In 2006, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued recommendations for health care providers to make HIV testing routine in health care.

2010 is officially upon us and we are half way through our legislative session on Beacon Hill. 2009 provided legislative victories that I am very proud of and I look forward to building on those successes as we begin formal sessions once again. 

At the risk of disagreeing with an institution that buys news print by the ton, I would like to respond to the Cape Cod Time’s characterizations that my efforts to reform the bottle bill are “out of touch.” 

As 2009 draws to a close it is good to reflect on the many events that will define this year both in our lives and in the legislature.

“And this is the cause of my life -- new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American -- north, south, east, west, young, old -- will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.” These were the words spoken by our late great Senator Edward M. Kennedy at the Democratic Convention in 2008. 

Massachusetts has always been a leader in education. The very first public school system was started right here in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1642 and has grown to serve close to 950,000 students in 391 public school districts throughout Massachusetts.

On September 14th 2009, work began to repave the Sagamore Bridge. Built in 1935, the Sagamore Bridge has never undergone major repairs save for a similar paving project that was undertaken twenty years ago. 

September is a big month for people of all ages. For students and parents its new clothes, new classes, new schools and readjusting schedules for the onslaught of practices, games and performances. On the Cape, it represents the end of summer and a break in traffic. 

Since 2006, residents of Cape Cod and Southeastern Mass have been paying well over $100 million a year extra on their electric bills to operate a power plant whose power has not been used for the majority of that time.

On Thursday June 25th, I joined my colleagues in both the House and Senate in voting to pass legislation aimed at strengthening and reforming our ethics laws here in Massachusetts. 

There is no getting around it: our fisheries are struggling.

Thirty percent of Massachusetts school children are overweight.  When I first read that statistic I was shocked; but the more you learn about obesity in our schools the scarier it gets.

Massachusetts has always been a hub for non-profit organizations ranging from our institutions of higher learning and medicine, to independent world renowned conservation and advocacy organizations, to research and arts institutions large and small.

One of the tell-tale signs that Spring is really here is in early May, when you can drive to various locations around the Cape and find local produce, fresh and ready for eating sold at our local farmers markets. 

While our new administration has brought a feeling of hope and change, there are numerous challenges facing each level of our government and as constituents it can be difficult to know where to turn in times of hardship. 

n response to projected state revenues and the shrinking pool of funds available to the Commonwealth Governor Deval Patrick was granted use of his 9C authority to cut the executive agency budgets, which provide funding to many important programs throughout the Commonwealth.

As we step into the New Year, the State House will resound with activity.  I had the honor of being sworn in for my 5^th term as State Senator from the Cape and islands and was joined by many old friends and a few new faces.