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News Archive

Feb 23 2017 Newsletter: Criminal Justice
Last Thursday, ten senators held a press availability to talk about our priorities for criminal justice reform this session. Among the issues we raised were: pre-trial detention and bail reform, juvenile justice, community corrections, decriminalization of minor offenses,...
Feb 20 2017 Somerville politicians support bill targets 100 percent renewable energy goal
Wicked Local Somerville
By Gerry Tuoti  Wicked Local Newsbank Editor Every house, building and car in Massachusetts would be powered by renewable energy sources in the coming decades under a new bill in the state legislature. That would make Massachusetts the first state in the country...
Feb 19 2017 Newsletter: Appointments and Bills
This week, the Senate President and House Speaker announced committee appointments for this session. I am Senate chair of the Committee on Marijuana; I will protect the will of the voters, while listening to suggestions for improvements to the ballot question. We will...
Feb 16 2017 Democratic Mass. Senators Lay Out Bevy Of Criminal Justice Proposals
WBUR
By Steve Brown Just days before a long-awaited review of the Massachusetts criminal justice system is set to be released, several Democratic state senators on Thursday detailed their policy proposals for criminal justice reform, which they say will be a major priority...
Feb 16 2017 Massachusetts Senate Democrats propose criminal justice reforms, including eliminating mandatory minimums
MassLive
By Shira Schoenberg    BOSTON -- Massachusetts senators will consider a range of proposals to reform the state's criminal justice system during this legislative session, from eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses to...
Feb 9 2017 Newsletter: Response to Executive Orders
Many of us have joined marches and protests in response to the president's orders restricting immigration. Many of you have written and called in support of the Safe Communities Act, which would essentially make Massachusetts a Sanctuary State. It would state that law...
Feb 9 2017 First wrongly convicted, now wrongly delayed
Boston Globe
By Yvonne Abraham GLOBE COLUMNIST When it comes to waiting, Angel Echavarria is an expert. Spending 21 years in prison for a crime you didn’t commit will do that. But now that he’s finally free, the state — which owes him for every minute of...
Jan 28 2017 Newsletter: Next Week
Almost every day there's a meeting or demonstration in response to the national situation. Yesterday I joined SEIU 32BJ in a rally to protest Pres. Trump's counterproductive actions on immigration. And last Saturday, 175,000 of us joined the Boston Women's March for...
Jan 13 2017 Newsletter: Reminder: Sunday Soup and Health Care
You're invited to our annual soup party on Sunday, January 15, from 5 to 8 pm at our house, 67 Dane Street in Somerville. RSVP's are welcome but not required. All you need to bring is yourself, and a friend if you want to. But if you want to bring snacks, drinks, or...
Jan 2 2017 Newsletter: Thanks, New Year, Soup, ICYMI
I am so grateful to all of you who helped in my campaign this past year! Our almost 4-1 victory against a well-financed opponent was due to your door-knocking, phone calls, donations, and talking to friends. It was a testament to our many years of working together for...
Dec 14 2016 Pat Jehlen and Ellen Story: The champions of equal pay for women
The Boston Globe
By Shirley Leung   December 14, 2016   Never give up: It could be the anthem for women in 2016. That mind-set kept longtime state legislators Patricia Jehlen and Ellen Story going in their quest to close the stubborn gender wage gap in Massachusetts. After two...
Dec 11 2016 Wrongful incarceration. Moral debt?
The Eye | New England Center for Investigative Reporting
By Jenifer McKim - December 11, 2016 Kevin O’Loughlin was 20 years old in 1983 when he was convicted of raping an 11-year old girl in Framingham, a crime he always said he did not commit. He spent nearly four years behind bars, enduring violent assaults in a...
Dec 2 2016 Sen. Jehlen Attends Minimum Wage Rally
Medford Transcript
By Katie Bowler and Andy Metzger On Tuesday, Nov. 29, the Raise Up Massachusetts Coalition and the Fight for $15 led a rally outside of a McDonald's restaurant in Cambridge to protest the current minimum wage. In 2012, low-wage workers launched a national campaign in...
Dec 2 2016 Newsletter: Transportation News
Since the November election, we have had plenty of disturbing national news. I have found the best thing is to focus on things we can do something about. Here are a few things happening locally on transportation issues where people have made a difference and continue to...
Nov 4 2016 Newsletter: Other voices on Question 2
Many people are confused about Question 2. My recent newsletters discussed Q2 and a better alternative. In this one, I'm sharing other people's answers to FAQ. But first, if you follow no other link and read no further, please watch this short video made by Boston...
Oct 28 2016 Sen. Pat Jehlen hosts Citizens' Legislative Seminar
http://medford.wickedlocal.com/news/20161028/sen-pat-jehlen-hosts-citizens-legislative-seminar
Sen. Pat Jehlen, D-Somerville, recently met with constituents who participated in the 77th Citizens' Legislative Seminar, which took place Oct. 17-18 at the Statehouse. CLS is a semiannual educational seminar geared toward adults of all ages interested in learning more...
Oct 26 2016 Baker-Polito Administration Awards $81,600 to Mystic River Communities for Environmental Restoration Projects Funds to Help Restore Water Resources Damaged During 2013 Oil Spill
The Official Website of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
BOSTON - The Baker-Polito Administration today awarded a total of $81,600 to the Town of Arlington and the City of Medford to support projects that will help to restore natural resources in the Upper Mystic River that were damaged during a tanker-truck fuel oil spill in...
Oct 25 2016 Newsletter: A better charter bill
“What changes do you want to see in charter schools?” I sometimes hear this from people who know I’m against Question 2, which would allow for unlimited expansion of charter schools without changing anything about them or their funding. Question 2 is an up or down...
Oct 14 2016 Newsletter: Making Inequality -- and Fighting Back
Massachusetts income inequality is among the highest in the country. The Globe reports that "Today, Massachusetts is about as unequal as we were at the height of the Roaring Twenties, before the fall into the Great Depression." Policies make a difference: the Minimum Wage...
Sep 30 2016 Newsletter: Ballot Question 2: Charter School Expansion
On November 8, near the bottom of the presidential election ballot, there'll be a question about erasing the current limits on charter school expansion, which could have a very big impact on our schools. It’s Question 2. I hope you'll join me in voting no. Here are some...
Sep 5 2016 Charter debate playing out in small races with big money
The Boston Globe
By David Scharfenberg Globe Staff  September 05, 2016   While the partisans in Massachusetts’ bitter charter debate are sinking millions of dollars into a high-profile ballot fight over whether to build more of the schools, they’re also spending...
Aug 4 2016 Massachusetts: Leading the Way on Equal Pay
US Department of Labor Blog
Massachusetts: Leading the Way on Equal Pay Filed in Equal Pay, Women By Jackie Cooke on August 4, 2016   Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announces the state’s new equal pay law, Aug. 1, 2016. This was truly a historic week in Massachusetts. After...
Aug 4 2016 Massachusetts Joins State-Led Efforts On Equal Pay For Women
NPR
Massachusetts Joins State-Led Efforts On Equal Pay For Women   August 4, 20163:57 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered Fred Thys From Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signs a pay equity act into law at the Massachusetts State House on...
Aug 3 2016 A triumph long in coming in fair pay fight
The Boston Globe
  A triumph long in coming in fair pay fight Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Dorothy Simonelli held the speech she read Monday.   By Shirley Leung Globe Columnist  August 03, 2016     At first, Dorothy Simonelli didn’t want to come, or see...
Aug 3 2016 New bill created to help close gender pay gap makes it ILLEGAL for employers to ask people how much they are paid during job interviews
Dailymail.com
New bill created to help close gender pay gap makes it ILLEGAL for employers to ask people how much they are paid during job interviews   Massachusetts passes new bill designed to eliminate the gender pay gap Bill bans employers from asking salary information during...