March Newsletter
- 11 hours ago
- 5 min read
Bringing Beacon Hill to You
State Senator John F. Keenan
Abington, Braintree, Hanover, Holbrook, Quincy, & Rockland
March Newsletter
In the District
I enjoyed the opportunity to discuss local issues during office hours I held at all the Councils on Aging in the district. I enjoy these opportunities to meet with constituents to not only help with individual concerns, but to discuss local, state, and national issues. The topics and conversations are always interesting, and I value the feedback provided.
On the day of the Quincy office hours, I also toured the Hale Family YMCA, a state-of-the-art facility that offers a variety of appealing activities and services for people of all ages and backgrounds. The new 20,000 square foot addition offers a gymnastics training center, the Phyllis Godwin Empowerment Center, and a large-scale health and wellness center. The Y continues to play an incredible role in our community.
I spent that evening having dinner at a constituent family’s home for Ramadan iftar, an important meal after a day of contemplative fasting. Sharing a delicious meal and meaningful conversation served as a powerful reminder of the importance of engaging with and learning from people from a variety of faiths.
Later in the month, along with Senator Driscoll and Representative Cusack, I attended Braintree Mayor Joyce’s third State of the Town Address and had a meeting on education issues with Superintendent MacDonald and four students, who impressed me with their perspectives on school funding, the use of cell phones in classrooms, and sports betting.
I also met with a group of nearly one hundred Broadmeadow Middle School students from Quincy when they came to the State House. Representative Chan and I gave them an overview of the history of the building and a rundown on how an idea becomes a law. They asked great questions about our proudest moments as elected officials and our top priorities.
During an interview with Quincy Access Television State View host Mark Crosby, we discussed issues like ballot questions, financial transparency, Narcan at Redline stops, and the impact of cell phones on K-12 learning. The episode is available here.
Other district events during March included meeting with the MBTA regarding dock improvements for the ferry at Squantum Point Park and joining Senator Bill Driscoll and Representative Mark Cusack to discuss a rail pedestrian crossing in Braintree.
It was an honor to close out March by joining the Abington Select Board and Representative Alyson Sullivan-Almeida in recognizing Police Sergeant Stephen Marquardt for his courageous action in saving a woman from likely death on the commuter rail tracks in Abington. It was also great to welcome the newest member of the Abington Fire Department, Matthew DiScuillo.
Constituent Cases
There continues to be a great number of constituents reaching out for assistance with obtaining unemployment benefits. During March, the office handled 15 cases (bringing the total year to date number of DUA cases to 36), including many with wait times ranging from a couple of weeks to several months. In one such case a Braintree resident, who for months had been unsuccessful in resolving a claim issue, finally received benefits and praised our involvement stating:
“I had another call from Unemployment Services, and a very helpful gentleman named Enrique reassured me that I am receiving the full benefit amount. All the same, I wanted to thank you sincerely for taking the time to advocate on my behalf.
Losing one’s livelihood can be an incredibly lonely season for many people, and in my case it has been compounded by the transition to a new state with very limited social support. I am truly grateful to your office—and especially to you—for going out of your way to help a stranger.
Please extend my thanks to the rest of your team as well. I wish you all the very best, and I am deeply appreciative of your kindness and support.”
During our round of office hours in March, I heard from constituents about concerns with federal, state and local matters. In one instance, I learned of a Holbrook resident that had used all their awarded home heating assistance but with such a cold winter, needed more fuel. Our office reached out to the appropriate agency and facilitated the homeowner securing an additional disbursement.
I can’t help but credit this success to Constituent Services & District Director, Doreen Bargoot. She is a force for good, always helping residents of the district with compassion, empathy, and urgency. Having a great staff is not a privilege I take lightly.
Tobacco
Five years ago, I filed legislation, at the urging of Holbrook Middle/High School students to ban the sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products in Massachusetts. In March, an article reporting on the effectiveness of that bill revealed a drop in menthol cigarette smoking prevalence in Massachusetts by 1.37 percent between June 2020 and January 2023. The 5-year cost savings from this reduction are projected to be more than $70 million and to reach $200 million after 10 years. This law is saving lives and money; I am so gratified to see these outcomes and proud of the work of students who made it possible.
I had the pleasure of speaking with young leaders who continue to fight to end youth nicotine use and raise awareness about how these products target their generation. I appreciated hearing directly from the Braintree Community Partnership in my office and young people from around the Commonwealth in the Great Hall during ENUFF: The 84 Movement’s Youth Day of Action at the State House. Their passion and leadership leave me optimistic that we can realize a healthier, nicotine-free future.
March Madness & Sports Betting
For many, March Madness and the Super Bowl are the few times people wager on sports, but even casual betting can lead to compulsive gambling. That is why my March Madness bracket did not focus on college basketball teams but highlighted the terrible outcomes that a sports gambling addiction can have and the negative implications of sports betting generally. View the interactive bracket here.
With March Madness on the minds of many, the Boston Globe Editorial Board published an article on how prop bets, which are bets placed on a specific player’s performance, are threatening player safety and increasing the chances that bettors will become addicted to gambling.
I hate to see corporations exploiting people, which is what I believe sports betting operators are doing. My Bettor Health Act will put public health first, creating guardrails to protect against the worst practices of those operators. In March, the bill cleared a major legislative hurdle, advancing to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. Read more about this recent progress here.
In the Senate
The Senate welcomed its newest member, Senator Vanna Howard; I joined my Senate
colleagues and Governor Maura Healey in welcoming her at a joyous swearing-in ceremony.
Senator Howard will serve the people of the First Middlesex District, building on five years of dedicated service in the House of Representatives. At her swearing-in, she shared her powerful story of coming from Cambodia to the United States as an 11-year-old refugee—an experience that helped inspire her career in public service. She made history as the first Cambodian-American state senator in the nation. I look forward to working alongside her.
The Senate passed S.3014, the PETS Act. This bill would end harsh, unnecessary testing of animal subjects for non-medical purposes; end the sale of ‘puppy mill’ pets at pet stores; expand an existing dog anti-cruelty law to cover all household pets; and deter housing discrimination based on dog breed. My Senate colleagues movingly shared how much they love their pets and desired to ensure all dogs and cats have appropriate protections. The Senate adopted an amendment I filed to ensure that people who live in state-aided public housing have recourse against loud or known dangerous pets within their buildings.
The Senate also passed legislation to protect firefighters and construction workers from dangers that can arise from ‘hot work,’ such as welding. The legislation, S.1646, An Act relative to violation of regulation regarding hot work processes, would require the Commonwealth to track written notices of code violations related to hot work (welding, plasma cutting, and spark-producing construction) and make the information available through an online database. This bill would help advance reforms recommended by a special commission following the tragic 2014 fire in Boston’s Back Bay, which nearby welding work caused, and has been a priority of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. The Senate passed identical legislation in 2024. I joined members of the fire departments throughout the district at the PFFM’s annual legislators’ night, at which we discussed bills that would address the heightened risk of cancer that fire fighters face as a result of their work.
Both the PETS Act and the “hot works” bills now go to the House of Representatives for their consideration.
Reach Out
I always enjoy chatting with constituents each month. Thank you for your feedback and encouragement that makes serving as your State Senator so humbling and fulfilling. Please feel free to contact me by emailing John.Keenan@masenate.gov, calling 617-722-1494 or filling out the contact form on my website.
