Highlights of Accomplishments and Priorities -187th General Court
Committees Assignments
- Joint Committee on Revenue
- Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development
- Joint Committee on Election Laws
Jobs and Economic Development and Progress:
- Convened four summits bringing together community leaders across the district to identify areas in which to invest for progress.
- Worked with Congressman John Olver to reinvigorate development and transportation along the Northern Tier.
- An ambassador for the region through consistent support for tourism, agriculture, creative economy, manufacturing, and the new green economy.
- Facilitated over $70 million in investments for our district throughout the coming years.
Support for Municipalities, Constituent Services, and Citizen Engagement:
- Supported increasing local aid for the 2013 Fiscal Year.
- Provided over 100 households with assistance with employment, transportation, municipal services, and connecting to federal agencies.
- Provided support to the work of our community activists.
- Partnered with Western Mass Delegation to support several schools.
- Worked with MEMA, municipal leaders, and the Western Mass Delegation to support and fund emergency response and storm recovery.
Legislative Performance:
- Co-led the creation of a commission to establish oversight of a $20B Tax Expenditure Budget.
- Consistently worked to improve the preparedness, productivity, and decorum of the legislative body.
- Exercised a consistent voting record to advance fairness, fiscal stewardship and sound public policy.
- Leading establishment of a task force to analyze and address executive compensation in health care.
- Partnering with others to advance Single Payer Health Care, to bring back the Rx Gift Ban and to repeal Citizen's United.
Legislation:
- Sponsored a bill to ensure global competitiveness through competency in a second language.
- Co-sponsor of several hundred bills that insure high ethical standards, civil rights, fiscal accountability and equity, increased shared prosperity, maintain a healthy balance of power with collective bargaining and management, public health and safety, green energy and environment, affordable quality competitive education early and for life, affordable quality health care for all, and civic engagement.
Additional Leadership Projects:
- Governor Patrick's Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination and Diversity Council-Chair responsible to advise Governor Patrick concerning policies, practices and specific actions that the Commonwealth should implement.
- Orange Revitalization Project-Friends of the Parks-Project Manager.
- Global Women's Issues and Progress.
- Orange Historical Society-hospitality team, summer breakfast team and new parking lot team.