Our local State Senator Joe Boncore shares the following announcement regarding the Commonwealth Conversations Tour, a statewide listening tour for local residents, groups and businesses to share community ideas and challenges with state senators. There will be a public forum on January 31 at 6pm at Suffolk Law’s Sargent Hall (120 Tremont Street).
The Massachusetts State Senate has announced the “Commonwealth Conversations 2017 Tour,” bringing Beacon Hill back to main street for a second session. The Commonwealth Conversations Tour, cosponsored by Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst), Senator Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport), and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (D-Gloucester), is a statewide listening tour of each Senator’s district to visit with local residents, businesses, and interest groups to listen directly to their needs and concerns.
“As the Massachusetts State Senate sets out on a new path forward, it’s an honor to host this session’s first public forum for the Commonwealth Conversation at Sargent Hall, Suffolk University Law School,” said Senator Boncore. “I am proud to represent a district so rich in history, and it feels fitting to start such an important conversation with our communities in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville.”
Senator Boncore went on to say “This listening tour creates an opportunity for constituents to share their hopes and concerns about issues affecting their families and daily lives. We will be touring South Bay House of Correction and Assembly Square’s Orange Line station and discussing matters affecting criminal justice reform and transportation access and finance. We will conclude the day with the Public Forum at Suffolk Law, where their concerns over issues facing their communities.”
The goal of the tour is to foster more civic engagement while helping each senator learn more about issues outside of their own districts. Each member of the Senate has committed to attending at least two of these sessions outside of their own region that is not an adjoining district to their own. Each day will end in a town hall open to the public for the specific region.
One of the four stops in each region will be a public transportation-focused session led by the BARR Foundation. These sessions, known as MassMoves, are designed specifically around transportation issues in each region in effort to build a vision for sustainable mobility across the entire Commonwealth.
“I am honored to continue our Commonwealth Conversations listening tour, which will take the Senate on the road to where you live and work in cities, towns and neighborhoods across Massachusetts,” said Senate President Rosenberg. “Everyone from Western Mass to Cape Cod will have the opportunity to offer their ideas and hopes about where the direction of our Commonwealth should head by hearing firsthand about people’s dreams and struggles close to home.”
“I am honored to once again work with Senate President Rosenberg and Senate Minority Leader Tarr to bring the Massachusetts State Senate to every corner of the Commonwealth,” said Senator Michael Rodrigues. “It is my hope that in continuing Commonwealth Conversations, we will once again become better informed about the challenges and opportunities facing our communities, and craft bipartisan policies that reflect what we hear from individuals and families across the state.”
“Commonwealth Conversations is a powerful tool for people to inform and guide the Senate in responding to regional and statewide priorities, but it can only work if those who care about issues come out to share their ideas with us,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr. “We are counting on that participation and partnership as we travel throughout the state.”
The first Commonwealth Conversation tour will take place on Tuesday January 31st in the Metro Boston Region. The event is hosted by Senators Joseph Boncore of Winthrop, Dorcena Forry of Dorchester, Chang-Diaz of Jamaica Plain, Patricia Jehlen of Somerville, and William Brownsberger of Belmont. The group will make stops at the South Bay House of Correction and Assembly Row and concludes with a public forum at Suffolk University Law School. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the forum and share their views, it will be begin at 6pm at Suffolk Law’s Sargent Hall, 120 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02108.
