Massachusetts Senate To Hold Listening Sessions On Recovery

The Massachusetts Senate is planning to host a series of virtual listening sessions on what steps the state needs to take to recover from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Democratic Senate president Karen Spilka said senators will hear from chief stakeholders, policy experts and others on the factors lawmakers should consider when creating policy proposals related to reopening and recovery.

An initial session will look at the economic development and workforce implications of reopening, followed by another session on public health and health care requirements for a safe reopening, Spilka said.

Future sessions will focus on the implications of reopening and recovery on other aspects of the economy, infrastructure — including childcare and transportation — and the daily lives of residents.

Spilka said the listening sessions will help guide the Senate’s work as the state shifts from the immediate public health crisis posed by COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, to the state’s economic recovery.

A schedule of the sessions has yet to be released.