Happy New Year! I hope that you had a wonderful fall, and that your holiday season was spent alongside family and friends and filled with laughter and joy. It was wonderful to have Madison, Caitlin, and Patrick all on break and home for Christmas.
With the Legislature’s conclusion of formal sessions on July 31st , we have been in informal sessions for the past several months. While I have attended numerous informal sessions to ensure representation among the minority party, I am eager for the 193rd Legislative Session to begin and will be honored to be sworn in for a fifth term as State Representative on January 4, 2023.
In August, we held the 8th Annual Hannah Kane Charity Golf Tournament at The Haven Country Club, and with the help of our generous sponsors, donors, golfers, host committee and volunteers, we were able to raise $60,000 for St. Anne’s Human Services, Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, and the Westborough Food Pantry. A special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, Howard Grossman of Grossman Development Group, and to Tournament Director/Shrewsbury Select Board Member, and friend, Beth Casavant, for their support.
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Conversations with Hannah
I taped several episodes of Conversations with Hannah over the past few months and you can watch all the recent episodes here.
August: Shrewsbury Select Board Member (and Hannah Kane Charity Classic Tournament Director) Beth Casavant joined me for Conversations with Hannah, live from The Haven Country Club during the 8th Annual Hannah Kane Charity Classic. During this episode, Beth and I discussed the return to the pre-Covid tournament format, highlighted the continued impact of the tournament and joined representatives from St. Anne’s Human Services, Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services (SYFS) and the Westborough Food Pantry to illuminate the incredible work these three human service organizations do on behalf of our communities. This year we were pleased to raise $60,000 in support of them. These funds continue to go a long way in improving the quality of life for our friends and neighbors in need and these organizations continue to be a critical safety net for our community members.
October: On this episode of Conversations with Hannah, I sat down with my friends and colleagues, Rep. Danielle Gregoire and former Rep. Carolyn Dykema to discuss our work in the legislature, representing Westborough together and covering the passage of our legislation to create a Women’s Rights History Trail in the Commonwealth – an initiative first sought by our late colleague Gailanne Cariddi that we were proud to champion and see cross the finish line to become law!
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Beacon Hill
It is my privilege to serve as your State Representative and to be your voice on Beacon Hill. I was proud to maintain a perfect voting record for the 2021-2022 legislative session, participating in all 286 roll call votes recorded in the House of Representatives between January 28, 2021 and August 1, 2022.
This fall I joined several colleagues in the Legislature for a visit to the medium security prison MCI Shirley, where we met with members of the Massachusetts Corrections Officers Federated Union who work at the facility. We discussed the heinous attack on Massachusetts Corrections Officer Matt Tidman, who suffered life-threatening injuries while on duty after being viciously attacked by an armed inmate, and ways to make the environment corrections officers work in safer. Officer Tidman's attacker is a convicted murderer who was transferred to MCI Shirley from Virginia, and he grabbed a 3-foot steel bar from the exercise room and used this to beat Officer Tidman repeatedly in his head and neck. As a result of this brutal attack, all free weights will now be removed from the gyms, although sadly too late to help Officer Tidman. Officer Tidman’s attack should have never happened, and we need to better protect the men and women who work in this dangerous public safety profession as corrections officers. It was a privilege to speak with Officer Tidman's Dad, a Westborough resident, and one of his brothers (pictured with us below). While the Tidman family is focused on Matt's recovery, they very much want to ensure that we improve the safety of all corrections officers.
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I was proud to be appointed Co-Chair of the Caucus of Women Legislators alongside my colleague, Senator Joan Lovely. The bicameral and bipartisan caucus represents 31% of the Legislature and is dedicated to addressing issues that disproportionately impact women across the Commonwealth.
I was honored to be named the New England Police Benevolent Association Legislator of the Year. My sincere thanks to the NEBPA, Tom Daly and the Shrewsbury Police Department Patrol Officers Union NEPBA Local 191, and the Westborough Police Department Patrol Officers Union NEPBA Local 366 for your recognition and support, and most importantly, for putting yourselves on the line every day for the safety of our communities.
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Legislation
The 2021-2022 legislative session saw the passage of several significant pieces of legislation, including proposals to legalize sports betting, promote equity in the state’s cannabis industry, improve access to mental and behavioral health services, and reform the leadership structure and oversight of the Holyoke and Chelsea Soldiers’ Homes. Prior to the end of session, a comprehensive clean energy and offshore wind bill was passed to help position Massachusetts to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals alongside a $11.3 billion transportation resources and climate bill passed to help leverage funding from last November’s federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The 192nd General Court also produced a $5.2 billion general government infrastructure bond bill to assist with the maintenance and upkeep of state and municipal government facilities across the Commonwealth, a $165.5 million information technology bond bill to modernize and update the state’s court system, and legislation to help military families access education benefits and meet professional licensing requirements. Full details on legislation passed this session may be found on my website’s press page and is covered in this press release.
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Women’s Rights History Trail: This fall we held a ceremonial bill signing for legislation I co-filed with Reps. Dykema and Gregoire to create a Women’s Rights History Trail here in the Commonwealth. The legislation directs the development and implementation of the trail to promote education and awareness of the many women from our Commonwealth who contributed to the fabric of our nation, held an integral role in shaping and advancing American democracy, and courageously led the Women’s Suffrage movement as central figures in our Commonwealth’s narrative.The passage of this legislation is an important victory in ensuring women’s accomplishments are celebrated in a visible way and highlighted as a key part of our Commonwealth’s shared history for generations to come.
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Shrewsbury Select Board: Legislation I filed with Senator Moore based on the Town of Shrewsbury’s home rule petition was signed into law this fall. As directed under Shrewsbury’s home rule petition, the legislation changes the terminology from the Board of Selectmen to Select Board, joining many other towns across the Commonwealth. Shrewsbury has been fortunate to have had quite a few talented women Selectmen and this update in language is long overdue and welcome.
Food System Caucus
White House Conference on Hunger, Health and Nutrition: As a founder and Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Legislature’s Food System Caucus, I was honored and thrilled to attend the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall alongside several amazing anti-hunger colleagues, including Representative Andy Vargas, Representative Mindy Domb, Senator Jo Comerford, and Senator Sal DiDomenico. Food security advocates and leaders from Massachusetts including Jean McMurrary from the Worcester County Food Bank and Shon Rainford of the Worcester Regional Food Hub also attended. The conference is a credit to Congressman Jim McGovern’s relentless and inspiring commitment to this issue, as he has long championed the moral imperative to ensure no person lacks access to healthy food. I am grateful to him for including me. Our Commonwealth’s highly effective, bipartisan approach to combatting hunger and improving nutrition was also reflected in the work of the other Conference Co-Chairs, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), and the late Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN). While the first White House Conference on Hunger was convened by President Richard Nixon in 1969, today 1 in 10 Americans are food insecure and diet-related diseases account for an enormous percentage of our healthcare spending. We need to support local agriculture, producers, and fishers, thereby ensuring that our food production is nationally sustained. The conference featured many critical conversations and an incredibly inspiring call to action by Chef José Andrés of World Central Kitchen, who reminded us that we put a man on the moon in 1969, so surely we can solve the logistical and distribution challenges in a food abundant nation to meet the goal that nobody is hungry by 2030.
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2022 Massachusetts Food System Forum: I was pleased to attend the 2022 Massachusetts Food System Forum in Sturbridge. Hosted by the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, hundreds of food system stakeholders from across Massachusetts reconnected, celebrated positive changes over the past year, and planned for the future of our Commonwealth’s food system and food policy!
Local Funding
Shrewsbury and Westborough Cultural Council Grants: The Massachusetts Cultural Council, with support from the Legislature, awarded the Shrewsbury Cultural Council $18,700 and the Westborough Cultural Council $8,900 as part of their Fiscal Year 2023 Cultural Council Grants.
Shrewsbury Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grants: As part of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ 2023 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Planning and Action Grants, Shrewsbury received two grants. Shrewsbury received an award of $100,000 to create a Climate Action and Resilience Plan to act as a roadmap for how Shrewsbury will act in the next 5 years to meet our climate goals. The town also received an award of $90,000 to undertake a regulatory update of the parking requirements in the Shrewsbury Zoning Bylaws.
Shrewsbury Route 20 Funding Announcement: In September, I joined Lieutenant Governor Polito, Congressman McGovern, MassDOT representatives including Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, Select Board Members Beth Casavant, Michelle Conlin, and Moe DePalo, municipal officials, and Al-Hamra Academy students, staff, and Board Chair Dr. Haroon Hashmi to announce $15.4 million in funding secured for a corridor and intersection improvement project on Route 20. This is the first project coming out of the Route 20 Corridor Traffic and Safety Study that MADOT undertook beginning in 2016 after several neighborhood residents and members of the Al-Hamra community approached me with concerns about the stretch of Route 20 from Valente Drive to South Street. The funding comes from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the recently signed MassTRAC legislation. The project is in the design phase and construction will follow. Special recognition to Sulaimaan Khan, an 8th grade student at Al-Hamra who first advocated at a public meeting for these improvements when he was in the 4th grade!
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Shrewsbury MassWorks Grants: Shrewsbury was awarded $600K in MassWorks Infrastructure Program grants during the latest round of the program. One $300,000 MassWorks grant will support the Clinton and Holden Street Water and Sewer Expansion project, and a second $300,000 MassWorks grant will support the Hartford Turnpike (Route 20) Phase II Sewer Improvement project. The infrastructure investments on Clinton and Holden Street will ensure higher quality water in the town and redundancy during unforeseen circumstances, and the Hartford Turnpike sewer upgrades will support our existing infrastructure and allow for future developments in this critical corridor. I was pleased to advocate for this funding in coordination with local officials and Senator Moore.
Westborough Otis Street MassWorks and MassDOT Grants: Westborough was awarded $4M in grant funding for the Otis Street Infrastructure Improvement project. A $2M MassWorks Infrastructure Program grant and a $2M MassDOT grant will enable much needed road and pedestrian improvements at the intersection of Route 9 and along Otis Street that will in turn support the full build-out of this critical economic development area. A priority of the Westborough Select Board, I was happy to have advocated alongside Senators Moore and Eldridge for this funding.
Shrewsbury MDI Funding Award: As part of the One Stop for Growth initiative led by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Shrewsbury was awarded a $25,000 Massachusetts Downtown Initiative (MDI) grant to complete the Shrewsbury Town Center BID Feasibility Study as part of continued downtown revitalization strategic efforts.
Shrewsbury Fire Department Grants: The Shrewsbury Fire Department has received several grants from the Department of Fire Services. A $25,000 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant, $5,481 Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) Grant, and a $2,477 Senior SAFE Grant were awarded to support new and critical equipment for firefighters and for programs to promote fire and life safety education for children and older adults.
Westborough Fire Department Grants: The Westborough Fire Department has received several grants from the Department of Fire Services. A $18,642 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant, $4,381 Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) Grant, and $2,277 Senior SAFE Grant were awarded to support new and critical equipment for firefighters and for programs to promote fire and life safety education for children and older adults.
Shrewsbury and Westborough Municipal Road Safety Program Awards: The Shrewsbury Police Department received a $34,953 grant and the Westborough Police Department received a $21,651 grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the Municipal Road Safety Program.
Shrewsbury MassDEP Sustainable Materials Recovery Program Grant: Shrewsbury received two grants through MassDEP’s Sustainable Materials Recovery Program, including a $25,200 grant for the recycling dividends program grant and a $214,000 grant for wheeled recycling carts.
TriState Truck Center, Inc. Training Grant: Local business TriState Truck Center, Inc. was awarded a $7,030 Safety Training Grant through the Department of Industrial Accidents Workplace Safety Training Grant Program.
Speaking Engagements
White House Conference on Hunger, Health, and Nutrition Debrief: Following my attendance at the White House Conference on Hunger, Health, and Nutrition, I was grateful for the opportunity to join with key anti-hunger advocates to discuss the conference and the work we need to collectively complete to meet the goal of ending hunger by 2030. My thanks to Gina Plato-Nino and the Worcester Task Force on Food Security for bringing our debrief panel together and for all their work and advocacy around our shared goal.
MassBio Panel, Industry and Patient Advocacy Partnerships Beyond Clinical Trials: As a member of the Commonwealth’s Rare Disease Advisory Council and Ranking Minority Member on the Legislature’s Healthcare Finance and Public Health Committees, I was excited to participate in a panel at MassBio’s Patient Advocacy Summit. The panel focused on the role of public policy and how industry, patient organizations, and government may work together to ensure representation of the patient’s voice and to improve patient outcomes. Massachusetts has long been a hub for the life sciences, healthcare, and biomedical industries and it was a pleasure to join representatives from Takeda, Blueprint Medicines, NIBR, and Imbue Partners to speak at this event.
Massachusetts Association of Nonprofit Schools and Colleges Annual Meeting: I was honored to speak at the Massachusetts Association of Nonprofit Schools and Colleges Annual Meeting, hosted by member school Thayer Academy. It was a great opportunity to update the Association on the Legislature's work around K-12 and higher education, and I am grateful to John Spillane for inviting me to speak. While on site, I also toured the expanded new middle school, which is a beautiful building.
Massachusetts Biomedical Research Day: As the Ranking Minority Member on the Healthcare Finance Committee, I was pleased to attend Massachusetts Biomedical Research Day. The event was hosted at Charles River Labs, and I was honored to accept an award for Governor Charlie Baker.
Community Events & Recognitions
Spirit of Shrewsbury: I always look forward to the Spirit of Shrewsbury. It was another spectacular weekend highlighting Shrewsbury and seeing our community come together for this beloved tradition. I had the opportunity to congratulate Grand Marshalls Fran and Judy Polito and to catch up with local officials.
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Good Scout Awards: It was wonderful to attend the Boy Scouts of America’s Mayflower Council’s 2022 Westborough Good Scouts Awards, and to celebrate the 2022 awardees, Westborough Public Schools Superintendent Amber Bock and Westborough TV’s Karen Henderson. This gathering of prior Good Scout awardees and supporters of the scouting community was truly special.
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Veterans Day: It was my distinct privilege to join our community members in honoring our selfless and brave Veterans, who preserved and fortified the United States of America. I was happy to celebrate Westborough Grand Marshall Adrianna Baltimore, who served in the WAF and Women in the Air Force, and to recognize Shrewsbury becoming a Purple Heart town due to the advocacy of Gayle Vigeant, daughter of a Purple Heart recipient.
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Shrewsbury Police Department’s Fill the Wagon: It was so great to see Santa and all the gifts donated during the Shrewsbury Police Department’s Fill the Wagon event. My thanks to the Shrewsbury Police Department for all they do to support our community!
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Tina Lysik Retirement: It was fantastic to join the Shrewsbury Housing Commissioners and Executive Director to congratulate Tina Lysik on her retirement after 25 years at the Shrewsbury Housing Authority. I had the privilege of presenting a citation to Tina alongside Doreen from Senator Moore’s office and was pleased to celebrate her service to Shrewsbury residents and our community.
Mary Thompson’s Retirement: I had the pleasure of joining many family, friends, and colleagues to celebrate Mary Thompson’s retirement after 35 years as the Town of Shrewsbury’s Accountant and first-ever Assistant Town Manager for Administration and Finance. It was wonderful to wish Mary well in her next chapter and to thank her for her leadership, dedication to town residents, and for choosing to spend her career in Shrewsbury.
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Paul Horrigan Veteran of the Year Award: I was thrilled to attend a meeting of the Westborough Select Board to share in the celebration of Paul Horrigan being presented the Veteran of the Year Award by the Veteran's Advisory Board! Paul served our nation with honor in the Army in Vietnam and has provided years of support and service to Veterans in Westborough and across our state. I was honored to join Senator Moore in presenting Paul with House and Senate citations, and to witness Paul's beautiful family being on hand to see him honored by Jim Tepper of the Veterans Advisory Board and the Westborough Select Board. Many heartfelt thanks to Paul for his service and sacrifice for our community, Commonwealth, and country.
Community Meeting: I attended a Community Meeting at Sherwood Middle School alongside Senator Moore to present the amazing Grace Hemenway with House and Senate citations recognizing her winning two gold medals at the WUKF World Karate Championship in the 10-year-old Novice Division!! Congratulations to Grace, as we are all so proud.
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Local Events and Initiatives
Spending time in Shrewsbury and Westborough supporting local initiatives, connecting with community members at ribbon cuttings and events, and speaking on issues important to our district are the most rewarding aspects of being State Representative. While not an exhaustive list, here is a sampling of some initiatives and events from the past few months:
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It was special to welcome Shrewsbury Post 397 to the State House alongside Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. The team was invited to Beacon Hill to celebrate their historic run at the American Legion Baseball World Series this year, which included being the first team from Massachusetts to make it to the Final Four since 1978! I join many members of our community in sharing how proud I am of this amazing group of young men, their terrific coaches, and their annual sponsor Post 397.
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The WooSox held Massachusetts Agriculture and Farmers Night, and the team at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, including Commissioner John Lebeaux, attended. It was great to celebrate our local food system at Polar Park.
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The Casa Project Worcester County “Champions for Children” fundraiser was held at the new Off the Rails music venue in Worcester. It was great to see longtime CASA advocate Senator Harriette Chandler, and Shrewsbury resident and CASA’s 2020 Volunteer of the Year Suzanne Remington. CASA volunteers serve as advocates for children who have been abused and neglected in Worcester County. They are amazing people with enormous hearts who volunteer their time. Congratulations to new Executive Director Julie Bowditch on a fabulous and moving night.
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The Realtor Association of Central Massachusetts hosted their annual Legislative Breakfast to advocate on behalf of the industry, home buyers and sellers. I was pleased to hear from Shrewsbury resident and Association Board President Kathy McSweeney. I deeply appreciate the perspective and feedback on industry issues shared with me by many local realtors.
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Alongside Senator Mike Moore, I had the opportunity to visit Cytiva, a global life sciences leader based in Shrewsbury. We were thrilled to present Cytiva’s Head of Global Supply Chain and local leaders with a Massachusetts 2022 Outstanding Leadership Skills in Manufacturing Award.
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The Westborough Little Gym opened, and it was wonderful to welcome them. My visit brought back memories of Madison, Caitlin and Patrick enjoying the one many years ago, and I am excited to see this new one opening for our community’s young children.
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Brain FUNdamentals opened in Westborough and I was so pleased to join the Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce, Senator Moore, and the Westborough Economic Development Committee in formally welcoming Amy and her business to town. Westborough continues to enthusiastically welcome many new small businesses.
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The Realtor Association of Central Massachusetts held a festive gathering for the new Installation of Officers! Thank you to the outgoing President Kathy McSweeney for your terrific leadership this term and congratulations to incoming President Lee Joseph.
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Downtown Westborough saw the grand opening of Cha Cha N Beans. Many folks were on hand to celebrate this new Asian tea house located just off the rotary. Cha Cha N Beans sells a variety of high-quality teas, coffees, and Asian snacks and are known for their authentic Taiwanese bubble teas, which I enjoyed alongside Senator Moore.
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Veterans Inc. held their first annual Recovery Summit in recognition of Recovery Month at their Addiction Treatment Center in Shrewsbury, where attendees heard from physicians and area providers of addiction treatment on recent treatment advances and challenges ahead.
Contacting my office
While this email is not inclusive of all my work, I hope the information is relevant and helpful. My prior update emails can be found here on my website in the “Updates from Hannah” section and I will continue to post regular updates on my State Representative Facebook page.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if I can be of assistance.
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Hannah Kane
State Representative
11th Worcester District
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