The Patriot Ledger – May 29, 2025
Masked agents, a ‘staredown’ and a profanity-laced verbal exchange
QUINCY ‒ The Senate budget bill pending on Beacon Hill saw 1,058 proposed amendments. One of them, amendment 867, moved Democratic Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy) to speak out about a recent interaction he had with ICE in Quincy.
The amendment, introduced by Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton), allows local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE by detaining individuals charged or convicted of violent offenses.
The amendment reminded Keenan of a recent encounter with ICE in the Wollaston neighborhood of Quincy, his hometown. Keenan described to The Patriot Ledger efforts by federal agents to intimidate him.
Keenan didn’t plan to publicize his experience, but Fattman’s amendment changed his mind. Massachusetts shouldn’t require local police to act in concert with federal agencies that spread fear through the community, Keenan said.
NBC Boston – May 13, 2025
Mass. Dems sound alarm over Medicaid cuts in major US budget bill
“No state in the country can make up for the kind of cuts that are being talked about,” Gov. Maura Healey said.
That’s not the only health care-related concern in Massachusetts. State lawmakers are discussing the availability and affordability of personal care physicians.
“We have a health care system where patients go into debt to get medical care, where health care workers don’t have the resources they need,” Massachusetts State Sen. Cindy Friedman said.
“Support for community health organizations is needed now more than ever,” Massachusetts State Sen. John Keenan said.
boston.com – April 7, 2025
New bill seeks to ban prop bets, impose other sports betting regulations
When state Sen. John Keenan surveys the landscape of sports betting in Massachusetts today, he sees an eerily familiar echo of the past. He sees powerful companies using bold marketing tactics to push a product that can be used safely but that can also destroy lives. He sees these companies blaming individuals for not being able to control themselves while pocketing massive sums of money. He sees the early days of the opioid epidemic.
The comparison is not an exaggeration, Keenan insists, and sports betting companies are using the same playbook deployed by those that recklessly sold drugs like OxyContin.
“They target these people, knowing that they are addicted, and they make most of their money off of those that are addicted. And they do it with very aggressive marketing, much like Purdue Pharma did,” Keenan told Boston.com.
cbs boston – march 31, 2025
New bill introduced by lawmaker would set limits on sports betting in Massachusetts
Sports betting in Massachusetts is big business, but now, lawmakers are proposing a new bill aimed at setting restrictions on sports gambling.
It’s called “Bettor Health Act” and State Senator John Keenan is leading the charge.
“It’s a multi-billion-dollar business that is growing every single day. Now, what I’m hearing from people is that they feel that they can’t even watch a sporting event without something come up relative to placing a bet. And they feel that it is too much,” Sen Keenan said.
masslive – march 28, 2025
It’s batter up on Beacon Hill to fight sports gambling addiction
Sports betting generated $65.5 million in taxable revenue (retail and online) in February alone, according to Massachusetts Gaming Commission data.
That’s down from the eye-watering $94.4 million that was reported to the state in January. But it’s still a huge chunk of change.
And it’s raising red flags among state lawmakers, who are concerned about problem gambling — particularly among young people.
Legislation sponsored by Sen. John F. Keenan, D-Norfolk/Plymouth, would slap higher taxes on the industry and tackle those in-game “prop” bets that public health experts say hastens people down the road to addiction.
nbc boston – march 27, 2025
Should Mass. have tighter rules around sports gambling? New bill would impose strict limits
A new bill being proposed by a group of Massachusetts lawmakers aims to set strict new limits on sports gambling.
Sen. John Keenan, of Quincy, pitched his “Bettor Health Act” at a forum Wednesday at the State House. The bill seeks to increase the tax rate on online betting platforms, ban sports betting advertising during game broadcasts, require online sports betting companies to double their financial contributions to the state’s Public Health Trust Fund, and more. He likened the rise of online betting to the emergence of the opioid crisis.
“If we don’t see the similarities, we’re going to find ourselves again so far behind trying so hard to create an infrastructure to address it,” Keenan said about the need to start addressing the problem before it gets out of hand.
The boston globe – march 26, 2025
Mass. lawmakers propose sweeping new limits on sports gambling
At a forum Wednesday on Beacon Hill, legislators and people recovering from gambling addiction raised concerns that regulations have failed to keep pace with technological sophistication of online gaming platforms, which are inundating the sports airwaves with ads. Several speakers drew parallels with the early stages of the opioid crisis, when drug companies like Purdue Pharma used aggressive marketing strategies to peddle powerful painkillers well after they were known to be highly addictive.
“If we don’t heed the lessons of the opioid epidemic, we will find ourselves in the very, very same situation,” said state Senator John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat who introduced the bill. “And if we don’t get out ahead of it, we will have a public health crisis.”
If passed, the law would make sports betting in Massachusetts the most heavily regulated in the country, with unprecedented limits on how much and how often people could wager online, according to representatives of the gambling industry.
The Boston Globe – march 17, 2025
Here’s how your state legislators responded to our public records survey
“The Massachusetts Legislature generally should be subject to our state’s public records law. With that said, I do believe there should be certain exceptions to ensure legislators are able to create policy without the concern that the exchange of critical and creative thought will be prematurely considered an official public stance or policy. I believe as well there should be an exception for any personal information from constituent services cases.
“Much like my stance regarding applicability of the public records law to the Legislature, I believe the governor’s office should be subject to the same requirements and granted the same exceptions.”
Keenan said he has “no specific comments on the judiciary as it is too far removed from my own experiences and responsibilities for me to render an informed opinion.”
MassLive – january 21, 2025
New Massachusetts sports betting bill includes massive tax hike and ban on live betting
Massachusetts sports betting could look completely different if a new bill proposed in the Senate is successful. And if history is any indication, that could mean regulated sports betting in other states could also change drastically.
The measure is SD 1657 and was presented by Sen. John Keenan. Dubbed “An Act Addressing Economic, Health, and Social Harms Caused by Sports Betting,” the measure aims to increase the current sports betting tax rate from 20% to 51%. Additionally, Sen. Keenan is calling for a complete ban on live betting (in-game wagering) and prop bets.
Commonwealth Magazine – January 8, 2025
Keenan’s stand for transparency
Yet the 60-year-old lawmaker caused a minor stir last week when he was the only Democratic state senator who did not vote to reelect Karen Spilka as Senate president. Keenan voted “present” in the roll call to choose a leader for the new two-year session. In a statement he issued after the vote, Keenan said he held back support for Spilka “because changes are needed” in how the Senate goes about its business.
The changes he wants would hardly seem to constitute a radical remake of a deliberative legislative body charged with carrying out the people’s business in a representative democracy. But Keenan’s views – and willingness to rock the boat to make his point – made him stand out in a Legislature that has become increasingly inclined to operate out of public view and has seemed to thumb its nose at long-standing calls for greater transparency and public accountability.
wcvb – July 12, 2024
MBTA to install overdose-reversing naloxone at 5 stations on Red Line
Narcan comes in two FDA-approved versions: an injection and a nasal spray. It is highly effective in saving lives from overdose, but proper training in administering the drug is key, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Sen. John Keenan of Quincy said that two Harvard College students came up with the idea to install Narcan in T stations. He added that making Narcan available will save lives and reduce the stigma associated with drug use.
The T said that the pilot program is supported by $95,000 in funding as part of the state’s fiscal year 2024 budget.
Other Red Line stations will be assessed for Narcan installation after the pilot phase ends, according to the T.
The Boston Herald – June 20, 2024
Massachusetts joins 48 other states in outlawing ‘revenge porn’ after Healey signs bill
Lawmakers also included provisions covering sexually explicit deep fakes, or computer-generated images or videos of people shared without their consent, an issue advocates have warned of with the advancement of artificial intelligence.
Shaquera Robinson, who leads the advocacy organization Shaquera’s Story, said the “revenge porn” bill becoming law “is no small feat.”
“Together, we rise to make large-scale changes for survivors of domestic abuse by changing laws, by breaking down stigmas, increasing awareness, and building connections. Today, tomorrow, and forever, we rise above coercion and we make room for those coming behind us,” she said.
Masslive – June 20, 2024
Years in the making, Mass. Gov. Healey signs new revenge porn law
Often, survivors do not know the images have been shared until after they see them online, The Boston Globe reported in 2022.
And some estimates show that 1 in 25 Americans have been a victim of revenge porn.
“The harms from nonconsensual image sharing can be substantial; a single act of posting sensitive images can cause lasting and ongoing reputational damage to victims,” according to a 2016 report by the Data & Society Research Institute.
On Thursday, one key lawmaker, state Sen. John Keenan, D-Nofolk/Plymouth, said he hoped that “the signing of this bill brings some closure for revenge porn and coercive control survivors.”
Nbc Boston – June 20, 2024
Gov. Healey signs Mass. revenge porn bill into law Thursday
The governor’s signature makes Massachusetts the 49th state to prohibit revenge porn, leaving South Carolina as the only outlier.
Healey was joined at the 10 a.m. bill-signing ceremony at the State House by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Senate President Karen Spilka, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues, Judiciary Committee co-chair Rep. Michael Day and Sen. John Keenan, among other officials, advocates and survivors.
The Senate shipped the compromise bill, which both branches unanimously approved, to Healey’s desk last Thursday. The legislation bans the sharing of sexually explicit images and videos without the subject’s consent, and creates a diversion and education program for adolescents who are involved in sexting. It also installs protections for domestic abuse victims against “coercive control,” which can impair people’s safety and autonomy.
The WOrcester Telegram & Gazette – May 3, 2024
Worcester health official Rosen urges legislative action on overdose prevention laws
Keenan also endorsed passage of the overdose prevention centers after visiting several throughout North America.
“My observation: If done well, the centers save lives and have a positive impact in the neighborhoods where they are located,” Keenan said. He told the audience that he had visited the centers at all hours to determine the impact of the centers on their neighborhoods.
One of the questions asked about the centers is whether they truly serve as pathways to treatment and rehabilitation. “Yes! I saw it happen in New York City, someone came in and asked,” Keenan said. However, their primary purpose, he noted, is to save lives.
WGBH – April 2, 2024
Lawmakers float ways to beef up Healey’s $4 billion housing bill
Sen. John Keenan, who is not a member of the Bonding Committee, urged his colleagues to add in a grant program he proposed in separate legislation that would help property owners address health concerns like lead paint, asbestos and poor indoor air quality. The Quincy Democrat said most of the state’s housing stock was built before the 1978 ban on lead-based paints.
“Tens of thousands of homes have yet to be remediated,” Keenan said. “This makes them unavailable for families with children under the age of five, since lead exposure harms brain development and damages the respiratory nervous systems.”
wgbh – march 21, 2024
Massachusetts steps closer to making ‘revenge porn’ illegal
Massachusetts is one of just two states without a law on the books officially criminalizing what’s often called revenge porn, but lawmakers took a major step Thursday toward shedding that designation.
The state Senate voted 40-0 to pass a bill that would amend the state’s criminal harassment law and establish clear penalties, including fines and jail time, for sharing sexually explicit images or videos without the subject’s consent. The bill also applies to “deepfake” photos or videos created through artificial intelligence, as well as original images.
wbur – march 21, 2024
Mass. Senate advances bill that would ban ‘revenge porn’
Backers said they are optimistic the measure can finally close a legal “loophole” that leaves Massachusetts and South Carolina as the only two states where law enforcement is unable to respond forcefully to revenge porn, a practice that has become more common and subjects survivors to major emotional, psychological and financial harm. The House unanimously approved its own revenge porn bill in January and top Democrats have said the branches are more closely aligned on the issue than in the past.
Sen. John Keenan, who filed standalone legislation to crack down on the behavior, turned his eyes toward the Senate gallery during Thursday’s session and thanked survivors in attendance for coming forward with their personal stories.
“Today, let us close this loophole. Let us give closure to people who have been victimized by this crime but have been survivors and have contributed to making a difference,” the Quincy Democrat said. “Let this legislation make a difference so that everyone knows this is not acceptable, it is criminal, and there will be a consequence.”
wcvb – March 21, 2024
Massachusetts Senate unanimously passes bill to illegalize revenge porn
“It’s been a really long journey for Massachusetts to not have passed this law already, so I’m really excited to see it’s finally getting to that point and that survivors will now have recourse for this horrific crime,” said Kelsey Feyler, who was victimized by revenge porn.
State Sen. John Keenan, a Democrat representing the Norfolk and Plymouth District, sponsors the bill that addresses various forms of revenge porn.
“With the bill, we address what would look like an image of somebody — something that’s been generated through artificial intelligence — that’s shared for the same purpose in the same way with the same result,” Keenan said.
The associated press – March 21, 2024
Massachusetts Senate passes bill aimed at outlawing “revenge porn”
A Massachusetts bill that bars someone from sharing explicit images or videos without consent was approved unanimously Thursday by the Massachusetts Senate.
The bill, which now goes to conference committee to hash out differences with the House, means only South Carolina has not banned “revenge porn.”
“With passage of this bill today we take another step towards closing a loophole in our laws that has caused pain, anguish, embarrassment, and a sense of helplessness to those survivors who for so long suffered in silence, without justice,” Democratic Sen. John Keenan, the sponsor of the Senate bill, said in a statement.
NBC boston – March 21, 2024
Mass. revenge porn, migrant shelter funding bills scheduled for vote in Senate
Lawmakers said the bill also aims to spread awareness of what this type of coercive control is, and how it can be prevented.
“It bans revenge porn, it also puts an educational component in place for young people so that they understand the dangers of being involved in this type of activity,” said Sen. John Keenan.
“It’s a huge thing that survivors have not been able to seek any form of protection in Massachusetts because currently, we are one of two states without any protection for survivors of image-based sexual assault or what’s commonly referred to as revenge porn,” said Nithya Badrinath, who’s with Jane Doe Inc.
That Senate vote is scheduled for any time after 11 a.m. Thursday.
the boston globe – March 19, 2024
If it can happen to Taylor Swift…
This week the Senate gets a chance to put its stamp on a bill to provide an enforceable ban on revenge porn, increase penalties for criminal harassment, and provide diversion programs for teen sexting and educational efforts aimed at prevention.
“So many people who have been victims of this, who have been survivors of this, will feel that they’ve been heard, and that going forward, when this does happen, there will be recourse,” state Senator John Keenan, a sponsor of the bill, told State House News Service. “Hopefully, it will also have a deterrent effect. People [will] understand the gravity of this type of behavior and know that it’s criminal behavior in certain circumstances.”
The Senate bill that emerged from committee last week is similar to House-generated legislation, which passed unanimously in that branch last January in its most important aspects. It establishes a new criminal offense for the distribution without consent of “visual material” — including “visual material produced by digitization” — depicting another person who is nude, partially nude, or engaged in sexual conduct, and makes it punishable by up to 2 ½ years in prison or a fine of up to $10,000 or both. Subsequent convictions would bring longer prison terms and larger fines.
The Boston Globe – March 4, 2024
Critics assail Healey plan to cut funding for gambling addiction amid betting surge
Massachusetts spent nearly $12 million on problem gambling services in the last fiscal year — more per capita than almost any other state.
Yet gambling researchers, public health advocates, and several state lawmakers say they fear losing ground in efforts to track and combat compulsive gambling — at a time when record numbers of people are placing bets online. There hasn’t been a statewide study published on the prevalence of gambling problems since 2015, when researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst concluded that 2 percent of the state’s adult population had a gambling problem (in line with national averages) and another 8 percent were at risk. In 2020, the state, citing funding pressures, abruptly discontinued an expansive study exploring the economic and social effects of gambling over time.
“With all the [gambling] advertising that’s happened over the past year . . . we need to get a good measure on its impact,” said Senator John Keenan, a Democrat from Quincy. “If we don’t get out in front of the industry now, then we will have a very significant public health problem in the near future.”
nbC Boston – February 25, 2024
Boston planning chief James Arthur Jemison talks about planning the city’s future and advocates for overdose prevention centers speak out.
“Given the number of overdose deaths we’ve had, we’ve tried a lot of different things, we’ve been successful with a lot of it, yet we still have an increasing number of overdose deaths. So it’s time to try something different. And I think it’s important to convey that this isn’t a statewide mandate. Absolutely, it would be a local decision whether to host one of these sites, and we have communities that are interested. And so the legislation would give them the ability to open one.”
The Boston Globe – February 22, 2024
A father did everything he could to protect his son. Until he couldn’t.
The Berners have found an ally, too, in state Senator John F. Keenan, who invited Kevin to testify in support of a Massachusetts bill that would outlaw the non-consensual sharing of explicit images.
”Having witnessed how they are addressing this and what they are doing,” Keenan told the Globe, “I hope that if I was in the same situation that I’d be doing the same things they are.”
Commonwealth Beacon – February 22, 2024
On age minimums, state weaving a tangled tale
The scientific evidence presented in the case, CommonWealth Beacon reported, concluded that “emerging adults, like juveniles, have a lack of impulse control, are more prone to risk taking, and are more susceptible to peer pressure than those over 21.”
That is exactly what worries state Sen. John Keenan as the state considers calls from Gov. Maura Healey and state Treasurer Deborah Goldberg to begin selling lottery tickets online.
“With gambling, I think it’s the same thing,” Keenan said of the arguments for changes to criminal justice statutes for emerging adults. “The mind is still developing and they are particularly prone to the excitement that comes with gambling that’s now happening on phones, the instant endorphin rushes they get if they hit on something.”
The Boston Globe – February 5, 2024
I visited supervised consumption sites in six cities. Here’s what I found.
I drove to a nearby gas station for my annual vehicle inspection and while there used the bathroom. On the wall was a poster that read: “You might be high. You might be afraid. If you see an overdose, call 911.” The station’s owner knew that people inject drugs in the bathroom and wanted them to call 911 in an overdose situation. They were trying to save lives. Serendipitous, for that afternoon I was driving to Montreal to visit supervised consumption sites.
With overdose numbers at record highs in Massachusetts, there is growing interest in allowing supervised consumption sites, also known as safe injection sites or overdose prevention centers. Research shows nobody has died from an overdose at these sites, that they help limit the spread of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections, and that they save money by reducing associated health care and emergency response costs, and serve as paths to treatment. However, the concern is always, “They’ll ruin whatever neighborhoods they’re in.” To find out if they do, I went to neighborhoods where sites are already located to see for myself.
In Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Quebec City, and New York, and in Philadelphia where sites are proposed, I spent hours walking the neighborhood streets and alleyways, sitting at bus stops, talking with people, and lingering in parks and doorways.
NBC Boston – January 11, 2024
Revenge porn ban clears Mass. house unanimously
“For every person that comes forward and tells this story, we know that there are five, 10, 15 people who don’t tell this story, because they know there’s really no remedy available to them. There’s no way to prosecute these types of crimes,” said Massachusetts Sen. John Keenan, who sponsored the bill. “So we’re going to push really hard over the next few weeks to get this to the Senate floor and to the governor’s desk.”
WCVB – November 30, 2023
Senator hopes study will reveal how big an issue problem gambling is in Massachusetts
“Do you think the state is not doing enough on the treatment side of things?” Beaudet asked Keenan.
“That’s part of what we’re looking to get a sense of, is what’s the level of problem gambling in the commonwealth?” Keenan said.
Keenan says he hopes the independent study will identify everything from who’s betting and the problems they’re experiencing, to ways to address the issue, which could include both prevention and treatment.
“It’s really about finding the right balance,” he said. “And when you look at it from a dollar sense, 4 to 1 may not be the right balance.”
The Boston Herald – November 21, 2023
Pressure mounts on Beacon Hill to pass bill with migrant aid, union contract dollars
Sen. John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat, also called on negotiators to advance the collective bargaining agreement money and funding for school districts impacted by special education tuition rate increases.
“Regarding the collective bargaining agreements, the failure to act immediately on these overdue raises would represent a severe injustice to workers who serve the Commonwealth and negotiated in good faith. I respectfully implore the conference committee to report out these and other agreed upon provisions of the spending bill for consideration during an informal legislative session before Thanksgiving,” he said in a Friday letter.
axios – November 9, 2023
Massachusetts could finally ban “revenge porn”
The proposal would also allow prosecutors to divert minors caught with nude images of other minors to an education program instead of charging them with possession of child pornography or having them register as sex offenders.
Massachusetts would be the 49th state in the country to adopt a revenge porn ban, a distinction not lost on supporters who have been pushing for the bill for years.
What they’re saying: “We are obviously behind the rest of the country,” bill sponsor Sen. John Keenan told Axios. “That suggests to me that it’s beyond time to do it.”
The Boston Globe – October 31, 2023
Like clockwork, it’s time to debate daylight saving time again
It was enough to persuade Senator John Keenan of Quincy, Emswiler’s state senator. This marks the third session in which Keenan has filed a bill to move to Atlantic Standard Time year-round. His bill would require at least two other Northeast states to agree, and would create a task force to study school start times.
Keenan said he was motivated because he continues to hear from Massachusetts residents who are frustrated by the antiquated concept of changing clocks twice a year. This year, for the first time, a similar bill was filed in the House, by Representative Vanna Howard of Lowell. (Eileen Donoghue, a former state senator from Lowell, led the time-zone commission.)
But now the pro-DST crowd has competition. This year, for the first time, Representative Angelo Puppolo of Springfield entered the fray with a bill promoting a year-round Eastern Standard Time — earlier summer sunrises and sunsets. All other New England states except Maine would have to go along. Notably missing: language about when kids go to school. (Senator Patrick O’Connor filed a similar bill in his chamber.)
Commonwealth Magazine – September 21, 2023
Another union push from legislative staffers
A year after being rebuffed in their efforts to form a union, legislative staff members on Beacon Hill are making another run at the goal, this time pursuing legislative change that would open a path for their organizing efforts.
Last July, Senate President Karen Spilka refused to recognize a union push by staffers to affiliate with IBEW Local 2222. State law allows employees in the executive or judicial branch to unionize, but not those who work in the Legislature.
Legislation filed by Sen. John Keenan and Rep. Patrick Kearney would change the law and allow legislative staff to unionize.
“All workers including legislative staff deserve the right to bargain collectively to ensure that they can have safe and healthy workplaces, good benefits, and that they can earn livable wages,” Keenan said at a hearing Wednesday on the bill before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
Boston25 – September 12, 2023
Survivors urge MA lawmakers to finally ban nonconsensual pornography
State Sen. John Keenan, a sponsor of the bill, testified the crime disproportionately involves underage survivors.
“For every person who comes forward there are dozens and dozens who do not feel they can come forward,” Keenan said. “They don’t want to and for a number of reasons.. can’t reveal what has happened.”
A similar bill passed the House last year, and then months later, passed the Senate by a voice vote. But lawmakers failed to agree on a compromise bill – meaning the bill failed to make it to the governor’s desk by the deadline in the last year.
Lawmakers have until roughly the end of the year to act. Keenan said he feels “very confident” in the bill’s chances this year.
nbc Boston – August 25, 2023
Narcan will now be available at MBTA Red Line stops
“I witnessed a 19-year-old individual experience an overdose and luckily there was Narcan present and the overdose was reversed.”
At that moment, then Harvard freshman Sajeev Kohli wanted to help prevent overdoses. State lawmakers recently approved $95,000 for a plan he and former classmate Jay Garg developed. State Sen. John Keenan sponsored the bill.
“It’s seconds that really count so having Narcan available on either side of the turnstile, meaning on the platform or in the lobby of the train station & then also in the bathroom of the train station is really ready important and will save lives.”
The Boston Globe – August 23, 2023
If you ride it, you know. The Red Line is the worst. Just look at the stats.
State Senator John F. Keenan said he used to regularly take the Red Line from Quincy to the State House. Now, he starts most mornings comparing drive times to travel times on the Red Line and Commuter Rail.
“Before, the train usually was faster. Now, the car seems to be faster,” Keenan said. “More people who have to go to work are driving to work.”
Keenan said rider expectations are low, but ditching the MBTA is a luxury some people cannot afford.
“A lot of people don’t have options,” he said. “The MBTA is it.”
Atlanta journal-constitution – August 17, 2023
CNA exams to be offered in languages other than English in some areas
The CNA exam used to be available in Chinese before the COVID-19 pandemic, when the state used a different exam provider, state senators Jo Comerford and John Keenan and state representative Tackey Chan said.
“The demand is immediate — it’s now, and I think we have to respond as quickly as possible,” Keenan added. “It’s long overdue. I can’t imagine how isolating it must be when somebody is in a room and unable to communicate with a nurse, CNA or anyone that comes in.”
WBUR – August 17, 2023
Narcan kits coming to MBTA Red Line stops
Instructions on how to use naloxone will be attached to each box. Weiner, who helped the students develop the project, co-authored a paper with Garg that proposes a model for providing naloxone in bus and train stations. Weiner says this overdose antidote could become as ubiquitous as defibrillators. Some advocates have added naloxone to defibrillator kits, such as at the Boston Veterans Administration.
State Sen. John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat and one of the lawmakers who proposed funding the naloxone boxes, says he’d consider expanding the project.
“If successful, this program can serve as a model that will help save lives beyond the Red Line,” Keenan said in an email.
state house news service – august 16, 2023
Nurse Assistant Exams To Be Offered in Languages Other Than English, Opening Career Pathways
The policy to expand language offerings for the CNA written exam made it to former Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk last year as part of a broader economic development bill, and he returned it to lawmakers with an amendment asking for an implementation date and tacked on other initiatives for mental health exams for incarcerated people. The Legislature didn’t take up Baker’s proposed changes, though Sens. Jo Comerford and John Keenan and Rep. Tackey Chan revived the issue with similar legislation (H 3609 / S 1336) this session.
Under the budget signed by Healey, the Department of Public Health must offer the CNA exam in a language other than English by Oct. 1, 2024, though Keenan said he intends to urge officials to target a faster timeline. The CNA exam used to be available in Chinese before the COVID-19 pandemic, when the state used a different exam provider, Keenan and Chan said.
“The demand is immediate — it’s now, and I think we have to respond as quickly as possible,” Keenan, a Quincy Democrat, told the News Service. “It’s long overdue. I can’t imagine how isolating it must be when somebody is in a room and unable to communicate with a nurse, CNA or anyone that comes in.”
the Eagle Tribune – July 25, 2023
Legislative staffers renew push for union
A Democratic proposal backed by about two dozen House and Senate lawmakers calls for changing state law to authorize legislative staffers to form and join unions to negotiate for better pay and improved working conditions.
Backers of the effort say legislative staffers, who frequently work on labor rights issues, are be entitled to the same collective bargaining rights as other state workers.
“Right now, we have a group of people who are asking for a seat at the table,” said state Sen. John Keenan, D-Quincy, one of the bill’s primary sponsors, said during a live streamed briefing on Monday. “It’s only fair and right that they have it.”
boston25 – july 12, 2023
Advocates hopeful Mass. will finally criminalize nonconsensual porn
State Sen. John Keenan, a Democrat whose district includes Norfolk and Plymouth counties, has filed legislation to legally go after anyone who knowingly distributes visual material depicting a person nude, partially nude or engaged in sexual conduct. The House version is sponsored by state Rep. Jeffrey Roy, a Democrat who’s long tried to pass legislation addressing teen sexting.
The legislation would allow law enforcement to press charges against anyone who “knowingly distributes visual material depicting another person… who is nude, partially nude or engaged in sexual conduct.. and it causes physical or economic injury or emotional distress.”
“I think it empowers those who have been victimized and is an important step to its healing,” Keenan told Investigative Reporter and Anchor Kerry Kavanaugh. “And that’s not to say that everybody will choose to press criminal charges, but having that available to them, I think, is really important.”
Commonwealth magazine – july 12, 2023
Campbell cautions against headlong rush to online lottery
What Campbell means by “safe and responsible app design and game offerings” isn’t clear, but it suggests concern over the very kind of game offerings anticipated here and currently offered in the seven other states with online lotteries. Those include instant online “scratch” ticket games at price points ranging from 10 cents to $20 that can, as CommonWealth reported earlier this year, “have the energy of a slot machine.”
That slot machine energy seems to be what Campbell is worried about. It’s what concerned Sen. John Keenan of Quincy during the Senate budget debate. He questioned the push to expand gambling, saying we know that it is “highly addictive” and “hits the same receptors in the brain as does an opioid.”
Campbell seems to be staking out ground that tilts against online lottery – without directly opposing it – perhaps because she’s not eager, in her first year in office, to go up against House leadership or the governor who played a big role in getting her elected.
Telegram & Gazette – June 30, 2023
Mass. lawmakers get demo on how to save a life using Narcan
One Massachusetts legislator, Rep. Marjorie Decker, D-Cambridge, carries Narcan it in her purse and has it stashed in her car. Sen. John Keenan, D-Plymouth, wants to see Narcan at all the Red Line stops in his district, alongside the defibrillators that can save lives in case someone is suffering a heart attack.
“No one knows where an overdose can occur,” Keenan said….
…In his remarks, Keenan remembered the call to a Boston neighborhood when he was on a ride-along with Boston EMS.
“There was a woman, on her back on the porch, surrounded by people who didn’t know how to react, didn’t know what to do,” Keenan said. Luckily, the EMS crew did know. “They administered Narcan, and I saw a person who was quite visibly dead sit up, stand with help and talk. Narcan gives people life.”
Commonwealth magazine – june 26, 2023
Eng mum on cause of slow zones, timetable for elimination
At Monday’s oversight hearing, Sen. John Keenan of Quincy pressed Eng for details, saying the speed restrictions “pretty much came out of nowhere.”
Eng, who said transparent communication is a top priority, refused to comment. “I don’t want to speculate on what may or may not have happened,” he said. He also provided no information on when track conditions will significantly improve…
…After a visit to the CRRC facility in Springfield, Eng said he is now confident that the company can produce four completed Orange or Red Line cars a month that exceed contractual operating requirements. Keenan, the Quincy senator, said at that pace it would take five years to produce the remaining Red Line cars the T is owed – way beyond the last scheduled delivery date of September 2026.
Commonwealth Magazine – june 1, 2023
A race to keep up – or to the bottom? Lottery bets big on $50 scratch ticket, online games.
“The state lottery is asking to proceed with online gaming, knowing that gambling is highly addictive. It hits the same receptors in the brain as does an opioid,” Keenan said in a floor speech on behalf of his budget amendment, which was rejected in a voice vote. “My vision of the Commonwealth does not include an increasing number of gambling products and endlessly advertising them, knowing that they lead to addiction, to bankruptcy, to divorce, and to suicide. And yet that seems to be where we’re headed.”
Keenan said he doesn’t necessarily fault Goldberg and lottery officials for latching on to new developments like online lottery to pump up revenue. “It is their mission, it’s what they’re chartered with and they do it well,” he said in an interview. “I think it’s beyond their purview to determine what role gaming should play in society. It rests more with legislators and policymakers.”
Keenan and other critics say online lottery would only compound problem gambling in the state, opening a new front among young people, a group that is particularly susceptible to addiction driven by the “immediate gratification” that is only a few taps away on their phone.
NBC Boston – May 8, 2023
Proposal to Install Narcan Inside Red Line MBTA Stations
“It takes only 3-5 minutes for someone who’s experiencing an overdose to have irreparable brain damage, and so it’s so important to administer naloxone within 3 to 5 minutes to save someone’s life,” said Kohli.
The idea is now a bill sponsored by Sen. John Keenan D, which if passed, would allow for an 18-month pilot program.
“We’re asking that the MBTA provide a report to show how it works out and if it works as we suspect then we will be looking to expand it across the entire MBTA system,” Keenan told NBC10 Boston. “This is a way to at least prevent overdose deaths.”
The Patriot Ledger – May 7, 2023
Quincy senator pushes for Narcan at MBTA stations: ‘No different than a defibrillator’
Sen. John Keenan, D-Quincy, is sponsoring a bill that would create an 18-month pilot program equipping Red Line stations with three boxes of naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal nasal spray, along with instructions on how to use it in the event on an emergency. MBTA staff would be responsible for replacing the missing drug, known commercially as Narcan, if it has been used.
“People may be in the train station and may be in a situation where they could overdose, and having the Narcan available could save a life. It is no different than having a defibrillator available in public areas. We thought it was a good idea,” said Keenan.
The idea came from a group of students at Harvard, who noticed there were a cluster of opioid overdoses happening around the nearby public transit station. The study they looked at, done by the Cambridge Public Health Department, pointed out that 10% of all opioid overdoses patients were picked up by an ambulance in a T station.
WGBH – APril 21, 2023
Does online sports betting in Massachusetts need more regulation?
Is the industry’s quick start cause for celebration or concern? Talking Politics host Adam Reilly is joined by state Sen. John Keenan, who believes sports betting still isn’t regulated as tightly as it should be. He’s introduced legislation that would make several promotional practices that are standard industry practice illegal in Massachusetts.
Boston25 – April 11, 2023
Selectmen, no more: Hanover among Mass. towns to adopt gender-neutral titles for governing board
Now, a bill before the Massachusetts Senate aims to change “the board of selectmen of the town of Hanover to a select board.”
The word “Selectmen” would be replaced with “Select board member,” according to the bill filed by Sen. John Keenan and state Rep. David DeCoste.
“Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the executive 127 body of the town of Hanover, previously known as the board of selectmen, shall be known as the 128 select board and shall have the powers and authority of a board of selectmen under any general 129 or special law,” the bill states.
The Boston Globe – March 27, 2023
As sports betting ads push the limits, regulators need to push back
Others on Beacon Hill are also asking whether Massachusetts Gaming Commission members are doing their jobs as regulators — and deciding they are not.
“Based on the amount of advertising, the tone and tenor, I don’t think so,” state Senator John F. Keenan of Quincy told the editorial board. “We have some catching up to do.”
Keenan has filed a bill that would add bonus promotions, same-game parlays, odds boosts, or promotions that are billed as risk-free, no sweat, or free to what’s prohibited under Chapter 93A of the state’s consumer protection law.
Added Keenan, who voted to legalize sports betting, “We’re not saying ‘don’t bet’. We’re trying to rein in an industry that has taken advantage of the situation.”
WGBH – March 24, 2023
Sports betting ads are everywhere. Are those promotions really risk-free?
“For those that have struggled with addiction relative to gambling, can you imagine the situation they are in right now?” state Sen. John Keenan said on Greater Boston. “Everywhere they turn they are just being hit with this advertising.”
Keenan said sports betting ads have almost become inescapable, appearing on everything from trash cans to billboards. He said the constant exposure becomes an issue for those at risk of addiction and those who have struggled with gambling addiction in the past.
masslive – march 17, 2023
‘Deceptive’ sports betting ads in Mass.: What one lawmaker would like to do about them
A state lawmaker is taking aim at what he describes as “deceptive” sports betting ads by proposing to bar sportsbooks from using language in advertisements publicizing promotional bets that misrepresent a person’s chance of winning.
Sen. John Keenan filed the bill (S 182) in mid-January to combat what he says is a wave of misleading and deceptive advertisements that indirectly target young people in Massachusetts. And Keenan said if lawmakers do not act now, officials “are at risk of losing control of the industry.”
Axios – March 17, 2023
Lawmakers aim to crack down on vaping black market
Driving the news: State Sen. John Keenan and state Rep. Marjorie Decker filed a bill last month to increase sales taxes even more on cigarettes and vaping products.
Keenan, one of the key lawmakers behind the 2019 law, tells Axios he’s also asking Senate leaders for more state funding for the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program, which runs awareness campaigns about health defects tied to smoking.
Plus: Keenan says he’s prepared to take on opponents trying to roll back the restrictions passed in 2019, like one bill proposed last session to repeal the menthol cigarette ban.
What they’re saying: “We just want to make sure we’re getting to as many people as possible with information that shows how dangerous these products are, how addictive these products are and how the industry, I believe, continues to target younger people,” says Keenan, a Quincy Democrat.
NBC10 Boston – March 16, 2023
March Madness Is Underway With Legal Sports Betting in Mass.
“It just seems to be everywhere… We’re trying to convince people that you can bet five dollars, for instance, and lose and yet still win. And we all know that’s not how it works. We all know, in the long run, the house always wins.”
masslive – january 20, 2023
Beacon Hill staffers get new chance to unionize this session
State Sen. John Keenan and Rep. Patrick Kearney filed legislation that would clarify ambiguous state statute around collective bargaining for public employees, allowing staffers in both the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives to unionize.
“I strongly believe that all workers should have the opportunity to join or form a union. Unions have always led the fight for good wages and benefits, safe and family friendly workplaces, and so many other worker protections and workplace improvements,” Keenan, a Quincy Democrat, said in a statement Friday. “I filed this bill because our valued, dedicated, and talented legislative staff have expressed a desire to form a union — this legislation would give them full opportunity to do so.”
The Bay State Banner – December 14, 2022
Report calls for increase in rental assistance
State Sen. John Keenan, who co-chairs the legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing, says he supports expanding the state’s rental voucher program, citing benefits to the commonwealth on top of helping households stay housed.
“People can’t afford housing, and they move out of the commonwealth, and that denies us workers,” says Keenan. “And with a very expensive housing market, it makes it very difficult to draw workers to the commonwealth at every level.”
Keenan says that despite the high price tag for adopting universal rental assistance, there is an appetite within the legislature for action, and he expects legislation expanding the MRVP program to come before his committee in the coming session.
WBUR – September 15, 2022
Public utilities chief defends agency’s oversight of T safety
The head of the state agency that oversees MBTA safety matters took questions from legislators on Beacon Hill Wednesday, after a federal report found the Department of Public Utilities failed to use its authority to address major issues facing the beleaguered transit system.
State Sen. John Keenan, vice chairman of the Legislature’s joint transportation committee, told DPU Chair Matthew Nelson that Keenan feels a strong “sense of urgency” regarding the T.
“Safety doesn’t happen overnight, but you know what? … People die in an instant on our MBTA, and we have to recognize that,” Keenan said.
Boston Globe – August 12, 2022
Revenge porn does real harm to real victims. Why won’t the state Senate act?
Guess he must have missed the words offered on the Senate floor by Senator John F. Keenan, who briefly tried to attach the revenge porn bill to an unrelated bond bill when he said he had indeed heard from his Quincy constituents who told him their stories.
“We probably all have stories, but the fact is, there is not much people can do now under existing law. …It’s a loophole we absolutely should close. We should close it on behalf of all the victims who’ve come forward, and all the victims who have not.”
Boston Globe – July 19, 2022
‘What good does it do to keep the public in the dark?’ Lawmakers grill state’s top transportation officials in safety oversight hearing
Senator John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat and vice chair of the committee, cited the 2019 outside safety review panel report that found a “culture of blame and retaliation” in which workers did not feel comfortable raising safety concerns to management.
masslive – June 16, 2022
State Senate passes bill banning prison, jail construction in Massachusetts for 5 years
Keenan said he agrees the state should have fewer correctional facilities and incarcerated people, and should have more diversion and behavioral health programs. But the state does have old facilities, he said, and at some point officials are “going to have to address that.”
“Over the next five years, we should be planning and designing and contemplating that and then look to construction — responsible construction — that’s consistent with all of our goals, which is to limit incarceration,” the Quincy Democrat said.
Masslive – June 09, 2022
Driver’s licenses for immigrants without legal status in Massachusetts becomes law; Beacon Hill overrides Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, echoing the governor’s rhetoric, told his colleagues Thursday that, “I truly wish we had taken a different path.” The bill poses an “incredible threat to the integrity of the electoral process.”
But Sen. John Keenan refuted Baker’s logic, as he emphasized Green Card holders are already permitted to apply for driver’s licenses.
“We all know that noncitizens in Massachusetts can get driver’s licenses and have been getting driver’s licenses, so why is it a problem now?” Keenan asked on the Senate floor. “Why is the registry all of a sudden today incapable of handling the review of documents?”
WBUR – May 12, 2022
Home inspectors urge state board to clarify law on shortcut inspections they say put consumers at risk
Sen. John Keenan, senate chair of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing, in an interview said the board has “fairly broad discretion in determining the activities that somebody who possesses a license can engage in.”
An inspection with no report “runs afoul of the statute and the regulations,” he said, but the regulations don’t spell out what inspectors cannot do.
Commonwealth Magazine – March 24, 2022
Wind down of housing assistance raises concerns
The governor, in his version of the supplemental budget bill, allocated $60 million for housing assistance programs, to ensure tenants maintain access to RAFT through the end of the fiscal year in June, once the federal program winds down. The House version of the bill upped that to $100 million. Amendments senators will consider during Thursday’s debate, including one introduced by Housing Committee chair Sen. John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat, would double the amount to $200 million.
Another amendment introduced by Keenan would increase the maximum per-family benefit from $7,000 to $10,000 a year.
Lowell sun – march 3, 2022
Local legislators tour housing projects in Devens
Eldridge made it clear that, no matter what may or may not happen at Vicksburg Square, communities around the state must continue to face the state’s affordable housing crisis head on. Likewise, and while he was impressed with the successes in Devens, Keenan stressed that communities must continue in those efforts.
“As Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, I have appreciated the opportunity to see promising projects promoting more accessible, affordable and equitable housing,” Keenan said. “Communities need to continue to address Massachusetts’ housing crisis.”
WBZ newsradio – December 13, 2021
VOAMASS Unveils Newly Renovated Men’s Hello House Near Mass And Cass
For State Senator John Keenan, this cause is personal. He spoke about his father needing this kind of treatment and said these men are real people in need of real assistance.
“They are not dead ends,” Keenan said. “I have talked to so many over the years and I would tell you what has impressed me most is that when somebody goes through treatment and recovery, when you see who they are, it is absolutely amazing.”
WBUR – November 22, 2021
Somerville and Boston want rent control, but Beacon Hill could get in the way
“One of the concerns about rent control — and I will do more research on this — is that you’re not creating any more housing,” Keenan said.
Though Keenan agreed rent control could help reduce the rents for some tenants, he argues it could drive up the rents for others. Keenan said he’s looking forward to learning from both sides at a Jan. 11 hearing on housing bills, including some related to rent control.
Quincy Patriot ledger – September 27, 2021
Quincy State Sen. John Keenan pushes for more affordable healthcare
BOSTON – State Sen. John Keenan touted his proposed healthcare affordability bill on Monday during a briefing by advocacy group Health Care for All. The group released the results of a survey showing more than half of the Bay Staters who responded – more than 1,000 – have had trouble paying for healthcare in the past.
Keenan’s bill, dubbed the More Affordable Care Act, would eliminate copays for service and treatments among certain chronic conditions that disproportionately affect people of color. It would also lower premiums for adults and small businesses by creating a reinsurance program to share the cost risk of very sick patients. The bill also aims to slow the rate of rising healthcare costs through state benchmarks and stronger rate reviews for insurers.
WBUR – September 8, 2021
Mass. Renters On The South Coast Were Twice As Likely To Be Evicted, Despite Federal Moratorium
The other tool the government created to prevent evictions during the pandemic was an expanded rental assistance program, which tenants in southeastern Massachusetts were far more likely to use than the federal eviction moratorium. The court will often dismiss an eviction if the government is willing to pay the landlord what they’re owed in full.
So far, landlords recouped at least $268 million during the pandemic from federally funded rental assistance programs in Massachusetts. But nearly three-quarters of the money allocated for the programs has yet to be spent because of lack of awareness or difficulty accessing the program, an issue playing out across the country.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” said John Keenan, a Massachusetts state senator who chairs the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing. “The money’s just not getting where it should go, and if it did, we wouldn’t have the increased number of evictions in some areas.”
Commonwealth Magazine – July 27, 2021
Baker official pitches housing plan to close racial home-ownership gap
As the state is experiencing soaring home prices, Sen. John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat, asked Kennealy if there is any data on the impact of home buyer assistance programs – which are meant to increase the pool of buyers – in an environment where there is such limited inventory. Keenan questioned whether that would raise prices further, and suggested it might make sense to focus on housing production before homebuyer assistance.
Kennealy responded that the administration is mindful of that concern, but feels it is “really important to do both.” “Clearly, it’s a question of balance,” Kennealy said.
Quincy patriot ledger – july 9, 2021
South Shore officials blame Purdue Pharma following $4 billion settlement
State Sen. John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat, is calling for individual members of the Sackler family to face criminal charges for their role in the opioid epidemic.
“While the bankruptcy court settlement announced today is substantial, I believe that members of the Sackler family who directed and profited from the marketing of oxycontin should face federal criminal charges as well,” Keenan said in a statement.
Weymouth and Quincy are among more than 1,700 other communities across the country that collectively are suing 16 drug manufactures and distributors who officials say promoted opioids.
Quincy Patriot Ledger – July 1, 2021
More Affordable Care Act addresses lessons learned during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed and amplified deep inequities in our health care system, and the Commonwealth, despite previous successes in expanding health care, was not immune. Massachusetts must pave the way in addressing extreme health care costs and their underlying causes. The More Affordable Care Act, currently before the Legislature, poses solutions to some of the greatest challenges in health care and should pass this session.
Conversations I have had with constituents through the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted important elements of challenges relative to coverage and cost: the unique struggles of small business owners, marginalized groups, and individuals in low-income living situations. Health care costs and related access issues that already posed problems only got worse during the pandemic.
CommonWealth Magazine – June 29, 2021
Plan pitched to lower consumer health care costs
Consumer advocacy organization Health Care for All is pushing a proposal introduced by Rep. Christine Barber, a Somerville Democrat, and Sen. John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat, which would take steps to reduce out of pocket costs. Most significantly, it would require insurers to cover care without copays for seven chronic conditions that disproportionately affect low-income communities of color. They are: diabetes, asthma/COPD, hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, opioid use disorder, and bipolar disorder/schizophrenia.
Barber said these diseases were picked because of their prevalence in poor communities of color. She compared the bill to provisions in the Affordable Care Act that required preventive care to be covered without copays, to make it easier for people to obtain basic care that prevents expensive complications.
Commonwealth magazine – january 28, 2020
Senators, unions push back against more T privatization
MBTA UNIONS and their legislative supporters launched a full-court press at Monday’s meeting of the Fiscal and Management Control Board to block efforts by the transit authority to buy 60 new buses and turn them over to a private contractor to operate and maintain.
Six of the state’s 40 senators and a host of union officials testified before the control board, pressing the panel to invest in its own workforce rather than contracting the work out. “Do not default to privatization, default to working with your employees,” said Sen. John Keenan of Quincy to rousing applause from union workers in the audience.
wicked local – December 11, 2019
State officials applaud Holbrook students for battle against vaping, tobacco
Holbrook Middle-High School students were invited to attend the signing of an historic bill that changes tobacco control in the state.
The students, including graduate Sarah Ryan who has become a national force on fighting vaping and tobacco, were recognized for the years of effort put in by the Civics Club and the school’s chapter of the 84 Movement.
NECN – november 27, 2019
Gov. Baker Signs Groundbreaking Bill Banning Flavored Tobacco, Vape Products
(VIDEO) Massachusetts became the first state to ban flavored tobacco and nicotine vaping products, including menthol cigarettes, after Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law on Wednesday a bill that’s meant to reduce the appeal of the products to young people amid a rash of illnesses and deaths linked to vaping.
wall street journal – november 27, 2019
Massachusetts Enacts U.S.’s Toughest Flavored-Tobacco Ban
BOSTON—Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law the nation’s toughest prohibition on flavored tobacco, including a ban on menthol cigarettes.
The new restrictions will put Massachusetts at the forefront of a national crackdown on flavored tobacco in an effort to stop young people from developing tobacco habits. At the federal level, White House support for a ban on sweet and fruity e-cigarettes appeared to be softening after President Trump last week said a prohibition could have dangerous consequences.
boston.com – november 21, 2019
After Senate vote, Mass. bill to ban flavored tobacco sales heads to governor’s desk
“For far too long, big tobacco has targeted our kids with flavored products,” state Sen. John Keenan, who pushed for the ban alongside state Rep. Danielle Gregoire, said in a statement. “By banning the sale of the flavored products … we are telling big tobacco their days of hooking kids in Massachusetts are over. Hopefully, this effort will serve as a roadmap for the rest of the country.”
boston globe – november 21, 2019
State lawmakers pass nation’s toughest restrictions on sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products
State lawmakers Thursday passed the nation’s toughest restrictions on the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products, including menthol — a forceful response to an epidemic in which one out of every five Massachusetts high-schoolers use e-cigarettes.
wicked local – november 21, 2019
Holbrook students inspire state anti-tobacco bill
Holbrook teenagers were the inspiration behind a bill passed by the state House and Senate that would ban the sale of all flavored vaping and tobacco products, including mint and menthol. E-cigarettes would be newly taxed under the bill sent Gov. Charlie Baker early Thursday morning in an last-minute burst of lawmaking activity.
wall street journal – november 21, 2019
Massachusetts Lawmakers Pass Bill to Ban Flavored Tobacco, Menthol Cigarettes
Massachusetts lawmakers passed a bill in the early morning hours Thursday to enact the country’s most stringent state ban on flavored tobacco, including menthol cigarettes, in an effort to combat youth tobacco use.
The Democratic-led legislature sent the bill to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker after a final preholiday session at the state capital stretched beyond midnight. The House passed the flavor ban last week, but needed to clear it again after the Senate added some amendments following a long floor debate.
New york times – november 21, 2019
Massachusetts to Ban Menthol Cigarettes as Well as Flavored Vapes
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Massachusetts has moved a step closer to banning all flavored e-cigarettes and tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, amid a national push to contend with the risks of vaping.
The State Senate followed the House late Wednesday in passing a sweeping ban, which, if signed into law, would make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to bar all flavored vaping and tobacco products. Other states were said to be closely watching the outcome in Massachusetts.
CNN – November 21, 2019
Massachusetts lawmakers vote to ban all flavored tobacco products and tax vaping devices
(CNN) Lawmakers in Massachusetts passed a comprehensive set of tobacco controls early Thursday morning that, if signed into law, will make the state’s tobacco laws among the toughest in the nation.
The bill, which made it to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk after midnight, passed both houses of the state legislature with widespread support — 32-6 in the state Senate, and 127-31 in the state House of Representatives. A final version reconciled between the two chambers passed the House 119-33.
Boston 25 – October 18, 2019
Boston 25 News In-Depth: Vaping crisis
Vaping has become the center of a controversial, nationwide discussion.
The number of Americans with vaping-related lung disease is climbing every week. The latest numbers from the CDC show 1,479 confirmed cases in the United States; 29 of those cases are in Massachusetts
Thirty-three people have died nationwide, including one in Mass.
Mass Live – July 21, 2019
‘It infects social groups:’ Vaping and e-cigarette use in schools skyrockets; why you should care
The first e-cigarette Matt Murphy tried was a brick-like device with a large mouthpiece. He took a hit and released an amorphous cloud of smoke, not like the elegant rings that influencers blow out of their mouths in YouTube videos.
Associated Press – July 21, 2019
Flavored Tobacco Targeted In Bid To Stem Youth Vaping
One year after concluding a successful campaign to raise the minimum age for buying tobacco from 18 to 21 across Massachusetts, anti-smoking advocates are now zeroing in on flavored tobacco products like those popular with electronic cigarette users.
Mass live – july 16, 2019
Attorney General Maura Healey says unregulated e-cigarette flavors getting a new generation hooked on nicotine
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey called on state lawmakers to move forward with legislation that bans flavored tobacco products, including vapes, from retailers across the commonwealth.
“The research is clear: flavor in tobacco products increases their appeal to young people and promotes initiation,” Healey said during the Joint Committee on Public Health heading Tuesday afternoon. “The good news is we know what works. We’ve fought Big Tobacco before and won.”
Boston Herald – July 16, 2019
Bill calling for ban on vaping pens would be the nation’s first if passed
Legislation calling for a ban on all flavored tobacco products statewide, including increasingly popular JUUL vape pods, would be the first of its kind in the nation if passed.
“Make no mistake about it, Big Tobacco is now Big Vape,” said state Rep. Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlboro) who is co-sponsoring the bill with state Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy)
7 News boston – July 16, 2019
State lawmakers call for ban on flavored tobacco
BOSTON (WHDH) – State lawmakers are weighing a ban of flavored tobacco products across Massachusetts, saying officials need to do more to stop kids from vaping, but manufacturers and convenience store owners say they’re already working to prevent youth use.
WBUR – July 1, 2019
Cumberland Farms Sues 6 Mass. Towns Over Flavored Tobacco Ban
Cumberland Farms is suing six Massachusetts towns over new regulations blocking the sale of flavored tobacco products and Sen. John Keenan said the suit is proof of the need for a state law banning products like some of the most popular Juul pods and more.
NECN, The take – June 14, 2019
Lawmakers Push Statewide Ban on Flavored Tobacco Products
State Sen. John Keenan joins Sue to talk about the vaping epidemic in Massachusetts schools and how lawmakers want a ban on flavored tobacco products to cut down on their use.
Patriot Ledger – June 14, 2019
Blood drives for Quincy’s Mighty Quinn are a ‘mission of love’
WEYMOUTH — Outside the Saint Jerome School Friday afternoon was a little girl dressed as a cartoon blood drop, hopping from foot to foot and handing green rubber bracelets to anyone who would take them as a way of greeting and encouraging people to stop by a blood drive to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital.
22 news – June 12, 2019
Athletic agencies team up with lawmakers to discourage teen vaping
BOSTON (WWLP) – More than 20 percent of Massachusetts high school students currently use e-cigarettes and the health risks associated with it could be hurting an entire generation.
During a news conference on Tuesday organizations like TB12 warned teens about the long term health effects of vaping.
Mass live – June 12, 2019
Vaping is ruining student athletes: ’It’s heartbreaking,’ Massachusetts parents, school officials say
Paul Spear was just started as athletic director at Framingham High School when he heard that students were vaping. All he knew was that a friend mentioned he was using the products to ween off cigarettes.
By late 2017, a year later, he was seeing student athletes in his office every week who got caught vaping on school grounds. He had to break the news to them and their parents that they were suspended from a series of games or competitions, due to regulations set by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.
State house news service – May 20, 2019
Health activists press ban on flavored tobacco, vaping products
BOSTON — Ten months after Massachusetts became the sixth state to raise its tobacco-buying age to 21, Rep. Danielle Gregoire said she has “real hope” a ban on flavored tobacco and vaping products will pass this year or next.
Gregoire spoke at an American Heart Association of Massachusetts lobby day Thursday, urging advocates to share their personal stories with lawmakers.
Holbrook wicked local – May 28, 2019
Holbrook gets a boost in state aid
Holbrook will receive a boost in state aid for fiscal year 2020, according to state Sen. John Keenan.
The state budget includes a 2.7 percent increase in local aid, providing the Town of Holbrook a total of $1,566,803 for to help fund public safety improvements, housing initiatives, community health programs and other local services. The Council on Aging also will receive funding increases.
Boston Globe – May 19, 2019
EDITORIAL: Time to get serious about teen vaping epidemic
Electronic nicotine delivery systems — such as vape pens, e-hookahs, and other forms of e-cigarettes — arrived a few years ago under the guise of providing a less harmful and better smoking experience than traditional cigarettes. E-cigarettes typically have no tobacco and none of the cancerous toxins found in cigarettes. They work by heating a liquid made of nicotine, glycerol, flavorings, and other chemicals. They produce no odor.
Boston HERALD – May 9, 2019
Mass General pediatrician pushes ban on flavored vapes
A Massachusetts General pediatrician warns that kids “don’t really stand a chance” against vape companies like Juul, pointing to marketing tactics that he says are meant to get them hooked on nicotine.
“I see a flood of kids in my practice who are addicted to Juul,” Dr. Jonathan Winickoff said. “It’s extremely scary.”
Patriot Ledger – May 9, 2019
Quincy Sen. John Keenan pushes for ban on flavored tobacco
BOSTON — An epidemic of vaping and e-cigarette use among Massachusetts teens is frightening doctors and advocates, and state Sen. John Keenan, D-Quincy, said he is making it a priority to pass a bill forbidding the sale of flavored tobacco or tobacco products this session.
patriot ledger – April 11, 2019
Abington High one of three ‘Blue Ribbon Schools’ in the state
ABINGTON — The state’s commissioner of elementary and secondary education will visit Abington High School on Friday to congratulate administrators on its designation as a Blue Ribbon School, a national distinction given by the U.S. Department of Education.
Commissioner Jeffrey Riley will join state Sen. John Keenan, D-Quincy, at the high school starting at 1 p.m. to meet with administrators and students in eighth and 12th grades.
boston globe – March 28, 2019
Advocates want ban on flavored tobacco and vaping products
More than 100 cancer patients, survivors, and their family members fanned out across Beacon Hill on Thursday to push for a ban on all flavored tobacco products, including the nicotine liquid used in vaping, as well as steep new taxes on e-cigarettes.
holbrook wicked local – March 22, 2019
Keenan, Holbrook students talk dangers of teen vaping
State Sen. John Keenan met March 5 with members of the Holbrook Middle-High School Civics Club to discuss the increase in teen vaping across Massachusetts.
The Holbrook Civics Club has been working to raise awareness about the health risks associated with e-cigarettes and vape products such as JUUL, and joined Keenan to discuss legislation that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products statewide.
watd – February 18, 2019
WATD: Beacon Hill: Keenan Discusses Committee Assignments
State Senator John Keenan, represents the Norfolk and Plymouth District, discusses his committee assignments with WATD’s Dan McCready.
WBUR – July 25, 2018
Deal Struck To Protest Consumers Hurt By Data Breaches
A compromise bill filed Tuesday by a House-Senate conference committee would afford Massachusetts residents a year and a half of free credit monitoring services if their personal data and Social Security number are compromised by a data security breach.
State Senator John F. Keenan 