Rep Denise Provost: What's a cross between a university and a royal court?

You can read a full transcript here.Hi, this is Anna Callahan and you’re listening to Incorruptible Massachusetts.  Our goal is to help people understand state politics: we’re investigating why it’s so broken, imagining what we could have here in MA if we fixed it, and reporting on how you can get involved. Today I’m interviewing Representative Denise Provost.Denise Provost is the State Representative from the 27th Middlesex District in Somerville, and has been a State Rep since 2006, after serving in local government.  They're most active in promoting human rights and equality, recognizing that these fruits of civilization will cease to exist should our planet become uninhabitable. Provost has written and signed into law bills and amendments to assure the legal equality of transgender people, to improve human and environmental health and safety; and continues to pursue the unfinished work of climate justice, and of making our commonwealth fair and kind to all people, including immigrants whose legal status is precarious.I love how Rep Provost talks about what it’s like to be a representative in the state house.  She says it’s like a cross between a university and a royal court. As a state rep you’re asked to learn about many different issues very quickly.  As she says, the university is one “where people can call you up and add courses at random to your load.”  The royalty is the speaker and his leadership, of course, so in addition to learning things quickly you have to navigate this odd culture.I also appreciate how much she values science and data.  In a state like Massachusetts, with, I believe, more universities and colleges per capita than any other state, including some of the best in the country, you would think that the legislature would turn to peer-reviewed research when coming up with some policy -- but that’s apparently not the culture.  As Pepe Le Pew would say, Le sigh.And without further ado (or maybe, adieu), here is my interview with Rep Denise Provost.