Lowell-Burlington shuttle buses to be launched soon Lowell Sun
LOWELL — A new shuttle service connecting Lowell and Burlington is launching after four years of collaboration among state and local leaders. The Middlesex 3 Coalition, in collaboration with a number of government officials, and the Chambers of Commerce in Lowell and Burlington are hoping with funding now in place, the service can begin in the coming months.
Aside from Gordon, Cronin said the project received tremendous support from state Reps. Dave Nangle, Tom Golden and Rady Mom, and Sen. Cindy Friedman.
“Burlington has such a vibrant local economy and a wide variety of successful businesses,” Friedman said in a press release. “This program will be another opportunity for those businesses to access the workforce they need to succeed, ultimately strengthening our local and regional economies.”
Bail trends under scrutiny as new panel eyes reforms WBUR
BOSTON (SHNS) – More than a year after the state’s high court ruled judges setting bail must consider a defendant’s ability to pay, state officials are embarking on an examination of the bail system in Massachusetts that will consider measures including potential impacts of eliminating cash bail.
A massive April 2018 criminal justice reform law made a series of changes around bail, in keeping with a high court decision in the 2017 case Brangan v. Commonwealth.
Sen. Cindy Friedman of Arlington and Rep. Claire Cronin of Easton co-chair the commission. On Thursday, at the panel’s first meeting, members outlined what data and information they hope to delve into during their study.
NFL reveals its hypocrisy in Josh Gordon case Boston Globe
Kudos to Nestor Ramos (“In Josh Gordon case, a troubled league fails a troubled man,” BostonGlobe.com, Dec. 22) for calling out the disgusting hypocrisy of the NFL. More troubling in the response to Josh Gordon’s struggle with a serious disease, is their complicity in demonizing mental illness vs. treating it like the illness it is.
If Gordon were taking medication for any physical ailment, the league would not blink. They don’t seem to have any trouble addressing the symptoms of physical pain that their players have to live with (drugs are certainly part of that). But their neanderthal and dangerous response to Gordon’s actions not only hurt him but hurt the many who suffer with a devastating and difficult-to-treat condition.
BNEWS Special: A Discussion of Issues that Affect Burlington with Sen. Cindy Friedman BCAT TV
BNEWS Director Rich Hosford sat down with Massachusetts State Sen. Cindy Friedman to discuss her first year and a half in office, her legislative goals and a number of issues important to Burlington residents including economic development, traffic, education and the opioid epidemic.
Essex, Suffolk sheriffs ask to join addiction treatment program for inmates Boston Globe
Essex and Suffolk counties plan to join five other counties in a pilot program providing medications to opioid-addicted inmates, a sign that correctional officials’ resistance to the treatments may be yielding to public pressure and legal action in Massachusetts. A federal district judge last month ordered Essex Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger to provide methadone to a prospective inmate, saying that failing to do so could violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
The sheriffs’ request was welcomed by state Senator Cindy F. Friedman, chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery. Friedman said she suspected the Essex suit was a “driving force” behind the request, but the motivation doesn’t matter. “I’m completely happy about it,” she said.
In Conversation with Steve Iverson & Senator Cindy Friedman LexMedia
Senator Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington) joined Steve Iverson of LexMedia to discuss her efforts to expand access to mental health treatment in Massachusetts, the important of having a robust local transportation system, and much more!
Friedman Backs Bill To Extend Unemployment Benefits Burlington Patch
On Monday, December 3, Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) voiced her strong support for the nearly 1,250 Massachusetts workers and their families that have been impacted by the National Grid lockout. In a mass email to constituents, Friedman said she has been in regular contact with National Grid and the United Steel Workers Unions regarding the ongoing contract negotiations and remains “troubled that National Grid has been unable to put forward an agreeable contract, and am frustrated by reports of continuous safety violations on gas lines.”
“I fear that National Grid is using the expiring unemployment benefits to unjustly improve their bargaining position, thus preventing the negotiation of a fair contract,” Friedman said. “By preventing a trained and qualified workforce from returning to work, National Grid has placed citizens across the Commonwealth who rely on this public utility at risk. That’s why I believe it is appropriate for the state to intervene on behalf of the locked out workers, and I intend to support these pieces of legislation to ensure that a fair contract can be negotiated.”
An update on National Grid and protecting locked out workers A message from Senator Cindy Friedman
Over the last few weeks, I have heard regularly from many of you regarding your concerns with National Grid’s lockout and the impact it has had on over 1,250 Massachusetts workers and their families. I wanted to provide you an update and let you know that I have been in regular contact with National Grid and the United Steel Workers Unions regarding the ongoing contract negotiations. I remain troubled that National Grid has been unable to put forward an agreeable contract, and am frustrated by reports of continuous safety violations on gas lines. As the cold winter months approach, it is especially imperative that the locked out workers be able to return to work.
Sen. Friedman continues fight against opioid crisis Billerica Minuteman
After playing a major role in spearheading opioid legislation that was signed into law this summer, Sen. Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, is working in collaboration with several health care professionals, law enforcement officers, elected officials and others to explore more ways to decrease opioid-related overdose deaths across Massachusetts.
“I’m proud of the work we did on the opioid bill, but our work did not end when the bill was passed into law,” said Friedman, who co-chairs the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. “This epidemic continues to impact residents throughout the commonwealth, so it is critically important that we find more ways to reduce harm and save lives. I’m eager to serve on these commissions, collaborate with expert stakeholders and analyze best practices for our ongoing fight against this epidemic.”