IN THE NEWS
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By Shaw Israel Izikson
The Berkshire Edge, November 6, 2025
Through her social media accounts on Thursday, November 6, State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District) received funds from the state’s Community One Stop for Growth program. According to the state’s website, the program is “the main vehicle for public economic development investment in the Commonwealth” and intends to boost local housing, economic development, and infrastructure programs.
Voters approve new $152M Monument Mountain Regional High School
By Talia Lissauer
The Berkshire Eagle, November 4, 2025
State Rep. Leigh Davis, who was on the Great Barrington Select Board when a similar project failed in 2014, said she couldn’t be prouder of how the community stepped up. She added that for many people who worked tirelessly on it, their kids had already graduated, and this is just an example of how deeply the community cares about one another.
“For me, this has come full circle,” Davis said. “This is the result of a lot of hard work. It’s a great day. I’m so proud of everyone."
Small Towns, Strong Values: Why Trumpism Didn’t Stick in Western Massachusetts
By Éamon Ó Cearúil
The New England Beacon, October 17, 2025
State Rep. Leigh Davis (D-3rd Berkshire) spoke to The Beacon about her experience as an outsider who chose Great Barrington as her home. After spending 12 years living in Ireland, she fell in love with the Berkshires after spending one day there. She sees numerous “parallels between Ireland and the Berkshires” especially in terms of the “attachment to the land, attachment to farming and food, storytelling culture” and the “strong connections from neighbor to neighbor.” While difficult to prove, there is a reasonable argument that communities in Western Massachusetts exhibit more communalistic tendencies — that is, a collective form of political organization where the interests of the community supersede those of the individual — than regions of the U.S. with comparably small communities.
By Kateri Kosek
The Berkshire Edge, October 14, 2025
State Rep. Davis also stressed the importance of being open and having “tough conversations” with those who might not understand your point of view. “Try to bridge the divide. Try to work hard to find that commonality, because what we’re going through is not working,” she said, referencing the government shutdown. She pointed to youth’s sense of urgency on the environment and climate change, noting that many youth spoke out and came to town meetings to help Great Barrington pass the single-use plastic bottle ban. Johnson urged, “Continue to share what you’re passionate about, and you’ll start to organize with people who are fighting for the same causes … Then bring in the adults and ask them, ‘Now how do we get this to the State House?’”
A new Monument Mountain Regional High School would be an investment in our future and our community
Commentary by Leigh Davis
The Berkshire Eagle, October 10, 2025
As both a parent and a legislator, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply our schools shape the life of a community. From 2015 to 2023, my three children attended Monument Mountain Regional High School. The experience they had there — guided by dedicated educators and a supportive community — helped shape who they are today. That kind of education doesn’t happen by accident; it happens because a community chooses to invest in it.
By Kateri Kosek
The Berkshire Edge, October 6, 2025
State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District) organized the day of southern Berkshire site visits on September 29 “to spotlight the wonderful initiatives going on in the Berkshires,” she said in her opening remarks, adding that as one of the most rural counties in the Commonwealth, “70 percent of our land is forested, so we really have a big impact on carbon sequestration.”
By Charlotte Snoonian
The Berkshire Eagle, October 5, 2025
“What I really, really appreciate with the commonwealth is that we're very, very proactive,” said state Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington. “We can see what's happening. We can read the tea leaves. This is basically a stopgap. We need longer-term planning.”
According to a recent Berkshire Benchmarks survey, 1 in 4 participants reported that they do not have the finances or health insurance necessary for the care they need, with people of color disproportionately affected.
House Climate, Sustainability Committee Visits South Berkshire
By Brittany Polito
iBerkshires, October 1, 2025
The House Committee on Climate Action and Sustainability visited South County on Monday to hear about environmental efforts from organizations and businesses.
Hosted by state Rep. Leigh Davis, of the 3rd Berkshire District, they began at April Hill Farm in South Egremont, traveled to Lake Mansfield Recreation Area and Taft Farms, and concluded at the former peaking power plant on Woodland Road and Woods Pond in Lee.
Head of Mass. legislative committee on Climate Action and Sustainability tours Berkshire County
By Josh Landes
WAMC Northeast Public Radio, September 30, 2025
The Democratic State Representative leading the tour says its timing reflects changing tides in national politics.
“One of the reasons for me bringing this climate action and sustainability committee here right now is that we're on the cusp of the federal funding cuts, and we need to make sure that eyes are here and making sure that the right thing is done," said Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District.
Greenagers shows lawmakers how teens are tackling climate change
By Talia Lissauer
The Berkshire Eagle, September 30, 2025
A daylong tour of Southern Berkshire programs — led by state Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington, for members of the House Committee on Climate Action and Sustainability — kicked off with a visit to Greenagers at April Hill Farm to talk about youth involvement in climate solutions.
State Rep. Leigh Davis bill to protect youth clears key committee
By Edge Staff
The Berkshire Edge, September 30, 2025
State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District) announced today that H.1634, her bill to strengthen protections for youth against sexual exploitation, has been reported favorably out of the Judiciary Committee in a redrafted form, now combined with related measures as H.4538.
“This is a critical step forward, but our work isn’t finished. I’ll keep pushing until this bill becomes law. Protecting our youth must remain a priority.”
By Jane Kaufman
The Berkshire Eagle, September 8, 2025
State Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington, left home Saturday afternoon to attend Sheriff Thomas Bowler’s annual picnic. She never got there. Having lived through one tornado in her native Chevy Chase, Md., she turned around and headed home when she saw the skies darken.
“By the time I got home, there was the tornado warning,” Davis said. She took cover in her basement.
TriFest offers three days of international youth films and filmmaker talks at Triplex Cinema
The Berkshire Eagle, September 8, 2025
Special guests include Peter Becker, president of the Criterion Collection; actors Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe; Emmy- and PGA-winning documentarian Tony Gerber; first-time feature filmmakers Anger, Lund and Anderson; Diane Pearlman, executive director of Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative; Emmy-nominated producer David Tochterman; filmmaker Adam Zax; and media scholar Mari Kishi. The festival will also feature a video conversation between Marjorie Cohn, president of DreamWorks Animation, and Emmy-nominated director Matthew Penn.
Rabe and Linklater will participate in a discussion on the craft of performance, and Becker is scheduled for a keynote conversation introduced by state Rep. Leigh Davis.
Our Opinion: The sad, painful truths of Miss Hall's sexual misconduct report
The Editors
The Berkshire Eagle, August 29, 2025
Legislative leadership must not let the relevant bills introduced by state Rep. Leigh Davis and state Sen. Joan Lovely slip through the cracks of this session. While this commonsense legislation’s passage wouldn’t erase the hurt already visited upon Miss Hall’s alumnae, it might mitigate future incidents by making school leaders more responsive to credible reports of sexual misconduct toward students above the age of consent who are still minors. If this sort of behavior were considered not just unethical but criminal, school leaders might think twice about sweeping it under the rug, as Miss Hall’s leadership reportedly did.
Grateful for Rep. Davis' housing help for my sister
Letter by Ann M. Gabriel
The Berkshire Eagle, August 19, 2025
To the editor: I want to thank state Rep. Leigh Davis for helping my 73-year-old sister when she had nowhere else to go.
She was on the housing wait list for three years, living in and out of motels, and still had no safe place to stay. She has serious health problems, and the only thing her doctor’s office could offer was a tent and sleeping bag.
I reached out to Rep. Davis because I didn’t know what else to do. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d get much of a reply. But she called back right away. She listened, asked questions and really cared. She took action, and now my sister finally has a safe place to live.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Rep. Davis. For anyone who wonders — she’s the real deal.
State Rep. Davis Emphasizes Collaboration Through Uncertain Future
By Sabrina Damms
iBerkshires, August 14, 2025
Collaboration and creative thinking will light the way forward through an uncertain future.
This sentiment was demonstrated by Berkshire Third District's Rep. Leigh Davis during her community conversation event at the Stationery Factory on Monday.
"I think with the next 3 1/2 years, there's going to be a lot of change, and there's going to be a lot of transition … we can come together as a community and know that we have each other and we can talk to each other and take these priorities and try to work on it, piece by piece, step by step," Davis said.
By Dylan Thompson
The Berkshire Eagle, August 12, 2025
Looming federal funding cuts could leave small towns across the Berkshires scrambling to fill budget gaps for essential services such as health care, transportation and education — a reality that state Rep. Leigh Davis says she’s hearing across the county.
Davis, D-Great Barrington, held a community conversation at the Stationery Factory on Monday afternoon, giving residents from her 18-town district an opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns about local issues. Federal funding cuts, health care and transparency were among the concerns raised by the more than 20 residents in attendance.
How you can support critical legislation to strengthen EMS in Massachusetts
Letter to the Editor by Leigh Davis
The Berkshire Eagle, August 5, 2025
The public response to these hearings was powerful, but the work isn’t done. The committee is still accepting written testimony, and even a short note from residents can help move these bills forward.
To submit testimony, email JointCommittee.PublicHealth@mahouse.gov
with the subject line “Public Health Committee Testimony, [Bill Number]” or mail to Chair Marjorie C. Decker, Joint Committee on Public Health, ATTN: Ramla Hagi, 24 Beacon St., Room 130, Boston, MA 02133.
“We all want to know that when we call 911, there’s going to be someone there” Rep. Leigh Davis says.
House Bill 4120, one of five EMS bills she introduced this session, would declare emergency medical services an essential service, which would help provide funding.
Rep. Davis says, ”EMS is not being treated as a model of a health care provider. It’s being treated as transport. Right now, EMS only get reimbursed if they are transporting someone to the hospital and the amount of reimbursement is not sustainable.”
State Rep Leigh Davis in a “Constituent Conversation” at the Becket Arts Center (BAC)
By Marcia Parnell
Becket Beat, August 1, 2025
Fresh off the Mass Pike from Boston, State Representative Leigh Davis held a “Constituent Conversation” at the BAC on Friday, June 20th. Attended by nearly forty constituents from several Berkshire County towns, Davis kicked off the session by explaining a bit about her background, status of the state budget, and experience thus far as a state legislator. She then queried every attendee about their top issue or concern.
W.E.B. Du Bois comes home to Great Barrington: Sculpture unveiled at Mason Library
By Shaw Israel Izikson
The Berkshire Edge, July 21, 2025
Arcadian Shop back to delivering kayaks to Stockbridge Bowl after permit mix-up with state
By Talia Lissauer
The Berkshire Eagle, July 18, 2025
For more than 20 years, The Arcadian Shop has delivered rented kayaks eight minutes from the store to the Stockbridge Bowl Boat Ramp and then returned to pick up the equipment after use — a crucial service for those who lack the means or ability to safely transport the large equipment.
That was until someone from the store was stopped by an environmental protection officer with the Massachusetts Department of Fishing and Boating Access during a delivery at the end of June who asked if they had permits.
“Which we didn’t, because I’ve never needed them in the past,” said Chris Calvert, co-owner of the Arcadian.
Calvert said he was grateful for the support from customers and local officials — especially, State Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington, who helped expedite the permitting process — and thanked the department for its understanding.
By Talia Lissauer
The Berkshire Eagle, July 13, 2025
Every year, the Southern Berkshire Volunteer Ambulance Squad has to ask each of the six towns it covers for more money in order to survive.
Now, they are hoping state Rep. Leigh Davis’ five EMS-related bills will help relieve some of that pressure.
“We're tired of going year after year after year to these towns and legislatures saying we can't survive, we need money, and everybody says we don't have any money,” Southern Berkshire Ambulance Board President Jim Santos said. “It gets demoralizing and frustrating.”
Berkshire County’s ambulance deserts are dire. I see them firsthand as an EMT.
By Keneth R. Rosen
The Boston Globe, July 8, 2025
Berkshire County is home to a number of “ambulance deserts” — communities that lack timely ambulance services. According to a study out of the University of Southern Maine, some 4.5 million Americans across 41 states with available data live more than 25 minutes from the nearest ambulance station. Rural areas are more likely to have deserts than urban ones, the study found.
Ambulance services are run as nonprofits, private companies, or town departments. They lack support from the state, because Massachusetts does not designate rescue squads as “essential services” such as police and fire departments (the latter of which often play a dual role as the local ambulance). Lawmakers, led by Democratic state Representative Leigh Davis from Great Barrington, are looking to make EMS essential, providing at least a stopgap in funding for such services.
Central Berkshire Habitat Breaks Ground on Affordable Housing Project
By Breanna Steele
iBerkshires, July 8, 2025
Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning for its new affordable housing project, Prosperity Way.
The new affordable housing project will be located at 385 North Plain Road in Housatonic and will be a community with 20 single-family homes to help address the need for affordable homes in Berkshire County.
State Rep. Leigh Davis spoke about her time without housing and how much it means to have this project here.
"Home ownership was something that I cared very, very deeply, deeply for, and it was something that I wanted to provide for my children. I wanted to give them that foundation, that sense of security, that feeling of hope. And for me, this represents hope. This represents the feeling of a community coming together and saying, we're going to solve this problem together. And so I am so thankful and so grateful for the work of Habitat, for Carolyn, and everyone here at the Affordable Housing Trust," Davis said.
Mass. EMS bills a first step to speed up ambulances and save lives
By Angela Matthew
The Boston Globe, June 26, 2025
Some municipalities, such as Boston, are large enough that they operate their own EMS services. However, around 80 percent of the state’s licensed ambulances are operated by private companies that bid for the right to serve each town’s population, the Globe previously reported.
Those private companies have not been able to hire and maintain adequate staff, which has led to ambulance delays, according to the Globe’s coverage. The state also doesn’t have a centralized system to coordinate ambulances and send them to another town in case of a shortage.
A slate of bills intends to address the delays, most notably by designating EMS as an essential service in the state, and would create a fund to pay for its operation, according to the bill posted online.
The bill to make EMS an essential service proposes creating a fund to support EMS agencies and pay for things such as training, equipment, vehicles, and personnel salaries.
Representative Leigh Davis, a Democrat of Great Barrington, who sponsored the bill said that for too long, EMS has been underfunded and is not always covered by patients’ insurance.
“In 1973, the federal EMS Act left it up to the states to fund EMS, never recognizing it as an essential service,” Davis said. “Unlike police and fire, there’s no guaranteed funding, just donations, inconsistent local budgets, and low insurance reimbursement rates.”
Lawmakers weigh creating commission that would monitor EMS services in Massachusetts
By Courtey Cole
CBS News Boston, June 25, 2025
Massachusetts lawmakers are taking a closer look at the state's emergency medical services and a mother who couldn't get an ambulance to respond when her daughter was dying testified in favor of the decision on Wednesday.
Lawmakers are considering whether to create a commission that would look at EMS services statewide, including their funding, response times, staffing and recruitment issues.
By Josh Landes
WAMC Northeast Public Radio, June 18, 2025
“Beginning when I was 15 years old, I was groomed and sexually abused by a man who was a respected teacher, coach, and dorm parent at an all-girls boarding school in Pittsfield, Massachusetts,” testified Hilary Simon.
Simon is one of two former students who sounded the alarm about longtime Miss Hall’s School history teacher Matthew Rutledge in 2024. He resigned shortly after claims of sexual abuse from generations of students went public. Parallel allegations accused school leadership of knowingly shielding Rutledge and working to silence his accusers on the secluded campus, where boarding students pay tuition of up to $79,000 a year.
Simon and Melissa Fares, who are suing the school over their experiences, testified Tuesday during a Joint Committee on the Judiciary hearing on Beacon Hill. The former students were there to support House Bill 1634, which 3rd Berkshire District State Representative Leigh Davis proposed in response to the Miss Hall’s case. The measure is aimed at closing a loophole that makes it difficult to prosecute adults in positions of authority accused of sexual misconduct.
Mass. bills could protect older teens from sexual assault
By Angela Matthew
The Boston Globe, June 17, 2025
FROM LEIGH:
Thank you to The Boston Globe for highlighting yesterday’s Judiciary Committee hearing on my bill, H.1634, which protects young people from sexual abuse by adults in positions of authority.
"Right now in Massachusetts, a teacher, a coach or a priest can legally have sex with a 16 or 17 year-old in their care and claim it was consensual,” Davis said during a hearing before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on the Judiciary. “That’s not consent. It’s exploitation.”
Davis, who was elected to office last year, said she filed her bill after a conversation with Timothy Shugrue, the Berkshire district attorney.
Under the current law, Shugrue’s office could not charge Rutledge, despite finding the teacher’s actions troubling, he said. At the hearing, Shugrue said over 39 states have enacted strong legal protections for minors experiencing sexual assault.
“This came out of a local case, but it has widespread impacts,” Davis said, “Massachusetts is behind in this regard compared to a lot of other states.”
Citizens and legislators gave emotional testimony in support of the bill during the four-hour hearing.
By Amanda Burke
The Berkshire Eagle, June 17, 2025
When Melissa Fares reported sexual abuse at the hands of her former teacher at Miss Hall’s School years ago, authorities claimed they were hamstrung by the law, she said.
“I had reported rape. I had told my story to law enforcement in Massachusetts twice, but they maintained they were constrained from pursuing criminal charges,” she said during a hearing at the Statehouse on Tuesday.
Fares was testifying on Rep. Leigh Davis' bill to make it illegal for adults in positions of authority to have sex with minors who have reached the age of 16, the state's age of consent.
“Right now in Massachusetts, a teacher, a coach or a priest can legally have sex with a 16- or 17-year-old in their care and claim it was consensual,” Davis told the committee. “That's not consent. It's exploitation.”
By Amanda Burke
The Berkshire Eagle, June 13, 2025
During a news conference Thursday, Shugrue said the case highlights the need to reform laws about such secret recordings. He touted a measure filed by Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington, that he said will make the law "match the seriousness of the crime."
Davis said the proposal would eliminate confusing language like “under or around” clothing, make it a felony to secretly record the "intimate areas" of a child or vulnerable person — whether clothed or not — and add stronger penalties for repeat offenders.
Sheffield dairy farmers receive more than $4 million to preserve farmland forever
By Heather Bellow
The Berkshire Eagle, May 26, 2025
Last summer, Holly Aragi was facing the loss of hundreds of acres of land her family farms.
A cash buyer appeared to scoop up the farmland, which her family has rented and cropped for more than 28 years from an owner who put the land up for sale last year.
But with the help of a large group of local land trusts, donors and state and federal money, Aragi was able to save her family's Pine Island Farm and ensure that it will forever be used only for farming.
State Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington, said in a statement that these “multigenerational farms are essential to Berkshire County's agricultural identity, economy and workforce.” And state Sen. Paul Mark, D-Becket, praised the acquisition, saying that it will help “preserve the natural resources and natural beauty of our district,” as well as "stabilize food security.”
By Heather Bellow
The Berkshire Eagle, May 24, 2025
A sanctuary and support headquarters for people of color and the vulnerable has taken root here off South Main Street.
Multicultural BRIDGE, a nonprofit whose first office was an attic, now has a 10,000-square-foot permanent home, called Solidarity Meeting House. It's outfitted with a commercial kitchen, a retreat and residence space, meeting areas and more office space.
All of this is especially needed now, in uncertain times, said State Rep. Leigh Davis.
“Look for your community,” Davis said, praising the organization’s work. “Look for your people. Support the organizations that do so much for this community.”
By Shaw Israel Izikson
The Berkshire Edge, May 14, 2025
State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District) met with 20 Berkshire County residents at Roberto’s Pizza and Pub on Monday, May 12. The event was part of a series of “constituent conversations” she has held throughout Berkshire County.
“I’m trying to be optimistic in the face of dire situations,” Davis said at the beginning of the event. “I’m trying to be a source of optimism in the community. These [constituent events] are a way to reach out to the community and for me to say, ‘Hey, somebody is listening. There is someone at the Statehouse who is trying as hard as you to make a change and a difference.'”
By Leslee Bassman
The Berkshire Edge, May 5, 2025
With emergency medical services (EMS) shrinking and response times growing across the Berkshires, a band of stakeholders—representatives from 14 towns, two ambulance service providers, and a regional partner—are forging forward with a solution.
In office only a few months as Pignatelli’s successor, Davis has already filed five bills aimed at improving EMS funding and workforce, as well as modernizing the model in the Commonwealth.
“EMS is at a breaking point,” Davis said. “Essentially, EMS is our community’s insurance policy. EMS responds when primary care is unavailable, urgent care is inaccessible, or crisis strikes. Right now, EMS is often misunderstood, it’s unfunded, and it’s stretched beyond its limits, especially here in rural Massachusetts.”
Please support my bill to close loophole in state's upskirting law
Letter to the Editor
By Leigh Davis, The Berkshire Eagle, May 2, 2025
A recent incident at Williams College — in which a student allegedly hid a camera in a fitness center restroom and secretly recorded 18 people — highlights a serious gap in our state laws.
As the state representative for the 3rd Berkshire District, I filed H.1633 — An Act updating and clarifying the statute relating to "upskirting" — to close this gap and better protect the public, especially children.
Sexual abuse by school employees should be illegal regardless of a student's age
By Lindsay Hawthorne
The Berkshire Eagle, April 17, 2025
"When a teacher at Miss Hall’s School allegedly grooms several of his minor students and engages in sexual relationships with them as soon as they turn 16, that sounds like a crime that would warrant a prison sentence.
"Unfortunately, in Massachusetts, it isn’t. That’s because Massachusetts has an outdated age of consent law that protects abusers. It is completely legal for teachers, coaches or other adults in positions of authority to have sexual relationships with 16- and 17-year-old students.
"The pending bills S.1163 and H.1634—introduced by Sen. Joan Lovely, D-Essex, and Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington—would close this loophole and make it a crime for adults in positions of authority or trust, like school employees, to have sexual relationships with minors in their care. The fact that the minor might be 16 or 17 years old would no longer prevent prosecution in these cases, and their consent could not be claimed as a defense. Law enforcement is confident that this law would have a big impact: Berkshire DA Shugrue said that by passing this legislation, prosecutors would finally be empowered to hold these predators accountable."
Legislation to protect libraries, librarians from potential book bans is back before committee
By Talia Lissauer
The Berkshire Eagle, April 17, 2025
"The issue of who decides what books are appropriate is particularly important to Great Barrington, after a phone call to police in 2023 about a book containing obscene illustrations led to police searching an 8th grade classroom at W.E.B Du Bois Regional Middle School for the illustrated novel, “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe.
"The award-winning novel, which was ultimately not found in the classroom, contains sexual visuals and language in cartoon format as part of a memoir about the trials of growing up, and was the second most challenged book across the U.S. in 2024, according to the American Library Association.
"Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington, who was vice chair of the Great Barrington Select Board during the time of the complaint, said she supports legislation that allows librarians to use their professional judgment to provide diverse materials and has a fair and transparent review process.
“'I saw firsthand the damage that can be done when free speech is challenged — how it impacts students’ confidence and their trust in a school system meant to protect them and uphold their rights,' Davis said."
Lee Celebrates Kickoff of New Public Safety Building with Demo
By Breanna Steele,
iBerkshires, April 16, 2025
"Town officials celebrated the start of a new public safety building on Tuesday by demolishing the Airoldi building and former Department of Public Works building.
"'We're starting to take down the Airoldi building, which served as a municipal office building for the last few decades, we've had Tri-Town Health here some of our state representatives had have offices here, the DPW, we've had elections in this building and also was a former ambulance garage,'" Town Administrator Christopher Brittain said. "So, it served a number of purposes over the years."
State Rep. Leigh Davis attended the demolition/groundbreaking and spoke about the importance of public safety infrastructure and the bills she has filed in support.
"'Investment in emergency medical services is needed more than ever … our fire, our police, really our first responders across the commonwealth and especially in rural communities. EMS providers are under strain, that's why I filed five bills this legislative session focused solely on strengthening emergency medical services statewide. This facility is part of that broader commitment ensuring that every community has access to timely high quality service and care,'" she said.
Rep. Leigh Davis pushes to revive bridge repair program amid Berkshire infrastructure woes
By Heather Bellow,
The Berkshire Eagle, April 2, 2025
"A program that quickly fixed hundreds of bridges before running out of money could restart if state Rep. Leigh Davis gets her way.
"Bridge decay is just one high-profile Berkshire County issue that the freshman Democrat from Great Barrington has been tackling since she was sworn into office in January.
"A bill proposing to restart and expand the state’s Accelerated Bridge Repair Program is one of 27 bills Davis has filed so far, including those filed with other lawmakers.
"The challenge will be paying for the bridge program if it is restarted. But she is already working to get a “slice” of the $200 million that Gov. Maura Healey is devoting to bridges and culverts as part of an $8.4 billion statewide transportation initiative.
More Berkshire year-round residents could benefit from "seasonal community"
By Clarence Fanto,
The Berkshire Eagle, March 27, 2025
“'Great Barrington wasn’t part of that first round, and I’m going to be very vocal that it should be,' [State Rep. Leigh] Davis told State House News Service recently in an interview published by The Eagle. 'We didn’t have [a large] enough percentage of seasonal homes that made the cut, but my argument is that we’re the hub and we’re surrounded by seasonal communities, and folks that have Airbnbs and seasonal homes...come to Great Barrington as the hub for the library or the senior center.'”
By Josh Landes,
WAMC Northeast Public Radio, March 26, 2025
3rd Berkshire District State Representative Leigh Davis is behind a bill in the State House that would make it illegal for adults with authority over young people to have sexual relationships with them despite 16 being the age of consent in Massachusetts. Interest in the issue arose in Berkshire County last year when District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said he could not prosecute a teacher at private all-girls boarding school Miss Hall’s in Pittsfield over rape allegations due to existing law.
Housing, transit top of mind for Davis
By Ella Adams, State House News Service
The Berkshire Eagle, March 22, 2025
"After 22 years, the largest district in the House is represented by a new face on Beacon Hill: Rep. Leigh Davis.
"Davis — who has a background as a filmmaker, director and lecturer — isn’t native to the Berkshires, but after living in Ireland for 12 years, she landed in Great Barrington with her three kids. She started running an errands service business before she went on to work at Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, The Berkshire Eagle and housing nonprofit Eagle Mill Redevelopment and Construct, along with volunteering at places like HospiceCare in the Berkshires and the Great Barrington Land Conservancy. Davis’ foray into local government began in 2013 on the Great Barrington Finance Committee. Before she was elected to the House in November, she served on the town’s Select Board, where she chaired a housing subcommittee.
"In a recent conversation with the News Service, Davis spoke about her Berkshire-based transit goals, her strategy to be a voice for rural Massachusetts on Beacon Hill, and how she’s handled the first few months in office."
Leading Massachusetts: Politicians to watch in 2025
By John L. Micek and Ryan Mancini
MASSLive, March 20, 2025
"Davis, a first-term lawmaker, came out of the gate strong at the start of the new legislative session, filing a barrage of bills to ensure the Berkshires get noticed on Beacon Hill.
"One big one: A bill petitioning the Federal Communications Commission to take Berkshire County out of the Greater Albany media market and reassign it to the Springfield market — all the better to help residents get local news and catch up on Sox scores.
"In a high-profile instance, Davis is one of two Massachusetts legislators spearheading an effort to pass a bill that would criminalize sexual activity between an adult “in a position of trust, authority or supervision” over children aged 14 to 17 and children of this age in their care.
State legislature poised to extend remote and hybrid meetings
By Leslee Bassman
The Berkshire Edge, March 17, 2025
Amidst local efforts from residents and town boards, the Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a bill March 17 that would extend a COVID-era regulation providing for remote and hybrid government meetings pursuant to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
According to State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District), the measure is slated to pass the State Senate and will soon be on its way to Gov. Maura Healey who may sign the bill into law on March 20.
“So, this is one step to show that the legislature is responsive and we’re acting toward this,” Davis said.
Letter to the Editor
The Berkshire Eagle, March 11, 2025
"Both Leslee Bassman and Mickey Friedman have raised legitimate concerns recently regarding viral outbreaks such as measles, influenza, and avian influenza (H5N1) and the specter of a new pandemic. The Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative staff, working closely with their member boards of health in South County, monitor communicable diseases daily using a state system and provide follow-up and action as needed. While SBPHC provides a wide range of immunization services for children and is prepared to step up to immunize adults if needed, H5N1 vaccines are not yet available.
"State Rep. Leigh Davis has worked with the Tri-Town Health Department (TTHD) and major stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth to create emergency legislation to create a special commission to prepare for an emergence of H5N1. Now is the time to write to Rep. Davis, Gov. Maura Healey, and other legislators in support of this bill (HD.2234)."
By Heather Bellow
The Berkshire Eagle, March 10, 2025
"Massachusetts has fallen behind the majority of states when it comes to protecting children from sexual predators, say those pushing for tough new laws.
"'The state’s legal system in this regard is 'broken,' and 'our laws are failing our children,' said Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington, at a Monday morning press conference.'"
Berkshire Officials Back Bills to Protect Minors From Sexual Abuse
By Brittany Polito
iBerkshires, March 10, 2025
Local officials urge the passage of "long overdue" legislation to protect minors from sexual abuse by adults who are teachers, mentors, or other positions of trust.
"The Pittsfield City Council voted to support this and other similar bills at its last meeting and within her first month in office, state Rep. Leigh Davis of the Third Berkshire filed a companion bill to [State Senator Joan] Lovely's.
"For me, this is not just policy. It's personal," Davis said.
"As a legislator, a former educator, and a mother, including to a teenage daughter, I refuse to accept a legal system that protects predators instead of children. No child should ever hear the law won't protect them. No survivor should ever be told their abuser walks free because our laws have failed them.'”
Letter: I found Rep. Davis' coffee conversation in Otis informative and engaging
Letter to the Editor
The Berkshire Eagle, March 7, 2025
To the editor: Recently, I had the privilege of attending Rep. Leigh Davis’ coffee conversation in Otis at Paige’s Place. State Rep. Davis has officially filed five bills aimed at fortifying EMS services throughout the state.
I addressed the affordable housing crisis, expressing my apprehensions regarding potential reductions in MassHealth funding. I rely on biologics and infusions. I receive Entyvio every four weeks and take Zeposia daily alongside my other medications, which are crucial for managing my Crohn’s, Colitis, IBS, IBD and fibromyalgia. Without these infusions, my life would be at risk. I express my eternal gratitude to the late Dr. Joel Weinstock from Tufts Medical Center for recommending these treatments. We require protection for our hospitals to empower our communities across Berkshire County and the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
I'm pushing for revival of state's Accelerated Bridge Program
Letter to the Editor
The Berkshire Eagle, March 6, 2025
"To the editor: The Feb. 19 editorial 'Should it really take $50 million and 5 years to fix Brookside Bridge?' raises valid concerns about the cost and timeline of this critical project in Great Barrington.
I share these concerns and have been actively working on solutions — not just for Brookside Bridge but for structurally deficient bridges across Massachusetts.
"On Jan. 16, I filed HD.2730, An Act Relative to Renewing and Expanding the Accelerated Bridge Program, to reinstate a successful initiative that previously reduced the number of deficient bridges statewide. Since the program's expiration in 2018, that number has climbed to 470 as of 2024. My bill seeks to prioritize and fast-track infrastructure investment, particularly in rural and underserved communities like Berkshire County."
By Erin Douglas
The Boston Globe, March 5, 2025
"In town meetings, there’s been talk of an acquisition to turn the small private water company public, which some town officials view as a first step toward infrastructure repairs.
"Any acquisition will first need to be approved by a townwide vote, and then the town will need to come up with the estimated $30 million for new technology and pipe repairs to overhaul the system. Housatonic Water Works is one of only about a dozen privately owned water utilities in Massachusetts.
“'My fear is that you could have a town torn apart,” said Leigh Davis, a state representative for the area, pointing out that the embattled water system only serves a portion of the community. “My focus as a legislator is to help get the money just to acquire it.'”
"In conjunction with Read Across America, St. Mary's School is starting its big reading challenge.
"'For every 10 minutes a kiddo reads they get a coin that goes into a big bin. At the end of the month, they will get either an ice cream party for whoever reads the most or a pizza party, something like that,' said Principal Cara Maiorana-Culver. 'March is literacy month and literacy is so important to schools and something that doesn't get enough emphasis.
"Rep. Leigh Davis spoke to Grades 6-8 about what she does and read the book "The Dreaming Tree," the story of a young girl advocating for a tree to not be cut down in her neighborhood, saying anyone can raise their voice for what they believe in.
"'Being a role model in the community you live in is so important and I hope that I can provide that and one of the topics were talking about is how can you advocate for yourself how can you advocate for your community, for your school, for your town, for your district and the power that you have within you to make a difference so that is something that I really tried to get across to the students,' Davis said."
Feet First: State Representative Leigh Davis Begins Work
By Maria Black
New Marlborough 5 Village News, March, 2025
"Quick to smile, on message, and focused, Leigh Davis sat down for an hour to talk about her plans for the Berkshire 3rd, a district of eighteen South County towns including New Marlborough, which she won following the retirement of Smitty Pignatelli in last fall’s election. Wearing a zip-up jacket emblazoned with her name on the back and her title on the front, Davis seemed to not only fully inhabit her new role, but to genuinely relish it. She has already filed twenty-five bills, which has to be a record, or close to one, for a freshman on Beacon Hill."
Lee residents rally in Boston to push for alternative PCB cleanup by GE
By Talia Lissauer
The Berkshire Eagle, February 28, 2025
"State Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington ... called for a cleanup that does not relocate contamination and urged transparency and accountability from the company. 'This isn’t just about the Housatonic,' Davis said. 'What is happening here is happening across the United States — rivers polluted, [drinking] water threatened, communities left to deal with the consequences of corporate negligence.'”
Our Opinion: Legislative leadership must not bury Davis' age of consent bill
The Editors
The Berkshire Eagle, February 22, 2025
"In the wake of stunning sex abuse allegations against a former Miss Hall’s School teacher, we added our voice to community calls for the Legislature to update the state’s sexual consent laws.
"Thankfully, that ball is already rolling in the General Court thanks to the Berkshire delegation’s newest member. Rep. Leigh Davis has filed legislation (HD.2209) that would make it a crime for people like teachers, coaches and babysitters to have sex with minors in their care even if they are above the state’s age of consent."
By Josh Landes
WAMC Northeast Public Radio, February 20, 2025
"EMS providers are used to responding to alarms. But now, they’re the ones sounding it.
“'We're really in a crisis mode right now in terms of staffing vehicles, and even though it might be in some areas more pronounced, the staffing problem and the crisis problem is a regional issue, it's a state issue, it's a national issue,' said Michael Woronka, President and CEO of Wilmington-based Action Ambulance Service, which has been providing EMS across Massachusetts since 1977. 'We’re seeing it all around the state. It's not just happening in the Berkshires. It's happening in Springfield, it's happening in Worcester, it's happening in Boston. So, our large cities are experiencing staffing shortfalls and labor shortfalls.'
"In smaller communities with even less access to life-saving resources, EMS that have relied on volunteers are seeing their staff age out of the job.
"At Dewey Memorial Hall Friday, Woronka will be joined by State Representative Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District to talk about the EMS crisis.
“'I'm seeing the dedicated professionals who save our lives every day, and these people are overworked, they're underfunded, and they're facing an uncertain future,' she told WAMC. "So, we can no longer treat EMS as an afterthought.'"
"The future of ambulance availability and emergency medical services in the Berkshires is precarious at best.
Stretched EMS providers have been crying for help, as local towns and private donations struggle to keep ambulances running financially. But it’s not sustainable, and the risks are great. It is a public health crisis that results in 'ambulance deserts.'
"It’s why state Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington, has filed five bills that would bolster EMS in the Berkshires and statewide.
"Davis will join a panel of EMS experts at 1 p.m. Friday [February 21] at Dewey Memorial Hall to discuss the rural EMS crisis and what her proposed bills could do about it. The discussion is free and open to the public. Panelists will include Sheffield Police Chief Eric R. Munson III, Action Ambulance Service CEO Michael Woronka, and Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad Board President James Santos."
By Heather Bellow
The Berkshire Eagle, February 18, 2025
"A proposed law to protect children from sexual abuse regardless of the state's age of consent is gaining support in the wake of new details of sexual misconduct by a former Miss Hall’s School teacher.
"State Rep. Leigh Davis, D-Great Barrington, filed a bill on Jan. 15 to 'stop sexual assaults by adults in positions of authority and trust in Massachusetts.'
"Davis' bill would make it a crime for people like teachers, coaches and babysitters to have sex with children in their care — even if they are 16, which is the state’s age of consent.
"The filing of the legislation coincided with new allegations from two alumnae who attended Miss Hall's in the 1990s that were published in a Vanity Fair article on Jan. 16."
Dalton residents demand action on concrete company's dust
By Sabrina Damms
iBerkshires Staff, February 13, 2025
"Nearly 100 residents turned up at the Board of Health meeting on Wednesday night to complain of dust and particulates coating their neighborhood from Berkshire Concrete and allegedly causing health issues.
"State Rep. Leigh Davis said she came to this Board of Health meeting to help with the situation and will do what she can to expedite any soil testing.
"'I'm going to be talking to Mass DEP tomorrow, talk about samples, and see what we can do to expedite this. So, you have the people in the room right now that want to help facilitate this,' Davis said.
"'So I'm going to be talking to these folks and working with Berkshire Concrete, obviously. So the people in the room that need be are here right now, and we'll make sure all the communication flows.'
By Shaw Israel Izikson
The Berkshire Edge, February 13, 2025
State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District) is requesting a meeting with Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Chair Jamie Van Nostrand and Commissioner Staci Rubin concerning Housatonic Water Works.
Back on January 24, the long-troubled company gave notice that it would delay the installation of a manganese filter system. Installation of the filtration system was part of the rate-increase plan approved by the DPU in July. As proposed, HWW customer rates would increase by over 90 percent over five years.
In response, on February 5 the Town of Stockbridge filed a motion with the DPU requesting that the company roll back its planned rate increases. The town is also requesting that the DPU investigate HWW.
In her letter to Nostrand and Rubin sent on Thursday, February 13, State Rep. Davis writes that she was requesting a meeting immediately in order to discuss the company’s compliance with the settlement order and a potential rollback of Phase 1 rate increases “given the company’s failure to make meaningful progress on its obligations.”
By Josh Landes
WAMC Northeast Public Radio, February 12, 2025
"In 2023, amid a surge of migrants, the Massachusetts emergency shelter system hit capacity, overwhelming the commonwealth and sending costs for the program skyrocketing. Debate over how to manage the beleaguered system continues. On Thursday, the Democrat controlled Massachusetts House approved a $425 million infusion to keep it operating through the end of June, along with a slate of new restrictions on who can use the system and for how long.
"'This vote was needed. I think we need to be fiscally responsible as well as compassionate,' first-term Democratic State Representative Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District told WAMC. 'We need some guardrails. Unfortunately, we've lost our federal partner. But really looking at it, I think we need to be sustainable and effective, and I think this strikes a good balance. Obviously, we all know the changes that came through- The maximum stay is now six months, as opposed to nine months, and now there's a shelter cap of 4,000 whereas it was 7,500 before.'"
Leigh Davis is off to a running start
By Marilyn Wyatt of Lee, MA
The Berkshire Edge, February 12, 2025
"I attended the Town Hall Meeting in Lee on January 28 with State Sen. Paul Mark and newly elected State Rep. Leigh Davis. I left the meeting convinced that Davis is the right person in the right job at the right time. Her statements were clear and substantive; she has concrete plans and goals; and she knows the needs of a broad range of local constituents. I am certain that, even as a freshman legislator, she will provide the ideas and leadership we all sorely need at the moment."
State Sen. Mark and State Rep. Davis discuss how Massachusetts is keeping up with President Trump
By Shaw Israel Izikson
The Berkshire Edge, January 29, 2025
"Rep. Davis added that she is also worried about federal funding being cut from state programs and about President Trump withdrawing the U.S. from The Paris Agreement. 'We’ve moved forward in terms of addressing emissions and greenhouse gasses, so this scares me,' Rep. Davis said. 'Directly related to that is what’s going on with the [Housatonic] Rest of the River [remediation project]. If there is money being taken away from the [Environmental Protection Agency], how is that going to translate into [MassDEP] and so forth? That really worries me.'"
From the Berkshires to Beacon Hill: Davis discusses goals for first term as state representative
By Shaw Israel Izikson
The Berkshire Edge, January 21, 2025
"While State Rep. Leigh Davis (D – 3rd Berkshire District) said that she will remain community-minded as a state representative, she told The Berkshire Edge that serving in her new role has allowed her to look at the “bigger picture” when it comes to issues impacting both Berkshire County and throughout the state. 'It’s nice to step back and listen to colleagues with similar issues in their districts,' Davis said. 'It’s important to listen and learn from them to find solutions.'"
The Forgotten Half: Is Western Mass. really ignored by Beacon Hill? | Bay State Briefing
By John L. Micek
Masslive.com, January 20, 2025
"A former select board member from Great Barrington, Davis is filing a barrage of bills to make sure the home fires are adequately tended on Beacon Hill.
"Among them is one that would declare emergency medical services an 'essential service' because 'that’s going to help with reimbursement rates,' she said. Another bill would deal with licensing issues to help ease recruiting challenges, she said.
"Davis also wants to redress the balance in transportation and mass transit funding between the eastern and western halves of the state. And she’s also backing a bill petitioning the Federal Communications Commission to take Berkshire County out of the Greater Albany media market and reassign it to the Springfield market — all the better to help residents get local news and catch up on Sox scores."
Berkshire legislators lay out expectations, hopes for Healey’s second State of the Commonwealth
By Josh Landes
WAMC Northeast Public Radio, January 14, 2025
"For Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District, Healey’s address will be her first state of the commonwealth as a newly minted legislator following her swearing-in earlier this month.
"'I want to hear about being equitable,' Davis told WAMC. 'So, regional equity, and I know that the Berkshires is valued for many things- Obviously, we have our culture, we have our tourism, we have our beautiful natural resources. But I want to make sure that they really understand that we have so much to offer here and that we're valued. So, I'm going to be looking for having discussions with the administration and ensuring that they remember us when the money starts flowing and this rainy-day fund, this $9 billion that we have. that some of that fund goes to Western Massachusetts and helps us help ourselves. So, whether that’s additional investment in transportation or roads or bridges, or helping us more with our schools, or really bringing a new industry here. When the mills closed down, we really haven't had something to replace that industry. So, I'm going to be looking forward to the administration helping us be stronger and more vital, and bringing that vitality back to this region that we once had.'
"Davis is a rare new voice among Berkshire legislators after her predecessor Smitty Pignatelli retired after 11 terms."
My father and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Remarks of Leigh Davis to the NAACP Berkshire Branch Monthly Meeting, January 8, 2025
"Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday in the United States, is a testament to the perseverance of those who fought for its establishment. Observed annually on the third Monday of January since 1986, the journey to make Dr. King’s birthday a federal holiday was a long and challenging battle. This effort to honor Rev. Dr. King began in 1968, the year of his assassination, and was championed by labor unions, civil rights organizations, and national legislators, and with a unique Berkshire County connection. The father of 3rd Berkshire District Representative Leigh Davis, Lloyd Davis, played a crucial role in the movement to establish this holiday. Through his work with Coretta Scott King, the widow of Dr. King, Mr. Davis significantly contributed to the development of the King Center and the establishment of the holiday.
"Rep. Davis attended the branch's monthly member meeting Wednesday, January 8, to discuss her father's role in establishing Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day."
After a year on the campaign trail, 3rd Berkshire State Rep. Davis begins Beacon Hill term
By Josh Landes
WAMC Northeast Public Radio, January 2, 2025
"On Wednesday, Leigh Davis was in Boston to be sworn in as the new state representative for the 3rd Berkshire District. She’s the first new legislator to represent the Southern Berkshires since her predecessor and fellow Democrat Smitty Pignatelli took office in 2003. Davis entered the race to succeed Pignatelli last year as the vice chair of the Great Barrington selectboard and beat out two competitors in the September primary before triumphing over independent candidate Marybeth Mitts in November’s general election. After months of campaigning, she’s now faced with navigating the halls of Beacon Hill as a brand-new legislator. Davis spoke with WAMC Berkshire Bureau Chief Josh Landes about her plans for the two-year term and what it was like to be sworn into office."
Leigh Davis sworn in as new state representative for 3rd Berkshire District
By Shaw Israel Izikson
The Berkshire Edge, January 2, 2025
“Yesterday was one of the most meaningful days of my life,” State Rep. Davis wrote on her Facebook page. “I was sworn in as the State Representative for the 3rd Berkshire District. Having my children by my side and members of my incredible team there made it even more special. I know many others wanted to make the journey, and for that, I’m so grateful. This ceremony wasn’t just about me — it was for the families, workers, and individuals of the 3rd Berkshire District. Providing meaningful constituent services will be at the heart of everything we do, and I’m here to serve you.”
