Fifteenth Essex District – Haverhill and Methuen
Mental Health
Improving access to quality mental health care is a top priority for Ryan. The struggles of access to quality mental health care have created a public health crisis that has only been exacerbated by COVID-19. Ryan will fight for more mental health services in schools, including more behavioral counselors in educational facilities, to better provide younger people with the tools they need to find health and success as adults. He also wants to make it easier for adults and children to identify and access affordable services quickly and locally.
Education
As someone that comes from a family of Merrimack Valley educators, Ryan understands the challenges facing both educators and students. As a state representative, Ryan will fight for universal pre-K across the Commonwealth to ensure all students have early access to education. He also believes in the great work of our vocational and technical schools and wants to ensure that every student who wants to attend one of these programs has the ability to do so.
Infrastructure
According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, 8.7 percent of all Massachusetts bridges are considered structurally deficient, including the Basiliere Bridge in Haverhill and the Route 213 bridge in Methuen. With more than $27 million in federal dollars coming to the Commonwealth over the next five years to address our desperate infrastructure needs, Ryan will work with local and state officials to ensure our top infrastructure priorities are being funded and work is done quickly and efficiently.
Jobs and Economy
The COVID-19 pandemic upended our economy, and working-class families suffered the biggest brunt of the blow. From the loss of jobs and benefits to the increasing price of everyday essentials, Ryan believes we need to do more by providing more training and educational opportunities to help people secure livable wages with quality benefits. Having a skilled and educated workforce will attract new businesses to Haverhill and Methuen. Ryan will work with state and local leaders to identify training and business opportunities as well as funding that will attract those businesses while growing our local economy to better support every family.
