Dear Neighbors: 

I am very proud of what we have accomplished working together during my time in office. I am more excited than ever to serve on Beacon Hill in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and I still believe strongly that government and public service are about helping people and making a difference in the lives of others. I look forward to doing that every single day!

We are pleased to share some important updates below. As always, please feel free to reach out to me at rob.consalvo@mahouse.gov, my Legislative Aide Emily Carrara at emily.carrara@mahouse.gov, or call us at 617-722-2030 with questions or for assistance with any issue.

All the best,

Rob

Updates

OFFICE MOVE

I am excited to report that we have officially moved into our new office at the State House! If you're in the building, stop by to say hello at our new space, Room 43! Our new phone number is 617-722-2030.

As always, we are also happy to meet you at our District office located at 678 Truman Parkway in Hyde Park.

HOUSE FY24 BUDGET

I was proud to vote for a thoughtful and responsible House of Representatives budget that responds to the needs of residents and makes targeted investments that provide support for families across the Commonwealth. Funded at $56.2 billion, the House’s FY24 budget provides strong support for the Commonwealth’s cities and towns, and among many critical investments, includes significant funding for education, transportation, health care, housing, workforce development, and the environment.

I am grateful to Chairman Aaron Michlewitz, Speaker Ron Mariano, and all my colleagues for supporting important investments in this budget that I advocated for in the 14th Suffolk District, including funding for:

• The Pryde, LGBTQ welcoming senior housing in Hyde Park
• The Menino Arts Center
• Resources for Recovery, Inc.
• VITFriends Vitiligo Support Group
• Increased public safety efforts for the Fairmount Housing Development
• The Massachusetts State Police for traffic mitigation on Truman, Neponset Valley, Enneking, and Dedham Parkways
• Programming for older adults in Hyde Park, Roslindale, Readville, and West Roxbury
• Parkway Little League
• Boston Athletic Academy in Hyde Park

HOUSE TAX RELIEF PACKAGE

In an effort to provide financial relief to families across the Commonwealth, and to make Massachusetts more competitive with other states, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a tax relief proposal targeted for residents across all income levels. It includes updates to the child and dependent tax credit, the senior circuit breaker tax credit, and more. I am thrilled that it included my legislation to update the Rental Deduction Cap, which has not been updated since 2001, while rents have doubled in that time. This package updates the rental deduction from $3,000 to $4,000, which should benefit 881,000 Massachusetts taxpayers. 

LEGISLATION

I have sponsored several bills and co-sponsored dozens of others. I am excited to advocate for these important legislative items and look forward to working with my colleagues toward the passage of these bills. For more information on bills I am sponsoring or cosponsoring, and to track their progress, please visit here. 

As always, please feel free to reach out to me at any time to share your thoughts, comments, or concerns on any piece of legislation.

RIVER STREET BRIDGE

Due to community input and concerns shared by myself and Senators Rush and Miranda around the bridge closure, MassDOT has revised its plans for the River Street bridge. They are currently working on temporary repairs to the bridge which will allow the bridge to open safely by the Winter of 2024. They are still moving forward with the full replacement of the bridge and will continue to update the community at the 50%, 75%, and 100% design phases. Please see below for full details on the repair and replacement projects and to sign up for updates on progress. You can also reach out to hydeparkriverstbridge@dot.state.ma.us for questions, concerns, or input on the bridge replacement project.

MBTA SOUND STUDY

As many of you know, the MBTA is currently conducting a $250,000 sound study in our district to address community concerns around noise and vibrations along the Fairmount Line. I was happy to author a joint letter with Rep. Bill Driscoll, Senator Mike Rush, and Councilor Ricardo Arroyo advocating for this important funding allocation for our community. 

The issue of noise around the Readville station, the MBTA Readville Commuter Rail Yard, and along the Fairmount line have been an issue for many years. The issue continues today with many complaints about reverberating or vibrational noise being heard and felt, especially overnight. Many community groups in Hyde Park, Readville, and the town of Milton have complained about the issue. This sound/noise study will be an important step to finally determining a source of the noise so we can work together on solutions to this problem. 

As part of this study, the noise consultant hired is conducting a community survey to get feedback from the community on this issue. The MBTA has asked that you please use the form below to submit your comments to assist them as they conduct the study: https://forms.gle/ZHzQsAASwV5CdowUA. They ask that you fill it out each time you hear the noise and feel any vibrations, if possible.

Thank you to everyone who joined our annual Fowl Meadow Clean Up!

It was a beautiful day for a tour of the Roslindale Business District with Roslindale Main Streets!

Thank you to all of the constituents who have come in to advocate for issues important to them, including the Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative!

Thank you to the Boston Teachers Union for having me at your legislative conference and letting me say a few words about my Retirement Plus legislation in the House.

An amazing Doyle Park Day in Hyde Park with so many neighbors and friends!

I was proud to testify on my bill H1427, An Act relative to the assault on and aggravated harassment of sports officials. It’s time for this important legislation to protect out referees, umpires and others from physical assault and verbal abuse!

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