No. 2 Democrat in Mass. House, Claire Cronin, Nominated to Be US Ambassador to Ireland
Claire Cronin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, has been tapped by President Joe Biden to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Ireland, one of 17 nominations announced by the White House Wednesday that included major diplomatic and arts assignments. Cronin, who represents Brockton… Read More
Rep. Tram Nguyen announces new bill to crack down on hate crimes in Massachusetts
TEWKSBURY — With a rise in reported hate crimes across both the country and Massachusetts in recent years, state Rep. Tram Nguyen is partnering with Attorney General Maura Healey and state Sen. Adam Hinds to address the issue. Nguyen, who represents Andover, Boxford, North Andover, and Tewksbury, announced last… Read More
Hundreds gather at candlelight vigil in Cambridge to commemorate victims in Atlanta shooting
CAMBRIDGE — Local leaders and residents stood in front of Cambridge City Hall Sunday night to commemorate the victims killed during a shooting in Atlanta last week and call for an end to anti-Asian violence. The candlelight vigil brought hundreds of people to the city’s center. Some carried signs… Read More
3 Framingham Residents Recognized at Black Excellence on Hill Program
FRAMINGHAM – David and Pam Griffin, nominated by Representatives Jack Patrick Lewis and Maria Robinson, and Regina Marshall, nominated by Senate President Karen Spilka, received the Black Excellence on the Hill Award on February 26, awarded by the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus. “Pam and David… Read More
Rep. Brandy Fluker Oakley steps into new role
During her swearing-in ceremony at the Massachusetts Statehouse, Brandy Fluker Oakley said she was feeling elated to become a state representative, but as she left Beacon Hill on Jan. 6, she saw a shocking trail of text messages pop up, all talking about the insurrection that was taking place in… Read More
State Rep. Nguyen Starts Year with 27 Bills
State Rep. Tram Nguyen, D-Andover, has been busy in the new year, filing 27 pieces of legislation by the Feb. 19 deadline on Beacon Hill. The 27 bills reflect a priority list for the second term representative, touching topics ranging from domestic violence and sexual assault to… Read More
‘Turning Point’: Women of Color Increasingly Leading Boston
BOSTON (AP) — For the better part of a century, the iconic image of a Boston mayor typically conjured up the figure of James Michael Curley — the real-life Irish-American city boss elected four times as mayor between 1914 and 1946. Think Spencer Tracy in “The Last Hurrah.”… Read More
A Groundbreaking Black Woman in State and City Government, Doris Bunte Dies at 87
Doris Bunte arrived in Boston in 1953 with 98 cents to her name — and then a dime less after she bought a candy bar — before rising to become, for a time, arguably the most powerful woman in Boston politics. Read More
Lawmakers File Bill Addressing Disparities in Access to COVID-19 Vaccine
BOSTON — As COVID-19 cases reach the half a million mark in Massachusetts, racial and economic disparities in the state’s vaccine rollout are drawing sharp criticism from Beacon Hill. ”This process has not only been inequitable, but it’s been racist,” said State Representative Liz Miranda. State health data shows a third… Read More
Senate President Karen Spilka Unveils HERstory: Volume II
On Tuesday, February 9, 2021, Senate President Karen E. Spilka unveiled a photo exhibition in the Senate President’s suite in the State House dedicated to celebrating the often-unsung stories of women of color throughout Massachusetts’ history. HERstory: Volume II is the second installment of photos in the President’s suite to… Read More