(The Berkshire Eagle) The sun hasn’t even risen yet, and — chances are — state Rep. Paul Mark, D-Becket, is en route to the Massachusetts Statehouse, where he’ll work until long after the sun has set.
A minimum two-and-a-half hours one-way, Mark’s commutes to Beacon Hill can be long — the days in office even longer — but the incoming state senator knows how important it is to be present. The Statehouse is where relationships are built, where the usually scattered group of lawmakers come together to get things done on behalf of their constituents across the commonwealth.
“It’s an issue of being accessible,” he said. “It’s a challenge that our colleagues who are within, say, 50 miles of Boston just don’t deal with in the same way.”
So he drives — more than 100 miles on the road, making it to Boston just in time for his 9 a.m. meeting.
Western Massachusetts-based legislators have long struggled to visit, access and legislate from a capital that is firmly planted in one of the easternmost parts of the state. While the pandemic laid local concerns about access bare for constituents and legislators alike, many of our lawmakers are still battling to have their challenges recognized and addressed.
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In another part of western Massachusetts, state Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, tries his best to balance being a new parent with his duties at Beacon Hill, knowing that any time he goes into Boston that might be the only activity he does that day.
“If you make me choose between being in my district and being in Boston, I’m always going to choose being in my district,” he said. “The real toll is if you’re in Boston a lot — and I try to be — one of the main downsides is that you’re away from your district more often. You can’t go to an event. You have to miss something.”
But he drives, “being in the room” whenever he can, not caring whether the Legislature is in formal session or not.