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May is always a busy time in the State House as the Senate debates it’s budget, and this year was no different. Here’s a look at what we were able to get done with this year’s budget, as well as everything else we’ve been working on in May. 



On May 26, I voted to approve a $61.3 billion Senate spending plan to cover the costs of state programs and investments for the next fiscal year. The final Senate budget includes 14 amendments I filed to address specific needs in the Norfolk & Plymouth District and throughout the Commonwealth.  

The budget debate proceeded amidst uncertainty of how changes in Washington could impact the federal funding Massachusetts receives. These funds, mostly reimbursement for healthcare expenditures, make up roughly one-quarter of the state budget.  

Every year, a priority of mine is to allocate as much money as possible to help the local communities within the Norfolk & Plymouth district. The budget passed by the Senate includes record amounts of local aid which is distributed according to a formula.  

The communities of Abington, Braintree, Hanover, Holbrook, Quincy, and Rockland will receive in total a record $41.55 million in unrestricted general government aid. These are funds that are used to support police and fire departments, veterans, seniors, public works, and libraries. 

The communities will receive in total a record $125.15 million in Chapter 70 education funding.   

In addition to our advocacy for local funding, we also were successful in obtaining by amendments funding directed towards specific local needs. he Senate adopted the following amendments that I filed:  

• $50,000 for communications infrastructure for the Quincy Fire Department 
• $30,000 for the Fire Cadet Program at South Shore Vocational Technical School in Hanover 
• $20,000 for a critical incident response trailer for the Abington Police Department 
• $50,000 for public libraries in Abington, Braintree, Hanover, Holbrook, Quincy, and Rockland 
• With the support of Senators Patrick O’Connor, William Driscoll, and Paul Feeney, we secured $165,000 for Manet Community Health Center to support its primary care services in Quincy, Attleboro, Hull and Taunton 
• $55,000 for Abington C.O.P.E.S., Holbrook Cares, and Rockland Cares to support their work with individuals in recovery from substance use disorder 

We were also successful in obtaining by amendment: 

• $475,000 for Mass General Hospital’s RecoveryWorks Program, which provides individuals living with substance use disorder support services like career counseling, skill-building and family and community engagement 
• $1 million for the Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone (SHINE) Program, which provides counselors to older adults and people with disabilities for accessing benefits available to them through Medicare, MassHealth and private healthcare options 
• $481,776 in additional funding for the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program (MTCP), which will support campaigns to educate young people about the hazards of vaping and nicotine, as well as helping existing users quit tobacco products. 

We also successfully filed several policy-focused amendments, including a requirement for the MBTA to provide a report on why it failed to comply with a state law that I championed mandating the installation of naloxone at Red Line subway stations, and a directive for state-sponsored tourism marketing to consider targeted campaigns to people in countries that have traveled less to Massachusetts in 2025.  



Not only did we pass a budget for the next fiscal year, but we also passed an additional spending bill to appropriate excess revenues from the current fiscal year. This supplemental budget allocates money collected by the Fair Share Amendment, the 2022 ballot measure that instituted a surtax on those earning more than $1 million per year. The total spending bill includes $1.3 billion for education and public infrastructure.  

As for education, the supplemental budget included $100 million in capital grants for technical career education and $25 million for accelerated literacy growth. 

The communities in the Norfolk and Plymouth district all experience difficulties in adequately funding special education. The supplement budget includes $248 million in special education reimbursements for local schools. 

More locally, from the supplemental budget schools in the Norfolk & Plymouth District will receive $355,000 in additional funding. The Senate also adopted my amendments providing $355,000 for district transportation projects and $40,000 to the South Shore Regional Vocational Technical School 

The Senate also adopted an amendment I filed to make school improvement projects overseen by the Massachusetts School Building Authority eligible for additional funding to offset price increases caused by the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.  

On May 6, the Joint Committee on Election Laws, of which I serve as Senate Chair, held a public hearing on bills related to issues specific to a single municipality, lowering the voting age, and extending voting to non-citizen residents.  

The Committee heard proposals for changes big and small to the local elections held in the communities of Berlin, Monterey, Leverett, Hardwick, Cheshire, Bridgewater, Methuen, Boston, Sharon, Acton, Pembroke, New Bedford, and Brockton. Legislation on changing the voting age included proposals applying only to town elections and those that would change the voting age statewide. Some suggested lowering the age by one or two years, whereas others suggest dropping it much lower. I firmly believe we need to do everything we can to get as many people involved in our democratic process as possible. The best elections are the ones most reflective of the people who will be affected. With that said, we have age requirements for a reason, and it’s important we must find the most appropriate place to draw the line. These bills will receive additional review and analysis. 

On non-citizen voting, while I am a firm believer in inclusive elections, one of the defining characteristics of being an American citizen is having the right to vote. It is a right that has distinguished us from so many other parts of the world, and I believe it plays a big role in inspiring so many to naturalize as citizens. 

As Senate chair of the committee, I will make sure that we take all testimonies, data, and information into account before making decisions with committee members on allowing any of these bills to advance in the legislative approval process. 

While this month was a busy time in the State House, I did have the chance to spend some time in the district.  

I was grateful to take part in Memorial Day ceremonies across the district to honor the sacrifices by local service members, whose legacies have left a deep impact on our communities. In Braintree there was the ceremony at Blue Hills Cemetery’s Garden of Honor, in Quincy I attended the remembrance ceremony at Mount Wollaston Cemetery, and in Abington I took part in the Memorial Day ceremony at Mount Vernon Cemetery. I also attended the annual Memorial Day breakfast in Hanover offered by Boy Scout Troop 38 and Quincy’s annual parade. 

In Hanover I met with officials from MassDOT, the Town of Hanover, and members of the Route 139 Action Committee to discuss improvements to the intersections in the town center. The Action Committee has done a great job gathering community input on the proposed changes to the intersections along Route 139, and the meeting was a great opportunity to ensure residents in Hanover will have their concerns addressed. I’m hopeful we are closer to finding a solution that works for the residents of Hanover and commuters, and preserves Hanover's historic town center. 

While I was in Hanover I also stopped by the newly opened Hometown Barber Shop to meet with its owner, Anthony Maldero. My office had helped Anthony when he ran into an issue with a state agency during the opening process, and it was great to see the place up and running! 

Throughout the month I attended the annual town meetings in Rockland, Hanover, and Holbrook. I always enjoy seeing people getting involved in local government and the turnouts at this year’s town meetings across the district were very encouraging. 

Finally, May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and as a part of the Shop AAPI Business Month Challenge, Rep. Tackey Chan and I stopped by Rubato’s in Quincy to try some of their signature menu items. Rubato came highly recommended and it did not disappoint! 

Two of my bills came up before the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing in May.  

S.872, An Act establishing a community health center nurse practitioner residency program has tremendous potential for both job creation and healthcare access. Passage of S.872 would establish a two-year state-funded residency training program for nurse practitioners based in community health centers. These facilities typically serve our most vulnerable, lower-income communities. Establishing this program would ensure adequate staffing and create new job opportunities for people looking to enter the healthcare field.  



S.874, An Act strengthening mental health centers does exactly as its name implies by requiring the minimum payment rate behavioral health centers receive through MassHealth increase by 5%. Additionally, the bill would ensure that each rate of payment for behavioral health services is not less than 20% above comparable services offered by independent care providers. Reimbursement rates are just one of the many ways mental health care is still treated differently from other areas of health care. To provide equal access to mental health treatment, equal reimbursements are critical. 

A fond farewell to Peter Jasinski, our Communications Director and the driving force behind this newsletter and so much else that went on in my Senate office for the past four years. I am deeply appreciative of Peter’s work and wish him all the best in his next adventure in state government.