I was motivated to run for State Representative at the end of the formal legislative session in 2024.  At that time, I was astounded at the lack of resolution of large important bills that contained critical issues impacting so many residents and our cities and towns.  I have worked inside the State House, but specifically in the last 20 years, I have worked to help older adult nonprofits navigate the State House to accomplish legislative and budgetary successes.  In my experience, it is difficult for underrepresented voices to be heard and nonprofits’ issues to be considered a priority. In many instances, the legislation is time sensitive addressing an issue that is important or even critical to a certain, perhaps vulnerable, population.  But the way the legislature is structured has made it difficult to pass bills, to make issues heard and to effectively address these issues in a timely way.  

There is a certain culture that I have witnessed that we have come to accept as the norm - that legislation takes many years to pass, that bills are declared dead for the session with no chance of moving these important issues forward and that there are limited opportunities for the public to participate in policy and legislating.  Disagreements leave key issues unresolved at the close of the formal session, forcing them to be reintroduced in the next two year legislative session.

I am very concerned that we are not able to face the challenges posed by certain policies and cuts because of the current structure. My concern seems to be shared by many in the media who have written extensively about this issue, the audit of the legislature that over 70% of voters voted for, the creation of new nonprofits focused on shining a light on the accountability and transparency of the legislature, and the number of ballot initiatives that were filed after that end of session in 2024.

If anything is going to change, we need new voices and more diverse voices.  I am committed to this change and to shifting to a more accountable, open, and fair legislature that is committed to constituents. 

Funding for the public schools is a critical issue both on the local level and the state level. It’s important to me that our district is represented in those state level discussions and that our state partners work closely with the local school departments to ensure adequate funding. We should be advocating for increased funding, that reflects the changing needs of each district and address equity in the formula for these funds.  The focus should always be to make sure students and teachers are supported and that schools have the resources they needed to appropriately and effectively support students. 

I am committed to advancing policies for older adults allowing them to stay safely in their communities, if they choose, with affordable and appropriate services or have alternatives that are safe, financially feasible and meet their health care needs. It is critical to raise the profile of issues facing older adults since they are so often overlooked and not a policy priority.  We need solutions to assist older adults with financing very pricey long term care whether that’s services at home or in an alternative community based care residence so they are not spending all of their life savings. I am also committed to making sure older adults and their families are able to easily find affordable, quality care when they need it. 

We need bold changes to finance long term care so people are not spending every last penny they’ve made over their lifetime.  We need ways lower and middle income older adults can finance long term care and give people more options for receiving community based care in their homes.  We also need greater consumer protections for older adults in assisted livings, continuing care retirement communities and independent living. 

Health Care is hitting a crisis point in Massachusetts with rising premiums, the reductions in the ACA, increased uninsured, and federal cuts to Medicaid.  Advocacy is needed to maintain coverage for vulnerable populations, to find alternatives and maintain coverage for families, individuals and older adults.  We are all impacted by these cuts in direct and indirect ways and solutions must be considered so no group is left behind.

Next year when Medicaid cuts go into place, many people will find themselves ineligible for coverage.  Massachusetts was the leader in creating an affordable health care system, the precursor to the ACA.  Massachusetts should be the leader again to find a path forward expanding access to current health care options.

I am concerned about protecting the rule of law and due process for everyone which should be fundamental and not as fragile as it currently seems.  I am also deeply concerned about the fear many communities are feeling and the decrease in attendance at schools as a result. I am committed to working to ensure that immigrants’ rights are a priority at the State House.

Supporting LGBTQ equality will always be absolutely essential but it is especially critical now that these rights are under attack.  Protecting these rights has my unwavering support and commitment.

Supporting and maintaining  access to reproductive health care is absolutely essential to maintain the dignity, health and freedom of women and cannot be compromised. 

I fully support environmentally friendly policies that make our community healthier and advance climate change policies. Protecting our waterways and open spaces are critical to me especially at a time when regulation and oversight has been reduced. I am also concerned about the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals and their impact on the environment, wildlife, and our families.  I would like to make sure that programs like MassSave continue to be funded appropriately to ensure Massachusetts is a leader on the environment.

Protecting families’, kids’ and older adults’ access to nutrition programs is remarkably fragile with significant federal cuts to these programs.  So many individuals will lose or see reductions in access to nutrition programs and it will be important to advocate and support ways to serve individuals through state initiatives.  We need additional funding for nutrition programs for families and older adults.  I understand that food pantries have many more older adults visiting and older adult nutrition programs have seen an increase in need.  Having enough food is fundamental, and should be an absolute priority.

It is important that there is affordable housing so older adults can remain in our community while also making it affordable for young families and young people to live in and return to the district without finding it financially impossible.  There are a lot of possibilities to address housing and this district should be engaged in those discussions to make sure we are able to take advantage and advocate for the policies that best fit our community.

So many communities like ours face increasing funding challenges that need creative solutions and state partners that work with them to maintain stable finances. All of us are impacted by the strength of our municipalities from public works to schools to senior center services.  We have to advocate for different ways to maintain and create stable revenue for our cities and towns.

43% of district residents currently drive alone to work; only 16% use public transit. We can do better. Investing in more reliable, more frequent service that actually works for families with school pickups and demanding schedules — so commuters have a real choice beyond sitting in traffic.