Massachusetts takes the lead on climate response
Read the Baker-Polito Administration’s “Corner Office Connect” update for February 2019.
Governor Baker testifies before Congress on what Massachusetts is doing to address climate change
Governor Charlie Baker testified before the House Natural Resources Committee in Washington, D.C. to discuss what Massachusetts is doing to address climate change at the first congressional hearing on climate change in over eight years. He shared the Commonwealth’s bipartisan record of addressing climate change, urging Washington to work across all levels of government in a similar fashion and highlighted some of the Baker-Polito Administration’s bipartisan initiatives and cost-effective projects put in place to prepare for the effects of a changing climate and to promote renewable energy.
WATCH:
ORAL TESTIMONY | WRITTEN TESTIMONY
Springfield Republican: Massachusetts looking to lead in climate change
Baker-Polito Administration highlights comprehensive plan to end youth homelessness
During an event at Framingham State University, Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito highlighted a comprehensive plan to end youth homelessness in the Commonwealth by connecting homeless young people with education, employment, and housing supports and services. The administration also announced a $3 million investment to local providers and a new housing pilot to support homeless youth attending community college.
“Living here literally feels like a home,” said Jaime Waldron, 20, a sophomore at UMass Lowell who is part of the pilot program.
Read more from the Boston Globe: State will offer dorm rooms for homeless college students
Lt. Governor Polito discusses bill to update laws “to better protect people from using technology as a weapon”
At a meeting of the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence she chaired, Lt. Governor Polito announced that the Administration was re-filing a proposal to modernize the laws governing the distribution of sexually explicit images and empower District Attorneys with additional tools to protect children. Technological advances call for “updates to our laws to better protect people from using technology as a weapon,” said Lt. Governor Polito.
PRESS RELEASE | Worcester Telegram & Gazette coverage
Boston Herald: Baker cyberbullying bill provision a smart strategy
Governor Baker in AARP International: Guiding Massachusetts Toward an Age-Friendly Future
“The United States needs to think differently about aging, and in Massachusetts we are doing just that. We are focused on ensuring that those who raised families here and strengthened our communities continue to contribute their energy, experience, and talents where they live, to make Massachusetts the most age-friendly state.”
Continue reading Governor Baker’s AARP International column.
Springfield Police Commissioner: “These grants have definitely played a role in reducing our overall crime rate.”
Via The Republican: The Baker Administration on Monday announced the distribution of $7.74 million in grant funding to communities across the state to help combat gang activity and related violence.
The amount announced by Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito for this year’s Senator Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative program represents a $2 million increase, or around 36 percent, from the $5.65 million amount awarded this time last year.
“These grants have definitely played a role in reducing our overall crime rate in Springfield by 45 percent over the past five years,” said Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri, “and it is one piece of the puzzle in Mayor (Domenic) Sarno’s strategy for city departments and agencies to have a collaborative mindset.”
PRESS RELEASE | MassLive.com coverage
“If I wasn’t in Lowell, I honestly feel like I’d be in jail or dead,” said Justice Wright, now a 16-year-old junior at Lowell High School.
Read more from the Lowell Sun: Lowell teen center stage at Statehouse anti-gang event
In Essex County, Lt. Gov. Polito discusses Community Compact best practices, awards downtown grants
During a swing through Essex County, Lt. Governor Polito made several stops to discuss efficiencies being introduced into local governments, and announced grant awards to 20 communities to pursue projects that support downtown development and encourage growth. In Georgetown, a Community Compact grant is allowing the town to launch an online budget transparency program, while in North Andover the town is addressing emergency preparedness and IT resiliency.
In Topsfield, Lt. Governor Polito and Undersecretary Chan awarded Massachusetts Downtown Initiative grants to 20 cities and towns, giving them the resources to engage expert consultants on downtown revitalization. These investments in communities as diverse as Newburyport and Groveland will fund small business and retail support, five wayfinding and branding initiatives, a housing study, multiple studies of current economic conditions, and a number of parking management projects.
News in Brief
- New MBTA Orange Line train spotted on tracks (WHDH)
- New Massachusetts energy efficiency plan to push storage, heat pumps and ‘demand response’ (MassLive.com)
- EDITORIAL: Charlie Baker takes on Big Pharma (Boston Globe)
- Local Chambers of Commerce Get Grants to Increase Business Growth (CapeCod.com)
