Sen. Donnelly Lays Out 2013-2014 Legislative Priorties

A blog by Sen. Kenneth Donnelly on the year ahead.

Letter: 'Thank You for Your Support and a Happy Holiday' by Sen. Donnelly

A letter from State Sen. Ken Donnelly.

The following is a letter to the editor from State Sen. Kenneth Donnelly to the residents of the Fourth Middlesex District: It has been an honor to serve as your Senator from the 4th Middlesex District for the past four years and I am excited to be able to continue this role for another term. As another hectic election year comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those that made this election a success. I would like to thank all of you that voted.  Regardless of how you voted, I commend you for exercising one of the basic rights we as a nation afford to our citizens.  As President Obama said in his victory speech, “Whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you.”  I will …

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Sen. Donnelly: Senate Passes State Government and Finance Reform Bill

A message from State Sen. Kenneth Donnelly on the passage of a bill he says "Promotes efficiency and performance management in state agencies."

The following is a release from State Sen. Kenneth Donnelly (D-Arlington): The Senate on July 12, unanimously passed a conference committee report on bipartisan legislation that makes fundamental changes in the operations of state government, updating antiquated finance laws and implementing performance measurement requirements for all government agencies and programs to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability. “I am happy with the bill that came out of our conference committee,” said Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly (D-Arlington), conferee and Senate chair of the Joint Committee of State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. “It is a good government bill that helps bring us into the 21st century by updating laws on state finance…

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State Senate Approves “The Valor Act”

The Massachusetts State Senate passed new legislation that will expand benefits and increase access to a range of services for veterans, active-duty military and their families.

The following is a release from State Sen. Kenneth Donnelly's office: The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday unanimously passed “The Valor Act” – new legislation that will expand benefits and increase access to a range of services for veterans, active-duty military and their families, Senator Ken Donnelly (D Arlington) announced. As the previous session’s Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, and a recent appointee to the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Task Force on Military and Veterans’ Affairs, Senator Donnelly has continued to advocate for issues affecting the Commonwealth’s veterans. “This bill provides common sense and important measures to ease the transition of our veterans to …

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OP-ED: Finishing What We Started – The Safer Alternatives Bill

A message from State Sen. Kenneth Donnelly on the Act for a Competitive Economy through Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemical.

The following is an op-ed from State Sen. Kenneth Donnelly: Residents of Massachusetts, and especially of the City of Woburn, remember the now infamous case Anderson v. Cryovac where Woburn residents brought suit against a local tannery whose usage of toxic chemicals had contaminated the municipal water supply and subsequently poisoned people simply by drinking their tap water.  The media attention that was brought to this case ranged from newspaper and magazine articles, to a best-selling book, and finally a movie, A Civil Action.  However, despite the attention and awareness this case brought to the dangers of toxic chemicals, we are still far from eliminating these dangers. While Massachusetts has made strides to curb the use and …

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Guest Column: Reflections on Black History Month

Massachusetts State Sen. Kenneth Donnelly shares his thoughts on Black History Month and civil rights.

The following is as Op-Ed piece by Massachusetts State Senator Kenneth Donnelly: Black History Month is a time to acknowledge the contributions African Americans have made to our country and to reflect on how far we as a nation have come in addressing social injustice.  And while it’s true that we have made great strides, we still face great challenges in creating a true land of equal opportunity. Today the challenges faced by many, especially young adults and minorities, are that of economic opportunity.  In a speech given in 1963, Dr Martin Luther King stated, “I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few.” The economic conditions King spoke of are as true …

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VIDEO: Gov. Patrick Celebrates Burlington's IDBS's New Healthcare Center of Excellence

Gov. Deval Patrick praised the software company for making improvements in medical information sharing that will improve personalized medicine.

Gov. Deval Patrick and was in Burlington last Friday to celebrate the opening of IDBS's Healthcare Center of Excellence and participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. According to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the events stemmed from a meeting between UK-based IDBS, Governor Patrick, the Center and other Massachusetts officials at the BIO International Convention in Washington DC last year, and from the stronger business ties between Massachusetts and the UK built during the Governor’s Massachusetts Innovation Economy Partnership Mission to the UK. In July, 2011 IDBS announced that its Burlington office, at 25 Mall Road, would become its U.S. Healthcare Headquarters, and unveiled plans to expand the facility to include a new …

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Letter to the Editor: State Sen. Donnelly Looks Back on the Past Year

An open letter from Massachusetts State Sen. Kenneth Donnelly.

Dear Friends, As the end of the year approaches, and we prepare to begin the second half of our legislative session in January, I wanted to take the time to update you on what the Senate has accomplished in this past year.   This year has been very busy and productive in the Legislature with some major pieces of legislation being passed.  Two bills of particular importance that I was most proud to support were An Act Relating to Anti-Human Trafficking and Protection as well as An Act Relative to Transgender Equal Rights.    We also increased local aide in the supplemental budget passed in the fall and maintained the unemployment rate freeze, helping both our municipalities and small businesses. We also passed legislation that ensured those…

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