Progress in the new Massachusetts State Senate

With the Legislature passing the halfway point of the 2016 legislative session (ending before the July 25^th kickoff of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia), it’s important to take a moment and highlight key policy areas where the State Senate has taken the lead, reinforcing key themes set out by Senate President Stan Rosenberg and a majority of State Senators at the beginning of the 2015-2016 session.

I’m proud that the Senate is now not only a more inclusive, small-d democratic body, as explained by the Senate President in this WGBH interview last month, but I’m equally proud of how the Senate President’s decentralized leadership and long-term vision has translated into the pace of the State Senate. This year, almost every week, 4 to 5 pieces of solid legislation are being debated and passed. This dramatic change in how the body is being run makes the State Senate an exciting, forward-looking institution today.

Here are four critical policy areas that the Senate has tackled this session so far:

Inequality

The Senate passed the following bills to advocate for pay equity for women, improve worker’s compensation, create more opportunities for individuals with disabilities and better protect consumers from unwanted loan debt:

S.2119 An Act to establish pay equity

S.967 An Act relative to enhanced enforcement of civil penalties

S.983 An Act to establish pay equity

S.2033 An Act relative to fairness in worker’s compensation disfigurement benefits

S.2166 An Act relative to the hiring of persons with a disability

S.2194 An Act relative to unsolicited loans

Criminal Justice Reform

The Senate passed the following bills to remove a driver’s license suspension as a penalty for vandalism, increase the threshold for a theft to be classified as felony larceny, help people in correctional institutions better manage their finances and credit and expand pretrial services:

S.728 Removes License Suspension for Vandalism

S.795 An Act relative to adjusting the credit for nonpayment of fines

S.2176 An Act relative to larceny

S.2216 An Act relative to the use of community corrections for pre-trial detainees and criminal defendants

Education

The Senate passed the following bills to lift the cap on charter schools, expand physical education programs, and promote common-sense sex education in classrooms:

S.220 An Act enhancing reform, innovation and success in education

S.2061 An Act to promote quality physical education

S. 2062 An Act relative to healthy youth

Healthcare

The Senate passed the following bills to improve access to quality health care and medical treatment for rare diseases, raise the smoking age to 21 years old and ensure that all patients have confidential access to the health care they need:

S.2137 An Act relative to HIV-associated lipodystrophy syndrome treatment

S.2234 An Act to protect youth from the health risks of tobacco and nicotine addiction

S.2138 An Act to protect access to confidential healthcare