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Recent events have placed the governor’s western Massachusetts office under an unfortunate spotlight. Public debates over its leadership and mission have rekindled old questions about whether Beacon Hill values the voice of western Massachusetts.

As I advocated in a letter in January 2023, following Gov. Maura Healey’s historic victory, the time has come to elevate the governor’s western Massachusetts office in Springfield to a cabinet-level position.

The office was established in 1979 under Gov. Edward King with a simple but powerful purpose: to serve as a bridge between Boston and the Commonwealth’s w

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