the passage of the Shield Act 2.0.

The midyear supplemental budget, totals $259 million and provides essential funding for ongoing state priorities. This legislation includes critical investments in public health, safety, and infrastructure. It allocates funding for the Healthy Incentive Program (HIP), includes funding to offset extraordinary Emergency Medical Services (EMS) costs across the state, and upgrades technology for the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). Additionally, the supplemental budget addresses the ongoing work stoppage among private bar advocates and strengthens the state’s public defense system to ensure access to justice for all.

We also enacted significant funding for the Chapter 90 Program, distributing $1.2 billion to cities and towns for the maintenance and repair of local roads and bridges. This funding, derived from bonding, will help expand the Chapter 90 Program to meet the increasing infrastructure demands across the state.

Lastly, the legislature passed the Shield Act 2.0, a bill that fortifies protections for individuals seeking and providing reproductive and gender-affirming care in Massachusetts. This legislation enhances the Commonwealth’s ability to safeguard access to reproductive and transgender healthcare. The bill responds to challenges such as executive orders from the Trump Administration, federal funding freezes for care providers, adverse Supreme Court decisions, and out-of-state lawsuits targeting physicians who provide reproductive care. The Shield Act 2.0 ensures that Massachusetts remains a safe and supportive state for patients and providers alike.