Special Committee on Section 35 & Drug Addiction

Senate President Murray announced the creation of a Special Committee on drug addiction issues with a particular focus on “Section 35” which pertains to involuntary commitments of persons with substance abuse issues to treatment.  I look forward to serving on the committee — Massachusetts faces an epidemic of substance abuse  and I’ve long had a …

Report on the Bowker Meeting

The question considered at this evening’s meeting at the Boston Public Library was:  Can we eliminate the Bowker overpass, rather than repairing it?    While there is no consensus as to the long term future of the Bowker, most attending had a clear takeaway from the meeting:  For now, the repairs must go forward. There were …

Governor's Climate Change Announcement

The Governor announced this week a package of measures to respond to climate change. If the climate changes as much as most scientists believe it will — given the trajectory we are on — our agriculture and living patterns will necessarily change. Among the most dangerous impacts of climate change will be sea level rise. …

Insurance Discounts for Driver Training

We received an inquiry from a parent whose child took a rigorous driver safety training course above and beyond the basic Driver’s Ed program. The question was: Why don’t insurers offer a discount for graduates of these programs? The answer is that many insurers do offer such discounts. In fact one of the programs says …

Congratulations to Mayor Walsh on his Inauguration

I attended the inauguration of Boston’s new mayor Marty Walsh today and very much appreciated his focus on the issue of violence in the city. I look forward to supporting his efforts to bring peace to our neighborhoods. You may read his Inaugural Address here. His press release appears below. ——————————— Mayor Martin J. Walsh Sworn in as 54th Mayor of the City …