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

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 my amendments in this budget that invest in the14th 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 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 ASHMONT/MATTAPAN DIVERSION

In continual efforts to improve the safety and reliability of the Red Line, service on the Ashmont Branch and the Mattapan Line will be replaced with shuttle buses starting Saturday, October 14 through Sunday, October 29, 2023. Specifically, this will affect stops from JFK/UMass to Ashmont and on the Mattapan Line.

The shuttle buses, which are ADA accessible, will stop at every affected station (Mattapan, Capen Street, Valley Road, Central Avenue, Milton, Butler, Cedar Grove, Ashmont, Shawmut, Fields Corner, and Savin Hill) during this time - every 5-6 minutes during “weekday peak hours” and every 10-15 minutes during “weekday off-peak hours and weekends.” Accessible vans will also be available per request from personnel. The RIDE will continue to run as usual. Also, all Zone 1A stops on the Fairmount Line will be free during this time. 

For further assistance, please use the MBTA’s Trip Planner Tool to help identify the best route to take to get where you need to go: mbta.com/trip-planner. You can also contact the MBTA’s Customer Support Center at 617-222-3200/publicengagement@mbta.com or on their website: mbta.com/customer-support.

Wonderful time at the 2023 kickoff and ribbon cutting of the Roslindale Farmers Market!

I was proud to be part of a historic Juneteenth celebration in Hyde Park with amazing performances, poetry, and a huge crowd of neighbors and friends!

Thank you to the many legislative colleagues and staff who attended a briefing on Vitiligo! Thank you also to my friends Rep. John Lawn and Rep. Adrian Madaro for co-sponsoring legislation with me that would require health insurance coverage in Massachusetts for those who have Vitiligo.

If it's summer, it's the Archdale Hot Dog Night! Happy to sponsor this fun event.

Great afternoon at the Hyde Park Day of Play (where I won the three point contest!)

It was a huge crowd and a wonderful evening at the Roslindale Village Main Streets Fall Gala!

Resources