Senator Lovely currently serves in Leadership as Assistant Majority Leader and as Chair of the Senate and Joint Committees on Rules. She also proudly serves as Senate Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, and as a member of the Senate Committees on Ethics, Global Warming and Climate Change, and Juvenile and Emerging Adult Justice, in addition to the Joint Committee on Agriculture.

The legislature is in the middle of the budget season, though the Senator is confident that the most pressing items will included in the final budget. She addressed the revenue shortfalls that you might have heard about in the news. During some months, this shortfall went into the tens of thousand of dollars. The governor had local money that had been earmarked cut in order to restore the shortfall in the short term. These shortfalls are caused by inflation which has forced residents to tighten their belts financially. The rainy day account has $8.1 million which is saved for larger events like a recession or a pandemic. This is double what it had been prior to the pandemic. 

Senator Lovely spent time on legislative successes, especially items of local concern. This includes additional funding for the Salem High School CTE program which Rinus has kept us all up-to-date on. There will be a new Salem High School, fully approved by the Commonwealth, which could potentially partner CTE programs with Peabody which will also have a new high school. The collaboration will extend into Beverly too. Offshore wind is on the way soon! She wants to ensure that the community has a role to play.

This year, Senator Lovely has been actively involved in legislation addressing issues of equity in the Commonwealth. They are in the middle of the budget season, though the Senator is confident that the most pressing items will included in the final budget. Addressed the revenue shortfalls that you might have heard about in the news. Migrant families are being housed in several North Shore communities, including Salem. Many of the adults in Salem have gained employment. She emphasized that these families are legally in the country with proper documentation. Other successes this legislative season include a bill that allowed all students access to free and nutritious breakfast, while another helped farmers impacted by the recent floods that will render their fields unusable for the next several years. Senator Lovely is proud of the creation and funding of the HomeWorks program which gives support to students after school. This will allow students who live in shelters across the Commonwealth to participate in after school activities. She is also proud of how the legislature has addressed suicide prevention training.  

Outside of her committee work, Senator Lovely is the Senate Chair of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators. She is also a member of the Massachusetts Legislative Food Systems Caucus, Coastal Caucus, Boating Caucus, Zero Waste Caucus, Gateway Cities Caucus, Protecting Animal Welfare (PAW) Caucus and Climate Alliance Caucus. She has served as Senate Chair of the Ellen Story Commission on Postpartum Depression where she now serves as a member, Chair of the Special Senate Committee to Review the Sexual Harassment Policies and Procedures, and as a member of the Legislative Commission on Ocean Acidification, Special Senate Committee on Opioid Addiction Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Options, and Special Legislative Commission on Public Records.

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