INTERVIEWER: Welcome to another episode of Cross Talk. My name is Kevin Tooti and I will be your host for this segment. What is Cross Talk? What do we talk about here? This is a vehicle to be able to deliver information about different topics, subject matter, introduce you to individuals, a show that has been uh a vehicle for more than 20 years uh here at WHCA and proud to serve both Whitman and Hanson.

Today joining us, this is a uh get-to-know-you piece as uh joining me uh is an individual uh seeking to give you information and better inform you about her campaign for the Sixth Plymouth District State Representative seat. We have Jessica Bradley Rushing. Jessica, welcome to Cross Talk.

JESSICA: Thank you so much. How are you?

INTERVIEWER: I’m doing really well. Let’s start with a little get to know you. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

JESSICA: Sure. So I am running right now to be the next state representative for the Sixth Plymouth District, which includes all or parts of Duxbury, Marshfield, Pembroke, Hanson, and Halifax. Um, I am running for this seat because I think we need to do more to address the affordability crisis in this state. We need to do more to bring local aid and state resources back to the towns.

Um, I grew up in Pembroke. I lived here. I went all the way through elementary school, graduated from Silver Lake. Um, moved back here in 2018 with my husband and my four kids because I wanted my kids to grow up in the place that I call home. Um, since then I’ve been really involved, um, in town and in sort of Massachusetts politics and in government, and you know, I’m looking around at what’s happening right now and I think that we need someone in the State House who’s going to do more to bring back resources to the district and make sure that we have a good quality of life for everybody who lives here.

INTERVIEWER: Let’s talk about— you’ve you’ve been elected uh previously, uh serving on the Pembroke Select Board. Uh, you had a firsthand uh look at the challenges that local government and municipalities face. What did that experience teach you about relationships between Beacon Hill and local communities, and why did that motivate you to run for state rep?

JESSICA: So I served on the Pembroke Select Board. It was a really eye-opening experience, um, in terms of how much I think people underestimate the importance of municipal government and state government in their everyday lives. I think, you know, when we’re watching the news, often we’re seeing the national news. We’re seeing what’s happening on Capitol Hill, not on Beacon Hill necessarily. And while that’s super important to pay attention to and and understand, the things that happen in your municipal government and at the state level actually have a much bigger impact on your daily life than than most people, I think, realize.

When I served on the Select Board, it was a really incredibly rewarding experience to be able to see sort of like the nitty-gritty bits of how the town works, how they pull together a budget, or or, you know, try to pull together a budget, right? Um, and I really loved the time that I was able to serve on the Select Board. I think, you know, one of the things that I saw was, and I think we’re seeing it even more now, a couple years after, is that municipalities are really struggling to make ends meet there.

Every single town in the Sixth Plymouth District had a budget shortfall this year and was seeking an override. And more and more we see towns looking to taxpayers to sort of close those gaps when there is a shortfall in the budget. Um, because rising— the fixed costs that towns have to pay are rising faster than we can meet them. And I think we need to do more to bring state resources back to the district, back to the town, so that municipal governments aren’t consistently asking taxpayers to foot that bill.

INTERVIEWER: So for voters who are just being introduced to you, or maybe they’ve heard your name but don’t know a lot about your your platform, what would you say are the top two or three issues? I think you already kind of tease affordability. I think that’s probably the top one that’s got every political race here on not only the South Shore but in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. But talk to me about those issues and the approach that you’re taking to— that you’d like to take if you were successful on November 3rd.

JESSICA: Sure. So absolutely, affordability is the number one thing. Um, and it’s the thing that I hear most when I’m out talking to people as well, right? The rising cost of just about everything. Groceries, gas, health care, child care, schools. It it is hard to make ends meet. It is hard to keep up. Um, wages are being outpaced, and people are sort of looking around saying, “Where is it going to hit me next?” Right? I mean, we’re we’re coming up to the cold part of the year here, and the cost of heating your home is going to be exponentially higher this year than it has been in previous years.

Um, I also think that we just need to do a better job at the state level of funding, um [clears throat], sort of re— reformulating the funding mechanisms that we use to bring state money back to the local areas. Um, when you look at public schools, for instance, um, there are a lot of mandates that the state puts on the public schools, and they’re not all fully funded. We need to look at ways to bring more money into the schools. In many— most of the towns, the school budget is 50% or more of the town’s whole budget. And I think that that’s important, right? Like, you want your kids to be able to get a good education. But if the state is not delivering the money that we need, um, to be able to ensure that that’s happening, then the towns have to find a way to cover those gaps. If you don’t, then you have something like what’s happening in Marshfield right now. They didn’t pass the override, and now there are major cuts happening at the schools. Um, and that’s going to be felt by the kids first and foremost. Um, I think we need to do a much better job at the state level of funding things like public education.

Um, and then the last part, sort of pillar of my campaign, is supporting working families. Um, you know, I grew up in a household with two parents who were union members, reps in their respective organizations. My mom was in the Mass Teachers and the Mass Nurses Associations. She was actually the the school nurse at Whitman-Hanson High School for more than 20 years. Um, and my dad was a mailman. He was in the the Letter Carriers union. So I grew up knowing that sort of union jobs were the way that you got a fair shot. This was how families sort of were able to get good wages and build a good life. And every opportunity that I’ve been given in my life, and there have been many, um, opportunities that I’ve had were the result of my parents having those good union jobs. So I really want to work to make sure that we have, you know, strong union support across the district to make sure that working families can get ahead.

INTERVIEWER: I believe that just prior to COVID, the state had passed a something called a Student Opportunity Act, which is supposed to be an initiative that was the re— it was the reform of the uh the Ed Reform Act of ‘93, supposed to give more monies that— some folks felt that it was going to give more money towards the Gateway Cities and not necessarily the the the subur— suburban communities. Um, but people keep saying over and over and over, folks who are either elected or folks who are seeking to be elected, that the chap— Chapter 70 funding formula needs to be looked at. Why do we keep— what is it going to take, in your opinion, for someone to finally go, okay, we need to put together a blue ribbon panel, y— take a look at this and make sure that we find a fair and equitable way, right, for folks to be able to, you know, uh, educate—

JESSICA: Yep.

INTERVIEWER: —and to make sure that every community, all 351 communities, unless there’s a shared district, are getting a fair shake when it comes to funding.

JESSICA: So, I mean, you’re exactly right about sort of the legislation that has already happened. And I think there have been some steps taken that are good starts. Um, the Student Opportunity Act was a phased approach. It has just sort of fully been phased in recently. Um, but I do think that it’s been a conversation that has not really ever been taken up appropriately on Beacon Hill.

Um, you know, in sort of some of the research that I’ve done when I’m looking at the education stuff, I looked back and there was a report from the auditor, when the previous auditor, not Diana, um, Suzanne Bump, who was the— wait, did I get that right?

INTERVIEWER: Yes.

JESSICA: Who who was the auditor just prior—

INTERVIEWER: Formerly of Whitman?

JESSICA: Yeah. Yes. Um, and she did sort of a report on school funding and how we were funding the schools, and made recommendations as to what needed to be implemented to do a better job of fully funding the schools. And that was, I believe, ‘21 that that report came out, ‘22 maybe. Um, and those things still haven’t been implemented fully, right? So I think it’s past time that we take meaningful action on Beacon Hill to look at the way we’re funding our schools.

I think, you know, the Fair Share Act, the the millionaire’s tax, that was a good step to bring in more tax revenue that is specifically meant to be targeted at education. But I think we need to make sure that that money is being allocated where it’s needed most. Um, and the schools, for me, as the parent of four kids, schools are always going to be one of my biggest priorities. My kids have had a really good education here, um, in this district, and I’m grateful for that. But I I do think that we need to do more to ensure that funding is is distributed equitably. It is distributed to the places where it’s needed most, and that we are putting that funding in the areas that are most in need. And I think K through 12 public education needs to be a priority.

INTERVIEWER: Fun fact: what do you and Suzanne Bump have in common?

JESSICA: I don’t know.

INTERVIEWER: You both did Cross Talk.

JESSICA: Oh, there you go.

INTERVIEWER: Sorry, just a little bit of a play. Um, you had me— you alluded to, as far as energy costs, and we are getting to the the colder part of the year. Uh, that’s putting pressure on, whether it’s a personal budget, businesses. What do you— what do you believe those costs are derivative of, and what can the— what can the state legislature actually do to help families that are trying to, you know, get through the winter and and do so efficiently and affordably?

JESSICA: Right. I think that there are some factors that are causing these costs to spike that are sort of outside of the, you know, outside of the realm of what the state legislature can impact. There’s a war in Iran that is causing these prices to go up significantly. Um, gas and oil prices are are are higher than they’ve been in my memory as a homeowner. Um, I think, you know, there are some programs at the state level to try and offset some of those rising costs, but we really need to do more, especially for people who are on fixed incomes, to ensure that people are able to heat their homes, right?

Um, last year, uh, my— you know, when we order from my house, every single time I’m like, this can’t be— I I can’t believe this is how much it’s going to cost. And it’s gone up every single time, right? And, you know, our budget is what it is, and and most families are working with a budget that is what it is, and you have to sort of make sacrifices when those costs are so high that— and there’s nothing you can do, right? It’s it’s winter in New England. You have to heat your house.

Um, the state legislature, I think, can impact that. You know, we can’t— we can’t make decisions about the war in Iran or or those sort of bigger, more global or national issues, but we certainly need to take steps at the state level, um, to make sure that people have access to programs that can help offset some of those costs and drive down energy costs across the state.

INTERVIEWER: I think the other thing that that is a a key issue, and it was something that over the past year and a half, two years, uh, has been housing. Housing— the state trying to find ways to increase housing stock, right? This is something that goes back to the Baker-Polito administration. Uh, we— everybody has heard about the MBTA Communities Act. Give me your thoughts on on trying to increase housing but yet allowing local control. Where do you stand on housing and local control?

JESSICA: So, I I do think that it is a fact that we need to build more housing across the Commonwealth, period. Um, housing prices in this area are crazy high. Uh, we moved back here in 2018. We were very lucky to be able to move back to the town I grew up in, but if we had come back 2 or 3 years later, I think we would have been priced out.

INTERVIEWER: Yeah.

JESSICA: Um, you know, home values and home costs have really, really gone up over the course of the past few years, along with interest rates, which make it harder and harder for people to get into the housing market. If we don’t have affordable options, then more and more people are going to be priced out.

Um, my daughter just recently graduated from college, and she was sort of looking around where was she— she graduated from, um, a school in Washington, D.C., and she wasn’t sure where she was going to land, and she said, “Mom, it’s too expensive for me to move back to the Boston area. I can’t afford to live there.” You know, and I don’t— I don’t want a future where my kids don’t feel like they can build lives in this part of the country because it— housing is just so expensive.

Um, when I was on the Select Board in Pembroke, one of the things that I talked about a lot was affordable housing in the town. When a town has a certain percentage of its housing stock that is deed-affordable, the town has a lot more control over where additional units will be built. If the town does not have that sort of baseline percentage requirement, then the state can say, “Well, you don’t have enough affordable housing, so we’re going to tell you where you have to put it.”

I think that building more housing, affordable housing, in all of these communities is really important to enable young families to move in and be able to build lives here, and also enable family— you know, older residents who have lived here for a long time but maybe don’t need a three- or four-bedroom house anymore, but still want to stay in the community where they’ve lived for decades, to have an option that is reasonable and allows them to, you know, retire in the place where they’ve always lived. Um, my stance is that we need more housing. We need more affordable housing. We need a mix of types of housing, because not everybody wants a four-bedroom colonial with an acre of land. Some people would like to have a smaller— smaller amount of space, or, you know, flexible options.

The MBTA Communities Act, I think, is really an interesting issue. Um, I [clears throat] think at its core it was intended to create more units of affordable housing in places that allow people access to public transit, which is at— as a concept sounds really great. I think that it was not communicated well, and people misunderstood what the program would do. There are, you know, multiple— multiple communities within this district are MBTA communities. Um, and not all of the towns in this district are in compliance with the MBTA Act, right? So Halifax is still not in compliance, and as a result of their non-compliance, the town is losing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants that they are no longer able to apply for from the state.

So it is important that we look at the MBTA Communities Act not as sort of the state coming down and telling people what they have to do, but that it it provides an opportunity to be creative about building more affordable units. And, you know, I think it’s important for the towns, when they are already struggling to sort of make those municipal budgets work, um, not to lose access to additional grants that could help offset the the costs that they’re facing.

INTERVIEWER: Well, beyond zoning, uh, new housing is going to put additional pressure, not only a— roads, schools, y— water supply, wastewater infrastructure.

JESSICA: That’s that’s huge.

INTERVIEWER: Water is one of those outlier issues, I feel, because without water, without wastewater infrastructure, how are you able to build additional housing? What do you think the state should be— how can the state somehow be— and maybe especially with communities in your district, um, have some assistance or some kind of a program that’ll help them attain water, whether it’s MWRA, whether it’s diesel water, maybe it might be digging for new wells, right? Give me your thoughts.

JESSICA: I mean, my thoughts are, across the board, in in many towns in this area, the water infrastructure is outdated. There’s been, you know— I know in Pembroke there was a lot of deferred maintenance that that needed to be addressed. Um, there have been periods of time in Pembroke where people have turned on their faucet and the water comes out and it is brown. We like— this is not— that’s not a good situation. Water is something that we all need, and we need every single day to be able to rely on on clean water in our homes.

Um, I do think that there’s more that the state should be doing for those kinds of programs, right? Um, I know that in Pembroke, when I was on the Select Board, we had to raise the water rates. Um, the water rates had not been raised in multiple years, so we were sort of like behind the curve. Um, but when you have instances like that, where you go from, you know, whatever the water rate had been— I forget the percentage of of what it was— and then you have to do like a 10, 20, 25% increase over a very short period of time, that hits people harder than if you take incremental steps and, you know, if you raise it 1 or 2% every year rather than having a gap where it didn’t get raised at all. Um, it’s easier for people to absorb those costs as they rise.

Um, the towns really do have a responsibility to ensure that the water infrastructure is safe for for the residents. Um, but I think that the state does need to do more just across the board in terms of infrastructure support, um, for these towns so that the municipal budgets can make ends meet.

INTERVIEWER: Okay. Let’s uh— when you’re out meeting and greeting uh voters, what are some of the things that they’re saying to you? What are some— I mean, I know affordability is going to be one of those things, but but what are some of the other issues that you’re hearing, and and what are some of the solutions that you’re offering, uh, when you hear some of those issues?

JESSICA: So it’s interesting. This is an interesting district, right? Like, depending which town you’re in, the issues that people bring up can be very different. Um, in Duxbury, there’s a lot of concern about what’s going to happen with Powder Point Bridge, or, you know, beach access is an issue there. Um, the bridge— just this week, the Federal Highway Administration sort of responded to the town of Duxbury to say that the existing Powder Point Bridge is not eligible for, um, being included in the National Register of Historic Places, which would have been one option to help sort of offset the cost of replacing that bridge. Um, so there’s sort of hyper— I think of them as hyperlocal issues, right? Where it’s it’s specific to that one town, not necessarily the whole district, but members of all the other communities, and probably communities all over the South Shore, want to be able to enjoy Duxbury Beach, right? So those sorts of issues, I think, um, really need to be taken individually, um, because they’re so unique to each of the towns.

I mean, Marshfield right now, I think the biggest issue that they’re facing is that the override didn’t pass and there’s going to be cuts in the schools. But both Marshfield and Duxbury, as coastal communities, have to think about climate issues, right? Um, when we have a big storm, and we will have big storms, right? We’ve just had a nor’easter already in September, which I think is slightly unusual. Um, they sort of bear the brunt of those storms as they’re coming in off the ocean, and we need to really be thinking about climate resilience for those towns.

Um, you know, across the board, what I hear from people is that they want to see the state providing more to the towns, right? Like, the— where is the state when it comes to these big budget issues? Um, and you know, there’s a process at the state level where representatives can file earmarks for local aid, um, and for the past couple years our state rep has not brought any earmarks back to the town, because if you vote against the state budget, your earmarks gets stripped out. So when we’re looking at even these small amounts of money that, you know, $50,000, $100,000, um, that could help offset something that each individual town needs, and we’re just losing out on that money. I think that’s a big problem.

Um, when I was on the Select Board, I worked with Josh Cutler, who was the the representative in this seat at that time, and we got an earmark for $30,000, which is not a ton of money, but we were able to replace a playground at Madakisa Ballfields that hundreds of kids use every single week while their older siblings are playing, you know, baseball or softball. So those small earmarks do make a difference in the communities, and that’s something that I think we really need to focus on, um, how we can do a better job of bringing that that local aid back.

INTERVIEWER: So what would be your approach? Especially if if you are successful on November 3rd, you will be a freshman legislator.

JESSICA: Yes.

INTERVIEWER: And freshman legislators, it’s kind of tough. Although, albeit, depending on your party affiliation—

JESSICA: Sure.

INTERVIEWER: Um, it could bode well for you.

JESSICA: Yeah.

INTERVIEWER: Um, what— what are some of the needs that you feel that you are already aware of in the district that you’d like to seek out if you are elected?

JESSICA: I mean, in terms of the local aid and those earmarks, that’s something that I think, year by year, the state rep needs to go and talk to the different communities to say, like, what are the projects that you’re looking at? Where can we provide some assistance and offset, right? Um, whether you’re a freshman or you’ve been in the State House for two decades, you’re still able to file for those earmarks, right? The problem is, if you vote against the state budget, your earmarks can get stripped out. So step one: don’t vote against the state budget. Um, if there’s, you know, not a good reason, like an actually good reason to vote against it. Um, it’s it’s— to me, I think when that kind of a vote literally takes money away from the towns, then that that’s that’s an irresponsible vote to take.

Um, in terms of that local aid, you know, those small projects, $100,000 for safety equipment for the fire department, that can go a long way in making a difference in a a town’s budget. So that, I think, would be, you know, a really easy step to take, even as a freshman, to be able to bring those local earmarks back.

INTERVIEWER: Okay. Uh, one of your jobs, other than constituent services, if elected, is also writing legislature. Is there already, early on, there’s certain types of legislation that you would like to present, or maybe there might be other uh representatives in the House that you, you know, you would want to work with to, you know, collaborate with?

JESSICA: I mean, I— right now I’m sort of focusing on the next 25 days and getting through the campaign. There is certainly legislation that I have sort of in my head about, you know, what I would like to do if I am— if I’m lucky enough to win this seat.

Um, within the district, there, you know, most of the towns— Duxbury is the only town in the district where I would have the entirety of the town. So each of the other towns I would share with another legislator. So in Marshfield, um, Patrick Kearney is the other state rep. Pembroke and Halifax is Kathy LaNatra. Um, Hanson right now is Dave DeCoste, and he has an opponent, Lorie Childs, is running against him. So depending on which town you’re talking about, there’s different legislators that I would be working with. And then we also have, you know, Pat O’Connor is the state senator for part of the district, Dylan Fernandes, and then Mike Brady. So there’s— there are a lot of people already in the legislature who I have great relationships with, and I’d be excited to work with to make sure that we are, you know, sort of putting forward the best legislation for each of the towns in this district.

INTERVIEWER: Being a veteran yourself, thank you for your service. Uh, talk to me about the importance of making sure that our veterans are taken care of, whether they’re— whether they are, you know, they just recently have left the service or have served in prior wars. Talk to me about the importance of taking care of veterans and and being there for them.

JESSICA: So, veteran services is something that is near and dear to my heart. Um, as a veteran, and, you know, my husband’s a veteran, my dad’s a veteran, my father-in-law— like, families on both sides go way back with service. Um, but I actually served, um, as the sort of veteran services person in Congressman Bill Keating’s office for a couple years, and it was one of my favorite jobs that I’ve ever had in my entire life.

Um, I was essentially doing veterans casework. So I would also work with the veteran service officers in each of the towns. Um, but, you know, veterans would reach out because if if they’re reaching out to their member of Congress for help with their case, they have reached a point where something is is feeling broken, right? Like, they have done everything they can, and now they need help because for whatever reason their case hasn’t been processed, their case hasn’t been approved.

And the best part of my job was being able to call a veteran who had been waiting weeks, months, and sometimes years, and say, “We got the case through. It’s been approved. You’re going to get, you know, a check for—” in some cases it was tens of thousands of dollars that they were due— or “We got, you know, we got your case approved, and you’re going to get the services that you’ve earned.” Um, to me, there is no greater feeling than being able to call someone and say, you know, you earned this, you were fighting for it, and they just weren’t listening, and we were able to help you get this across the finish line. It was the best part of my job every time.

[snorts]

INTERVIEWER: We have about four minutes left in our conversation.

JESSICA: Okay.

INTERVIEWER: Anything that we haven’t touched upon but you feel it’s necessary to share with our viewers?

JESSICA: I mean, I think the thing— the message that I’d really like to get across is sort of my why. Like, why am I doing this, right? I— I— my kids are sort of, you know, as a mom, that like they’re the thing that you care about most. And when I look around, and you— my kids are 16, 18, 20, and 22 years old.

INTERVIEWER: God bless you. [laughter]

JESSICA: It is an adventure every day. Um, I look around and I I see them worrying about their own futures, and it’s my job to worry about their future as their mom, but I don’t want them to feel as though sort of the the game is against them, right? Like that— that the stakes are— the obstacles are too high to ever imagine that they’re going to have a successful and easy life because the cost of everything just seems insurmountable right now.

And so that really was the underlying reason why I felt like I had to get back in here and and run for this role, because I want to ensure that my kids feel confident in their own futures, right? They’re looking at climate change. They’re looking at the cost of living. They’re looking at, you know, the cost of education. I have two kids in college right now at the same time, and for one year I will have three kids in college at the same time, and the cost of education is just through the roof, right? And you don’t want your kids to be saddled with debt at 22 years old, but also, how do you pay for that, you know, for that expensive an education, um, for for your kids? And so really, I think it is on us to do more now to make sure that future generations are able to have successful lives and and look ahead to their own futures with confidence and not fear.

INTERVIEWER: With our final 90 seconds, if folks want to find out more about you, your campaign, they want to reach out to you, what are the ways they can do that?

JESSICA: Absolutely. So go to my website. It is www.electjbr.com. Um, we have tons of volunteer opportunities. We will have people out knocking doors every single day and every single weekend from now till Election Day. Um, which is 25 days from now, by the way. Um, we— so, electjbr.com. You can also follow me on social media. I’m on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and TikTok. So we’re trying to reach the youth vote. Um, my kids are helping with that.

Um, and, you know, just get involved. If if people are interested in coming out and holding [clears throat] signs, we have that in almost every town in the district at some point every week. We have phone banks, we have text banks, we have door-knocking opportunities. Um, we’re going to have a big uh labor uh walk event on October 17th, starting in, um, in Pembroke at the community center. People can come out to that. Um, and if you want lawn signs, you can sign up right on my website, and we’ll we’ll drop a lawn sign off to you.

So we have a lot of work to do in the next 25 days. It’s going to be sort of a sprint to the finish, but I’m excited about it and looking forward to seeing what happens. Oh, and early voting. Early voting opens October 17th. So October 17th to October 30th, you can go vote, um, at the polling place in your town. And, you know, then November 3rd is Election Day.

INTERVIEWER: Well, I want to thank you so much for being my guest.

JESSICA: Thank you.

INTERVIEWER: And we want to thank you for tuning in to a program like Cross Talk. Again, the idea is to have you be better informed when you are going to go and vote, early voting or voting on the day of. If you’re not sure as to uh if you’re able to vote, what precinct you vote— you vote, check either of your town clerk’s offices. Uh, they will be able to help you, uh, with that information. Until our next conversation, have yourself a great day.

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