The Massachusetts State Senate on April 25th passed legislation allowing for a non-binary option for gender on drivers’ licenses and birth certificates, new requirements for cyclists and motorists that promote safety for everybody who uses the road, and a final effort to lift the so-called ‘Cap on Kids.’ All three bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

The following op-ed was published by the Boston Business Journal on April 2, 2019. You can read it online here. Also pasted in full below.

Employee ownership can save jobs, build the state's economy

I grew up like most Cape Codders, in a family inextricably tied to the tourism industry. My parents, Adrian and Annette, came to Provincetown in the 1970s, leaving behind the confines of suburban Connecticut for the free spirit of the Outer Cape. As so many do, they made a life working in restaurants. 

Today, the Massachusetts State Senate passed legislation that reaffirms the Commonwealth's commitment to providing support for women, members of the LGBTQ community and children and families in need. The Senate also gave final approval to a $135.9 million supplemental budget for the Fiscal Year 2019.

Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket face a significant environmental crisis in degraded water quality caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus. The culprit? A lack of wastewater management and limited sewer infrastructure. Simply put, we haven’t done a good job managing our waste. Cape Cod’s 15 towns are all under agreement with U.S. EPA, MassDEP, and CLF to reduce nitrogen levels in watersheds, most of which cross town boundaries, at a cost of $4 billion. Although not under the agreement, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket also face elevated nitrogen levels in their waters and the expensive price tag to keep island waters clean.

I worked hard with Rep. Sarah Peake to establish the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund, which was signed into law last year with the unanimous support of my colleagues in the Cape & Islands Delegation. This fund will help realize the state’s commitment to helping Cape Cod address its multi-billion dollar wastewater problem – and if island towns decide to opt into the Fund, it will provide significant resources for Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket too.

Want to learn more about this newly created revenue stream to help the Cape & Islands ensure pristine water for future generations? Check out this video segment from Lower Cape TV that explains what this Fund is and answers many common questions. Watch it above. And if you’d like to learn even more, read the below extensive FAQ page.

- Julian Cyr

VIDEO CREDIT: Lower Cape TV

The Senate proposal eliminates the ‘Cap on Kids’ and includes $30M for the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program

The Massachusetts State Senate passed a supplemental budget on March 7th for Fiscal Year 2019 of $143.9 million in spending to address deficiencies, as well as policy and spending items that are time sensitive in nature. The proposal is $21.4 million less than what Governor Baker originally proposed in January.

Furthering the Senate’s continued commitment to support working families and those in need, the Senate’s proposed supplemental budget eliminates the so-called ‘Cap on Kids’ and includes $30 million for the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), among other considerations.

State Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland) announced committee assignments and appointments to her leadership team today and, in great news for the residents of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, state Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro) was named Assistant Majority Whip. Cyr is the only sophomore legislator in Senate leadership and is currently the youngest member of the Senate.

Senator Julian Cyr and Representative Dylan Fernandes Outlined this new Commission, which will form in the coming weeks.

(Barnstable, MA) — Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro) and Representative Dylan Fernandes (D-Falmouth) held a press conference on Tuesday October 16 to discuss the formation of legislation, which is now law, that calls for a special commission to determine the extent to which coastal and ocean acidification impacts commercially valuable marine species along the Massachusetts coastline. The establishment of this commission aims to address critical scientific and general knowledge “gaps” that may hinder the Commonwealth’s ability to craft policy and other responses to coastal and ocean acidification.