John was born the fourth of seven children of Philip and Loretta Keenan. His father worked in the mailing room of the Record American, and then the Boston Herald, while his mother worked at Filene’s department store and then CNA Insurance. John was raised in Quincy and attended the Quincy Public Schools, graduating in 1982 from North Quincy High School. He went to Harvard University, earning his way through by working in the athletic department equipment room. He also worked the Saturday overnight shift at the Herald. John graduated with honors from Harvard in 1986, with a government concentration. Three years later, he graduated from Suffolk University Law School. A lifelong learner, in May 2019 John graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School with a Masters in Public Administration.
As a former City Councilor, I know firsthand that it is at the local level where essential services are provided. Residents look to their local police and fire departments to deliver public safety, to local schools to educate their children, to public works departments to plow and maintain roads, and to libraries, parks, senior centers and public works departments to maintain a high quality of life in our communities.
During budget deliberations over the last several years, I have fought for additional local aid funding for our cities and towns. As a result, the communities of Abington, Braintree, Holbrook, Rockland and Quincy have all seen increases in Chapter 70 (school funding) and in general local aid.
I am a strong supporter of Chapter 90 funding, which supports local road maintenance and repair, and have advocated for a multi-year funding bill that would give greater stability and predictability to municipal leaders. I will continue to advocate for a longer-term vision in this area.
In addition, I worked closely on an economic development bill with resources and tools for cities and towns to strengthen their economic activity. The municipal modernization bill, which was crafted after gathering input from cities and towns across the state, updated out of date laws, eliminated obsolete requirements, removed unnecessary red tape and increased local independence, allowing more flexibility for municipalities to pursue policies that best fit their communities’ needs.
This legislation also gave our cities and towns additional tools for responsible budgeting, including increasing the amounts municipalities can borrow for emergencies and the amounts they can appropriate into reserve funds for unforeseen expenditures. An additional provision permits municipalities to use parking revenues for a wider array of transportation-related projects than previously allowed.
I played a role in passing legislation to increase funding for the repair of small bridges less than 20 feet, which are ineligible for federal aid due to their size. This grant program will target bridges that are at risk for closure due to safety conditions and assist municipalities with their public safety and transportation needs.
As your Senator, I will continue to policies that support our municipalities, fight for predictable local aid, and will continue my efforts to make the state more accountable to our local property taxpayers.
Compressor Station, Pipeline, and Natural Gas
Massachusetts is, in many respects, a national leader in innovative technology. As we look to meet tomorrow’s energy demands, we should continue this record, and truly begin to diversify our energy portfolio. With this in mind, I have resisted calls for the expanded use of natural gas, which would only continue our dependence on carbon-emitting fuels.
The State Senate has taken votes to ban natural gas “fracking,” to prohibit the so-called “pipeline tax” that lets companies finance new pipeline projects by charging higher rates to existing customers, and to prohibit the construction of new gas compressor stations on protected public waterfront. I have supported all of these policies, and have submitted comments (read the letter) to federal regulators and worked with our federal delegation to gain their support (read the letter) in protecting our communities from pipeline expansion projects.
I will continue to stand by FRRACS (Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station) and other members of the community as we push back on the proposed compressor station in the Fore River basin. I have joined colleagues at the State House in telling Governor Baker that this project possesses too great of risks to the environment and safety of residents in the Fore River Basin.
Climate Change Preparedness
Representing a district with a large coastline, the last several significant storm events have shown we need to do more to help our communities prepare for the future. I will continue to support our cities and towns as they plan for rising sea levels and other climate change effects moving forward.
Last session, we passed legislation authorizing almost $2.5 billion in capital investments for climate adaptation and environmental and natural resource protection. Funding from this bill includes local grants for municipal vulnerability preparedness programs, dam and seawall improvements, flood control projects, and other state hazard mitigation programs. Additionally, the legislation requires the creation and implementation of a statewide climate adaptation plan to coordinate and strengthen resiliency efforts throughout different state agencies and municipalities.
Offshore Wind and Other Renewables
I supported a Senate bill that called for at least 2,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and increased capacity for other clean energy sources as well. The Senate’s bill was more aggressive in this regard than the companion House bill, which had only called for 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind capacity. In final negotiation this figure became 1,600 megawatts by 2027 – less than hoped for by the Senate but nonetheless a strong step forward.
Both chambers also passed a bill to raise the cap on solar net metering projects, a move that allows more solar projects to be developed immediately. In this instance, I supported the more aggressive proposals, passed by the Senate, which would have allowed for a greater number of projects, and would have provided for stronger rates paid to those who generate solar energy.
My family has a long, rich history in law enforcement, first with the Boston Police Department. My great grandfather served an Inspector at the turn of the century, and was awarded the Medal of Honor. My grandfather was a patrol officer, shot in the line of duty, and also a recipient of the Medal of Honor. A cousin recently retired as a Sergeant, and my nephew now serves on the Boston Police Department as a patrol officer.
In Quincy, my brother has been on the police department for over 36 years, rising through the ranks to serve as Chief of Police for the past 12 years. One nephew is a patrol officer, and another recently passed the civil service exam and is now in the police academy.
Another of my brothers serves on the Quincy Fire Department, a firefighter for over thirty years.
As a witness to the service of my family members as public safety officers, I have a unique understanding of the dangers of being a police officer or firefighter, and of the pride of the men and women who serve us each day.
As a State Senator I have fought to ensure that our first responders have the training and equipment they need in order to best protect our communities. I have worked to secure local aid funds that improve the budgets of these critical departments, funding for the Quincy Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials team, for station improvements in Braintree, for regional dispatch funding for all the towns in my district, for access to in-service counseling, for Narcan kits, for health care coverage, and for pension benefits that recognize the dangers associated with their work.
As our population ages, I believe it is critical that we provide our seniors with the resources they need to continue living healthy and fulfilled lives — like safe and affordable housing, quality health care, and affordable and reliable transportation. We have an obligation to provide a continuum of housing and care for our seniors, including independent living, assisted living, and nursing care options, as well as affordable services for seniors who choose to stay in their homes.
It is also extremely important that we continue to fund programs that help our communities provide seniors with the resources they need to stay active and involved. When passing the state budget each year, I fight to increase funding for the district’s Councils on Aging.
In addition to a baseline rate increase, over the past five years I have successfully worked with House colleagues to secure funding and special legislation for a new Rockland Senior Center, grants for the improvement and expansion of the Braintree Department of Elder Affairs, and state support for a Dementia-capable community training program through the Quincy Elder Services Department.
To stay connected on these and other matters affecting seniors’ quality of life, I regularly hold office hours at Councils on Aging throughout the district, and present informational briefings at these centers on the Senior Circuit Breaker tax credit and other items of interest.
Our seniors should always have a safe, clean and accessible center to visit no matter what community they live in. As your State Senator, I will always work tirelessly for those who worked for us throughout their lives.
Since I was appointed Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Substance Use, Mental, Health and Recovery in my first term in 2011, I have been working to combat the opioid epidemic. I am proud that the Commonwealth has been leading this fight by passing many first in the nation laws that are now showing results. Despite the progress we have made, much work remains.
In terms of education and prevention, we have introduced school screenings and education programs, require practitioners to receive continuing education on proper prescribing, and are teaching our future doctors as to the dangers of over-prescribing. We have worked to reduce the stigma regarding substance use disorder and now view and treat it as a chronic disease instead of a personal vice. We require the use of our now robust prescription-monitoring program, and also require insurance companies to provide coverage for alternative pain management services as alternatives to opioids.
To improve access to treatment, we now require all insurance carriers to cover up to 14 days of detox and crisis stabilization treatment whenever it is deemed medically necessary, and are working to provide additional coverage. We have increased the number of beds funded through the state budget, including for those who suffer from both a mental illness and substance use disorder, and we have increased access to Medication Assisted Treatment, which is now available in Emergency Departments for those who are admitted after an overdose.
As for harm reduction, i.e. efforts to keep active opioid users alive, we have established a “Good Samaritan” law allowing people to seek help for overdose victims without fear of legal repercussions, made Narcan more widely available, increased access to needle exchanges to prevent the spread of infection among users, and are studying more ways to meet users where they are and help them start on the road to recovery.
Safe, affordable, and reliable transportation is the backbone to a strong economy, and key to the quality of our lives. The MBTA, Commuter Rail, bus lines, and the many roads throughout the Norfolk and Plymouth Senate District are all critical transportation lifelines that carry people to and from work, school, shopping, and medical appointments. Because our residents rely so heavily on this transportation network, it is critical that we make investing in it a priority.
Locally, I worked to help secure funding for investments of nearly $911 million in the Red Line. The work has included winter resiliency upgrades, work on the garages at the Braintree and Quincy Adams stations, the demolition of the unsafe Quincy Center station garage (which clears the way for public and private investment at the station), the reconstruction of the Wollaston Station, a new garage at the North Quincy Station, an entire new fleet of Red Line cars, and a new, advanced signal system. Over the next few years, the Red Line will be transformed.
In Abington, Route 18 is being widened. In Braintree, Route 37 has seen significant upgrades. Union Street in Holbrook will soon be upgraded, and “Complete Streets” planning in Rockland is moving forward. And in Quincy, a brand new bridge now spans the Fore River.
In government, as with most things in life, the challenge is finding the right balance. As we move forward with transportation policy discussions across the Commonwealth, we must focus on reform, oversight, and fiscal prudence, while continuing to make investments in our transportation infrastructure. These steps will ensure that we have a safe and reliable transportation system, making our local economies stronger and our communities more appealing places to live.
Get your Red Line Updates: With public transportation improvements being made throughout our district, it is so important to keep up-to-date with everything happening on your commute. Our office regularly sends out Red Line Updates with information we receive from the MBTA. Check out the latest Red Line Update and sign up to get them sent directly to your inbox!
Massachusetts cannot maintain an economy that allows full-time, adult workers to remain impoverished. Poverty is devastating to individuals and families, and costly to society in immeasurable ways.
I clearly remember the days when my father’s salary, as a middle class worker employed as a newspaper mailer, was sufficient to secure a stable livelihood and a healthy environment to raise a family of seven children. We have lost those days, with today’s wages leaving working adults still in poverty, still struggling to advance, and still creating heavy costs on public assistance programs – costs that are borne by every taxpayer.
I support policies to create stability and fairness among our working class and I am opposed to the outsourcing and privatization of essential public sector jobs. Last session, I was proud to vote in favor of paid family and medical leave, a $15 minimum wage, and the pregnant workers fairness act. I’m also proud to be part of an institution that has led the nation, with the strongest steps to date towards pay equity for women.
Providing for a decent wage and a fair tax system are the right things to do for our middle class individuals and families. As your State Senator, I will continue to advocate for the working class, and for an economy built on fairness and opportunity for every family.
I don’t do it often, but my brain is just addicted, I guess. Almost all of my friends are addicted to it. There’s nothing really to like about it, just that feeling. Everyone always has one, that’s basically it.
Every session, John works on legislation to ensure access to health care for our most vulnerable populations. This includes work on suicide prevention, parity for mental health treatment, greater access to disability services, and better planning and coordination for community health resources.
John is always working to make state government more accountable to those it serves. He appreciates the continued engagement from the residents of Quincy, Abington, Braintree, Holbrook, and Rockland, and continues to file legislation aimed at making the Norfolk and Plymouth District an even greater place to call home.