Elections

Fierro Talks About State Rep Candidacy, Creating Affordable Housing, Green Energy, and More

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Richard Fierro, a three-year resident of Jamaica Plain, is a candidate to be the next representative for the 15th Suffolk County District. He answered questions from Jamaica Plain News about why he decided to run, how he can help the 15th Suffolk District, and the issues that are most important to him. Q: Why did you decide to run for the 15th Suffolk District state representative seat? Fierro: Several major crises affect the entire country, and we have not been spared here in our community and across the Commonwealth. These crises include climate change, housing shortages, the opioid epidemic, student loan and consumer debt, economic decline, and financial hardships.

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Government

Residents Invited to Testify at Boston City Council District 6 Redistricting Hearing on March 31

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The public is invited to offer testimony during a Boston City Council Redistricting Committee hearing focused on District 6 on March 31. District 5 City Councilor (and Suffolk County District Attorney candidate) Ricardo Arroyo will lead the hearing as chair of the committee. The majority of Jamaica Plain consists of District 6, but there is a little bit of Districts 4 and 7 in Jamaica Plain, too. Public testimony regarding redistricting from residents of Districts 4, 5 and 6 will occur at City Hall on March 31 at 6:30 pm. Read the public notice here.

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Digital currency

Reps Lynch & Pressley Introduce Legislation to Develop Electronic Version of U.S. Dollar

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Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA 8) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA 7) introduced a bill that would develop an electronic version of the U.S. dollar. “As digital payment and currency technologies continue to rapidly expand and with Russia, China, and over 90 countries worldwide already researching and launching some form of central bank digital currency, it is absolutely critical for the U.S. to remain a world leader in the development and regulation of digital currency and other digital assets,” said Rep. Lynch, Chairman of the Task Force on Financial Technology. “By establishing a pilot program within Treasury for the development of an electronic U.S. Dollar, the ECASH Act will greatly complement and advance ongoing efforts undertaken by the Federal Reserve and President Biden to examine potential design and deployment options for a digital dollar. Importantly, this pilot program will also preserve a role in our financial system for smaller anonymous cash-like transactions which are currently transacted in physical dollars and which have seen a rapid decline in use.”

The White House previously announced an executive order on March 9 instructing numerous federal agencies to study digital assets and provide numerous reports about their use and proposals that could regulate them. The hope of this legislation is to promote greater financial inclusion, maximize consumer protection and data privacy, and advance U.S. efforts to develop and regulate digital assets.

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Development

Two Affordable Housing Developments and Church Recommended for Community Preservation Act Funding

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Two affordable housing developments and a local church were among 52 projects that were recommended to receive Community Preservation Act funding. Mayor Michelle Wu and the city's Community Preservation Committee's recommendations totaled more than $27 million in grants. The two affordable housing projects recommended to receive funding are:

Stonley-Brookley -- $1,975,000 to partially fund the creation of 45 mixed income-restricted homeownership units in a new development. Community Preservation funds will support the 32 affordable units ranging from 80% to 100% Area Median Income (AMI). 127 Amory St.

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Government

Watch: Councilor Lara Delivers Maiden Speech in Spanish & English About Voting Rights for Immigrants with Legal Status

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District 6 City Council Kendra Lara delivered her maiden Boston City Council speech on Wednesday about providing immigrants with legal status to vote in municipal elections. Lara also introduced her first piece of legislation -- restoring municipal voting rights to immigrants with legal status. "Regardless of citizenship status, all our residents deserve control over issues that affect their lives by participating in the democratic process and electing their municipal leaders," wrote Lara in her weekly newsletter roundup of council meetings. "Immigrants represent 29% of our city’s population and serve as an integral part of Boston's social, political, economic, and cultural fabric. Excluding such a significant portion of our city’s population from full political participation threatens the health of our democracy.

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