Stopping Addiction Before It Starts – IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

Stopping Addiction Before It Starts – IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

By: Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives  – October, 2015 The State Senate recently passed additional reforms aimed at combatting the substance abuse epidemic in Massachusetts. Senate Bill 2020, which passed unanimously, focuses on prevention and early intervention, responsible pain management, expanded drug take-back programs by manufacturers, and reducing the number of opiate pills in circulation by […]

Keeping People Healthy and our Environment Safe ~ IN YOUR CORNER with SENATOR IVES

Keeping People Healthy and our Environment Safe ~ IN YOUR CORNER with SENATOR IVES

By: Sentaor Kathleen Ives – Sept., 2015 In January, I filed Senate bill 1200, An Act to Reduce Exposure to BPA, which is currently before the Joint Committee on Public Health. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that has been linked as a health and environmental pollutant. In January 2011, the Massachusetts Department of Public […]

Advocating for Key Priorities in State Senate Budget ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR KATY IVES

Advocating for Key Priorities in State Senate Budget ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR KATY IVES

By: Senator Katy Ives – August, 2015 The Massachusetts State Senate debated the Fiscal Year 2016 state budget last month, where I advocated for key provisions that will be beneficial to the constituents of my district. The items below are a number of the district-specific priorities included in the final budget: Fixing the MBTA Over […]

Protecting Our Communities in the Age of Fracking Gas ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR KATY IVES

Protecting Our Communities in the Age of Fracking Gas  ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR KATY IVES

By: State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives July, 2015 In June, I attended the Methuen City Council’s special meeting where Kinder Morgan, a Houston-based energy infrastructure company, presented their plan for a proposed natural gas pipeline that would travel through Methuen, Massachusetts. I joined Representative Linda Dean Campbell and concerned residents to speak during the public […]

Public Records Should Be Made Available to the Public – IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

Public Records Should Be Made Available to the Public – IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

By: State Senator Katy Ives – June, 2015 Last week, I testified on a bill I filed, S.1700, An Act Relative to Obtaining Information, before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. This bill promotes access to information, available to all, within a reasonable time frame and for residents to have recourse in […]

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Address to the MA Legislature

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Address to the MA Legislature

By: Senator Katy Ives – May, 2015 On April 22, 1965, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. addressed the Massachusetts Legislature in a Joint Session comprised of State Senate and State Representatives. This was the first time Dr. King spoke before a legislative body. Six months prior to this visit, he had won the […]

Bringing the State Senate to Our District – IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

Bringing the State Senate to Our District – IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

By: State Senator Ives – April, 2015 The Massachusetts State Senate organized eight days throughout the winter to host Commonwealth Conversations across the state, comprised of roundtables, forums and town hall-style meetings to hear from residents and stakeholders–gathering input on policy and budget priorities. These forums are part of an effort to make government even […]

Legislation Needed to Hold Landfill Owners, Operators Responsible -IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR KATY IVES

Legislation Needed to Hold Landfill Owners, Operators Responsible -IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR KATY IVES

By: Kathleen O’Connor Ives – March, 2015 The Crow Lane Landfill in Newburyport has long been the source of environmental and public safety concerns since the process of closing and capping the landfill began nearly fourteen years ago. Closure remains unfinished to date. In that time, abutters of the landfill have been subjected to ongoing […]

New Legislative Session Opportunities for Positive Change

New Legislative Session Opportunities for Positive Change

By Senator Katy Ives – February, 2015 As I begin my second term as State Senator and a new two-year legislative session, I have filed a cross section of bills that will directly benefit constituents, municipalities and small businesses in my district. I filed 33 bills in total and also co-sponsored a number of important […]

O’Connor Ives and Tarr to Host Senate President and Colleagues in North Andover

O’Connor Ives and Tarr to Host Senate President and Colleagues in North Andover

State Senators Kathleen O’Connor Ives and Bruce Tarr will be hosting their Senate colleagues in North Andover on Monday, February 23, 4:00 – 5:15 pm to attend a Commonwealth Conversation focused on: “Challenges and Opportunities in the Small Business Community” at the Good Day Cafe, 19 High Street, North Andover.  The Massachusetts State Senate has […]

Reflecting Back and Moving Massachusetts Forward ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

Reflecting Back and Moving Massachusetts Forward ~ IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES

By: Kathleen O’Connor Ives – January, 2015 In my first legislative session we passed a number of significant laws, including requiring nursing homes, rest homes, or other long term care facilities to first obtain informed, written consent if psychotropic medications are to be administered, along with a description of the side effects. We also passed […]

Awareness for COPD – 3rd Leading Cause of Death

Awareness for COPD – 3rd Leading Cause of Death

By: State Senator Katy Ives Dec. 2014 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death in the United States. It disproportionately impacts women and is caused by smoking and poor air quality. It severely impacts quality of life by causing a shortness of breath, which makes it difficult to do the […]

The Need for Veterans’ Housing in Massachusetts

The Need for Veterans’ Housing in Massachusetts

By: Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives November, 2014 November 11, Veterans’ Day, a national day of remembrance to honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces during war, was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954. In my first term as State Senator, I am proud to have worked […]

Economic Development, Revitalization in Salisbury: Environmental Affairs Undersecretary Visits the Beach

Economic Development, Revitalization in Salisbury:  Environmental Affairs Undersecretary Visits the Beach

  IN YOUR CORNER WITH KATY IVES By: Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives October, 2014 I recently invited Undersecretary of Environmental Affairs, Martin Suuberg, to join me and Representative Michael Costello to visit Salisbury Beach and learn about ongoing and potential revitalization opportunities at Salisbury Beach Center. Town Manager Neil Harrington, Chairman of the Board of […]

Advocating for the Disabled Community ~IN YOUR CORNER WITH KATY IVES

Advocating for the Disabled Community ~IN YOUR CORNER WITH KATY IVES

By: Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives September, 2014 There are several pieces of legislation I supported and co-sponsored, which have been signed into law by the Governor and will assist the disabled community and their families in Massachusetts. These measures will expand employment opportunities, health care coverage and ensure these residents are being cared for in […]