State Representative Dave Rogers

DECEMBER UPDATES
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones. I know many of us were shocked by the outcome of the election especially after many of you worked so hard for so long. Many of you, like me, gave up weekends and evenings for the campaign. However, the fight goes on, and as your State Representative, I will do what I can at the state level to ensure that our country and our Commonwealth continue to move forward as a place that welcomes and protects all people. I also know that I represent all people of the 24th Middlesex District, not just those who agree with me and I am always open to conversation and discussion. We may be disappointed, but we have lots of work to do to fight for the values and ideals in which we believe deeply, while still trying to understand the perspectives of those who see the world differently, and finding common ground when we can.
Bright Spots
 
There were many bright spots as a result of all our hard work on Election Day. Many new State Representatives and Senators were elected, and I look forward to working with them in the upcoming session. We were also able to strike down Question 1 for more slots parlors in the state, prevent the lifting of the cap on charter schools with Question 2, and provide safer and more humane conditions for animals with Question 3, a piece of legislation for which I was proud to file the initial bill.

I worked very hard to defeat Question 2, and genuinely believe it was nothing less than a fight to Save Our Public Schools. It was in my view a badly misguided effort to dramatically increase charter schools.

 
 
I was also thrilled that Question 4, the ballot question to legalize recreational marijuana, was passed by an impressive 8-point margin, 54-46. I am proud to have written the initial legislation on which Question 4 is based. After decades of failed policy on marijuana, I am excited that we will finally be taking a new and better approach. For those of you who would like further background on why I believe this is the right policy approach you can click on this link to the video of a debate that I had with Senator Jason Lewis right before the election. Because I introduced the legislation on which Question 4 was based, leadership in the House has already reached out to me to play an important role as the Legislature considers any possible changes to the law.
 
What's Next

In the remainder of informal session this year, it is my hope that we will be able to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. I am the co-sponsor on this important piece of legislation that will ensure that it is illegal to discriminate against pregnant workers in our state and will promote their health and economic security. As of now, I am very hopeful that we will be able to get this piece of legislation passed in the remainder of the year. I recently had a chance to discuss the legislation with the Speaker of the House one-on-one, and came away encouraged that this important legislation will become law.

And of course, a new legislative session will begin in January of 2017. I will then have a chance to file new legislation and re-file legislation from the last session that did not get passed. I will be focusing on several civil and criminal justice reform bills, including a bail reform bill that will ensure that bail is decided more equitably, a bill that will raise the felony larceny threshold, which is too low and has not been increased with inflation, and also a bill to guarantee a right to counsel for indigent individuals facing eviction.

I will also be re-filing bike safety bills from last session. One of the bills will better define and protect what a vulnerable road user is by establishing the distance required for motor vehicles to safely pass and clarifying the use of adjacent lanes for safe passing. These are just a few of the many bills that I will be looking at filing next session; I look forward to the work that is to come, and I hope and believe we can make some real progress in the upcoming session.

Stand Up for Safety - Hands Around the Pond


On Saturday, December 17th from 1pm-2pm on the field in front of Clay Pit Pond on Concord Ave. in Belmont, there will be an event to reaffirm Belmont's commitment to safety and inclusion for all citizens, by reaching our hands around the pond. This is a non-political, non-partisan event open to all, so they ask that there be no political signs, but signs with hopeful messages or inspirational quotes are encouraged. This event is open for families, but they ask that there be no pets. More information will follow, and I will post it on my facebook page.

Post Election Town Hall with Maura Healey
 

Attorney General Maura Healey will be at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church at 630 Mass. Ave in Arlington, Tuesday, December 6th at 7pm. She will be leading a town meeting to answer questions about what we can do and how we, as a community, can take action in the wake of the election. Find out more here.

Register to Vote


Massachusetts residents can register to vote online. If you are not registered to vote or have family and friends that are registered, be sure to encourage them to register! While the deadline has passed, it's never too early to register for the next election.

Unclaimed Property


As many as 1 in 10 citizens of the Commonwealth, including many of my constituents, are owners of unclaimed property. Unclaimed property includes savings accounts, checking accounts, unpaid wages or commissions, stocks, underlying shares, uncashed dividends, customer deposits or overpayments, certificates of deposit, credit balances, refunds, money orders, paid-up life insurance policies, safe deposit boxes, and uncashed benefit checks, and gift certificates, all of which sat unused and were ultimately taken by the state. If you want to research whether or not you own unclaimed property, you can find out here.

Legislation


I have been using this newsletter as an opportunity to highlight one or more of the bills I have filed each month. I have now run through each of the 26 bills I filed for the 2015/2016 legislative session. As always, you can review all of the bills that I have filed on my website. 

Community Events

BELMONT DEMOCRATS
The Belmont Democratic Town Committee will be meeting at 7pm on Thursday, December 1st. Social time begins st 6:30pm in the Selectmen's hearing room at Belmont Town Hall.

BELMONT HOLIDAY CELEBRATION AND TREE LIGHTING
Thursday, December 1st, Belmont will be holding its annual tree lighting celebration on Leonard St. from 5:45pm-8:30pm, with an appearance from Santa Claus at 6:20pm.

ARLINGTON FIRST LIGHTS
For the first time, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Arlington are presenting a holiday lights display at Whittemore Park, at the intersection of Mass. Ave and Route 60/Pleasant St. It will be held Thursday, December 1st at 6pm. The event will include music, activities, and tours.

BELMONT GARDEN CLUB HOLIDAY HOUSE TOUR
The Belmont Garden Club is selling tickets for its Holiday House tour to be held on Saturday, December 3rd from 11am-4pm. Tickets can be purchased at Champions Sporting Goods or by calling (617)484-4889.

REPRESENTATIVE KATHERINE CLARK HOSTING COMMUNITY MEETING
Rep. Kathrine Clark will be hosting a community meeting on Saturday, December 3rd from 10am-12pm at Cambridge College, 1000 Mass Ave. Congresswoman Clark will be joined by local faith leaders, representatives from advocacy organizations and nonprofits. They will be discussing tolerance and community safety. Registration is encouraged, and you can do so here.

SOCIAL ACTION HOLIDAY GIFT FAIR
On Sunday, December 4th from 10:15am-2pm at the First Church in Belmont, 404 Concord Ave, there will be a holiday gift fair with products from local and international artists and proceeds will go to several charities. Find out more here.

SUSTAINABLE BELMONT
The regular meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 7th from 7:00pm-8:30pm at the Belmont Public Library.

CAMBRIDGE DEMOCRATS HOLIDAY PARTY
Cambridge Democrats annual holiday party and potluck will be taking place on Friday, December 9th from 6:30pm-9pm. It will be at Cambridge Cohousing on 175 Richdale Ave.
FREE LIGHT BULB SWAP
On Saturday, December 10th the city of Cambridge is hosting a free light bulb swap and LED popup store. You can bring up to 3 of your old light bulbs and swap them for free LED replacements. It will be from 10am-2pm on 5 Callender St, inside the gym in the Cambridge Community Center.

CULTURAL SURVIVAL BAZAR
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School will be hosting this festival of Native arts and culture on December 10th and 11th from 10am-5pm. There you can shop directly from artists and fair trade vendors from around the world. Find out more on their website.

BELMONT DRIVES ELECTRIC
On Sunday, December 11th, Belmont drives electric will be having a workshop with a presentation and a question and answer session at 12pm at First Church on 404 Concord Ave. Find more information on their website.

SUSTAINABLE ARLINGTON
Sustainable Arlington will be holding its monthly meeting Thursday, December 15th at the Town Hall Annex.
ARLINGTON HOLIDAY PUBLIC SKATE
On Saturday, December 18th from 2pm-4pm at the Ed Burns Arena, there will be a holiday bash with a DJ during the public skate hours.

Other Events


There are a number of other places to find out about events in your community:

Social Media


I am glad to have already connected with many of you on Facebook. Due to the limitations on personal Facebook pages, however, I plan to start to do more of my political and community outreach from my political page. Please like my official State Representative page here. You can also follow me on twitter to find out more about my representation of the 24th Middlesex District.

Office Hours


I will hold office hours at the following times and places during the month. I encourage any and all to stop by and speak with me or my staff about any concerns or to offer any input you might have. Occasionally, my aide Kira Arnott attends office hours in my place and then relays any issues to me. If you wish to speak to me directly, please email me at Dave.Rogers@mahouse.gov so that I can ensure that I will be attending. If I am not able to make it, we can set up a meeting at a mutually convenient time.

Tuesday, December 6th from 4:30pm to 5:30pm at Kickstand Cafe in Arlington (594 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476)

Friday, December 9th from 9:30am to 10:30am at Bruegger's Bagels and Cafe in Belmont (41 Leonard Street, Belmont, MA 02178)

Tuesday, December 13th from 9:30am to 10:30am at the Beech Street Center in Belmont (266 Beech Street, Belmont, MA 02478).

Friday, December 16th from 4:30pm to 5:30pm at Fiorella's Express in North Cambridge (2401 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140).

You can also always contact me at any time in my office at 617 722 2013 or at dave.rogers@mahouse.gov.
 

Winter Farmers Market


The Cambridge Winter Farmers Market begins Saturday, December 10th. It will continue Saturdays from 10am-2pm through April, inside the Cambridge Community Center, 5 Callender St. Find out more here.

The Harvard Square Business Association is hosting the first season of the Charles Square Winter Farmers Market this year. The grand opening will be Friday, December 2nd. The market will be open Fridays 12pm-6pm and Sundays 10am-3pm at the lower courtyard of The Charles Hotel in Cambridge. Find out more here.

Local Media


Arlington, Belmont, and Cambridge are vibrant communities that sport multiple local news platforms that are worth perusing to learn more about what is going on in your community.

Arlington: Belmont Cambridge

Contact Me


I welcome your input and hope to hear from you on issues of mutual concern. Email: rep.dave.rogers@gmail.com. State House office phone: 617-722-2013. Personal cell phone: 617-817-9395. Website: repdaverogers.com.
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