Reports the New York Times, "In the race to develop technologies to slow climate change, the world is off track." Which means it's high time to put a price on carbon, as my legislation will do for Massachusetts.
Insurance premiums for local homeowners are rising by as much as 9%. Historically bad winter, no question. Still, is the Division of Insurance making sure that rates are fair and not padded? Will future rates come down if the weather returns to normal? As Chair of the State Senate's special committee on executive branch oversight, I'll conduct a public hearing in September to find out.
The industry is supposed to set aside reserves in advance for the occasional tough year. I want to hear explanations from insurance executives and Division of Insurance regulators, and comments from consumer advocates. I hope the Division did its due diligence before approving such big increases. Let's see if it did.
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a revolution in empowerment for citizens with physical, cognitive and emotional challenges. Advocates marched through Boston Common recently to mark the ADA's 25th anniversary.
Financial literacy leaders
By addressing nitty-gritty matters of managing dollars and cents, Budget Buddies extends a hand to hardworking local women who are running households and family finances. Joined by a longtime mentor-student pair who are now fast friends, Budget Buddies' cofounders met recently with State Treasurer Deb Goldberg to discuss financial literacy for women across Massachusetts.
From left to right: Liz Gustin, Budget Buddies coach; cofounder Kathy Brough; cofounder Anita Saville; Treasurer Goldberg; Jacki Rodriguez, Budget Buddies student; and moi.
