A Commitment to Community
LIST OF ISSUES
Education and Our Youth
Education: As a graduate of the public schools, I am grateful for the education the community gave me, and wish for nothing but superior opportunities and education for our youth today. I am the only candidate who has been involved with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, having assisted Tewksbury in securing the maximum state aid - expertise I plan to continue as Wilmington proposes a similar elementary school construction plan in the coming years.
In addition to our facilities, I have also worked hard to influence and vote in support of overhauls of our Commonwealth’s education aid to our cities and towns - resulting in the elimination of dozens of unfunded mandates, bringing millions more to our local schools and teachers each and every year. I also proudly voted to fund universal lunch programs, so no Tewksbury or Wilmington child will go hungry.
Read about legislative votes impacting education and childrens online safety here:
https://malegislature.gov/PressRoom/Detail?pressReleaseId=1
https://homenewshere.com/tewksbury_town_crier/news/article_42d7224e-36ef-11ee-bbff-ab9701517683.html
Taxes and Municipal Support
I am proud to have never voted on the floor for an increase in taxes, fees, or other money out of your pocket - in fact, I’m proud to say I’ve done the opposite! From supporting the 62f tax refunds in a way that maximized returns in our community to voting for legislation lowering taxes, we have worked hard to return needed money to families, seniors, and veterans as the cost of living rises. Thanks to the hard work of the tax payers of the state and careful fiscal planning, I was able to vote to help families across the district by supporting efforts to:
Estate Tax
Massachusetts’ current estate tax, which has not been updated in many years, has become an outlier in several ways. The changes made in this bill update the tax to bring it more in line with other states and eliminate punitive elements of the tax for those with incomes just high enough to trigger it. The bill reduces the estate tax for all taxpayers and eliminates the tax for all estates under $2 million by allowing a uniform credit of $99,600.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
This bill increases the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) from 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the federal credit. This increase will provide crucial support to working individuals and families, benefitting nearly 400,000 taxpayers with incomes under $60,000.
Single Sales Factor Apportionment
Currently, most businesses in Massachusetts are subject to a three-factor apportionment based on location, payroll, and receipts. To support companies headquartered in Massachusetts, this bill establishes a single sales factor apportionment in the Commonwealth based solely on receipts, matching what 39 other states currently do.
Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit
This bill doubles the refundable senior circuit breaker tax credit, which supports limited-income seniors facing high rents or real estate taxes, from $1,200 to $2,400. This change is expected to impact over 100,000 seniors across Massachusetts.
Rental Deduction Cap
This bill increases the rental deduction cap from $3,000 to $4,000. This is expected to impact about 800,000 Massachusetts taxpayers.
Short-Term Capital Gains Tax
At 12 per cent, Massachusetts is among the states with the highest short-term capital gains tax rate, and taxes short-term capital gains at a higher rate than long-term capital gains. The bill lowers the short-term capital gains tax rate to 8.5 per cent.
Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP)
The bill increases the statewide cap from $10 million to $57 million for 2023, and subsequently to $30 million annually, which will provide Gateway Cities with an expanded tool to develop market rate housing. This increase is estimated to create 12,500 new homes in Gateway Cities and spur over $4 billion of private investment in these communities.
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
This bill raises the annual authorization from $40 million to $60 million. This increased authorization cap provides enough funding to spur the creation of thousands of new units of affordable housing annually while also bolstering economic development.
Local Option Property Tax Exemption for Affordable Housing
This new policy will permit municipalities to adopt a local property tax exemption for affordable real estate that is rented by a person whose income is less than a certain level set by the community.
Title V Cesspool or Septic System Tax Credit
This bill will triple the maximum credit from $6,000 to $18,000 and increases the amount claimable to $4,000 per year, easing the burden on homeowners facing the high cost of septic tank replacement or repair.
In additon to reducing your burden, I am proud to have been part of the budget discussions which have brought year over year increases to municipal aid from the state.
Read about legislative votes impacting taxes and town support here:
https://malegislature.gov/PressRoom/Detail?pressReleaseId=97
https://malegislature.gov/PressRoom/Detail?pressReleaseId=76
Transportation & Route 38:
With the Butters Row Bridge in Wilmington under construction, and the Route 38 project associated with it arriving soon, I am excited to see new pavement brought to our district on the main roads. While COVID delayed some repairs I have earmarked hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct line items and bonds to accelerate the redesign and engineering of Route 38 in both towns,
In addition, over my 6 years in the legislature I have returned million dollars in additional funding for transportation, sidewalk, and road issues including subsidizing local intersection upgrades, pedestrian crossings, sidewalk expansion, and more. In addition to our local roads, I have also worked to have the MBTA begin reconstructing our North Wilmington commuter rail, as well as cooperated with our local DPW’s to help assist on road projects otherwise financed by the towns - including repairing and upgrading the pipes underneath as well as resurfacing and signalization of dangerous crossings.
Budgetary legislation including example earmarks may be found here;
https://malegislature.gov/PressRoom/Detail?pressReleaseId=76
https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FinalBudget
Healthcare
In addition to promoting competition and greater choice in a market of ever consolidating and more expensive healthcare providers, I have voted positively on legislation to assist parents trying to start families and to provide low-cost medications for seniors and those who require them for life-long afflictions - including medications assisting with diabetes and heart issues. I have also , as Representative, worked to support healthcare labor during negotiations, and to encourage the growth of our healthcare sector for our elderly by supporting healthcare educational opportunities for young men and women interested in the field of medicine.
Read more on healthcare and drug cost legislation below:
https://malegislature.gov/PressRoom/Detail?pressReleaseId=140
https://malegislature.gov/PressRoom/Detail?pressReleaseId=136
Veterans and First Responders
Those who put on a uniform to serve us everyday to ensure our safety deserve the support of their local and state government - something that I have strive to ensure to accomplish each and every term. I have supported our police and fire to my greatest extent, directly allocating rescue equipment, vehicle purchase support, and reimbursement for calls to public facilities. In addition, I have voted for every opportunity to provide greater training as well as to remove cancer-causing agents in fire turn-outgear (used to fight structure fires and more).
I am also proud to have voted for the HEROS Act, meant to welcome home our veterans with the support and services they earned. The Heroes act "increased benefits and opportunities, modernized the application process, and expanded veteran opportunities at the state level. It also increases benefits for disabled veterans and Gold Star family members, bolsters new and existing initiatives for municipalities and businesses to support veterans, creates comprehensive services for active-duty service members and military families, expands the scope of the Veterans Equality Review Board, updates the Chapter 115 definition of a veteran to expand eligibility, and codifies medical, behavioral health, and dental benefits."
Read more about legislation for vetearns and first responders below:
https://malegislature.gov/PressRoom/Detail?pressReleaseId=133