The state Legislature is creating a new joint committee expected to oversee the state’s pandemic response, and one of its leaders is from Western Massachusetts.
Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, will be the Senate chair of the new committee, the Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management, Senate President Karen Spilka announced last week as part of her assignments for the legislative session.
“I can imagine the charge of the committee is twofold,” Comerford said Monday. “The first charge is what are we doing now that works and doesn’t work and what must the state do better? The other is what must we do immediately to ensure that we are ready, and much more ready than we were previously, the next time a disaster of this kind strikes? And there will be a next time.”
The oversight committee will be like “a watchdog with a forward-moving purpose,” Comerford said.
“My initial take of the authorizing language, again which isn’t formalized yet, my initial take is it’s going to give us very broad powers of oversight and that means we can ask a lot of very hard questions. We can convene hearings and ask for testimony. We can write reports, we can write recommendations.” She added, “I think it would be safe to imagine that the committee will take up the vaccine rollout.”
Comerford is also serving on the newly created Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights and Inclusion; the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture; and the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. She is vice chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education and chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health.
“It’s been very, very clear during this pandemic,” she said, “this is the year to completely transform our public health system.”
Franklin County legislators were named members or leaders of committees focused on a variety of issues including the environment, transportation, mental health and substance use, and arts and culture.
Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, will serve as chair of the newly created Senate Special Committee on Reimagining Massachusetts: Post-Pandemic Resiliency. This committee will serve as a body to share best practices that have been developed in response to COVID-19, as well as a forum for new ideas as to how to move forward.
“COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of life,” said Hinds said in a statement. “It is an honor to serve as the chair of this newly created committee focused on ensuring a prosperous future for our commonwealth and residents post-pandemic. We must apply lessons from the pandemic to make sure we come back stronger. From digital access and the digital economy to telehealth and changing downtowns, we need strategic investments moving forward.”
Hinds will also serve as chair of the Joint Committee on Revenue and vice chair of the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs.
“As we move toward a new normal in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, revenue and the success of our commonwealth go hand in hand,” Hinds aid. “It is an honor to be re-appointed to chair the Joint Committee on Revenue and continue the work of creating a revenue system that serves all of Massachusetts.”
In addition to his chairmanships and vice chairmanship, Hinds is considered part of the President Spilka’s leadership team as a result of being on the Rules Committee. He will also serve on the Senate Committee on Ways and Means; the Senate Committee on Redistricting; the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy; and the Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights and Inclusion.
Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland, is vice chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, as well as a member of the Joint Committee on Transportation; the Joint Committee on Ways and Means; and the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside the most diverse leadership team in the history of the House as the vice chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities,” Blais said.
She said she is also pleased to be serving on the three other joint committees.
“Taken together, the jurisdiction of these committees mirror the challenges and opportunities of the 1st Franklin District,” Blais said. “I had hoped to be assigned to committees that would allow me to learn a great deal and stay busy. I am excited to gain a deeper understanding of the budget process through my appointment to the (Joint) Ways and Means Committee, and look forward to returning to work on legislation pending before the (Joint) Transportation and (Joint) Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development committees.”
Blais said the assignments also provide the opportunity to strengthen relationships with a new cohort of colleagues.
“I look forward to learning more about their districts and helping them to better understand the challenges facing our rural communities,” she said.
Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, is vice chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, as well as a member of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture; and the Joint Committee on Public Service.
“I’m excited about the telecom committee,” Mark commented. “It’s one I have asked for since I was first elected and it’s very important to my district and the region. Some of the most important bills I file end up before TUE.
“Including me in committee leadership is a great sign that the House is serious about fighting climate change and shifting to renewable energy sources,” he continued.
Rep. Susannah Whipps, I-Athol, is a member of the Joint Committee on Revenue; the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery; the Joint Committee on Transportation; and the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.
“I was pleased to continue on the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery,” Whipps said. “I’ve been on this committee since 2015, and I look forward to working to bring more attention to mental/behavioral health issues, which have been exacerbated by this pandemic.”
Whipps said the Transportation Committee is a great appointment as well, as her district has many small bridges in its communities that need attention, and safety measures on the French King Bridge have been a priority of hers for many years.
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com. Reporter Anita Fritz contributed to this story.