Priorities

Americans will see the biggest jump in health insurance costs in 15 years, Meanwhile, the six largest health insurers raked in more than $31 billion in net income last year. Still not sure if we need Medicare for All?” Former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich

The relentless double digit cost increases for health care combined with decreasing access has turned me into a full-blown advocate for single payer health care. I support MassCARE's Bill, An Act establishing Medicare for All in Massachusetts. This bill establishes a single payer health care system that provides healthcare to all Massachusetts residents who work 20 hours or more per week in the State without premiums, co-pays or deductibles, The bill has been before the General Court for the last 20 years or more and this is the first year we have had discussions with the Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing and action on the bill.

I became an advocate for single payer collecting signatures for a non-binding ballot question in the 10th Middlesex which read: “Shall the Representative for this District be instructed to vote for legislation to create a single-payer system of universal health care that provides all Massachusetts residents with comprehensive health care coverage including the freedom to choose doctors and other health care professionals, facilities, and services and eliminates the role of insurance companies in health care by creating an insurance trust fund that is publicly administered?”

This was the 6th Ballot Question and it passed by over 68 percent of the vote!

The problem is an inefficient, wasteful profit focused healthcare system that many residents struggle to afford. Massachusetts has near universal health insurance (that could change with future cuts) but more than 40 percent of families struggle to afford the cost of healthcare. The average annual family plan premium for employer sponsored health coverage in 2024 was $28,155. When including out-of-pocket expenses like deductibles, copays, and co-insurance, the total average annual cost of healthcare for a family in Massachusetts climbs to $32,469.Total Massachusetts health care spending in 2024 was $83.3 billion. 

Families,employers,businesses and municipalities are all being impacted by skyrocketing healthcare costs that the Commonwealth has been unable to effectively manage. Lets' be clear that the Legislature and specifically the Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing Chaired by my opponent has completely failed to rein healthcare costs with their nibble around the edges approach. We are seeing double digit insurance increases again this year. WE ARE PAYING THE WRONG PEOPLE!

Recently, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Health Care Financing (JCHCF) reported favorably on a redrafted version of the Medicare for All bill (now designated as H. 5590) and moved it to the House Committee on Ways and Means. This marks the first time in the 30-year history of the single-payer healthcare movement in Massachusetts that a legislative committee has advanced the Medicare for All bill. This result is due to the advocacy of MassCare advocates and my stepping up and challenging the House Chair of the JCHCF has something to do with it as well. But instead of moving immediately to a full single-payer transition, H. 5590 creates a special legislative commission to study universal healthcare implementation, analyze financing systems, and review different single-payer models. Over the years there have been dozens of these studies all finding significant cost savings.

 I will be closely following this bill and that make up of the Commission. Much more to come.

https://masscare.org/about/

I have always been a strong leader on the environment. Nothing else really matters if we don't have a healthy, sustainable planet. I am absolutely committed to meeting climate goals and I know this can be done while reducing costs. Our focus must be on expanding renewable energy, improving energy efficiency and using our resources wisely. Cutting the Mass SAVE energy efficiency program by a billion dollars as the House of Representatives did earlier this summer was short sighted and not supported by the data. The Mass Save program actually saves us money while reducing GHG emissions. Wev need to address the wholesale replacement of gas pipes billed directly to ratepayers and incentivized by the Gas System Enhancement Plan (GSEP). This was a policy that was intended to expedite the repair of leaky methane gas pipes, a potent greenhouse gas. However it has turned into the most expensive infrastructure project since the Big Dig and the long term cost to ratepayers will exceed 40 billion dollars over the life of the project

The focus must be on the strategic repair of gas leaks and planning for the transition off methane gas and towards fossil fuel free options. This includes heat pumps which offer both heating and cooling and have been outselling gas boilers for years. The high utility costs are also driven by the wholesale replacement of gas pipes with the cost being footed by ratepayers, rather than repair of gas pipes with a plan to transition to renewable energy. Why are we spending billions of dollars on infrastructure we are not planning on using in 25 years? It makes no sense unless you are committed to the status quo and have no plans to change your business model. 

We must allow municipalities the authority to partner with the utilities on plans for neighborhood electrification and networked geothermal. We must eliminate the costly, badly misguided GSEP program and stop incentivizing wholesale gas main replacement which is both completely contrary to our climate goals and driving up the cost of living in an already expensive state.

It is critical that we move more quickly to increase the housing supply in Massachusetts, especially in Greater Boston. The lack of housing has reached a crisis point and it is a chief factor in the escalating cost of living in Massachusetts. The lack of more affordable housing is impacting our resident’s quality of life, the ability to meet basic needs and even impacting our economy as workers leave Massachusetts for more affordable States. This is a frustrating result of way too many people being unable to afford to purchase a modest home or even afford monthly rent. This is a development that has evolved over many decades, strangled by exclusionary zoning rules that make it very difficult to build multifamily and smaller starter homes. We need to loosen zoning to allow communities to build multifamily housing units by right. We need to allow building on smaller lots and get creative with ideas like starter home zoning, adaptive reuse of empty commercial spaces and factory-built modular construction.

 I am a propenent of sustainable development and limiting sprawling development to protect our open spaces. It makes sense to add density in walkable areas that are adjacent to amenities, including supermarkets, pharmacies, cafes and public transit which can help reduce vehicle trips. As a Newton City Councilor, I worked on the adoption of the MBTA Communities Act as well as the Village Center Overlay District (VCOD). These initiatives were designed to facilitate housing production near transit and to make zoning changes to allow greater density in certain village centers, as well as to comply with State Law. The Legislature has an important role in incentivizing housing production and partnering with communities on real solutions. Let's do it!

The communities in Newton, Waltham, and Watertown are fighting back against aggressive masked ICE agents through grassroots neighborhood patrols, rapid-response networks, localized hotlines, mutual aid deliveries, and municipal policy pressure. Both residents and local community leaders are working together to coordinate activities and distribute "Know Your Rights" information, and put pressure on elected leaders to restrict cooperation with federal immigration agents. As a city councilor in Newton I supported a signed executive order restricting local property usage by federal immigration enforcement, requiring valid judicial warrants for entry to city buildings, and limiting local resource collaboration. I support the Indivisable organizations in Newton, Waltham and Watertown and join them in solidarity in many standouts. We must protect our Democracy, our human rights and the rule of Law and fight as hard as we can against a dangerous, unpredictable and authoritarian Trump Administartion that ignores the rules and makes us less safe

I stand with workers and organized labor, and I'm proud to have earned the endorsement of the Massachusetts Teachers Union and UAW Region 9A.

I support state house staffers' right to unionize, and I'm committed to legislation that protects collective bargaining and strengthens workplace safety enforcement — including a state-level backstop if OSHA protections are undermined federally. I'm generally skeptical of privatizing public services; as a Newton City Councilor, I opposed an attempt to outsource school custodians, and it was defeated. I'd also oppose any legislation that weakens the Pacheco Law, support raising the UI taxable wage base to shore up the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, and oppose cutting UI eligibility or benefits. 

I support expanding apprenticeship programs to build a pipeline of union-trained workers for clean energy jobs, modeled on what the Inflation Reduction Act achieved nationally. On AI's growing impact on the workforce, I believe workers and labor organizations need a seat at the table — I'd support a state taskforce to study the impacts and I'm open to exploring tools like a "robot tax" or a digital services tax to help fund a just transition. During the Newton Teachers Strike, I worked directly with the Mayor's office, the Superintendent, my City Council colleagues, and an NTA member to help find a resolution that served all parties.

A woman's right to choose is healthcare, plain and simple — those decisions belong between a patient and her medical provider. Women are disproportionately affected by unequal pay, caregiving responsibilities, and domestic and sexual violence, and I'll support legislation that closes the pay gap, strengthens anti-violence protections, and increases women's representation in leadership and elected office.

I support the Healthy Youth Act to ensure comprehensive sex education statewide. When all students learn sexual health and wellness education together, some really beautiful things happen: they become less likely to bully each other, they do better in their schoolwork, and they are more likely to help each other if someone is being bullied or abused.

Working families are too often forced to choose between a paycheck that barely covers childcare and staying home at the cost of their careers — one more reason people are leaving Massachusetts. I support making Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) permanent and expanding access to affordable childcare so families keep more of what they earn.

I'll work closely with the Attorney General's office and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination to defend our civil rights against federal rollbacks, and I support passing the Safe Communities Act to protect immigrant communities.

I support the Healthy Youth Act to ensure comprehensive sex education statewide, and I'll build strong relationships with LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations, including GLAD, the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth, the Massachusetts GLBTQ Political Caucus, and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, to keep Massachusetts a leader on equality. 

On elections, I trust the integrity of our decentralized, locally-run system, support the continued use of paper ballots, and would back additional resources for the Attorney General and Secretary of the Commonwealth to keep our elections safe and secure.

Animal welfare is a core value of mine — I've adopted animals from the MSPCA throughout my life. I don't believe economic or commercial interests ever justify cruelty to animals, and I'll oppose legislation that puts animal welfare at risk for the sake of profit.

As a City Councilor, I've seen firsthand how our colleges and universities fall short of paying their fair share for the city services they rely on. The current PILOT program isn't getting the job done, and I'll push for real reform so municipalities aren't left footing the bill.