• Foster Parent's Bill of Rights, S.2954, which would give foster parents the right to training,  information about the child that is being placed with them,  and  access to a social worker and family resource staff.                                                                                                      
• Accountability for vulnerable children and families, S.2953, which updated Department of Children and Families reporting requirements & procedures.
  • I was proud to partner with Senator Adam Gomez  on an amendment that requires  DCF to report the rate siblings are placed together in foster care.                                                                  
• Updating bail procedures for justice-involved youth, S.2943, this bill reforms bail procedures for justice-involved youth, it eliminates the $40 administrative bail fee, and allows, at the discretion of courtroom officials,  parents to submit a commitment that their child will return to court in lieu of bail, and ensures bail is collected consistently across the Commonwealth.     
                                                                                                                
• Promoting diversion of juveniles to community supervision and services, S.2942, this bill expands the list of crimes that qualify for juvenile diversion, which would be determined on a case-by-case basis by a juvenile court.                                                                   
• Forfeiture Reform, S.2944,  this bill requires new transparency standards for forfeited property and provides court appointed attorney for income qualifying petitioners.
                                                             
• Expanding access to high-quality, affordable early education and care, S.2973, would increase eligibility for subsidies from 50% ($65,626 annual household income for a family of four) of state median annual income to 125% ($164,065 annual household income for a family of four). It would also create a scholarship program that would allow educators to further their education, the scholarship will cover, at minimum the full cost of the credential or certificate at an approved institution. The bill will also allow childcare providers to give discounted care to their employees. 

• In June the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, ruled in favor of workers, and kept a corporate funded question off of the ballot. If passed this would have enshrined Uber and Lyft drives as second-class workers. We won, thanks to a massive coalition of activists and workers. Thank you Massachusetts Not For Sale, Massachusetts AFL-CIO, and so many more. We’ve got work to do and a better, safer, sustainable gig economy to build. Today we smile tomorrow we get back to work. I was proud to write an amicus brief for the Matahari Women's Worker Center. 

• In June the MassPort voted to raise the minimum wage for workers at Logan Airport, $16 starting July 1st, $17 starting in January 2023. This increase to the minimum wage for airport workers is an important moment for workers’ rights. These workers, including immigrant workers who keep us & our economy running deserve dignified wages. 

What an incredible celebration of pride & love in Winthrop! Thank you to the organizers, activists, & community members who made this happen! Winthrop has Pride!

We observed the official holiday of Juneteenth. Thank you Massport for flying the flag at Piers Park. It was incredible to see celebrations throughout my district.