I have served as a State Senator for the Middlesex and Worcester district since January 2009. I devote all my work as State Senator to delivering for those I represent. On Beacon Hill, I serve as the Senate-Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary and the Senate Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws. I also am the Senate-Chair of the Clean Energy, Criminal Justice Reform, Medicare For All, and MBTA Caucuses.
An act relative to savings enabling prosperity (SD.142)
This bill reestablishes the matched-savings program in Massachusetts. Matched-savings programs are a critical tool to close the wealth gap that exists in Massachusetts, including a significant racial wealth gap, by helping low and moderate income individuals and families build assets and gain financial literacy skills. Participants may use matched funds to: help them purchase a home, fulfill an educational goal, develop and launch a small business, restore a home to habitable condition, pay tuition or related expenses at a college or university, purchase equipment to support employment, or create savings for retirement.
An Act Providing a Guaranteed Minimum Income to All Massachusetts Families (formerly An Act Improving the Earned Income Credit for Working Families) (SD.140)
This bill creates a guaranteed minimum income (GMI) to ensure that everyone in Massachusetts can attain a basic standard of living. Creating a GMI program in Massachusetts will be accomplished by enhancing the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) so that it covers more households and delivers larger cash benefits. This bill ensures that every family earning up to $70,000 receives a minimum of $2,400 per year, and often much more.