THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, June 28, 2024 Page 17 State Senator Jason Lewis champions passage of Massachusetts Plastics Reduction Act O n June 20, 2024, State Senator Jason Lewis joined his colleagues in the Senate to pass the Massachusetts Plastics Reduction Act: comprehensive legislation to reduce and eliminate single-use plastics that threaten our environment and human health. The bill passed with a bipartisan vote of 38-2.On June 24, the Massachusetts House referred the Act to its committee on Ways and Means. Senator Lewis, along with Representative Michelle Ciccolo, cofounded and cochairs the Zero Waste Caucus in the state legislature. This group of state lawmakers works together to reduce and eliminate waste through legislative action, education, state and local collaboration, and public outreach. Addressing the single-use plastics crisis is one of the Caucus’s top priorities. “The Massachusetts Plastics Reduction Act is the most far-reaching legislation ever passed in the state legislature to tackle the scourge of single-use plastics,” said Senator Lewis. “I’m very grateful to the Plastic Free Mass coalition and the many constituents who have advocated for Massachusetts to prioritize State Senator Jason Lewis (center) and anti-plastic waste advocates this issue and become a national leader in reducing and eliminating single-use plastics from our communities.” “It’s time Massachusetts made a bigger commitment to tackle the plastic pollution crisis in our state,” said Oceana Field Campaigns Manager Nancy Downes. “We applaud the Massachusetts Senate for passing S. 2830 which would protect our environment and coast by banning single-use plastic bags and reducing other single-use plastics across the state. Statewide polling by Oceana reveals that nearly 9 in 10 voters in Massachusetts are concerned about single-use plastic and support state and local policies to reduce it. Plastics are inundating our oceans, impacting the climate, and harming marine wildlife. We must stop the problem at its source by reducing the amount of single-use plastic produced and moving to reuse and refill systems. We call on the House to pass this much-needed bill.” The production, consumption and disposal of single-use plastics cause numerous harms to our environment and human health. Municipalities are also burdened with expensive waste disposal costs. Contrary to what many consumers believe, less than 10% of post-consumer plastic waste in the United States is actually recycled. The vast majority of this waste is burned in incinerators, buried in landfills or ends up as litter in our streets and parks, eventually making its way into our oceans. According to National Geographic, “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean.” Microplastic particles have been found everywhere on earth and throughout the food chain, including our bodies. The Massachusetts Plastics Reduction Act takes comprehensive action to address this crisis, including: • Implementing a statewide prohibition on carry-out plastic bags at retail stores; as of May 2023, 162 Massachusetts cities and towns, making up nearly 70 percent of the state’s population, had already passed local ordinances to regulate single-use plastic bags. • Allowing plastic utensils and straws to be given to consumers only upon request • Prohibiting single-use plastic bottle purchases by all state agencies, except for certain emergency situations • Requiring the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to establish a statewide bulk plastic recycling program for products, including car seats • Requiring non-flushable plastic wipes to be clearly labeled with “Do Not Flush” warnings, along with a public outreach campaign • Creating the Plastics Environmental Protection Fund to provide reusable bags to low-income communities and issue grants to small businesses to assist in the reduction of plastic use • Establishing a special commission to study and make recommendations for implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) in the Commonwealth. During debate on the Senate floor, Senator Lewis was also successful in amending the bill to add a statewide prohibition on unrecyclable black plastic from being used for food service ware, and to require MassDEP to report back to the legislature on the feasibility and benefits of phasing out use of polystyrene plastic products. Malden House delegation celebrates passage of Maternal Health Bill Bill strengthens quality of care for mothers from beginning of pregnancy through postpartum O n June 20, 2024, the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously passed H.4773, An Act promoting access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options. This legislation mandates strengthening Massachusetts’ quality of maternal care for mothers from the beginning of pregnancy through postpartum by expanding access to midwifery practices and out-of-hospital birth settings, among other stipulations. On June 24, the Senate referred H.4773 to its committee on Ways and Means. This bill creates pathways for certified professional midwifes to obtain licensure in Massachusetts, ensures that midwifery care is covered by MassHealth, mandates postpartum depression screenings for new parents during visits to pediatrician offices, and removes regulatory and staffing barriers for birth centers within Massachusetts, among other policies. With maternal health outcomes disproportionately affecting people of color, this legislation seeks to address this by closing inequities and ensuring that all mothers within Massachusetts receive the same quality of maternal care. “Today, we are standing in support of all mothers, families, midwives, and maternal care providers across the State,” said Representative Steve Ultrino (D-Malden). “This bill will strengthen Massachusetts’ ability to care for mothers from the beginning of pregnancy through postpartum. This legislation will expand access to midwifery and out-of-hospital birth settings and ensure the Commonwealth continues to be a great place to raise families. Thank you to House leadership, Speaker Mariano, and Chairs Decker and Lawn for your efforts on this timely legislation.” “This legislation is crucial in ensuring that all mothers in Massachusetts receive equitable access to maternal care,” said Representative Paul Donato (D-Medford). “I would like to thank my colleagues for prioritizing this important legislation and ensuring that mothers across the Commonwealth receive the maternal care they deserve.” “I was glad to join my House colleagues in voting for this critical legislation to enhance maternal health broadly and to reduce maternal health disparities in our communities of color,” said State Representative Lipper-Garabedian (D-Melrose). “As a mother who suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of my first son, I’m particularly proud of the provisions ensuring that all new mothers be offered a postpartum depression screening covered by insurance. Following the birth of my second son, I received such screenings at each of his pediatrician appointments – something that did not exist with my first motherhood experience – and benefitted firsthand from the attention that such a responsive resource offered.” Mystic Valley Regional Charter School (MVRCS) REQUEST FOR RESPONSE (RFR) for Membrane Roof System Replacement RFR #25-200 RFR Release Date: Project walk through At 306 Highland Avenue Response Deadline: Bid Opening Performance to Commence: Work Completed By: June 26, 2024 July 8, 2024 11 AM July 12th, 2024 1 :00 PM July 12th, 2024 1 :00 PM July 16th, 2024 August 15th, 2024 Responses are to be delivered to: Contact Information: Mystic Valley Regional Charter School 4 Laurel Street Malden, MA 02148 Rick Veilleux rveilleux@mvrcs.org June 28, 2024
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