Senator Cindy Friedman

On Sunday, February 25, Burlington Girl Scouts gathered [at] Memorial School for the international World Thinking Day. World Thinking Day is in honor and recognition of the birthdays of the Boy Scout and Girl Guide founders Lord Robert Baden Powell and his wife Olave Baden Powell.

World Thinking Day is a special day to remind all Girl Scouts and Girl Guides that they belong to an international sisterhood striving to make the world a better place, a release about the event states. This year’s theme was “Impact,” where girls focused on how they can make an impact on their community.

This year the scouts were greeted by State Senator Cindy Friedman who explained to them how she is making an impact in our community through her work in the state government.

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BOSTON — After an upsurge of criticism surrounded its decision to cut health-care plans for state employees, the Group Insurance Commission voted 12-2 Thursday to take a new approach.

In response to the original decision, Sen. Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, filed legislation Jan. 25 that would require the GIC to wait 90 days after notifying the Legislature to make any agreements or changes in the contract.

In testimony at the hearing, SEIU Local 509 President Peter MacKinnon urged the Senate to support Friedman’s bill because of the positive effect it could have on state employees. Local 509 represents human service workers and educators, 8,300 of whom would be affected by the GIC’s original decision.

“We need to re-look at how we do this, not only for the protection of the members but for the protection of the commonwealth,” Friedman said. “We need to understand that and not be making these decisions in vacuums.”

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After a fierce wave of backlash to its move to eliminate three Massachusetts-based health plan offerings for state employees, the Group Insurance Commission’s executive director told lawmakers Wednesday she accepts accountability.

“Though unintended, I now understand full well the concern, confusion and havoc that have ensued,” GIC executive director Roberta Herman said at a Senate oversight hearing called after the commission voted two weeks ago to consolidate its state employee health plan offerings by dropping three of its six carriers.

Sen. Cindy Friedman told Herman she was “really looking for how we put trust back into the system.” Friedman has filed legislation that would require the GIC to give the Legislature 90 days’ notice before making any major health insurance changes.

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ARLINGTON, MA — Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan was in the Washington D.C. area helping develop guidance to implement mental health service programs within the criminal justice system this week, highlighting once again that Arlington’s Police Department is at the forefront when it comes to that.

Back in about 2010, Arlington Police noticed they were often arresting and prosecuting people with behavioral health or substance use disorder. So the department started working with then Senator Donnelly’s office and his then Chief of Staff (now Senator Friedman) on grant funding to embed a mental health clinician in the police department using what is known as the co-responder model.

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The Group Insurance Commission, relenting to days of withering criticism over its decision to limit health plan offerings to nearly 450,000 state employees and retirees, plans to reconsider that plan when it meets next week.

The move comes after Attorney General Maura Healey opened an investigation into whether the GIC properly gave notice of last week’s meeting.

The agency now says it will put a motion for reconsideration of the Jan. 18 8-5 vote on its agenda for the Feb. 1 meeting.

National Association of Government Employees President David Holway issued a statement Thursday in response to the announcement thanking the five labor representatives on the GIC and many lawmakers — include House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Acting Senate President Harriette Chandler, House Majority Leader Ron Mariano, Rep. James O’Day, Sen. Cindy Friedman and Sen. Karen Spilka — for speaking out against the changes.

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BOSTON — Nine senators were named Thursday to a committee that will review the state Senate’s sexual harassment policies and procedures, a task they have about four months to complete.

The Senate adopted an order (S.2262) establishing the committee, which is chaired by Salem Democrat Sen. Joan Lovely, and giving it a May 15 deadline to report its findings and recommendations.

The committee’s other members are Democrat Sens. Sonia Chang-Diaz of Jamaica Plain, Cindy Friedman of Arlington, Anne Gobi of Spencer, John Keenan of Quincy and Karen Spilka of Ashland, and Republican Sens. Don Humason of Westfield and Richard Ross of Wrentham.

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