NORTHAMPTON — Food justice, health care access and criminal justice reform were on the menu Friday as Congregation B’nai Israel hosted its eighth annual luncheon with state legislators representing the Pioneer Valley.
With the congregation sharing with lawmakers a “desire to address root causes of social inequalities,” Rabbi Justin David said, “We need a reminder that hope is a real thing.”
The luncheon, planned by the Congregation’s Tikkun Olam Committee and held at B’nai Israel, featured state Sens. Jo Comerford and Adam Hinds, as well as state Reps. Daniel Carey, Natalie Blais, Lindsay Sabadosa, Aaron Vega and Mindy Domb. About 100 members of the congregation attended to hear from the legislators and pose their own questions about the issues important to them.
The goal of the event, Rabbi Justin David, was a dialogue about the issues at the forefront of the congregation’s concerns. Vega, of Holyoke, told the gathered community that listening to constituents “informs representatives the most.”
The legislators emphasized that they hope their communities will reach out to them with their concerns and issues, citing phone calls, emails and texts as effective means of contacting them. At the luncheon’s close, Pamela Schwartz, the lead organizer from the Tikkun Olam Committee, invited those in the room to a carpool for a Boston Lobby Day on April 1 with the goal of furthering the dialogue between the community and the legislators. “Don’t underestimate the power in this room,” she said.
Each legislator was asked to speak about the priorities they have in common with the congregation. Public health concerns were a focus of the meeting, taking the shape of climate change activism, nutritional assistance and addiction services. Comerford praised the “people power” of the event,” saying that it makes the legislators “work better or harder.”
One issue on the congregation’s list of legislative priorities, Breakfast After the Bell, was unanimously passed by the state Senate on Jan. 16.
Vega, the lead sponsor of the bill, said he hopes to next improve the quality of school food and provide every student with breakfast — regardless of income status.
Comerford discussed the existing program Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) as one of her priorities. Massachusetts residents eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are eligible to use HIP benefits to receive an extra dollar back on fresh produce. Comerford referred to the program as “a win for economic and regional development.”
A woman in the audience asked about state plans to address climate change, and the legislators informed her of the goal to transition the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority over to wholly electric vehicles within the next five years. Income affects people’s exposure to pollution as public buses most frequently travel through low-income neighborhoods, they noted.
Sabadosa discussed “an Act ensuring access to addiction services,” which would end the involuntary incarceration, or sectioning, of individuals for substance abuse. Sabadosa said she hopes that this act will provide individuals with proper nutrition and greater access to exercise, rather than being restricted to the few hours they are currently allowed each week.
Sabadosa said she has doubts that another bill she has marked as a priority, “An act to reduce mass incarceration,” will “move anytime soon.” This act would allow those serving life sentences a parole hearing after 25 years. However, there currently isn’t enough energy for the proposed legislation to become a reality, she said: “I ask you today to please create it.”