By Bob Katzen

“As a community, we must ensure our young people are working in safe and healthy environments. Whether it be for a summer job or year-round, younger workers – particularly those in low-income, immigrant communities and communities of color – are vulnerable to poorer working conditions and exploitation.”

—Attorney General Andrea Campbell on building public awareness surrounding workplace protections for migrant and other vulnerable children in the Bay State.

“The Healey Administration is committed to ensuring that the options available through SNAP are wide-ranging and reflect the communities we serve. These selected restaurants and food trucks are diverse and strong focal points in their communities, dedicated to providing their neighbors with access to delicious and healthy food that is also nourishing and familiar to people from around the world.”
—Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh announcing that 27 restaurants and food trucks have been selected to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Restaurant Meals Program pilot. The Department of Transitional Assistance will work with the selected businesses over the next several months to become federally certified SNAP restaurants and anticipates the program will open for individuals and households to use their benefits at all selected restaurants and food trucks by fall 2023.

“These federal funds will allow us to advance and finalize critical long-term habitat restoration efforts along the Massachusetts coast to protect the environment and improve resilience to climate change. Our administration is committed to working directly with coastal communities to restore these habitats, and we will continue to maximize state investment by pursuing federal funding whenever possible.”
—Gov. Maura Healey on a $3.7 million federal grant for two coastal habitat restoration projects through the Coastal Zone Management Habitat Protection and Restoration Awards.

“It’s clear that immigrant entrepreneurs are a positive force in Massachusetts and New England. Entrepreneurship is consistently linked to higher economic growth and more opportunity.”
— Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios on the group’s new study that found that immigrants in Massachusetts and New England are more likely to be self-employed, but the businesses they own tend to be in different industries than those owned by the U.S. born.