Rep. Stanley signed onto a letter of testimony on House Bill 763, legislation to protect Massachusetts pollinators, and limits on neonicotinoid pesticides. The letter, which will be submitted to the Pesticide Board Subcommittee and the Commissioner of the Department of Agricultural Resources, urges limiting the use of these pesticides through regulation, consistent with the provisions of H.763.

In the fiscal year 2020 budget, the Legislature authorized funding and directed the Department of Agricultural Resources to evaluate the current science relative to neonicotinoids and their impact on pollinator health. The Scientific Review was completed last December and it confirmed what we believed; the science documents clear harm to pollinators and supports limiting these pesticides. The letter calls for immediate action in response to the compelling scientific evidence.

As a member of the MBTA caucus, Rep. Stanley co-signed a letter to General Manager Poftak, under the letterhead of the House members of the MBTA caucus, expressing his deep concern and opposition to the proposed cuts of transportation services and capital projects reflected in the agency's “Forging Ahead Plan.” Earlier in this legislative session under the leadership of Speaker DeLeo, the House passed a historic piece of legislation that addressed the state’s transportation crisis by providing $600 million in additional annual revenue to fund transportation infrastructure.

These proposed cuts will have a disproportionate harmful impact on the most vulnerable residents. With service cuts becoming a reality it will be impossible for social distancing and this will have a very negative impact on essential and low-income workers who rely on these services.

Thinking of adding a pet to your family? There are many reasons to adopt your new best friend, including saving an animal’s life. Each year, it is estimated that more than one million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized in the United States. Rep. Stanley and his family recently adopted Regan, four months old and pictured above. There are many adoptions agencies who are looking to help pets find their forever homes, including the Human Society, MSPCA and various animal rescue leagues throughout the state. Help save a life and adopt!

Although the Leland Center is closing its rest home feature service, the organization announces that it will continue to serve older adults in the Waltham community through a home care service. Leland provides personal care assistance and help with all activities of daily living while in the comfort of their own home. It strives to offer solutions for daily challenges allowing older adults to remain independent! Leland is seeing more and more need for its services due to the isolation from COVID as well as the challenges COVID has presented for the geriatric population. We are assisting clients with zoom meetings, face timing and ordering online groceries. Click here to read a flyer on the new services from Deaconess Abundant Life Services Leland.

Waltham will receive $58,020 in community compact grants to implement technology upgrades. The Baker Administration recently announced $3,709,438 in grants to 55 municipalities through the Community Compact Cabinet (CCC) Information Technology grant program. The CCC is chaired by Lt. Governor Polito and is composed of the Secretaries of Housing and Economic Development, Education, Transportation, Energy and Environmental Affairs, and Technology Services and Security, along with the Senior Deputy Commissioner of Local Services and the Assistant Secretary of Operational Services.

The CCC elevates the Administration’s partnerships with cities and towns, and allows the Governor’s Office to work more closely with leaders from all municipalities. The Cabinet champions municipal interests across all executive secretariats and agencies, and develops, in consultation with cities and towns, mutual standards and best practices for both the state and municipalities. The creation of Community Compacts creates clear standards, expectations and accountability for both partners.

Governor Baker signed the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) budget into law, a $45.9 billion plan that protects core government services amidst the COVID-19 pandemic while making substantial investments in economic development and education. This financially responsible budget does not rely on new taxes and maintains significant financial reserves for the future.

Additionally, the Baker Administration filed a $107.4 million supplemental budget bill for Fiscal Year 2021 entitled “An Act Making Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021 to Provide for Supplementing Certain Existing Appropriations and for Certain Other Activities and Projects.” This bill authorizes $49.4 million to fully fund the economic recovery and small business relief plan included in the Administration’s revised FY21 budget proposal and support the unique needs of small and minority- and women-owned businesses across the Commonwealth. The legislation also includes $53 million for targeted measures to address learning gaps and strengthen educational quality for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as $5 million in start-up funds for the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission, which is proposed in pending legislation, and funding for the Municipal Police Training Committee.

The Mass Downtown Initiative (MDI) is accepting applications for Local Rapid Recovery Planning (LRRP). All 351 Massachusetts cities and towns are eligible to apply. The goal of the LRRP program is to give every Municipality in Massachusetts the opportunity to develop “Local Rapid Recovery Plans” tailored to the unique economic challenges and immediate COVID-19 impacts that have affected downtowns, town centers and commercial areas throughout Massachusetts.

Nonprofit entities such as Business Improvement Districts, Main Street organizations or Community Development Corporations are also eligible to lead the planning process with local government support. The short application form is due on December 18, 2020 by 3:00 PM. Learn more and apply here.

A broad coalition of states, consumer and patient groups, and health care providers from across the country launched Get Covered 2021, a new national initiative designed to help uninsured Americans enroll into health insurance and promote COVID-19 safe practices. As part of the launch, Get Covered 2021 announced tools and information available through a new website www.GetCovered2021.org, where Americans will be connected to their state or federal marketplace to enroll immediately in coverage provided through the Affordable Care Act. Learn more.

Rep. Stanley is pleased to announce that Waltham Schools received a fiscal year 2021 Integrating Social and Emotional Learning into Academic Learning grant. The goal of this federally funded competitive grant program is to build school and district capacity to engage in explicit teaching and learning of social and emotional (SE) skills/competencies that are integrated and applied throughout all subject areas; and/or measure students' SE skills and competencies and effectively use data to identify areas of need and support students to develop specific skills/competencies within a tiered system of support. For more information on this grant program and how funds will be used, click here.

The Waltham Police Department will receive $39k in grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to fund traffic enforcement campaigns, safety equipment, and non-enforcement activities. More than 160 law enforcement agencies will receive $7.8 million in federal grant funding made possible through the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These grants will provide access to equipment and strengthen training, crime prevention and enforcement initiatives across the Commonwealth..

Thanks to the generous funding from Tufts Health Plan and AARP Foundations, Waltham Connections for Healthy Aging is offering a Senior Civic Academy at no cost to Waltham residents 60 years or over. This 20-hour, online course, will be taught over a 7-week period, February – March, 2021. The civic academy will offer guest speakers, including experts from city, state and local government, healthy aging, civic engagement and services for seniors. There will be time to interact with the speakers and with other participants, to learn useful information and to gain insights about policy and advocacy. Learn more about the program.

Rep. Stanley will join WSCA on March 9, 2021, for a panel discussion with Waltham constituents who are participating in the first-ever Waltham Senior Civic Academy (WSCA), on how issues of aging are addressed by the legislative branches of government. The panel will include representatives of both state and federal legislatures.

The Mass Cultural Council (MCC), in partnership with the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development, has launched the Cultural Organization Economic Recovery Grant Program, which offers grant assistance to MA nonprofit cultural organizations negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This new $10 million initiative is part of the Baker Administration’s Economic Recovery Plan. Of the $10 million, $2 million will be dedicated to supporting small cultural nonprofits, in alignment with the FY20 COVID supplemental budget.

The Cultural Organization Economic Recovery Grant Program will grant cultural organizations up to $100,000, or three months of supported operating expenses. On an extremely limited basis, MCC and EOHED reserve the right to award a small number grants worth up to $500,000 for organizations experiencing extraordinary losses. An organization must demonstrate extraordinary need and show that they face remarkable challenges that threaten its viability for this higher award amount to be considered. Program guidelines, eligibility requirements, and the grant application for the Cultural Organization Economic Recovery Grant Program are available online.

COVID-19 is putting incredible pressure on families. Many families are worried about their child’s mental health, but they aren’t sure where to turn or how to get started. HandholdMA.org, a new family friendly website, can help.

The website, created by a team of mental health and child development experts in partnership with parents who have “been there,” was designed for parents of school-aged children in Massachusetts.

Handhold has three main sections:

·        Should I worry? Helps parents explore if their kid just being a kid, or if their behavior is something to worry about. Parents can learn about signs to look for and get suggestions on what to do next.

·        What can I do? Tips, tools, and strategies that have worked for other families, sorted by topic, and picked by Handhold. These are things parents can learn about or do from home.

·        Who can help? Carefully selected community organizations and government resources to help families find the right mental health services.

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Whatever steps you decide to take, HandholdMA.org offers a variety of tips, tools, and resources to help you take them with confidence.

Visit HandhholdMA.org today!

The Baker Administration announced allocation and distribution plans for the first round of COVID-19 vaccine shipments to Massachusetts set to begin around December 15. The state’s first shipment of 59,475 doses of the Pfizer vaccine was ordered from the federal government this past Friday and will be delivered directly to 21 hospitals across 8 counties, as well as to the Department of Public Health Immunization lab. Doses will then be redistributed for access to 74 hospitals across all 14 counties for front line medical workers. The next 40,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine will be allocated to the Federal Pharmacy Program to begin vaccinating staff and residents of skilled nursing facilities, rest homes and assisted living residences.

The vaccine is being prioritized for these groups to maximize life preservation and to support the health care system. Based on information at this time, Massachusetts is expecting 300,000 first doses of the vaccine to be delivered by the end of December. The first vaccines, manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer, will require two doses administered 3-4 weeks apart.