March 31, 2008 ... During last week’s formal session, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, and his colleagues in the Senate approved legislation to authorize a $1.35 billion, five-year capital plan for the production and preservation of affordable housing for low-income, disabled and elderly residents in the Commonwealth.

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March 28, 2008 ... During Thursday’s formal session, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, and his colleagues in the Senate approved legislation to help municipalities and developers funding public infrastructure projects that will create thousands of jobs for the Commonwealth. The bill improves an existing mechanism to finance work on streets, sidewalks, water and sewer lines, storm drainage facilities and street lights.

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March 28, 2008 ... During Thursday’s formal session, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, continued his efforts to reform affordable housing laws in the Commonwealth, particularly Chapter 40B. During debate on H 4594, An Act Financing the Production and Preservation of Housing for Low and Moderate Income Residents, Sen. Moore spoke in favor of a bi-partisan amendment to increase the percentage of affordable units in a 40B development from 25 percent to 33 percent.

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March 27, 2008 ... With many economists predicting a difficult budget year for the Commonwealth and its cities and towns, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, hosted a local aid meeting at the Oxford Free Public Library today to address the projected fiscal conditions and measures he and his colleagues are taking to mitigate the impacts from this gloomy economic forecast. 

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By Kyle Cheney and Jim O'Sullivan
State House News Service

March 26, 2008 ... The two lawmakers charged with driving state health care policy said Wednesday that policymakers were not considering scaling back the state's increasingly bank-breaking health care reform law.

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March 26, 2008 ... In order to receive a stimulus payment from the Internal Revenue Service, all taxpayers with qualifying income of at least $3,000 in 2007 must file tax returns, according to Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge. 

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March 23, 2008 ... The Fallon Clinic, the Worcester-based medical practice with more than 250 doctors, spent $25 million and several years converting to electronic records.

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March 21, 2008 ... The Senate on Thursday approved its own version of the highly-anticipated Life Sciences bill, making significant changes to ensure accountability and transparency of taxpayer-funded grants and activities while dedicating major investments to promote job growth and stimulate the slumping economy, according to Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge.

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March 20, 2008 ... During today’s formal session, the Senate approved and finalized an increase in state aid to cities and towns in the FY09 budget, according to Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge. The increase of $223 million represents an increase of 4.43 percent over last year’s budget in the three major categories of local aid – Chapter 70 funding for public schools, lottery aid and additional assistance. 

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March 19, 2008 ... During a recent stop in Webster, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, met with constituents to discuss his efforts to improve patient safety in the Commonwealth. 

The meeting was organized by the Massachusetts Nurses Association and held at Lic’s Restaurant on Thompson Road. 

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By Matt Kakley
Milford Daily News 

March 19, 2008 ... As Gov. Deval Patrick laid out his resort casino plan in front of an influential legislative committee yesterday, local legislators questioned whether the proposal would be the right fit for Massachusetts.

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March 18, 2008 ... On Tuesday, March 25th, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, will be in Hopedale to host “Coffee with Constituents.” Constituents are welcome to visit with the Senator, enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee and take the opportunity to discuss current issues and concerns.

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March 13, 2008 ... In an effort to dramatically increase the penalties for sex crimes against children, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, has recently co-sponsored legislation which will close sex offender loopholes. 

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March 12, 2008 ... In front of a packed State House crowd, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, chaired a hearing of the influential Health Care Financing. The committee heard testimony on S. 2526, legislation to promote cost containment, transparency and efficiency in the delivery of quality health care, filed last week by Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth.

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March 11, 2008 ... During Tuesday’s Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, and Dr. Peter Smulowitz, an emergency room physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and Saint Luke’s Hospital in Bedford, testified about the findings they discovered in a report entitled, “Restoring Value and Trust in our Health Care System”.

The report was released today as part of their testimony.    

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March 11, 2008 ... The Senate and House leadership teams have agreed to increase state aid to cities and towns in the FY09 budget by $223 million, a 4.43 percent hike over last year in the three major categories of local aid – Chapter 70 funding for public schools, lottery aid and additional assistance, according to Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge. 

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March 11, 2008 ... During a hearing of the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, released a report drafted by his office that highlighted the need for medical malpractice reform in Massachusetts. The report was drafted Dr. Peter Smulowitz, an emergency room physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and Saint Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, who served as a policy fellow in Sen. Moore’s office. 

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Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, will be testifying at Tuesday’s Judiciary Committee Hearing regarding medical malpractice legislation. As part of his testimony, Sen. Moore will release a medical malpractice report drafted by Dr. Peter Smulowitz, an emergency room physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Saint Luke’s Hospital, who has been working in Sen. Moore’s office as a health policy fellow. 

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March 6, 2008 ... During Thursday’s formal session, the Senate engrossed S 2344, legislation which establishes the Whitin Reservoir Watershed District in the Town of Douglas, according to Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge. 

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March 6, 2008 ... For the second consecutive year, the nation’s community pharmacies announced that Massachusetts ranks first in the nation when it comes to transmitting prescriptions electronically. Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, a strong advocate for e-prescribing, attended the event.

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March 6, 2008 ... At a recent State House event sponsored by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge, addressed a crowd of health professionals from across the Commonwealth.

The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers is a statewide association representing and serving the needs of the state’s 52 community health centers.

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By Senator Richard T. Moore

March 6, 2008 ... In the last legislative session (2005-2006), Massachusetts launched a comprehensive, historic effort to extend affordable, high quality health insurance through a public-private partnership featuring shared responsibility among individuals, employers, and government. We increased access to private market coverage as well. As we continue to implement Health Reform – we have more than 300,000 previously uninsured who now have health insurance.

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By Senate President Therese Murray and Senator Richard T. Moore

March 6, 2008 ... The first phase of Massachusetts health care reform took advantage of some of Massachusetts’ historic strengths, most notably the state’s high percentage of employer-sponsored insurance and its nationally low percentage of uninsured. This is not to diminish the enormity of its planning and implementation, which continues to engage state policymakers. 

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March 4, 2008 ... Unveiling a comprehensive health care cost-containment bill in Worcester yesterday, Senate President Therese Murray stated the need for action in the starkest terms: “There’s going to be a climate of change, and there’s got to be a climate of change, or the system is going to implode.” 

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Electronic medical records and gift ban in place

March 3, 2008 ... Sen. Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge and Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth, today announced major health care legislation that will make Massachusetts a national leader in statewide adoption of electronic medical records and the first in the country to impose an outright ban on pharmaceutical marketing gifts of any value. 

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