Margaret was born in Georgia, just outside of Ft. Benning. Her family often struggled to make ends meet, and she dropped out of high school at the end of her junior year to help. While working full-time, she acquired her General Equivalency Diploma at age 17.
The Opioid Epidemic
In 2020, opioid deaths in Massachusetts rose to their highest level ever: It is, without qualification, a crisis. More than half of Massachusetts residents know someone struggling with an addiction, and a quarter have lost a family member or friend to opioid addiction. Substance use disorder is not a standalone issue -- it intersects with unemployment; affordable, accessible healthcare; and housing.
There are many ways to begin to address the opioid crisis: I support expanded access to effective treatment, both prescriptive and mental health; decriminalizing/de-stigmatizing substance use disorder; and reforming the way insurance companies deal with the twin issues of substance use disorders and mental health.
Reproductive Freedoms
In 1848, a group of around 300 women in Seneca Falls, NY dared to assert that women were created equal to men. For thousands of years before that, and continuing to this date, women continue to have to fight for equal rights, including a solemn right to have sovereignty over their own bodies.
The ability to decide whether and when to have children is important to a person’s socioeconomic well-being – including allowing for more work experience, which translates into increased wages and average career earnings – and overall health.
As your state representative, I support a person’s right to choose the reproductive healthcare options that are right for them and their situation.