State Rep. Joan Meschino has had a busy start to the New Year, as she was sworn in for her fourth term as Hull’s Representative on Beacon Hill, was appointed the vice chair of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, and was interviewed by a Boston television news crew about a bill she sponsored.

**ANOTHER TERM WELL IN HAND.** On Jan. 4, Hull’s Joan Meschino was sworn in for her fourth term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Her district includes Hull, Hingham, and Cohasset. [Courtesy photo]

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue representing the Third Plymouth District on Beacon Hill,” said Meschino, who lives in Hull and also represents Hingham and Cohasset. “As state Representative, I will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that our region is getting the resources it deserves and that issues impacting our communities are addressed. From supporting our local and regional economies to mitigating the effects of climate change, I look forward to getting to work and continuing to address these issues.”

Meschino’s district previously included North Scituate, but the boundaries were adjusted in the past election cycle.

In the 193rd legislative session, Meschino is the House vice chair for the Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) while continuing her work on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Caucus for Women Legislators. The MBC was created in 2006 by the Legislature and is managed by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay to take an in-depth look at the Boston region’s public beaches. It is composed of elected officials and community leaders from beachfront communities.

“I am pleased to serve as a vice chair in the House of Representatives for the Metropolitan Beaches Commission,” Meschino said. “As a legislator for an open-ocean district, I understand that the Commonwealth’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities depend on the maintenance of our coastline. I look forward to continued collaboration with leaders in this space to identify shared issues and to advocate for both increased resources and public access.”

Meschino also recently offered remarks in an interview with NBC10 Boston’s investigative team regarding her bill that would require a judge to review a child’s removal from a home during hours when courthouses are closed. She said that this oversight would ensure that sound decisions are made by the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families at critical moments, and that the well-being of each child is central in the decision-making process.

Meschino sat with NBC10’s Ryan Kath to discuss the proposed “timely court oversight” legislation, which is one of multiple children-and-family bills she plans to re-file in the new session.

“Any time government takes that step to intervene [with an emergency removal], we owe it to ourselves and to those families to be thoughtful,” Meschino said. “It seems like an obvious and reasonable thing. It is an important opportunity for key oversight to make sure we are making good decisions at critical moments.”