Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with Cambridge, legislative, and public health updates.
Table of Contents
Cambridge Updates
Legislative Updates
Public Health Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Services and Resources
Cambridge Updates
Maternal Health Event
There was a great turnout for an important conversation on the state of maternal health in Massachusetts on Tuesday evening. I’m very appreciative of our panelists, who talked about the stark disparities in maternal outcomes for Black birthing people.
I am grateful to everyone who attended, and a special thank you to the Loop Lab, Health Resources in Action, YW Cambridge, and the Cambridge Community Center for their support.
Our panelists included:
Dr. Linda Johnson, Director of Community Engaged Research at the Tufts Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice
Salma Mohamed, Manager of Perinatal and Maternal Health Policy at MassHealth
Cambridge City Councilor Ayesha Wilson
Maeve Veliard, Health Care Analyst at Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s Office
Sydney Ramos de Paula, Health Equity Project Manager at Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts
Katherine Rushfirth, Policy Director at the Neighborhood Birth Center
Dr. Tara Singh, Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cambridge Health Alliance
Patriots Day Observance
The City of Cambridge Department of Veterans Services will host its annual Patriots Day Observance this Monday, April 15, at 10:30am on the Cambridge Common. The event will be highlighted by a reenactment of that William Dawes’ midnight horseback ride from Boston to Cambridge, alerting the colonists of the British threat of 1775.
MBTA Update Ahead of Marathon Monday
The Green, Red, Orange, Blue, and Silver lines will operate a regular weekday schedule on April 15 with additional service before and after the race. Copley Station will be closed for safety reasons. Buses will operate a Saturday schedule on April 15 with some routes detoured to accommodate the Marathon and other festivities. Bus Route 1 will operate an increased Saturday schedule from 9 AM to 9 PM on Marathon Monday with buses arriving approximately every five minutes.
Legislative Updates
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Ways & Means released their Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget. This kicks off the House’s budget process. Legislators have until Friday evening to file amendments to the budget, and then we will debate the amendments and finalize the House budget during the week of April 22nd.
For the last several months, revenue projections have been down. As I’ve reported in previous newsletters, the Governor unilaterally cut funding to try and better balance the FY24 budget in exercises called “9C Cuts.” Despite this, I am happy to see a lot of items I care about level-funded — meaning they received the same amount as in FY24 — and I’m working on amendments to increase funding for the programs and agencies that were funded lower than last year or need more money for operations or specific projects. I’ll report on the amendments I’ve filed next week.
I want to thank House Ways & Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz and his staff for their incredible work pulling together the FY25 budget. I know the process included hundreds of meetings with legislators and advocates, and I am grateful for their tireless efforts to bring together many priorities into a budget document we can be proud of.
Public Health Updates
CDC Study Finds No Association Between COVID Vaccine and Sudden Cardiac Death
A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found no link between the COVID-19 vaccine and sudden cardiac death in previously healthy young individuals. The study, conducted by the Oregon Health Authority, examined death certificate data of individuals aged 16-30 who received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine from June 2021 to December 2022. Although there were 40 deaths among vaccinated individuals, the CDC clarified that cases of myocarditis and pericarditis after vaccination are rare, primarily occurring in young males within a week of the second dose. The CDC continues to emphasize that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any known risks. Despite misinformation on social media suggesting a link between the vaccine and death, over 81% of all adults in the US have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
EPA Establishes Federal PFAS Drinking Water Standards
This week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), representing the first federal standards for these chemicals. PFAS are commonly used to make products non-stick or resistant to water, stains, and grease. Exposure to these chemicals at high levels is harmful to human health, resulting in liver damage, immune dysfunction, and increased risk of some cancers. The regulations target six specific PFAS and require water utilities to test for and filter out these PFAS compounds. Massachusetts took action to combat PFAS contamination in 2020, with the Department of Environmental Protection promulgating state-level maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFAS. The new federal standards are more stringent than Massachsuetts’s, with MCLs ranging between 4 and 10 parts per trillion (ppt). Massachusetts’ PFAS MCL is currently 20 ppt for all regulated PFAS. The Department of Environmental Protection is reviewing the EPA’s newly issued PFAS regulations and plans to update its regulations accordingly.
Lunchables Found to Contain High Lead Levels
Consumer Reports, a nonprofit watchdog organization, found that Lunchables, a popular lunch item sold in stores across the United States and served to thousands of children daily through the National School Lunch Program, contain high lead levels. The federal government does not limit the amount of heavy metals food products can contain, so the testing done by Consumer Reports utilized California’s maximum allowable dose level for lead (MADL). Several of the Lunchables included contained over 50% of the MADL, which is especially concerning given that high lead exposure is known to cause brain damage, hearing and speech problems, and slowed growth and development in children. A spokesperson from Kraft Heinz, stated that Lunchables “meet strict safety standards” and that “lead and cadmium occur naturally in the environment and may be present in low levels in food products.” Since the Consumer Report shed light on this issue, over 14,000 people have signed a petition urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to eliminate Lunchables from the National School Lunch Program.
Aruba Aloe Balm’s Hand Sanitizer and Gel Products Recalled Due to Warnings of Methanol Contamination
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that 40 lots of Aruba Aloe Hand Sanitizer Gel Alcohol 80% and Aruba Aloe Alcoholada Gel were recalled as these products were found to contain alcohol denatured with methanol. Aruba Alcoholada’s Gel is used to temporarily relieve pain and itching associated with minor burns, sunburn, insect bites, or minor skin irritations, while their sanitizer gel is used to reduce bacteria that can potentially cause disease. Substantial exposure to menthol can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, coma, seizures, blindness, damage to the central nervous system, or death. The recalled products were distributed between May 1, 2021, and October 27, 2023, and sold in the US online through the Aruba Aloe Balm N.V. website. To date, there have been no reported adverse events related to these products. The FDA advises consumers with recalled products to stop using and discard them. The lot numbers and expiration dates of the affected products can be found here.
HHS Guidance Requires Consent for Invasive Medical Exams Conducted for Training Purposes
New guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services states that hospitals performing sensitive exams, such as pelvic exams, on patients without explicit consent, including on anesthetized patients, will not be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. These exams are crucial for medical training but can be invasive and traumatic. The new guidelines aim to harmonize and expand protections against non-consensual exams nationally, specifying detailed requirements for patient consent forms. Getting consent for invasive medical exams is essential to help restore trust between the healthcare system and vulnerable communities, particularly Black women, who have historically faced unwanted examinations and lack of consent.
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Last week, I attended Health Care for All (HCFA)’s annual gala. It was great to see my friend and colleague John Lawn be honored for his leadership on ensuring everyone in Massachusetts has access to affordable, quality healthcare.
On Sunday, I attended the New England Jewish Labor Committee’s 24th Annual Labor Seder. It is always great to join my friends in both the Jewish and labor communities to celebrate the approaching start of Passover. Congratulations to Rabbi Barbara Penzner and Lou Antonellis of IBEW Local 103, who were honored for their justice-centered leadership and their commitment to serving those in their community and beyond.
On Thursday, I was honored to welcome Cradles to Crayons to the State House for a budget briefing. If you’ve been following my work, you know that five years ago I set out to include Cradles to Crayons in the budget, recognizing that diapers and hygiene kits are essential for families who receive benefits, not an afterthought. I’m proud to have helped secure them their first-ever earmark as well as ARPA funds. Although they lost half of that funding through 9C cuts, I continue to work hard to ensure they are represented in the state budget.
This month, I am also highlighting the increased need for socks and underwear that Cradles to Crayons is seeing. Their Amazon wishlist to donate can be found here.
City Offering Free At-Home COVID Tests in Partnership with the Cambridge Health Alliance
The tests can be picked up Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM in the CHA lobby at 119 Windsor Street. Cambridge businesses or organizations that would like free rapid tests to provide to customers can call the COVID-19 hotline at 617-933-0797 to request them. The at-home COVID test expiration date can be checked here.
Cambridge Public Health Helpline Supports Residents with COVID-19
To speak with someone, call the confidential COVID-19 Hotline at 617-933-0797. Learn more here.
Intimate Partner Abuse Prevention Helpline
This initiative is designed to prevent intimate partner violence by fostering accountability and change in people who harm or may harm their partner. You can find more information at 10to10helpline.org or by calling 877-898-3411.
Overdose Prevention Helpline
The Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline is a virtual spotting/overdose detection service for people who use drugs. Learn more at massoverdosehelpline.org or access it by calling 800-972-0590.
De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
De Novo is a Cambridge-based nonprofit that provides free civil legal assistance and affordable psychological counseling to people with low incomes. You can learn more about their services at denovo.org.
As always, please contact me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie