EVENTS
APRIL OFFICE HOURS
Meet with Constituent Services Staff
GREAT BARRINGTON
MONDAY, April 7
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Town Hall, 334 Main St.
DALTON
MONDAY, April 7
12:45 pm - 2:45 pm
Sr. Center, 40 Field St.
WEST STOCKBRIDGE
TUESDAY, April 15
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Town Offices, 21 State Line Rd.
STOCKBRIDGE
COFFEE BREAK WITH LEIGH
FRIDAY, April 18
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
The Red Lion Inn, 30 Main St.
Questions? Call our District Office at (413)-854-4623 or email Leigh.Davis@mahouse.gov
IN THE NEWS
For press inquiries contact us today.
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.”
