Senator Jason Lewis has been effective in delivering results for his constituents, and has been a strong progressive leader for Massachusetts.

Local Accomplishments: Championing Community Development and Securing Resources for Local Projects

• Secured state funding for numerous local cultural and historic preservation projects, including rehabilitating the Beebe Estate, renovating the Albion Cultural Exchange, renovating Memorial Hall, restoring the historic organ in Stoneham Town Hall, repairing the Wyoming Cemetery wall, fixing the Stoneham Senior Center roof, and supporting the Malden ArtLine and Follow Your Art Community Studios.
• Secured state funding for numerous local environmental improvement and community beautification projects, including flood mitigation, improving Lake Quannapowitt, erecting the Saltmarsh garden terrace, building community gardens, restoring the Aberjona riverbank, and creating the Spot Pond Brook Greenway (at Oak Grove station).
• Secured state funding for numerous local economic development and infrastructure projects, including downtown redevelopment projects, road safety and streetscape improvements, wayfinding improvements, accessibility upgrades, and Main Streets initiatives.
• Championed new school building projects across the district, helping to secure tens of millions of dollars in funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
• Championed the construction of the Tri-Community Greenway, including securing $5 million in state and federal funding and helping to overcome many obstacles in order to make this exciting project a reality.
• Championed the reconstruction of the notoriously dangerous Fellsway East/Highland Avenue intersection in Malden, including securing $300,000 in state funding for this project.
• Championed effort to increase state funding for peer-to-peer recovery centers, which enabled the opening of the Bridge Recovery Center in Malden.
• Championed various efforts to support Zoo New England (which operates the Stone Zoo), including the construction of a new bus stop at Stone Zoo on the MBTA 132 bus route, passing legislation to reorganize ZNE’s governance and increase private fundraising capacity, and securing millions of dollars for operations and capital improvements.
• Facilitated a unique partnership between the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Boys & Girls Club of Stoneham and Wakefield that saved the Hall Memorial Pool from being closed.
• Led successful effort to convince the MBTA to roll-back proposed commuter rail schedule changes that threatened to reduce service on the Lowell and Haverhill lines.
• Helped secure $2 million in federal stimulus funding for accessibility improvements (new ramps and mini-high platform) at Wedgemere Station.
• Led efforts in the state legislature to create a Complete Streets program, that assists our communities with improving pedestrian and bicycle safety, and to support the Mass in Motion program that promotes opportunities for healthy living.

Statewide Accomplishments: Leading Efforts to Improve Health and Advance Economic and Social Justice

• Led passage of the Student Opportunity Act, landmark legislation to reform school funding and ensure that every child in Massachusetts has access to a high quality public education.
• Led negotiations that raised the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour and created a new universal paid family and medical leave program.
• Led passage of An Act Protecting Youth from the Health Risks of Tobacco and Nicotine Addiction, raising the minimum legal sales age for tobacco products to 21 and adding vaping products to the smoke free workplace law.
• Led effort to create a first-in-the-nation Prevention and Wellness Trust, providing funding for community-based health and wellness programs that reduce rates of preventable chronic diseases and lower healthcare costs.
• Led passage of An Act Strengthening the Local and Regional Public Health System to improve our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other public health challenges.
• Led effort to pass one of the most comprehensive laws in the nation to strengthen treatment for Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
• Led effort to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to ensure that pregnant women receive protections and reasonable accommodations in the workplace.
• Led effort to expand Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) protections to all workers in Massachusetts.
• Led effort to pass Breakfast after the Bell legislation to fight childhood hunger and ensure more low-income students can access school breakfast programs.
• Led effort to update the state’s public records law to ensure convenient and timely access for the public to state and municipal public records.
• Led effort to significantly curtail the use of non-compete agreements, which are unfair to workers and stifle innovation.
• Led passage of An Act Relative to Ocean Ecology and Shark Protection to ensure that Massachusetts does not participate in the cruel shark fin trade.
• Led effort to pass legislation to help municipalities combat the risk of mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile Virus.
• Led effort to pass legislation to ensure that all children in Massachusetts are able to receive all recommended immunizations.
• Led effort to pass legislation to end gender discrimination in disability insurance.
• Led effort to create a special commission to improve access to healthcare and reduce barriers for foreign trained medical professionals.
• Led effort to create a special commission to investigate an appropriate tribute to Nelson Mandela’s historic visit to Boston and his legacy of championing human rights.
• Led passage of legislation to expand the public service scholarship program for family members of veterans.
• Led passage of legislation to enable local school districts to create Special Education Stabilization Funds, a helpful tool for managing unanticipated special education costs.
• Sponsored numerous successful budget amendments, including providing state funding for the first time for Low Income Tax Clinics that help people apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and increasing funding for substance use recovery centers, school-based health centers, and other health and human service programs.