Achievements from the Previous Session

The 192nd Session ran from January 2021 through January 2023. 

Here are some of my proudest achievements from the last session:

In addition to refiling 19 bills from the 192nd session and 9 local petitions, my office also filed 5 new pieces of legislation: 

• H.511 - An Act enabling the Massachusetts center for employee ownership
• H.601 - An Act addressing the needs of students with disabilities turning 22 during the COVID-19 emergency
• H.1099 - An Act relative to savings enabling prosperity
• H.2304 - An Act to reduce incidence and death from pancreatic cancer
• H.4214 - An Act to improve food allergy awareness

I strongly advocated with Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian for the legislature to act to help our students with disabilities that lost out on crucial services during the pandemic. I am proud that we were successful in receiving an appropriation of $10 million in line item 1599-2037 of the ARPA spending bill (H.4269).

I successfully adovcated with Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa to remove red tape that was preventing municipalities from utilizing Community Preservation Act funds for the purchase of land for rail trails. The language change was passed as Outside Section 10 of the Commonwealth’s FY2022 budget.  

The legislature passed the language from my bill, H.511, An Act enabling the Massachusetts center for employee ownership (MassCEO) in an economic development package. This change will empower workers around the Commonwealth by substantially expanding MassCEO and establishing an employee ownership advisory board for the Governor. 

The new board will have seats for 19 stakeholders, including 13 for companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), worker cooperatives and advocates, in addition to relevant state agencies, would advise the Governor and MassCEO’s director on matters related to employee ownership policy.

This legislation placed MassCEO within the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, allowing MassCEO to retain unused funds for expenditure in future fiscal years, and required that the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development hire a full time director for MassCEO.

The Commonwealth's FY22 budget included an amendment by my office to fund a Commission to examine the scientific literature surrounding glyphosate and prepare a report detailing the chemical’s medical and environmental impacts for the State’s Pesticide Subcommittee. This will enable the Pesticide Subcommittee to make important regulatory changes that promise to save countless lives and prevent illness. 

I was also proud to vote in favor of several landmark pieces of legislation in the 192nd session: 

The Next Generation Climate Roadmap: 

This bill codified a net zero greenhouse gas emissions target for 2050 and laid out a number of binding targets and goals for the State to meet on the way to 2050. 

Learn more: https://www.mapc.org/planning101/climate-roadmap-bill-signed-into-law-heres-our-summary/

An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind: 

This bill makes once-in-a-lifetime investments and regulatory changes to promote green energy in development in the Commonwealth, especially in the area of wind energy. 

Learn more: https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/07/22/massachusetts-climate-bill-baker-desk

The Work and Family Mobility Act:

This much needed bill enables all qualified state residents to apply for a standard Massachusetts driver’s license, regardless of immigrant status, while maintaining compliance with REAL ID requirements. The passage of this bill was the culmination of many years of advocacy by immigrants and their families. 

Learn more: https://www.aclum.org/en/legislation/work-and-family-mobility-act

The CROWN Act

This act prohibits discrimination in the Commonwealth against employees, students and other individuals based on their natural or culturally authentic hairstyle. 

Learn more: https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2022/07/massachusetts-enacts-crown-act-banning-discrimination