Bringing Beacon Hill to You

It's a new year with new and returning issues to keep Beacon Hill busy in 2024. Here's a look at some of our legislative priorities and ongoing focuses that my office was working on in January.

Legislation................................................

I am excited to report that the revenge pornography bill has passed the House of Representatives! While this is encouraging, it is not the end of the road as the bill still has to pass the Senate. If that happens, then a conference committee would have to reconcile differences between the versions passed in the House and Senate. The final step would require the approval of Gov. Maura Healey. 

Few issues impact us all so universally as housing does. Owners, renters, builders, and housing seekers are all impacted by the costs of houses we have, the houses we need, and the houses we struggle to afford. Gov. Healey’s proposed housing bond bill, also known as the Affordable Homes Act, attempts to address the Commonwealth’s housing crisis with various policy initiatives and $4.1 billion of funding. The bill would support the construction of roughly 40,000 units of housing across the Commonwealth to chip away at the current estimated 200,000-unit housing shortfall. 

There’s so much else in the bill, and I would recommend you read more about it here. 

Hundreds were in attendance for the January Housing Committee Hearing to provide testimony on a variety of aspects of this legislation. As the committee’s Senate Vice chair, I promise we are taking all of these issues and perspectives into account.  

One of the things I love about January is the optimism that comes with reflecting on the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This MLK Day, I thought of this portion of a 1967 address he gave in Atlanta: “We must walk on in the days ahead with an audacious faith in the future.” I hope to keep this thought in mind throughout 2024. 

Speaking of new beginnings, January once again saw the inaugurations of our new and returning local elected officials. I attended the ceremonies in Quincy and Braintree and am wishing the best of luck to Mayor Tom Koch in Quincy and Mayor Erin Joyce, who is just starting in her new role in Braintree.

If you live in or near Quincy, chances are you have at one time or another had to take your chances driving through the intersection of Ricciuti Drive and Willard Street. This unusual intersection is among the highest concentrations of accident rates for intersections in Massachusetts. I recently toured the sight with Rep. Bruce Ayers and City Councilor Jim Devine, as well as representatives of the Department of Transportation, the City of Quincy, and National Grid, to discuss planned safety changes. I expect that some combination of temporary signal lights will be installed to regulate the flow of traffic. Installation of permanent signals is likely going to be a bit more time consuming due to need for complete installation of electrical infrastructure required to support traffic lights. 

Over the last few weeks I have spent a lot of time in the Plymouth section of the Norfolk & Plymouth Senate district. I met with assessors from the area to review their legislative priorities and with higher education officials to discuss the important role our local community colleges and public universities play in the economy and how best to address the costs of higher education. Housing was the topic at a meeting of the Metro South Chamber of Commerce, and other meetings covered plans for the South Shore Technical High School in Hanover, Abington’s plans relative to the MBTA Communities Act, the housing of migrants at the Rockland Comfort Inn, and the future cleanup of the Fireworks Site in Hanover. Many thanks to all the local officials for the hard work they do every day on behalf of the residents of their communities. February promises to be just as busy.  

. Firearms Safety..............................

Regardless of where you stand on the issue of guns, I imagine you have probably heard about efforts underway here in Massachusetts to pass comprehensive firearms safety legislation. The Senate version of a firearms safety bill passed last week. It addresses “ghost guns” and harassment prevention orders, clarifies the definition of assault weapons and rights of existing ownership of copies and duplicates, and updates dealer inspection requirements. Amendments that I filed to address the tragic issue of suicide by firearm were adopted. I also co-sponsored an amendment that passed which could result in bail revocation for individuals who commit gun offenses while released on pending charges. You can read through the language of the bill here.

Part of my research on the bill included meeting with chiefs of police in the communities I represent. They provided valuable insight and I learned a great deal from each of them. I am encouraged by the fact that the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association has endorsed the bill. I also learned much from conversations with and communications from constituents, as well as advocates on both sides of the debate, and am grateful for their input. 



Given that the Senate bill is significantly different than the bill on gun safety previously passed by the House of Representatives, a conference committee will likely meet to negotiate a final, or consensus bill that if passed would be sent to the Governor. I will make sure to keep you updated as the legislation progresses.