A newly proposed bill in the Massachusetts House of Representatives would allow in-state incarcerated people to remove between 60 and 365 days from their sentences in exchange for the donation of their organs or marrow, according to Insider. Though the bill — entitled “act to establish the Massachusetts incarcerated individual bone marrow and organ donation program,” according to CBS Boston — has not yet been passed, it has struck controversy among leadership within the state.
Massachusetts Will Not Begin Vaccinating Most College Students and Employees until April 2021
As of Feb. 24, the commonwealth of Massachusetts has begun COVID-19 vaccination for select groups of “priority” individuals, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health. The state will not begin vaccinating college students and employees until Phase 3 of vaccine rollout, slated to begin in April 2021.
South Hadley Residents Discuss New Voting Format and Divisive Election
Whether lined up outside of the public library or following the signs to a ballot dropbox, South Hadley voters participating in the 2020 presidential election have seen processes greatly adjusted to fit the new standards required in a pandemic.
In a video released by the South Hadley Office of the Town Clerk, Registrar Nicole Casolari spoke on behalf of the department explaining the new protocols for the election. While the town continued to offer the option to vote in person at South Hadley High School on Nov. 3, other avenues were also created for citizens to participate. Early voting began Oct. 17 at the South Hadley Public Library and the application for mail-in ballots was open until Oct. 28. Voters who decided to mail their ballots were also able to bring them to a dropbox behind the police station, according to Casolari.