Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with legislative, public health, and Cambridge updates.
Table of Contents
Intern Spotlight
Legislative Updates
Public Health Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Cambridge Updates
Services and Resources
Intern Spotlight
Each summer, my office hosts several interns who get an opportunity to learn about the legislative process, explore their policy interests, and hear from legislators, agency officials, and advocates at the daily speaker series. Each of the eight interns has been invaluable in assisting my staff with constituent, legislative, and public health-related responsibilities, and I am thrilled to have them as part of the team through the next several weeks.
Lucy
Lucy Adams was born and raised in Cambridge and is a rising junior at Goucher College, where she majors in political science and history. At Goucher, she is a volunteer for the Goucher Prison Education Program, which assists incarcerated people in pursuing higher education. She is also practicing her French in preparation for an internship abroad in France this upcoming spring. Her passions for politics, criminal justice, affordable housing, and mental health are what drew her to interning in Representative Decker’s office this summer. She is excited to learn more about the inner workings of state government and politics through this internship.
Lilla
Lilla is a rising senior at Wellesley College, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Statistics. As a child of a teacher and social worker, Lilla knew she wanted to pursue a career in public service at a very early age. When she reached Wellesley, Lilla became the Class of 2025 Senator in the Wellesley College Student Government, to ensure her peers' voices are heard and facilitate conversation with the Administration. As an intern for Representative Decker, Lilla hopes to explore her policy interests in public health, affordable housing, and addressing systematic poverty.
Sundari
Sundari von Wentzel is excited to return for a second year in the office, with a focus on the Massachusetts Poverty Commission. Sundari was born and raised in Cambridge and is a rising senior at Choate Rosemary Hall, where she is a member of the John F. Kennedy Program in Government and Public Service. In her free time, she is the President of Choate’s Mixed Heritage Association, a school tour guide, and a member of the Swimming and Water Polo teams. This summer, she enjoyed watching bills come to the floor, attending various Speaker Series, and working with the Poverty Commission team. A highlight of her summer was attending the second Poverty Commission Hearing in early June.
Eman
Eman Almarzooqi was born in the United Arab Emirates and lived there for years before immigrating to Cambridge, MA, at the age of 10. She recently graduated from Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (CRLS) in 2024 and will be starting her freshman year at Simmons University next fall, where she plans to major in nursing and minor in business. During her time in high school, Eman was very involved in her community. She served as president of the Arabic and Henna clubs, was a member of the National Honor Society, and participated in various volunteer mentoring programs both within her school and in the broader community. Her passion for public health, affordable housing, and immigration led her to intern at Representative Decker’s office this summer. Eman is eager to learn about the logistics of state government and politics through this internship, as well as contribute with ideas that would help benefit the community.
Evelyn
Evelyn Almeida was born and raised in Cambridge and is a rising sophomore at CRLS. As a freshman, she played on the varsity girls tennis team. Evelyn is interested in languages, international travel, and foreign affairs. She is half Portuguese and half Jewish, has dual citizenship, and holds both a Portuguese and American passport. Evelyn is proficient in Portuguese, having studied in the “Ola Program” in Cambridge, and now has started Spanish at CRLS.
Natasha
Natasha Devlin was born and raised in Beverly, MA. She is a rising junior at Clark University, studying International Development with a specialization in Global and Community Health with minors in English and Political Science. At Clark, she is a part of the executive board of the Food Insecurity Resistance Movement (FIRM), which is a student-led organization advocating for food insecurity resources on campus and in Worcester. Alongside being a legislative intern, Natasha is also interning at the Salem Board of Health, learning and working to protect and improve the health of residents and visitors. As an intern in Representative Decker’s office, Natasha hopes to learn more about health policies and the formation of bills, particularly for postpartum care for birthing people and other forms of maternal health, affordable housing, and food insecurity resources. In the fall, Natasha will be studying abroad and interning at an NGO in Windhoek, Namibia.
Lyndsey
Lyndsey Mugford lives in Cambridge and recently graduated from Harvard with a BA in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology. While at Harvard, Lyndsey conducted three years of neuroscience research at MGH and was elected as the first female cast vice president of the Harvard Hasty Pudding Theatricals. In the fall, Lyndsey will pursue her Master of Research in Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar to study genetic targets for nerve repair in chronic pain models. As an intern for the Public Health Committee, Lyndsey hopes to understand how policy shapes equitable patient outcomes, healthcare access, and research priorities, including how policymakers, physicians, and researchers can collaborate to improve clinical outcomes in the Commonwealth.
Abby
Abby Varker is a candidate for a Master of Public Health in Health Policy & Law from the Boston University School of Public Health. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Saint Joseph’s University, where she graduated in 2022 with a minor in Healthcare Ethics on a pre-med track. She currently lives in Boston, MA, but is originally from New Jersey. Abby is thrilled to be interning for the Committee on Public Health to learn about the legislative process and to establish equitable health programs and policies, with a particular interest in reproductive and sexual health as well as health insurance reform.
House passes An Act providing protections for reproductive or gender-affirming care location information (H.4844)
On Wednesday, I voted alongside my colleagues to pass legislation to protect the privacy of individuals seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care. The bill, also known as the Location Shield Act, prohibits the sale of location data collected during visits to healthcare facilities in Massachusetts that offer those services.
Unless for purposes such as responding to an emergency or if the individual has granted consent, companies cannot collect and process an individual’s location information at a site that provides reproductive or gender-affirming care. This includes services related to gender dysphoria, pregnancy, abortion, and assisted reproduction.
s in Boston, MA, but is originally from New Jersey. Abby is thrilled to be interning for the Committee on Public Health to learn about the legislative process and to establish equitable health programs and policies, with a particular interest in reproductive and sexual health as well as health insurance reform.
Public Health Updates
Colorado’s County Department of Public Health and Environment Reports Human Plague Case
Public health officials in Pueblo County, Colorado, announced a case of bubonic plague in the region and urged residents and visitors to take precautions. The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment is working to pinpoint the source of infection. Still, officials state it may be hard to identify because the bubonic plague is locally endemic. Although the plague is well-known for its deadly impacts in fourteenth-century Europe, today, the plague is a rare illness that circulates regularly among wildlife in the American West. On average, only seven human plague cases are reported in the United States each year, and interpersonal spread has not been reported in the U.S. in the past century. The plague is still endemic in some regions, including Madagascar and Peru.
Study Reveals Tampons Contain Arsenic, Lead, and Other Toxic Metals
A study from UC Berkeley revealed that tampons from leading brands contain a variety of metals and metalloids, including arsenic, lead, and cadmium, among others. The researchers examined 30 tampons from 14 different brands between September 2022 and March 2023 and found 16 metals across all samples. The tampons were purchased in New York City, London, Athens, and the United Kingdom. This finding raises health concerns for menstruating individuals, over half of whom use tampons regularly. Because tampons are in contact with the vaginal epithelium, metals may be routinely absorbed and could contribute to long-term health issues. While this study did not examine the potential health impacts menstruating people may experience due to chronic exposure to metals through tampons, other research links toxic metal exposure to cancer, infertility, and many other short- and long-term health impacts.
EEE Virus Detected in Massachusetts Mosquito Sample
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced this season’s first positive mosquito sample for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus. The mosquito samples were collected on June 30 from Carver, MA. EEE is a rare and potentially life-threatening mosquito-borne virus with symptoms of fever, stiff neck, lethargy, and dangerous brain swelling that require immediate medical care. There is no cure for EEE; approximately half of EEE patients do not survive, and those who do often experience lifelong disability. Although EEE was first identified in Massachusetts in 1938, it is incredibly rare, with only 115 human cases recorded since its identification. The most recent EEE outbreak in Massachusetts began in 2019, which included 12 cases and 6 fatalities. There have been no reported EEE human cases in Massachusetts since 2020.
Massachusetts Requires Urgent Care Clinics to Accept Insurance to Relieve Emergency Room Summer Strain
Amidst reports of overcrowding in Massachusetts emergency rooms and observed summer spikes in ER visits, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has announced a plan to temporarily divert patients who do not require emergency care to urgent care centers in the state. From July 3 through September 30, Massachusetts health insurance will cover the cost of urgent care services, and urgent care centers will not bill patients for remaining expenses after reimbursement. This coverage applies to urgent care centers outside of the insurance network. This shift aims to redirect patients with everyday ailments to urgent care clinics rather than ERs, thereby reducing wait times. The shift also comes as the future of Steward Health Care and its seven hospitals remains uncertain after the organization declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Patients should continue to visit the ER for any urgent or life-threatening concerns and visit urgent care for matters that are time-sensitive but less severe.
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Thank you to the Lift Our Kids Coalition for inviting me to speak at their monthly meeting on Monday. Coalition members including Mass Law Reform Institute (MLRI) and Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) have been invaluable partners in our work to raise cash assistance for families and children living in deep poverty.
As you may know, I have lead on increasing EAEDC and TAFDC grants with my colleague Senator Sal DiDomenico. We have filed An Act to lift kids out of deep poverty each legislative session since 2017 in order to bring grants up to 50% of the federal poverty line. Before our efforts resulted in grant levels being raised in 2021, they had not been increased in 21 and 33 years, respectively.
With the strong support of the House and the Senate, we continue to address anti-poverty policies. I am grateful for the advocacy of people who work every day to uplift those living in poverty as well as those who are counting on our efforts and staying in conversation with us.
Midwives and birth center advocates stopped by my office on Wednesday with some young advocates-in-training for a lobby day to talk about our work to address the maternal health crisis. Last month, the House passed a comprehensive omnibus maternal health bill I spearheaded that creates a state licensure pathway for midwives and lactation consultants, encourages the creation of more freestanding birth centers, and mandates that certain health care professionals perform and that health insurers provide coverage for postpartum depression screenings. The omnibus package has been referred to the Senate for review.
I could not be more grateful today to serve with so many colleagues whose important work and leadership were represented in this bill. I will continue to talk with advocates, support, and lead on legislation that improves birthing outcomes for all families in the Commonwealth and help get this bill across the finish line.
Cambridge Updates
Red Line Closure
Red Line service will be suspended between Alewife and Kendall/MIT from July 13-28. On weekends and evenings starting at 8:30pm until the end of service, the closure will extend to Park Street. Free shuttle buses will replace service at all stations and Bus Route 77 will be fare-free within Cambridge.
Summer Food Program
The Cambridge Summer Food Program provides free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to all Cambridge children, open to all residents with no ID required. Vegetarian options are available, and Recreation staff will host games and activities at Food Program locations. You can find a list of locations and more information 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.
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