Supporting Working Families and Fighting for Economic Justice

• Working families are the backbone of our communities; when working families are strong and thriving, so are our communities.
• We must tackle income and wealth inequality with policies that create greater fairness, opportunity and economic mobility for all.
• I support passage of the Fair Share Amendment (millionaires tax) to raise new revenue for transportation and education investments.
• I support continued increases in the minimum wage and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to help lift more people out of poverty.
• We must close the gender pay gap.
• Unions helped build the middle class in this country and I support workers’ efforts to organize and collectively bargain in both the public and private sectors.
• We must support greater employment opportunities for people with disabilities and others who have struggled to succeed in the workplace.
• We must create more affordable housing options for working families and seniors in our communities.
• We must adequately fund human services and supports for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and low-income families.
• Gig economy employers like Uber and Lyft must be held accountable for providing their workers with basic rights, benefits, and protections.

 

Quality, Affordable Healthcare for All

• Access to quality, affordable healthcare for all should be a basic human right.
• The importance of a strong, well-funded state and local public health system has been underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• We must improve mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery in order to achieve true mental health parity.
• A greater focus on prevention and wellness, targeting the social determinants of health, can reduce rates of preventable chronic diseases and help lower healthcare costs.
• We must tackle racial and ethnic health disparities.
• I will always defend women’s reproductive health and rights.
  

 

Educational Opportunity and Equity

• We must fully implement the Student Opportunity Act so that every child in Massachusetts has access to a high quality public education.
• We should think more holistically about student success, including social-emotional supports, wraparound services, alternative career pathways like apprenticeships, and new accountability systems that go beyond standardized test scores.
• We must expand access to high quality, affordable early education and childcare for all working families.
• We must ensure that public higher education is accessible and affordable, and students are not forced to graduate with high levels of debt.
  

 

Civil Rights and Social Justice

• Every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, and nobody should ever have to face discrimination or fear for their well-being.
• We must tackle systemic racism and advance racial justice through police reform, criminal justice reform, and other policies.
• We must pursue greater gender and LGBTQ equality.
• I support passage of the Safe Communities Act, which would protect the civil rights of immigrants and promote the safety of all residents in our communities.
• We must pursue greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in government and all our institutions.
  

 

Environmental Sustainability and Combating Climate Change

• We must tackle climate change with urgency and bold policies, both dramatically reducing carbon emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change already being felt in our communities.
• We must dramatically accelerate the shift to a green economy, powered by clean, renewable energy like offshore wind and solar.
• I support the participation of Massachusetts in the regional Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI).
• We need to consider environmental justice whenever environmental or economic development policies are being formulated.
• We must protect and preserve our environment, including clean air and water, so that we leave our planet in better shape for future generations.
  

 

Investing in Transportation and Infrastructure

• A world-class public transportation system, including reliable subway, bus, and commuter rail service, is essential to the future economic vitality of the greater Boston region.
• We must significantly increase investment in public transportation and other transportation infrastructure.
• We should expand investments in Complete Streets projects that improve safety and health, reduce traffic, and help revitalize our downtowns.
  

 

Strengthening our Democracy

• Ensuring government transparency and accountability are fundamental to a strong and healthy democracy.
• We must expand opportunities and make it easier for people to participate in elections and civic life, including same day voter registration, ranked choice voting, and more civics education.