Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with legislative, public health, and Cambridge updates.
This has been a big week. The results of the election on Tuesday were definitely disappointing and disheartening. I hope that you all are finding time to take care of yourselves. I know that my family is focusing on self-care and seeking joy this weekend.
I know we all have a lot of thoughts and feelings right now. I will share more of mine next week.
In case you are looking for something uplifting, I want to share an upcoming performance by an incredible and inspiring spoken word artist, Letta Neely. I met Letta a few weeks ago at the Loop Dreams fundraiser for the Loop Lab and where she gave a preview of Pulling It All Into the Current, and was blown away by her performance. I encourage you to attend on November 15, 16, or 17.
Table of Contents
Cambridge Updates
Legislative Updates
Public Health Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Services and Resources
Legislative Updates
Legislature Poised to Pass Economic Development and Climate Bills Next Week
For those of you who have been following the economic development and climate bills closely, it is being reported that they will both be taken up in a special formal session next week.
Legislature Passes Breast Cancer Screening Bill
On Monday, An Act relative to medically necessary breast screenings and exams for equity and early detection (H.4918) was enacted by the Legislature and sent to Governor Healey’s desk. This bill requires insurers to cover diagnostic exams for breast cancer, digital breast tomosynthesis screening, and medically necessary and appropriate screening with breast MRIs and ultrasounds. I am so proud to be part of a Legislature that prioritized and passed this important bill which will save lives by removing financial barriers for patients to access breast cancer screening.
Public Health Updates
MA Health Connector Open Enrollment Period Begins for 2025 Coverage
Massachusetts residents seeking health insurance coverage may enroll in or change their current plan for the coming year through the state’s operated health insurance marketplace, the Massachusetts Health Connector. The state’s marketplace, set up through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), offers affordable health and dental insurance plans for individuals, families, and small businesses in Massachusetts. The open enrollment period for the Massachusetts Health Connector began on Friday, November 1, and will continue through January 23. Eligible individuals and families may enroll at a very low cost as a result of subsidies that can reduce premiums and cost-sharing. Currently, enrollment through the Health Connector is high, with more than 337,000 people receiving insurance through the state marketplace program. For more information about coverage options or to apply, visit mahix.org/individual/.
E. Coli Outbreak Tied to Onions sold by McDonalds
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced an outbreak of E. coli in thirteen states. Cases were initially clustered in the Mountain West region of the U.S., but cases have now been identified in Michigan, Oregon, and Washington state. The outbreak has caused one death, along with 90 instances of illness or hospitalizations. According to the CDC, onions sold on McDonald’s food items were likely the cause of the outbreak. McDonald’s has removed onions from their products in impacted regions, and Taylor Farms, the corporation’s onion supplier, has recalled several yellow onion products due to concerns about E. coli contamination. The CDC believes the continued risk to the public is “very low” and that infections were limited to the Taylor Farms single source. It is unlikely that contaminated yellow onions were sold directly to consumers at grocery stores. The CDC also believes that the most recent onset of symptoms for an infected person occurred on October 16, two weeks before the agency’s most recent update.
Purdue Pharma is Close to New Bankruptcy Agreement
Purdue Pharma, the company responsible for developing and distributing OxyContin, a highly addictive opioid pain killer often credited with igniting the opioid crisis, is close to reaching a new bankruptcy settlement, according to court mediators. In June of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Purdue’s previous bankruptcy settlement because it shielded the Sackler Family, the previous owners of Purdue, from future civil claims related to the opioid epidemic in exchange for $6 billion to address the impacts of the opioid epidemic. In a 5-4 decision, the justices stated the original deal violated basic tenets of bankruptcy law by protecting the Sacklers, who did not file for bankruptcy themselves. Attorneys representing local and state governments involved in these proceedings believe a new deal can be reached before December 2, 2024, the day when other opioid-related lawsuits against the Sackler family are set to resume.
St. Elizabeth's Medical Center Property Owner Files Suit Against State
The owner of the property and buildings for St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, St. Elizabeth LLC, filed suit against the state last week challenging the state’s acquisition of the hospital by eminent domain. Eminent domain allows the government to take property from private citizens for public use so long as the property owner receives just compensation for the taking. Governor Healey officially seized St. Elizabeth’s by eminent domain in September for $4.5 million, a move the administration argued was necessary to prevent a public health emergency if the hospital were to close. The announcement of the seizure came about a month after Steward announced that it had reached an agreement to transfer St. Elizabeth’s to Boston Medical Center for $140 million.
Mpox Cases Continue to Surge Across Africa
Cases of Mpox, specifically the newest strain known as clade Ib, have continued to spread across Africa nearly two months after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. New data from the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) show an over 500% increase in Mpox cases across the continent since last year. Central Africa has been most impacted by this surge, accounting for nearly 86% of cases and 99.5% of deaths associated with mpox. Officials at the Africa CDC state that cases are not yet under control and are still trending upwards. The WHO’s Access and Allocation Mechanism for mpox recently provided an initial allocation of 899,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to 9 countries facing the brunt of cases across Africa, representing a significant step in a coordinated response to the mpox surge. Mpox is a viral illness endemic to some African regions and can spread between humans and animals.
Cambridge Updates
Veterans Day Observances
On Monday, the city of Cambridge is holding a series of events to honor our veterans in observance of Veterans Day. From 11am - 12pm, Retired Justice Frison (USMC Major) will provide keynote remarks at the Civil War monument in the Cambridge Common. Following those remarks, there will be continued celebration of service from 12pm - 3pm in the Sheraton Commander. You can read more here.
DCR Traffic Advisory for Memorial Drive Improvements
From Tuesday, October 15, through Tuesday, November 26 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will intermittently close lanes and implement detours along Memorial Drive from Magazine Street to Audrey Street via the BU Bridge rotary to accommodate more than $1.5 million in safety upgrades for pedestrians and cyclists.
The safety improvement work includes widening the shared use path leading to the BU rotary; improving and reconfiguring wheelchair ramps and median islands at the intersection of Memorial Drive and the BU Bridge; replacing nearly 700 linear feet of existing Boston Pattern Fence; restriping the crosswalks; and implementing a speed limit reduction to 25 mph along the BU Bridge corridor. Traffic patterns will be clearly marked, and a police detail will be on site. More information on the work can be found here.
A Glimpse at the Past Week
On Thursday, I had the incredible honor of presenting my constituent and friend Marvin Gilmore with a resolution celebrating his 100th birthday. Marvin is a beloved activist and entrepreneur in the Cambridge community and beyond. Many of you may know him or have frequented his various businesses around the city. Among the milestones of his life are: fighting in World War II, opening the nation’s largest Black-owned bank after returning from the war and being denied a home loan, and combating racism in Boston and the South during the Civil Rights Era as a member of the NAACP.
In what has been a hard week, it was such a privilege and a joy to hear just a few of his many stories and pieces of wisdom. A main takeaway — it is always important to smile and hold love in your heart. A poignant message as we reckon with the election results of this week.
Also on Thursday, I joined my Public Health Committee colleagues for a tour of the CSL Seqirus Research and Development Lab in Waltham. Seqirus is a life sciences company that is one of the largest influenza vaccine providers in the world, and their Waltham site is the central hub for current and future vaccine design. I heard from members of the Waltham team about the exciting work they are doing to transform flu vaccine effectiveness, including developing new technologies to replace traditional egg-based flu vaccines. We are in the midst of flu season, and I encourage you to get your flu and COVID vaccines.
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.
SafeSpot Overdose Prevention Helpline
SafeSpot is a virtual spotting/overdose detection service for people who use drugs. Learn more at safe-spot.me 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.
MassLegalHelp.org is a resource to help Massachusetts residents learn about their legal rights. The website does not offer legal advice or answer individual questions but has a page about options for finding a lawyer. It does provide resources for those facing legal issues, such as a landlord refusing to make repairs, appealing the denial of SNAP benefits, and questions about getting a CORI sealed.
As always, please contact me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie