Thursday, May 17, 2012
Wakefield's state legislators, Sen. Katherine Clark, Rep. Paul Brodeur and Rep. Donald Wong don't have any challengers in their 2012 re-election campaigns.
While the presidential campaign between incumbent Democrat Barack Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney will heat up this year, the 2012 election will be a little sleepier on the Wakefield front. Neither Sen. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose, Rep. Paul Brodeur, D-Melrose, or Rep. Donald Wong, R-Saugus, the town's representatives in the state Senate and House respectively, will face a challenger in this fall's election on Nov. 6, 2012. Would-be candidates for district and county offices, which includes the state Legislature, had until the end of the day on May 1 to submit nomination papers to local election officials for certification of the signatures required for nomination papers—300 signatures for state senator and 150 …
Saturday, March 24, 2012
State Senator Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) writes about a proposed law in Massachusetts to keep students in school until age 18.
- OPINION
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Saturday, March 24, 2012
During the last school year, nearly 8,000 Massachusetts high school students dropped out. As with any pervasive challenge, the reasons are not always clear: some students left school to pursue work; others indicated they would transfer to another school, but never did. But for the majority of these children, we really do not know why they dropped out or where they ended up. According to data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), though males and minority students have higher drop-out rates, this problem runs across gender, race and ethnicity lines – and even across grade levels. Over 2,000 (26%) of the students who dropped out last year were ninth graders. It is true that our drop-out rate in …
Saturday, February 18, 2012
State Senator Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) writes about what the legislature is doing to prevent prescription drug abuse in Massachusetts.
- GOVERNMENT
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Saturday, February 18, 2012
[The following was submitted by State Senator Katherine Clark.] The abuse of prescription painkillers has reached alarmingly high levels in our state, and this month the State Senate acted to mandate strict oversight of these powerfully addictive drugs. We all are too familiar with the heartbreaking stories of opiate addiction, and we have seen the tremendous toll that drug abuse takes on too many families in our communities. And unfortunately, the problem is getting more severe. A 2009 report by the OxyContin and Heroin Commission found that Massachusetts has one of the highest rates of opiate abuse in the nation, causing 3,265 deaths from 2002 to 2007 and 23,369 hospitalizations in 2006 alone. Opioid-related deaths are now the …
Saturday, February 11, 2012
State Senator Katherine Clark writes about the MBTA's deficit and finding a long-term solution to the agency's fiscal deficit.
- OPINION
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Saturday, February 11, 2012
[The following was submitted by Senator Katherine Clark (D-Melrose.)] It is clear that our current system of funding and operating our public transportation network is inadequate and untenable. The MBTA recently projected a $161 million deficit for the upcoming fiscal year, with structural deficits projected to grow through 2016 and beyond. According to the T, these deficits are the result of increased operating costs, debt payments, and lower-than-projected sales tax revenue. Dedicating a portion of the state sales tax to the T’s operations was a decision made by the legislature in 2009 to head-off massive service cuts at that time. However, due to higher costs and the continued economic recession, the problems have persisted. To …
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Sen. Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) writes about "middle skill" positions and how improvements to training for these jobs can improve the state's economy.
- NEWS
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Saturday, February 4, 2012
[The following was submitted by Senator Katherine Clark.] Massachusetts has lost one third of its manufacturing jobs since 1990, and yet it has become conventional wisdom that the key to our competitive growth is increasing highly paid jobs performed by college graduates. But as the 2010 report Massachusetts Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs demonstrates, it is actually “middle skills” occupations, jobs that require more than a high school diploma but not a four-year degree, that make up the largest segment of job growth nationally and here in Massachusetts. Middle skill jobs represent 44% of all jobs in the Commonwealth and are predicted to grow with demand in sectors like healthcare, biotechnology, renewable energy, information technology …
Sunday, January 22, 2012
State Sen. Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) writes about the legislative changes made to the state's education collaboratives..
- OPINION
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Sunday, January 22, 2012
Last summer, the state’s inspector general accused the director of Merrimack Special Education Collaborative of diverting $11.5 million in public funding to boost his salary and those of a few top executives. In response, last week the State Senate passed legislation to reform the Commonwealth’s system of education collaboratives, increasing the transparency, accountability and oversight of these important institutions. Education collaboratives, established by law over 35 years ago, provide special education services and programs to students throughout our state. The purpose of the collaboratives is to allow school districts to join together to offer educational services for students with special needs who cannot be served in a …
Saturday, January 14, 2012
State Senator Katherine Clark describes the options for homeowners to make their homes more efficient this winter.
With the cold weather upon us, it’s a good time to think about making our homes more energy efficient. Energy efficiency improvements, many of which can be done easily and at relatively low cost, save money and energy and make our homes more comfortable. And with fuel costs running considerably higher than last year, these improvements can make a real difference. A good first step is a home energy audit. These energy audits usually take 2-3 hours and are free to residents in the district served by utilities like NSTAR and National Grid. My family and I recently participated in an audit arranged through the Melrose Energy Commission. During the audit, an energy specialist: inspected our heating and hot water systems and made …
Sunday, January 8, 2012
State Senator Katherine Clark writes about what her legislative goals will be for the coming year.
As we begin 2012, the challenge will be to find policy solutions that work and to support innovative and efficient programs, all while being responsible and accountable stewards of taxpayer dollars. This year’s budget debate will likely be another difficult one, with the state facing a tight fiscal environment and the possibility of budget cuts. I believe that we can and will develop a budget that funds vital programs in a sensible way, and I look forward to your input as my colleagues and I move forward in that process. In the state senate this year, my priorities will include: These are just some of the priorities I will pursue this year. As always, I look forward to your thoughtful advice and your help in strengthening our communities …
Saturday, December 31, 2011
State Senator Katherine Clark shares the highlights of the 2011 legislative year.
This past year, as the state continued to confront economic challenges, I focused on ways to build our schools and our communities, support our businesses, and maintain a strong fiscal position for the Commonwealth. The Fiscal Year 2012 budget was a difficult one, with the legislature facing a projected $1.9 billion budget gap. While we struggled with cuts, I was proud to work to preserve – or in some cases increase – funding for priority programs, all without raising taxes. Highlights included: Other important priorities this year included: These are just some of the important areas of action on Beacon Hill this year. In 2012, I look forward to building on these successes and pursue a legislative agenda that creates jobs, grows our …
Sunday, November 27, 2011
State Senator Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) shares why she's thankful this holiday season.
- OPINION
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Sunday, November 27, 2011
As we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families this week, our thoughts naturally turn to our many blessings. I am very thankful for my wonderful family, my friends, and the community we are privileged to live in. I am also thankful for the opportunity to represent you at the State House. That honor means that every day I learn from so many caring, dedicated residents of this district who are working to improve our schools, build our businesses and grow our economy, and better our communities. Last week that commitment to community was on full display as dozens of volunteers came together at the Melrose Middle School to support Cradles to Crayons, a non-profit organization that provides new and gently used clothing and other …
John Bengtson
1:57 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
You cannot have a truely free democracy if people don't run for office. more ›