Not only will having more tested and insured drivers “make the roads safer for everybody,” giving more people the option to use private rather than public transportation is an important asset in the fight against a pandemic entering its third year.

Senator Rausch comments on the lack of legislative action to change the date of the state primary in the commonwealth.

“I’ve lost count of the number of people who have reached out to me saying they simply cannot find a test. Over-the-counter COVID tests are sold out — if people can even afford the $25 or more per test kit. Testing appointments are gone.”

Senator Rausch, as chair of the joint committee on the environment, natural resources, and agriculture, passes consensus legislation that resolved concerns over egg shortages in the Commonwealth

Beyond a mask mandate, Baker should focus on increasing the state’s vaccination rate and access to free COVID testing, the lawmakers — led by state Sen. Becca Rausch — said in a letter to Baker on Wednesday afternoon. The goal is to protect frontline workers who have been disproportionately impacted by the virus, the lawmakers wrote, and ensure that in-person learning can continue for young students.

Rausch’s testimony was about a bill (S 723) that would require all insurers in Massachusetts to offer coverage for preventive well child visits once a calendar year rather than annually, which is the practice of many insurers and which Rausch said translates in practice to 12 months plus one day. She said it was a problem before the pandemic that has turned into an even bigger problem now.

Rep. Sena and Sen. Rausch both testified before the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight on behalf of the bills they filed (H 3233 / S 2105) to bring transparency to the civil forfeiture process.

Rausch said Massachusetts “still has much work to do” to ensure all eligible residents are immunized. Disinformation and scare tactics have fueled vaccine hesitancy, in addition to the systemic racism that’s stymied vaccine uptake in communities of color.

Senator Rausch discusses the VOTES Act, an election reform bill designed to make voting safer and easier during the pandemic and expand ballot box access.

State lawmakers toured four farms in Hampshire and Franklin counties on Friday to better understand the challenges facing farming communities in western Massachusetts.