Newsroom

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.”

see all press clippings

Press Releases:

December 20, 2024

May 24, 2024

August 10, 2023

July 20, 2023

May 25, 2023

March 6, 2023

November 15, 2022

November 2, 2022

August 17, 2022

August 12, 2022

July 28, 2022

July 15, 2022

July 14, 2022

July 7, 2022

May 31, 2022

May 6, 2022

April 29, 2022

April 28, 2022

April 19, 2022

April 5, 2022

In the News:

The Patriot Ledger – May 29, 2025