Rep. Kerans To Work On Elections, Mental Health Committees

DANVERS, MA — State Rep. Sally Kerans (D-Danvers), who was elected back to the legislature in November more than three decades since she last served Danvers and Peabody, will work on committees that were key to her campaign themes amid the coronavirus health crisis.

Kerans will serve on the transportation, financial services, mental health, substance abuse and recovery, election laws and cybersecurity committees.

Kerans told Patch in January that her key areas of focus in the legislature would be helping small businesses recover from the pandemic, making sure schools had what they needed to make up for a year of disrupted learning and working on ways to better connect residents of Danvers, Peabody and Middleton efficiently to commuter rail stations.

"These committees deal with issues that directly impact our daily lives, our economy, our infrastructure and our climate," Kerans said in a statement. "I'm excited to join with colleagues, local officials and stakeholders to bring equitable approaches and solutions to complex problems in each of these five policy areas.

"I will be a voice for the vulnerable, hold powerful institutions accountable and work towards an inclusive, equitable vision for our state that lifts us all. I'm really looking forward to taking part in this important work."

Kerans said she believes transportation issues are intertwined with helping mitigate climate change and that her work on the substance abuse and mental health committees is especially timely given the effects of the pandemic.

"COVID-19 has both highlighted existing inadequacies in our mental health system and exacerbated mental illness for many," Kerans said. "People struggling with mental illness need greater access to behavioral health services. We must address stigma, access to both in-patient and outpatient mental health treatment and the failed system of incarceration-as-treatment."

She said she will work to extend the mail-in voting options that were introduced in 2020.

"Our elections are the cornerstone of our democracy," she said. "I'm honored to serve on this committee, and I look forward to continuing to support our town and city clerks who exceptionally adapted and ensured access to voting during the COVID-19 crisis.

"Clearly, mail-in voting was a success, and I will support measures to expand this option for voters."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)