Education

The Massachusetts Constitution guarantees to every student the right to a quality education. Education is not only the right of every child, it holds the key to the future of the Commonwealth. Our economic, social and democratic future is dependent upon a well-educated people. Education must be a partnership between the state and the cities and towns of Massachusetts, with the state providing substantial financial aid. We have a right and an obligation to insist that our schools attain high and measurable standards for all students.

Casinos in Massachusetts

One of the most profound statements Deval Patrick made as he campaigned for governor was to acknowledge that the broken schools, cities and streets of Massachusetts belong to all of us and that we all need to pay to fix them. Gambling is a way to shift that responsibility to a smaller number of people so we can avoid our shared responsibility. I oppose the expansion of legal gambling to include casinos in Massachusetts.
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State and Local Finance

Former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes taught us that "Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society." The state must collect enough taxes to fund the services we need and do it fairly. For two decades I have led the fight for tax fairness.

MCAS

I support meaningful standards of educational achievement, which every student must demonstrate in order to graduate from high school. I also support measurable standards by which we may judge whether or not our public schools are delivering a quality education. The MCAS test purports to measure those two goals, but the Department of Education has created a system that does neither one particularly well.

Energy and the Environment

Massachusetts suffers from the triple burden of high priced energy that pollutes our air and puts us at economic risk. The Energy, Climate and Economic Security Act creates a comprehensive approach that addresses energy policies for utilities, transportation and buildings and provides assistance to our cities and towns as they implement efficiency and renewable programs.

Corporate Accountability

I have long believed that we, the taxpayers of Massachusetts, can and should take a greater role in making sure that the assets we hold are invested responsibly. Long before Enron and WorldCom became household names, I urged that our investments should reflect our social values and they should be used to insist that corporations adhere to standards that strengthen our economy. We can use state pension laws to limit the capacity of unscrupulous corporate leaders to undermine our nationŐs economic health.

Abortion and Reproductive Rights

The decision about whether to terminate a pregnancy is the most personal choice a woman can make. The state has a limited role in regulating, but not preventing access to, abortion.Click here to read more about this issue.

Marriage Equality

Two of the most important words ever spoken come from the US Declaration of Independence, which said we are all “created equal.” The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts acknowledged that in November 2003, recognizing same sex marriage as a fundamental piece of our equality. I opposed the amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution that would have reversed that decision and banned same-sex marriages.

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