State Rep. Kathy LaNatra

This weekend, I attended the 3rd Annual “We Remember, We Recover” event at the Plymouth library with my colleague State Rep. Michelle Badger. This incredible event celebrates the perseverance and fortitude of those who are in recovery from substance abuse and celebrates the incredible power of partnership, breaking the stigma, and support from your community. This is also a time to remember those we have lost to substance use. Each of these individuals was a friend, a loved one, a parent, a child. It is so important that we honor their contributions to the lives of those around them.

I spoke about the need for partnership at all levels of government, between public and private entities, between our schools, health care system and everyone to help ensure that no lives are lost to substance use. It is also in each of us, to help break the stigma and be a place of comfort where friends, family and loved ones can go to say, “I am struggling and I need help.”

This event was a great tribute to those we have lost, a call to action as we heard from so many incredible people who are in their road to recovery and are using their voice to help others do the same and a reminder that while progress is being made, we have so much more to do.

Thank you to the Plymouth Public Library and every organization who helped put this on. Most importantly thank you to everyone who spoke and shared your story. Without your voice at the table, none of this would be possible.

Team LaNatra has MORE big news to share! 🎉

This month, we have nearly DOUBLED the amount of doors we knocked in May, June, and July! Team LaNatra continues to show up in the amazing communities of the 12th Plymouth District and engage voters in critical conversations on affordability, local aid, economic development, and environmental protections.

I want to thank all of our volunteers for enduring the heat (and sometimes rain!) this summer and especially the voters with whom we have spoken in Middleboro, Pembroke, Kingston, and Plymouth. Your collective energy and spirit make this people-powered campaign move forward! ❤🤍💙

In the months ahead, we will be knocking doors in every town in my district. Interested in joining us? Sign up here: https://www.kathylanatra.com/volunteer

What are you doing next Sunday? Join Team LaNatra for a Day of Action ahead of the September primary!

On Sunday, August 30th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, supporters and I are coming together to knock doors and make phone calls for my reelection campaign to represent the 12th Plymouth District for another term.

Whether you’re a first-time volunteer or a seasoned canvasser, all are welcome—and any amount of time you can give makes a real difference.

We will start at 10 Cordage Park Circle, Suite 229, in Plymouth with a brief training before heading out in teams to connect with voters. Please bring a fully charged smartphone (and a laptop or tablet if you plan to make calls), a water bottle, comfortable walking shoes, and a friend!

Sign up here: https://www.mobilize.us/massdems/event/999926/
Let’s build momentum together—see you there!

Team LaNatra has been busy these past few weeks with standouts! ☺️

I had a great coffee and chat with the residents over at Wingate in Kingston! This was a great chance to connect with this group of people and hear about issues important to them.

Thank you to the residents and staff for welcoming me and for the wonderful morning!

On Thursday, Governor Healey announced that kratom, often billed as 'gas station heroine,' would be classified as a schedule I drug and banned from sale across the Commonwealth. Throughout the past session, taking action against this harmful, unregulated and dangerous substance has been a top priority of mine and I am thrilled to see the Governor and DPH take strong, decisive action.

After hearing personal stories from friends and constituents, I decided that something had to be done. Given its easy access at gas stations and convenience stores, far too many people don't understand the dangers kratom and kratom products, especially 7OH, pose, and its potentially fatal consequences.

I have been proud of the work done so far. I have hosted briefings, bringing together parents, safety advocates, pediatricians and more to help educate my legislative colleagues on this issue.I have also worked to bring this issue locally, presenting to local boards of health and I am proud that 4 out of 6 of the towns I represent banned kratom sales, prior to yesterday's order.

To learn more, visit: https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-takes-action-to-protect-young-people-and-residents-from-dangerous-kratom-products. Thank you to Governor Healey and DPH Commissioner Goldstein for their strong, decisive leadership in the face of this threat to public health.

I am happy to announce that two projects within the 12th Plymouth District were the recipients of grants through the ECO One Stop, a simplified way for cities, towns and organizations to access environmental and climate resiliency grants. For the round of FY27 grants, the 12th Plymouth received over $3 million dollars for two climate resiliency and coastal infrastructure projects, one in Kingston and one in Plymouth.

The Town of Plymouth, MA received $3 million through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant for phase 1 of the Plymouth Downtown Resiliency Project, which is designed to tackle the impact of heat islands and stormwater runoff mitigation in Plymouth's historic downtown. To confront these climate-related challenges, Plymouth has designed a project that will expand pervious surfaces, increase native vegetation, implement green infrastructure, and enhance public spaces and pedestrian connectivity along a densely populated area of Route 3A.

The Town of Kingston, Massachusetts received $171,028 through the Coastal Resilience grant to assist with the permitting and design portion of a resiliency improvement project at the public landing at Ah-De-Nah which provides residents and visitors with access to Kingston, Plymouth and Cape Cod Bays. The wharf, Harbormaster’s Office and parking lot at the project site provide emergency services and have a history of flooding during king tides and coastal storms. This project will develop 60% design plans and permit applications to support future final design and construction.

Both of these grants will go a long way toward improving the resiliency of Kingston and Plymouth's downtown and prepare them for future storms and sea level rise, while ensuring that our waterfront's and coastal areas continue to drive our town's and our region's economy. Thank you to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and EEA Secretary Tepper for their investments into our region's most important, yet vulnerable, areas.

Last week, DESE announced nearly $25 million in grants to improve literacy outcomes across the Commonwealth and I am thrilled to announce that schools in the 12th Plymouth received over $500,000 from these grants. The grants, titled Partnership for Reading Success - Massachusetts (PRISM) grants, will help districts implement high-quality instructional materials, expand professional learning for educators and strengthen evidence-based literacy instruction from pre-kindergarten through grade 12.

These grants build upon the work of the Legislature's recent literacy legislation which establishes evidence-based statewide standards and creates enhanced professional development to ensure that our educators are prepared.

In the 12th Plymouth, Plympton, Kingston and Silver Lake each received a PRISM II grant, which will strengthen early literacy through the implementation of high-quality instructional materials in pre-K through third grade.

I am grateful for the Healey-Driscoll Administration and DESE's investment into the students of the 12th Plymouth and I am confident that these districts will utilize this funding to improve reading outcomes in our local schools. It's through State and local partnerships like this that we will deliver the results our students deserve.

This weekend, August 8 and 9, is the sales tax-free weekend here in the Commonwealth! During these two days, the state’s 6.25% sales tax is waived on individual retail items priced at $2,500 or less for personal use.

This is a great chance to shop small, buy local, and support the businesses that make the 12th Plymouth district and our state so special. For more info, visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-sales-tax-holiday-frequently-asked-questions.

On Sunday, I joined the officials from the Town of Plymouth, MA along with my colleague State Rep. Michelle Badger to help dedicate the Peace Pole, along with the delegation from Plymouth's Sister City, Shichigahama, Japan. This was an amazing celebration of the friendship, collaboration and peace that stems from this exchange program. The Peace Pole stands at the Plymouth Town Hall and was donated by the Sunrise Rotary Club of Plymouth. Congratulations and thank you to all involved in this great endeavor.