By: Senator Katy Ives – Feb. 2017 As regular readers of this column may know, last session I filed a bill to reduce housing costs for veterans by offering a tax rebate to landlords who rent dwellings below market rate to individuals who receive state Chapter 115 veterans’ benefits. In the past legislative session, a […]
At the debate for the Democratic candidates in August, Jerry Flynn, Executive Director of the New England Police Benevolent Association, asked the candidates if they would take their pension and the sheriff’s salary if they are elected. Prior to this exchange below, candidate Paul Russell said that he would do the job for free as […]
THE ELECTION IS THURSDAY, SEPT. 8th The Valley Patriot in conjunction with the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center’s Carina Pappalardo, hosted a debate for the Republican candidates for Essex County Sheriff. The event was held at the American Legion on Broadway in Methuen and was covered by both the Methuen and Salisbury cable access channels. The […]
Four of the five Republican primary candidates for Essex County Sheriff debated at the American Legion on Broadway in Methuen. They are: Anne Manning-Martin, Jeff Gallo, Craig Lane, and Jim Jajuga, Jr. Moderating the debate were Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan and Executive Director of the Greater Lawrence Psychological Center, Carina Pappalardo.) CLICK PHOTO TO […]
The Valley Patriot newspaper hosted a debate for the Democratic Candidates for Essex County Sheriff at North Andover High School on Thursday, August 18, 2016. The candidates are: Michael Marks, Paul Russell, Jerry Robito, Kevin Coppinger, and Ed O’Reilly. The debate moderators were: Tom Duggan, Valley Patriot Publisher, Christine Morabito and Jerry Flynn. The […]
By: State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives August, 2018 In July, the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to promote the use of ignition interlock devices by OUI offenders, which test a driver’s blood-alcohol content before starting a car. Mothers Against Drunk Driving and AAA Northeast have endorsed the use of the devices as an effective means to […]
By: State Representative Lenny Mirra – July, 2016 Here’s why you should care, and care A LOT, about health care costs: Massachusetts has the highest healthcare costs in the world. No place else spends what we spend per capita on health care and it affects every part of our lives. We’re in the process of […]
The Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved omnibus veterans’ legislation in June known as the Veterans H.O.M.E. Act. State Senator Katy Ives – July, 2016 Senate Bill 2325, “An Act Relative to Housing, Operations, Military Service, and Enrichment,” seeks to improve housing and employment opportunities for military veterans and their families. The bill allows municipalities to offer […]
By: State Senator Katy Ives May, 2016 Kinder Morgan, a Houston, Texas-based energy infrastructure company, submitted its first letter related to their Northeast Energy Direct Project (NED Project) to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on September 15, 2014. It detailed a plan to construct 177 miles of new pipeline from Wright, New York to […]
By: Senator Kathleen Ives Dec. 2015 The Massachusetts Senate recently completed the first year of a two-year legislative session by sending to the governor’s desk legislation for increased penalties for trafficking fentanyl, and five bills related to veterans. To further address the health crisis of opiate abuse in the Commonwealth, the legislature passed House Bill […]
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 […]
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 […]
Last week, State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives was appointed as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses. “This is a great opportunity to oversee meaningful legislation that will impact my district. I look forward to serving in this capacity in the new legislative term, knowing that small businesses play a […]
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 […]
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 […]