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Terry Murray Monthly Newsletter - July 2011
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Dear Friends,
It was
just last month that violent storms and tornadoes ripped through western
and central Massachusetts leaving scenes of devastation on an
unprecedented scale in our Commonwealth. To help our neighbors begin
to rebuild, the Legislature quickly passed a supplemental budget to
provide $15 million for the recovery of effected communities that
will help offset the costs of emergency response, clean-up efforts
and temporary shelters for displaced residents.
We also
recently received news of another tragedy. Sgt. Matthew Gallagher, a
22-year-old from North Falmouth, was killed in action June 26th.
Matthew was deployed to the Wasit province
of Iraq as part of a combat team of the First Cavalry Division out of
Fort Hood in Texas. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, and
all the mothers, fathers and spouses in the Commonwealth who have had
to bear such grief. Matthew is the 11th soldier with ties to Cape Cod
to die in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2006.
To view
up-to-date information throughout the month, please visit my website,
Facebook page and Twitter
account for photos, press releases, news articles, my daily
schedule and more.
Sincerely,
Terry Murray
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My Latest Columns and Blog Posts
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New
State Legislature Website Increases Public Access and Transparency
At the
State House, it is one of our top priorities to provide the public
with a transparent way to see their elected officials at work and
we have focused our efforts on developing a useful online tool that
provides up-to-date information about all aspects of state
government.
We
recently unveiled new updates to the Massachusetts Legislature's
website, which was redesigned in September 2010.
Click to read my full post in the Plymouth
Patch.
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Beacon
Hill Briefing: State Senate Spurs Reform
Reform
The Massachusetts
Senate continues to bring widespread reform and increased
transparency to state government with the recent passage of two
important pieces of legislation.
After
two full days and nights of debate, in late May the Senate passed
its fiscal year 2012 budget, and the previous week passed the court
reform bill.
Click
to read my full column in the Old Colony Memorial.
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Efficiency
and Accountability in State Government
Government
In June,
the Senate unanimously approved significant, fundamental changes in
how state government operates. I am proud to say we passed
legislation I filed in April to update the Commonwealth's
antiquated finance laws and implement performance measurement requirements
for all government agencies and programs to improve efficiency,
transparency and accountability.
Click to read my full post in the Plymouth
Patch.
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Senate
Cracks Down on Human Trafficking
Cracking down
on human trafficking in Massachusetts, the Senate unanimously passed
legislation with strong criminal penalties for forced labor and
sexual servitude. The bill also establishes important protections for
victims of human trafficking.
Click to read the press release.
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Strategic
Alliance Formed to Advance Tissue Engineering Research and
Development
In June,
Senate President Murray was joined by a contingent of higher
education and economic development officials representing Northern
Ireland, Finland and Massachusetts to announce a strategic alliance
that will focus on tissue engineering. The alliance was initiated in
discussions that took place during the Northern Ireland Massachusetts
Connection (NIMAC) trade mission to Finland in April.
Click to read the press release.
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Local
Students Receive Leadership Scholarships
Five
local high school seniors were awarded a total of $5,000 in
scholarships from Comcast for their academic achievements, leadership
skills and civic actions in their communities.
Click to read the press release.
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Local
First Grade Students Selected as My Ideal School Contest Winners
Matthew
Curran of Buzzards Bay and Julia Pickel of
Plymouth were selected as regional winners of the 5th Annual My Ideal
School Contest. The Massachusetts School Building Authority asked
first-grade students from across Massachusetts to draw their ideal
school and identify three things that they like about their school.
Click
to read the press release.
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Senate
Passes Tornado Relief Bill
The
Senate acted quickly to pass emergency state funding for communities
recovering from the deadly tornadoes that ripped through western Massachusetts
earlier in June. Lawmakers approved $15 million to help offset the
costs of emergency response, clean-up efforts and setting up
temporary shelters for displaced residents.
Click to read the press release.
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Fourth
Graders from Cold Springs Elementary School Visit the State House
The fourth
graders met with Senate President Murray and State Representatives
Tom Calter and Vinny deMacedo
and learned about the history of the Senate Chamber as well as some
interesting facts about state government.
Click
to read the press release.
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Pembroke
Town Officials Treat Oldham Pond with Algae Reducing Agent
Oldham
Pond in Pembroke was treated in June for high algae levels with the
sodium based algaecide Phycomycin. The pond
had previously been treated with copper sulfate until an endangered
species, the eastern pond mussel, was discovered that could have been
harmed by the chemical treatment.
Click to read the press release.
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Fifth
Graders from Henry Wing School Meet with Senator Murray
Standing
in the Senate Chamber, directly under the golden dome, Senate
President Murray gave the students an informal and educational tour
of the Senate Chamber, where many significant events have taken
place.
Click
to read the press release.
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Plymouth
and Marstons Mills Students Selected to
Represent SkillsUSA  Massachusetts at
National Conference
Kaila
O'Farrell and Jake Waters from Plymouth and Joshua Smith from Marstons Mills were recognized by SkillsUSA Massachusetts for their excellence in
career and technical education. The students will participate in the
47th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference, which
showcases the nation's future high performance workers.
Click to read the press release.
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Eighth-Graders
Win Best Portfolio Award for Civic Action
A group of
eighth-graders from the Plymouth Community Intermediate School (PCIS)
won "Best Portfolio" for their research and presentation of
a citizen awareness project at the State House. The Project Citizen
Showcase included middle school and high school classes from eight
different schools across the Commonwealth.
The PCIS
students, led by their teacher Mike Martin, chose to eliminate the
use of Styrofoam in their school, recognizing the product as a threat
to their health and their community.
Click
to read the press release.
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U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Responds to Questions from Legislative
Leaders
The
NRC responded on May 27, 2011 to the letter sent in early April from
Governor Deval Patrick, Senate President
Therese Murray and House Speaker Robert DeLeo
requesting answers to questions about safety issues at New England's
nuclear facilities.
Click to read the NRC's answers and the
letter sent to the NRC in April.
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Senate
President Murray Welcomes Second Graders from Hedge Elementary School
Senate
President Murray gave Hedge Elementary School's second graders a warm
welcome to the historical State House. Accompanied by their teacher,
Eileen Gallerani and several chaperones,
students asked Senator Murray questions about her first job and what
it's like to serve as Senate President.
Click to read the press release.
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