Dropped in yesterday to the amazing @ConcordMuseum to check out the permanent exhibits. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s library, intact. Henry David Thoreau’s writing desk. (Mind if I sit here for a moment to compose this post? Why, yes, we do!)
Senator Mike Barrett
@senatormikebarrett.bsky.social
State Senator for Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, Chelmsford, Lincoln, Waltham, Weston, and a large part of Lexington. Senate Chair of the Committee on Energy.
Last night in Lincoln, Kathy Madison of Lincoln Witness presented the hair-raising documentary ICE Air to a crowd impressed by the journalism but horrified about the revelations.
“We’ve paid too much, but at least we wanted to believe that we were safer,” Barrett said. “Now it turns out that we’ve paid too much, and we did not make our people any safer than they would have been.”
This program is driving up gas bills in Massachusetts. Did it make customers safer? - The Boston Globe
A recent study found there is no statistical evidence that increased spending on replacing old gas pipes has improved safety.
bostonglobe.com
The Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History is a spectacular gem of an institution hidden in plain sight a couple of miles from Rt. 128 on the campus of Regis College in Weston.
A light moment on a dark afternoon, witnessing and protesting in the parking lot of Burlington ICE with Bedford’s Rev. John Gibbons, all-around Minister of Good Trouble for social justice advocates in Greater Boston
“Electricity that pours into that grid from Maine ultimately helps with the Massachusetts capacity, especially on overtaxed and hot days, and especially cold ones,” Barrett said.
Mass. to help finance another big Maine power line, this one for Aroostook County wind farms - The Boston Globe
New England states to partner on power line from far northern Maine.
bostonglobe.com
The incomparable Hua Wang turned 60 this weekend. Friends from far and wide, Lexington and Concord included, turned out to celebrate.
Sen. Ed Markey dropped by Wilson Farm in Lexington. I joined Scott Wilson and daughter Lauren to welcome Ed to the Farm’s Tomato Festival. He got a great reception.
Folks in my state senate district zigged rain drops and zagged eager candidates yesterday to enjoy the Carlisle Democratic Town Committee's annual picnic. Thank you, Bob Wallhagen, for hosting!
Tomorrow in Lexington: the Red Cross of Massachusetts is hosting a drive for anyone interested in donating blood. To schedule an appointment, visit: www.redcrossblood.org
Saying goodbye to our summer interns -- Hayden, Cole, Aris, and Grace -- as they wrap up their time in the office. They spent the last two months digging into topics like child care, pesticide use, and energy interconnection. Truly impressive stuff. Wishing the best of luck to you all.
"Democrats on Beacon Hill are zeroing in on a series of major changes to ease another prominent pain point: soaring utility bills."
Step by step, Beacon Hill inching closer to fixing skyrocketing utility bills - The Boston Globe
It’s the third energy affordability bill to be proposed in the state.
bostonglobe.com
For debate next week in the Massachusetts State Senate: An Act to Save People Money, Repair the Climate and Grow the Economy.
This week, UK Minister Stephen Doughty traveled all the way to Lexington for a tour of the Battle Green. To make Minister Doughty feel at home, tour guide Paul O’Shaughnessy donned his redcoat attire as he provided us with a spirited history lesson.
Offshore wind boosters like state Senator Michael Barrett, one of the key architects of Massachusetts' clean energy targets, remain optimistic about the industry's long-term prospects.
Vineyard Wind, country's first large-scale offshore wind project, finishes construction
After years of starts and stops, construction on Vineyard Wind, the country's first large-scale offshore wind project, wrapped up this week.
wbur.org
Mass Save, the state's energy efficiency program, took a 10% funding cut last year. Enough is enough. At a recent conference, I made the case against reducing Mass Save further. Thank you to MassEnergize, a nonprofit helping to accelerate clean energy adoption, for hosting.
Surgeons performed nearly 1,700 life-saving organ transplants in New England last year, according to New England Donor Services. To kick off Organ Donation Month, commemorated each April, I joined NEDS and organ recipients at Waltham City Hall to raise a banner encouraging donor registration.
The Iftar -- the breaking of the fast during Ramadan -- represents compassion, coexistence, and collective responsibility. In Chelmsford, I joined the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell (ISGL) for their Iftar dinner, where over 150 community members gathered in a celebration of unity.
Waltham and Weston, two communities I represent, deserve their fair share of credit for their roles in the American Revolution.
The leaders of Minute Man Arc, a non-profit that supports people with disabilities, are excited about their recent swing toward an electric van fleet. As the state urges wider electric vehicle adoption, other Concord groups are weighing their own projects.
Chasing EV goals, locals mark wins and headwinds
As the state urges wider electric vehicle adoption, Concord groups are weighing their own projects.
concordbridge.org
Brooksby Village, a senior living community in Peabody, is home to some terrific climate advocates. Members of Brooksby’s climate change committee -- Dan Greenberg, Jean Wright, and Tom Bracewell -- dropped by the State House to discuss EV chargers, solar panels, and other clean energy projects.
If you’re looking for future presidents, Bridge Elementary School in Lexington is a good place to start. I met with fifth graders from Bridge's student government program, who filled me in on what they've been working on.
Minute Man Arc, a nonprofit that supports people with disabilities in the Concord area, just unveiled its new fleet of electric vans. I helped lift the giant scissors at the ribbon-cutting.
Following decades of secrecy surrounding former state institutions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a new bill poised for the governor’s signature promises to open long-shuttered records, including those from the Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center in Waltham.
State lawmakers pass historic bill to open records of state institutions including the Fernald school – Waltham Times
Classroom, Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded, ca. 1890s. Courtesy Massachusetts Archives. Following decades of secrecy surrounding former state
walthamtimes.org
Massachusetts lawmakers have reached an agreement on a bill that would make it easier for family members to obtain records of their disabled loved ones who lived in institutional housing. The governor is expected to sign it into law.
Lawmakers poised to open up state disability records to families, researchers
Gov. Healey is expected to sign legislation giving family members access to the medical records of their developmentally disabled loved ones who lived in Massachusetts institutional housing.
wgbh.org
Just passed in the State Senate: safeguards against book bans.
A new report sheds light on the troubling history of Massachusetts facilities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Rep. Sean Garballey and I joined a panel hosted by the Harvard Law School Project on Disability to discuss it.
Trump is slowing down offshore wind. Solar can step in and fill a vacuum. A great example: Temple Emunah in Lexington hosts the largest solar installation of any synagogue in Massachusetts. And half of the energy generated goes to a community solar program that others can buy into.
