CLM's Priority Legislation
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2013-2014 Legislative Scorecard
Legislative Scorecard Votes and Leadership 2013-14 LEGISLATIVE SESSION - 1 - This is the inaugural edition of the Environmental League of Massachusetts legislative scorecard. We produced this scorecard to inform citizens about how their legislators voted on important environmental issues. We are pleased and grateful for the support of so many environmental leaders in the legislature. The scorecard relies first on roll call votes on legislation that deals with environmental and energy issues. Because there are so few roll call votes each session—and often these votes are unanimous—we have scored additional actions by legislators to further distinguish environmental champions. Bonus points were awarded to legislators who introduced bills that were ELM priorities or who introduced important amendments, particularly budget amendments to increase funding for state environmental agencies. In addition, we subtracted points for legislators who introduced legislation or amendments that we opposed. We want to recognize leadership and courage, in addition to votes, and have made every attempt to be fair and transparent in our scoring. Much happens during the legislative process that is impractical to score such as committee redrafts, committee votes to move or hold a bill, and measures that would improve flawed legislation. We have not attempted to include these actions, but we recognize that they greatly influence the process and outcomes. None of the bills or amendments scored here should be a surprise to legislators in terms of ELM’s support or opposition. Going forward, ELM will include votes and other actions that support additional revenues for transportation and promote transit, walking and biking. George Bachrach, President Erica Mattison, Legislative Director Highlights of the Session projects. -
Advocacy for Policy Change
Advocacy for Policy Change Brandeis students work to reform Massachusetts law November 2020 Advocacy for Policy Change is a part of a national program, ENACT: The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation. ENACT was made possible by a generous gift from Ethics Center International Advisory Board Member Norbert Weissberg and his wife, former Board Member Judith Schneider. In spring of 2019 ENACT was awarded a multi-year grant from the Teagle Foundation’s “Education for American Civic Life” initiative to expand to all 50 states and to enhance ENACT’s digital platform. t Norbert Weissberg and Judith Schneider at “Present and Defend: Projects from Advocacy for Policy Change,” April 2011. For more information about the projects in this report, visit www.brandeis.edu/ethics/atbrandeis/advocacy To learn about ENACT: The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation, and to sign up for updates, visit go.brandeis.edu/ENACT Photos: David J. Weinstein except page 2: Mike Lovett and page 4 (bottom): Evan Berry Editorial Assistant: Elaina Pevide ’20 Table of Contents n Introduction 2 Melissa Stimell n A Message from Jay Kaufman ’68, MA ’73 4 n Required Project Components 5 n Ensuring Equitable Health Coverage for Children 6 Erin Chambers ’20 & Kalianni Neal Desatnik ’20 n Removing Obstacles and Expanding Abortion Access 12 Allia Service ’22 & Emma Wolters’20 n Fair Scheduling of Employees 18 Emily Rae Foreman ’20 & Elaina Pevide ’20 n Preventing Overdose Deaths and Increasing Access to Treatment 24 James Parkhill ’21 & Abby Smurzynski -
CLM Endorsed Legislation
40 COURT STREET, SUITE 410, BOSTON, MA 02108 | 617-695-1991 | WWW.CHILDRENSLEAGUE.ORG CLM Endorsed Legislation AN ACT RELATIVE TO MANDATED REPORTER REFORM (H.137) The bill establishes a Special Commission to review the existing mandated reporter law and make recommendations to improve the response and prevention of child abuse and neglect. The Commission will be composed of the OCA, DCF, EEC, the AG, CPCS, and CLM. FILED BY: SEN. JOAN LOVELY & REP. KAY KHAN LEAD BY: CHAIR KAY KHAN AN ACT RELATIVE TO EXPUNGEMENT (S.900) In 2018, Massachusetts passed legislation that created an opportunity to expunge juvenile and adult criminal records for folks whose offense was charged prior to their 21st birthday. The law created a significant limit: In order to expunge a record, there can only be one court case on the record. In effect, anyone who has a second or subsequent court case would be ineligible for expungement. This is a missed opportunity to tackle recidivism. This bill will close major gaps in the proposal by removing the only one court case restriction for cases charged prior to the individual’s 21st birthday and instead would limit eligibility by how long ago the individual had their last court case—allowing individuals to expunge their records if their last offense was three years (for misdemeanors) or seven years (for felonies) ago and they have no subsequent court case since. It will also reduce the number of offenses that are categorically ineligible for expungement (while keeping judicial discretion on the review of expungement requests), reduce the time to seal juvenile records for non- adjudications and allow for automatic sealing of eligible records. -
Legislative Profiles Spring 2019 |
Legislative Profiles Spring 2019 | Announcement Inside This Issue This portfolio contains the profiles of all legislators that belong to PG. 2: Forward key committees within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. PG. 4: House Bill – H.2366 Each key committee will play a role in the review and approval of the retirement bills that have been filed. PG. 8: Senate Bill – SD.1962 PG. 11: Joint Committee on Public Service – Profiles PG. 29: House Ways & Means – Profiles This portfolio is for the members of MCSA to use to determine PG. 63: House Committee on Third Reading – Profiles which members reside within their regions so contact can be made with each legislator for support of both retirement bills. PG. 67: Senate Ways & Means – Profiles PG. 86: Senate Committee on Third Reading – Profiles PG. 92: Talking Point Tips PG. 93: Legislative Members by MCSA Regions FORWARD Many of us do not have experience with advocating for legislation or meeting with our legislative representatives. This booklet was created with each you in mind to assist in determining which members reside within your region or represent your town and city. We request you contact your respective legislators for support of both retirement bills. If you are familiar with the legislative process and your representatives this may seem rudimentary. The Massachusetts Legislature is comprised of 200 members elected by the people of the Commonwealth. The Senate is comprised of 40 members, with each representing a district of approximately 159,000 people. The House of Representatives is comprised of 160 members, with each legislator representing districts consisting of approximately 40,000 people. -
The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State House, Boston, MA 02133-1053
The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State House, Boston, MA 02133-1053 April 7, 2020 David L. Bernhardt, Secretary U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington DC 20240 Dear Secretary Bernhardt, We are deeply dismayed and disappointed with the Department of the Interior's recent decision to disestablish and take lands out of trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe on March 27, 2020. Not since the mid-twentieth century has an Interior Secretary taken action to disestablish a reservation. This outrageous decision comes as we mark 400 years since the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620 and recognize the People of the First Light who inhabited these shores for centuries before contact. The Department’s capricious action brings shame to your office and to our nation. Your decision was cruel and it was unnecessary. You were under no court order to take the Wampanoag land out of trust. Further, litigation to uphold the Mashpee Wampanoag’s status as a tribe eligible for the benefits of the Indian Reorganization Act is ongoing. Your intervention was without merit and completely unnecessary. The fact that the Department made this announcement on a Friday afternoon in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates a callous disregard for human decency. Mashpee Wampanoag leaders were focused on protecting members of their tribe, mobilizing health care resources, and executing response plans when they received your ill-timed announcement. As you are well aware, the Department of the Interior holds a federal trust responsibility to tribes, which includes the protection of Native American lands. -
The Arc of Massachusetts 2021 2022 Legislative Platform
The Arc of Massachusetts 2021-2022 Legislative Platform DPPC Language H218 S117 — An Act updating terminology and investigative processes related to the protection of persons with disabilities Representative Sean Garballey and Senator John Keenan The bill would amend the current Disabled Person's Protection Commission's (DPPC) enabling statute to enhance protections and respect. This bill needs no appropriations yet will strengthen the DPPC's mission and align with Nicky's Law. Abuse Registry Expansion S137 — An Act to allow MassHealth Day Habilitation providers to use abuse registry Senator Mike Moore This bill will expand the abuse registry to MassHealth day program providers to ensure individuals substantiated of abuse will not be hired in other DDS day or residential programs or MassHealth day programs. Hospital Training H219 S1469 — An Act to enhance hospital care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism through training, standards of care and certification requirements. Representative Sean Garballey and Senator Jason Lewis This bill will expand current hospital based medical providers' knowledge about autism and I/DD, in order to improve the treatment individuals receive in hospital settings. Cueing and Supervision for PCA Program H260 S129 — An Act relative to cueing and supervision in the PCA program Representative James O'Day and Senator Joan Lovely This bill amends Ch. 7 of the general law to allow the PCA program to include cueing and prompting as a covered services for those eligible members who need it. An Act Relative to Persons with Disabilities H261 S122 — An Act relative to persons with developmental disabilities Representative James O'Day and Senator Joan Lovely This bill adopts the federal definition of developmental disability in place of the current state definition of developmental disability and will amend the definition to include all adult individuals with a developmental disability, e.g. -
Preparing for a School Year Like No Other!
BOSTON TEACHERS UNION, LOCAL 66, AFT Non-Profit Org. 180 Mount Vernon Street U.S. Postage Boston, Massachusetts 02125 PAID Union Information Boston, MA you can use. Permit No. 52088 Refer to this newspaper throughout the year. EVERYONE ¡TODOS IS SON WELCOME BIENVENIDOS BBOSTON TEACHERSU HERE! AQUÍ! TUNION BT U BT U The Award-Winning Newspaper of the Boston Teachers Union, AFT Local 66, AFL-CIO • Volume 53, Number 1 • September, 2020 President’s Report Jessica J. Tang Preparing For A School Year Like No Other! ypically, each fall, we begin the new caravan and rally ending at City Hall It is only through our collective Tschool year with much anticipation, with hundreds of members, filling the action, the demonstration of our unity, hope and expectation. We eagerly pre- parking lot of Madison Park and circling strength and purpose that we have been pare our classrooms and look forward to the BPS headquarters before heading to able to make progress since the “hop- meeting new students and a fresh start. circle City Hall. scotch” plan was revealed. Since then, 2020, however, has brought unprec- We joined hundreds of educators we were able to win a delay in the start edented challenges and the usual excite- from across the state the next week for of the school year so that educators had Jessica J. Tang ment that a new school year brings has another car caravan—this time circling time to get professional development and BTU President been filled with strife and anxiety of the the State House as hundreds more educa- training in safety and health protocols. -
MA CCAN 2020 Program FINAL
Source: Ballotpedia Source: Secretary of Commonwealth Massachusetts Senate *Denotes candidate does Candidates not have a website Senate District Democratic Republican Others 1st Bristol and Plymouth District Michael Rodrigues (i)* No candidate 1st Essex District Diana DiZoglio (i) No candidate 1st Essex and Middlesex District No candidate Bruce Tarr (i) 1st Hampden and Hampshire District Eric Lesser (i) No candidate 1st Middlesex District Edward Kennedy (i) No candidate 1st Middlesex and Norfolk District Cynthia Stone Creem (i) No candidate 1st Plymouth and Bristol District Marc Pacheco (i) No candidate 1st Suffolk District Nick Collins (i) No candidate 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District Joseph Boncore (i) No candidate 1st Worcester District Harriette Chandler (i)* No candidate 2nd Bristol and Plymouth District Mark Montigny (i)* No candidate 2nd Essex District Joan Lovely (i) No candidate 2nd Essex and Middlesex District Barry Finegold (i) No candidate 2nd Hampden and Hampshire District John Velis (i) John Cain 2nd Middlesex District Patricia D. Jehlen (i) No candidate 2nd Middlesex and Norfolk District Karen Spilka (i) No candidate 2nd Plymouth and Bristol District Michael Brady (i) No candidate 2nd Suffolk District Sonia Chang-Diaz (i) No candidate 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex District William Brownsberger (i) No candidate 2nd Worcester District Michael Moore (i) No candidate 3rd Essex District Brendan Crighton (i) No candidate 3rd Middlesex District Mike Barrett (i) No candidate 1 Source: Ballotpedia Source: Secretary of Commonwealth -
SNAP Gap Cosponsors - H.1173/S.678 91 Representatives & 28 Senators
SNAP Gap Cosponsors - H.1173/S.678 91 Representatives & 28 Senators Rep. Jay Livingstone (Sponsor) Representative Daniel Cahill Representative Jack Patrick Lewis Senator Sal DiDomenico (Sponsor) Representative Peter Capano Representative David Linsky Senator Michael Barrett Representative Daniel Carey Representative Adrian Madaro Senator Joseph Boncore Representative Gerard Cassidy Representative John Mahoney Senator William Brownsberger Representative Michelle Ciccolo Representative Elizabeth Malia Senator Harriette Chandler Representative Mike Connolly Representative Paul Mark Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz Representative Edward Coppinger Representative Joseph McGonagle Senator Jo Comerford Representative Daniel Cullinane Representative Paul McMurtry Senator Nick Collins Representative Michael Day Representative Christina Minicucci Senator Brendan Crighton Representative Marjorie Decker Representative Liz Miranda Senator Julian Cyr Representative David DeCoste Representative Rady Mom Senator Diana DiZoglio Representative Mindy Domb Representative Frank Moran Senator James Eldridge Representative Daniel Donahue Representative Brian Murray Senator Ryan Fattman Representative Michelle DuBois Representative Harold Naughton Senator Paul Feeney Representative Carolyn Dykema Representative Tram Nguyen Senator Cindy Friedman Representative Lori Ehrlich Representative James O'Day Senator Anne Gobi Representative Nika Elugardo Representative Alice Peisch Senator Adam Hinds Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier Representative Smitty Pignatelli Senator -
Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators
Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators STATE HOUSE R O O M 4 6 0 BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS 02133 617 722 2266 Winter 2013 Senator Candaras and Representative Balser to Lead Caucus President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth), who reviewed what had been accomplished during the last legislative session and discussed continuing oversight on agencies throughout the Commonwealth, finding balances with gun control, and drinking and wastewater issues. She also discussed the importance of keeping the focus on economic drivers such as healthcare and tourism and fighting for struggling industries like fishing and agriculture. The new Co-Chairs then started their term with an overview of the Caucus’ bylaws, specifically the purpose, which is to enhance the economic status and equality of women and encourage and to support women in all levels of government. Two themes emerged after a lively discussion with Caucus members: pay equity and professional development. To meet these themes, the Caucus agreed to sponsor events focusing on pay equity, invite spokespersons on both sides of the pay equity issue so that their colleagues and the public would be [R-L] Representative Denise Andrews (D-Orange), Co-Chair Representative Ruth privy to all viewpoints, and become educated and conversant on Balser (D-Newton), Co-Chair Senator Gale Candaras (D-Wilbraham), and Bethany the topic. Caucus members suggested ideas like tracking a day in Stevens, Deputy Chief Appeals & Training Bureau in the Middlesex DA’s Office the life of an average female, securing visits from both members attend Caucus’ Bills Co-sponsorship event. of big corporations in the private sector and public figures such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, and ensuring as much publicity as In January, Senator Gale Candaras (D-Wilbraham) and possible for these issues and events to spark interest in the Representative Ruth Balser (D-Newton) succeeded Senator general population of Massachusetts. -
September 2020 CONGRESSMAN NEAL CHARTS PATH FORWARD on WEP REFORM Ore Than 3,400 Reform Bill H.R.4540 in Retirees Joined OVER 3,400 RETIREES ATTEND 2020
11 BEACON STREET, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02108-3024 September 2020 CONGRESSMAN NEAL CHARTS PATH FORWARD ON WEP REFORM ore than 3,400 reform bill H.R.4540 in retirees joined OVER 3,400 RETIREES ATTEND 2020. As the Chairman Ma live Tele-Town TOWN HALL EVENT of the House Ways and Hall event on June 24th to Means Committee, Neal hear a first-hand update on is a senior member of the activities in Washington, DC Congressional leadership. from Congressman Richard During the extensive Neal (D-Springfield, MA). question and answer ses- Of course, the main focus sion, Neal explained what was news surrounding the he envisions to be the ongoing efforts to reform most likely path forward to the Social Security Windfall pass a reform bill in 2020. Elimination Provision (WEP). Later this year, Congress Neal kicked off the hour- is scheduled to pass sev- long meeting by reaffirming eral appropriation bills his personal commitment that fund the operations of to reforming the WEP, as Congressman Richard Neal answering member questions well as his desire to pass his during the June 24th Tele-Town Hall. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 u COLA SPOTLIGHT PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE hile the Association PAST Pages 14 – 16 FUTURE Page 3 is advancing on sev- An in-depth look at the history of A detailed review of the Association’s eral major fronts, W state COLA payments to local retire- Senior COLA Enhancement proposal. including those being highlighted ment systems beginning in 1981. in the headlines above and below We hope that our readers will on this page, there is one issue Pages 4 – 6 find these articles to be both inter- that has been at the core of our PRESENT esting and informative. -
Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance
Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance Campaign Finance Activity by Candidates for the Massachusetts General Court 2018 INTRODUCTION This study examines campaign finance activity undertaken by candidates for the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives (known collectively as The General Court) in calendar year 2018. The Office of Campaign and Political Finance has issued a report of this type after every state election since 1990. The information contained in this legislative study is based on data compiled from campaign finance reports electronically filed by candidates and treasurers of political committees organized on behalf of candidates for the Massachusetts Senate and House. In 2018, 377 candidates sought legislative office and filed disclosure reports with OCPF: 76 running for 40 Senate seats, and 301 seeking one of 160 House seats. Legislative candidates and their committees are required to file three campaign finance reports disclosing election year financial activity. The reports are due with OCPF eight days prior to the state primary election; eight days prior to the November general election; and in January of the year immediately following. Reports were due from the candidates in this study on Aug. 27, 2018, Oct. 29, 2018, and Jan. 21, 2019. Candidates and committee treasurers are required to disclose their account balances at the beginning of each reporting period; receipts and expenditures for the reporting period; in-kind contributions for the reporting period; and all liabilities. OCPF has taken steps to ensure that the information contained in this study is accurate as of the time of its compilation in 2019. This study takes into account many corrections, additions or deletions made by candidates as a result of any review conducted by OCPF or amendments filed by candidates or political committees.