I'm a State Representative representing Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway, Cambridgeport, Kendall Sq/MIT, and the West End. I was elected to the Massachusetts State Legislature in 2013 and have been in the State House since then advocating for the people of the 8th Suffolk District. I was born and raised in North Attleboro, where I was educated in public schools and worked as a cashier at the town pharmacy all through high school. I was a union factory worker while attending University of Connecticut for my undergraduate degree, where I majored in political science and history, and graduated with honors. I put myself through George Washington School of Law, where I graduated with high honors, while working at a union cardboard box factory.
In this time of federal crisis, fundamental reproductive rights are at risk and the states play a key role in safeguarding those rights. The ongoing federal threat to reproductive freedom makes the critical work of the Massachusetts Legislature more important each day. Massachusetts voters need and deserve a transparent legislative scorecard to inform their understanding of where their elected officials stand on reproductive freedom. That’s why, today, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts released the first-ever Reproductive Freedom Scorecard for the 2017-2018 Legislative Session.
“This past legislative session, the Massachusetts Legislature responded to the threat posed by the Trump Administration with passage of key bills that safeguard and expand reproductive freedom in the Commonwealth.” said Rebecca Hart Holder, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. “Next legislative session, we have the opportunity to pass bold legislation that affirms the Commonwealth’s commitment to reproductive freedom and guarantees that no matter what happens in Washington, the people of Massachusetts will be able to access the full spectrum of reproductive health care, including abortion care.”
“That’s why we are introducing the first-ever NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts Reproductive Freedom Scorecard. The scorecard gives all Massachusetts citizens the opportunity see how their State Senators and Representatives voted on reproductive freedom during the most recent legislative session.”
“In our recent poll conducted by MassINC, we found that found that 8 in 10 Massachusetts voters want Roe v. Wade upheld. The Scorecard empowers Massachusetts citizens to understand which legislators are in-sync with the Commonwealth’s commitment to reproductive freedom and which legislators want to turn back the clock.”
In the interest of transparency, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts is releasing the full scoring document. The scoring formula is simple: each legislator can receive a point for cosponsoring priority legislation or taking a pro-choice vote. Legislators can additionally earn points by being lead sponsors of priority legislation and advancing bills out of committee. Similarly, legislators lose a point for taking anti-choice votes or cosponsoring anti-choice legislation.