First hearing on the state’s vaccine rollout is set for Thursday
BOSTON, MA – Recently, House and Senate leaders unveiled the new Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management. The committee is tasked with providing oversight of the state’s pandemic response and to take on an advisory role for the State Legislature. State Senator Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) was appointed as Ranking Member on the Senate for the new committee.
“This newly formed committee ensures that the legislature will play a large role when it comes to every aspect of the state’s response to COVID-19,” O’Connor said. “While the Commonwealth continues to make progress and vaccinate more of our population, it hasn’t been without frustration.”
O’Connor, who was been providing constant updates to constituents by e-mail and social media on the state’s vaccine rollout says that he hears from 60-70 constituents a day.
“Constituents have questions, concerns, and ideas about the state’s vaccination rollout and I believe it’s important to bring those conversations forward so the public knows we are working to address their concerns and improve our system.”
Some of the key issues O’Connor wants to address are: making the state vaccination website portal more user friendly, providing local boards of health and area hospitals with vaccines, and getting answers surrounding the prioritization of teachers in the rollout plan to return children to in-classroom learning.
The committee will receive testimony from key members of the Baker Administration at their first oversight hearing on Thursday, February 25th.
“My concerns aren’t all that different than what we’ve been hearing from constituents,” said O’Connor. “We understand that this is a massive undertaking and there are bound to be missteps, however, we need to resolves these issues. I’m looking forward to the hearing.”
Rep. William Driscoll (D-Milton) and Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northhampton) have been named co-chairs of the Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management.
Senator O’Connor represents the Plymouth and Norfolk district, which includes the towns of Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Hull, Marshfield, Norwell, Scituate, and Weymouth. Senator O’Connor and his staff may be reached via phone at 617-722-1646 or via email at Patrick.O’[email protected].
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