Bills and Co-Sponsorships

Reduction in state sales tax to 5% from the current 6.25%.

Reduction in income tax rate to 5% from the current 5.3%.

Reduction in corporate income tax rate to 5% from the current rate of 8.75%, 4th-highest-in-the-nation.

Restoring Chapter 70 education funds dispersed from the state at the district foundational budget level.

Prevailing wage law exemption. Creates an exemption to the state’s current prevailing wage law for capital projects valued under $250,000. Increase the threshold of the required payment of prevailing wage for services and capital projects rendered at the current $5,000 to those valued at less than $250,000.

Restore Quinn Bill matching funds: For the purpose of police educational and merit-based achievements. Communities that have adopted this measure shall receive matching funding from the state based on the existing formula and specifications described in the language put forth by the bill.

Pension Reform

• Increase minimum retirement age from 55 to 60 for all employees hired after 1/1/2012 and raise full retirement age from 65 to 67 for all state employees.
• Cap annual pension payout for any state or municipal employee at $90,000.
• Extend pension benefit calculation from the average of the last three years of service to the average lifetime salary of any employee, adjusted for inflation, but capped at $90,000 per year.

Medical malpractice reform: An act to reduce overall healthcare costs and frivolous lawsuits

• Capping the level of "non-economic damages" in medical liability lawsuits for intangible harms such as grief, pain, emotional distress, disfigurement, etc., at $250,000 per defendant.
• This act shall also allow patients to continue to recover "unlimited economic damages," or costs actually incurred by patients, such as the cost of medical care and lost wages due to injuries, consistent with what has been passed in other states.

Healthcare Reform

• Dropping barriers for out-of-state health insurers and expand competition amongst health insurers. Any Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), health insurer, or broker located within the United States shall be permitted to sell health insurance policies to residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Urban renewal: Requiring the removal of older utility poles where . Utility companies shall be required to remove existing utility poles in the same location where they have gained approval to place a new pole from the local Board of Selectmen or City Council or be subjected to a $1,000 fine.

Regulatory Impact Statements for Small Businesses: Small businesses should have easy access to information regarding how regulations would impact their trade.

Modification of Tenant Late Fees: Current laws allows a landlord to impose late fees only after 30 days have passed. This proposal would reduce that to 10 days.

Changes to Summary Process: Current legislation requires that a landlord serve the tenant a 14 day notice to quit if the tenant has not paid the rent on time. After the 14 days is over, the landlord can file for Summary Process. This modification would allow the landlord to modify the number of days for the notice to quit so that the Summary Process could be started sooner.

Mandatory Rent Escrowing: Under current law, a tenant can withhold rent if a call is made to the board of health and problems are found in the apartment. Unfortunately, in some cases, the tenant does not have the rent money and even after the problems are resolved, the landlord cannot get the rent. This proposal would require a tenant to put the rent into an escrow account if the landlord serves the tenant a notice to vacate and the tenant then proceeds to call the Board of Health to report problems. This is called the "Free Rent Trick". The money to be placed in escrow would be the current rent minus any repair costs the tenant incurs to resolve the problem.

Right to Repair Bill Ensuring that independent repair facilities in the Commonwealth have access to information related to the proper and complete diagnosis, service and repair of motor vehicles.

Community Cost-Savings: Exempting cities and towns from mandatory fees incurred by the Massachusetts Oil and Hazardous Material Release Prevention and Response Act.

Melissa's Bill: This bill would punish habitual offenders by denying parole for those convicted of three violent felonies in the courts of the Commonwealth.

Update Animal Cruelty Laws: Discourage the confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs, and ban the use of the hook in training elephants.

Laura's Law: Establishes a 48-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion and would allow for a fully informed choice and sufficient reflection time.

Mandatory Rent Payments: Require that tenants or occupants deposit rents with the clerk of courts prior to final disposition of cases.

Alimony Reform: Reform and improve the alimony system in the Commonwealth, widely-known as one of the most archaic and outdated in the nation.

Tax exemption for non-profits and charities: Exemption non-profits and charities from the state’s current 5% tax on revenues collected through raffles and bazaars.

Alcohol Sales Expansion: Authorize the sale of alcoholic beverages on certain legal holidays. Many customers who wish to purchase alcohol on legal holidays can already do so in other states.

Mandatory Rent Escrowing: Placement of rent into an escrow account under certain notices by a landlord to vacate.

Protecting Children from Predators:

• Increasing the penalty for previously convicted felons subsequently convicted of the crime of rape of a child.
• Increase penalty imposed by the courts for the rape of a child under fourteen years of age.
• Increase the penalty for persons convicted of certain sexual crimes.

Income Tax Credit: Giving income tax filers the ability to receive credit for up to $4,800 in purchases made in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on which the current 6.25% sales tax was paid.

Religious Freedom: Supporting the right of public school students to express religious ideas and opinions in the classroom, much like the sharing of secular viewpoints by other students, without fear of penalty or reprisal.

Energy Efficiency: Establishing a sales tax holiday for qualified "Energy Star" products.

Protecting Our Wetlands: Protecting to our community wetlands and allowing local wetlands-protection bylaws and ordinances to supersede those of the Commonwealth—whichever is more rigid.

The Perry Amendment: Initially filed by former State Representative Jeffrey Perry, this bill would require proof of citizenship or legal residency from beneficiaries of state entitlements.

Supporting Our Youth: Establishing a Youth Solutions Commission to review youth employment, education pathways and efforts to reduce violence and dropout rates in an integrated, coordinated and cost-effective manner.

Parole Board Reform: This bill would require a roll call of Parole Board votes and make them available online.