Greetings from your State House:

The moments I love best (in the job I love best) are those I spend with my constituents. I'm pictured with an inspiring and inspired group of UMass Amherst students, faculty, and staff who are engaged in civic and social learning. No visit would be complete without a trip to Senate President Karen Spilka's office to see her AWESOME exhibit of diverse women leaders of the Commonwealth, over time. Come visit your State House! Simply email jo.comerford@MASenate.gov to set up a tour .
Highlights of what's happening:

  • The Senate passed a landmark, $1.5 billion education bill that my team and I made our absolute top priority since taking office. I wrote about the profound impact that constituents had on the legislation in a Dear Jo column.
  • Last night, the Senate passed a $770 million supplemental budget, which has already been passed by the House to close the books on FY19. I'm proud to have collaborated with House allies to secure funding in this budget for important district and state priorities.
  • Our team joined with regional colleagues to host two formal Joint Committee on Public Health oversight hearings in Greenfield. (Please take a moment to check out the recordings and report from the Sept. 27 @ GCC focused on food security and the recording from the Oct. 18 hearing at the Olver Transit Center focused on rural health.) Regional equity demands that we yank Boston's focus west to ensure that our colleagues develop a deeper understanding of our region's unique assets and challenges. These hearing went the distance toward that end.
  • We released a blog focused on the twelve amazing interns working out of the district and State House offices this fall. Take a moment to meet them, here. (And the photo below is a montage in their honor.)
More upcoming district events ( Find more here.)

TOMORROW! Royalston Listening Session with Sen. Comerford & Rep. Whipps
October 26 @ 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Royalston Town Hall, On The Common
Royalston, MA 01368

Join me and Representative Susannah Whipps for a listening session in Royalston. 

TOMORROW! New Salem Listening Session with Sen. Comerford & Rep. Whipps
October 26 @ 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Swift River School, 201 Wendell Road
New Salem, MA 01355

Join me and Representative Susannah Whipps for a listening session in Royalston. 

The People’s Office in Amherst
October 30 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Sen. Comerford’s District Office, UMass Amherst, Isenberg School of Management, Suite 101, 121 Presidents Drive
Amherst, MA 01003

District Director Elena Cohen will be holding regular office hours throughout the district. 

The People’s Office Library Tour in Shutesbury
November 3 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
M.N. Spear Library, 10 Cooleyville Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072

Join me for an informal gathering at your local library. 

The People’s Office Library Tour in Leverett
November 3 @ 3:45 pm - 4:45 pm
Leverett Public Library, 75 Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054

Join me for an informal gathering at your local library. 

The People’s Office in Greenfield
November 8 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Greenfield – GCC Downtown, 270 Main Street
Greenfield, MA 01301

District Director Elena Cohen will be holding regular office hours throughout the district. 

The People’s Office Library Tour in Colrain
November 16 @ 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Griswold Memorial Library, 12 Main Road
Colrain, MA 01340
Join me for an informal gathering at your local library. 

The People’s Office Library Tour in Bernardston
November 16 @ 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Cushman Library, 28 Church Street
Bernardston, MA 01337

Join me for an informal gathering at your local library. 

The People’s Office in Amherst
November 20 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Sen. Comerford’s District Office, UMass Amherst, Isenberg School of Management, Suite 101, 121 Presidents Drive
Amherst, MA 01003

District Director Elena Cohen and Director of Constituent Engagement Sam Hopper will be holding regular office hours throughout the district. 

Warmest wishes to all.
P.S. Here are a few recent pictures from top to bottom: I'm joined by my Joint Committee on Public Health Co-Chair John Mahoney at a formal oversight hearing in Greenfield about food security and nutrition. Panelist Lourdes Santiago-Campos spoke beautifully at the hearing about her great work in Northampton to strengthen her community through increasing food accessibility. We're together with her children. Our Senate team joined a river clean up in Florence. My son, Isaiah, his good friend, and I biked for food with The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. I co-hosted an MTA re-launch of my higher education bill The Cherish Act. The Joint Committee on Public Health continues to churn through hundreds of bills including one focused on banning flavored vaping products. We kicked off a library tour in Montague's beautiful library. And I spoke on the Senate floor during the education debate.
Senator Jo Comerford
State House, Room 413C
Boston, MA 02133
Jo.Comerford@masenate.gov
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