Berkshire County and Boston — 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.”

Davis took office as the state representative for the 3rd Berkshire District on January 1. “I think that being a freshman, there are a lot of eyes on me right now,” Davis said. “The spotlight is not on me, it’s on the 3rd Berkshire District. I will use the spotlight to the best advantage of the residents in the district. When I got here, I was told a lot of times that freshmen don’t file legislation during their first session. I’m going to buck that trend. I want to get out there, get my head down, and do the job.”
As of press time on Tuesday, January 21, Davis has filed 25 bills for this legislative session.
Five of these bills concern emergency medical services:
- “An Act establishing a special commission on emergency medical services“;
- “An Act to declare emergency medical services an essential service“;
- “An Act to establish an emergency medical services treatment-in-place (TIP) pilot program“;
- “An Act establishing an emergency medical services licensure compact“; and
- “An Act to require CPR training and promote careers in emergency medical services.”
According to Davis, the bills are designed to improve emergency medical services by addressing disparities, workforce challenges, and funding sustainability in Berkshire County and the state. “I’ve been on EMS Regional Task Force, and I’ve been working with departments to craft different pieces of legislation that would be helpful for funding, certification, and workforce recruitment,” Davis said. “The big legislation would [have the state] designate EMS as an essential service. This would open the door to funding and put EMS on the same level as fire and police departments.” Davis added that other states have designated EMS as an essential service.
“Going hand in hand is the bill to establish a special commission that would do a deep dive on what EMS means,” Davis said. “It would also dive into issues concerning how we can promote accessible EMS for all communities, and to establish a framework for equitable funding and resource allocation [for EMS services].”
Davis has also filed three bills that would address infrastructure needs across the state:
- “An Act relative to renewing and expanding the Accelerated Bridge Program“;
- “An Act establishing quarterly Chapter 90 funds to cities and towns“; and
- “An Act advancing equity for rural communities receiving state grants.”
Davis said that the first bill, if passed, would reinstate the state’s Accelerated Bridge Program, which was in effect from 2008 to 2018. The program addressed infrastructure needs regarding structurally deficient bridges. If passed, Davis said that the bill would prioritize equitable infrastructure investment, including for rural counties.
The second bill would increase the distribution of the state’s Chapter 90 funds to municipalities from an annual to a quarterly allocation schedule. The Chapter 90 Program provides funding to municipalities for capital improvements.
Davis argues that switching to quarterly funding would allow municipalities to receive a steadier cash flow and would alleviate any financial strain for municipalities that would have either had to delay projects or front costs with their own funds while they wait for Chapter 90 funds.
Davis said that the third bill, if passed, would address disparities in the way the state allocates Chapter 90 funds to municipalities. She argues that the current Chapter 90 funding formula disproportionately favors municipalities with higher populations, which means that rural communities are excluded from properly being funded. Davis explained that rural communities are facing economic challenges and are lacking in public transportation options.
In light of the ongoing investigation of a teacher at Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield for alleged sexual abuse, Davis has filed a “An Act relative to sexual assaults by adults in positions of authority or trust.” Davis collaborated with the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office and State Sen. Joan Lovely (D – Second Essex District) in filing the bill. “One of the very first conversations I had after being elected was with Berkshire County District Attorney Timothy Shugrue,” Davis said. “He was relaying to me frustration, particularly in response to what happened at Miss Hall’s School, and some of the roadblocks in the law that made it difficult for him to proceed.”
According to Davis, the bill would create a “specific exemption, a ‘carve-out’, in the statutory rape law. The carve-out would address cases involving adults who exploit their positions of authority or trust to commit sexual offenses, ensuring that such acts are appropriately categorized and prosecuted under the law.”
The proposed bill is a companion to State Sen. Lovely’s proposed bill “An Act relative to preventing sexual abuse of children and youth by adults in positions of authority or trust.”
Other bills Davis has filed include:
- “An Act establishing a farm-to-institution pilot program.” If passed, the bill would establish a pilot program that would develop “institutional food value chains that support local farmers, improve food security, and enhance public health. Institutions such as schools, hospitals, and correctional facilities across Massachusetts have significant purchasing power that can support local agriculture, strengthen regional food systems, and reduce food insecurity.”
- “An Act relative to affordable health insurance for nonprofits.” If passed, this bill would “[e]nhance financial predictability and stability for nonprofit organizations to improve access to high-quality health insurance for employees of nonprofit organizations.”
- “An Act establishing a microtransit fund.” The bill aims to establish a dedicated funding stream for micro-transit services to address transportation inequities in rural and underserved communities.
Davis added that she will start scheduling office hours throughout Berkshire County starting in February, beginning with Monday, February 3, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at Great Barrington Town Hall, and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Dalton Senior Center.
“I would like to have four office hours in four towns each month, and then have coffee conversation events,” Davis said. “I’ve been making many, many trips back and forth between Boston and the Berkshires and putting a lot of miles in my car. But it’s all good because I feel positive about this new role. I want people to know that, first and foremost, I’m here to represent and serve you. While I might be in Boston, I will be here to meet with you and return your calls as best I can. At the heart of this is I want to listen to your hopes, dreams, and challenges, and relay that to the people in Boston to be the advocate that I was elected to be.”