Meg’s Vision For Our Communities

+ Restoring the Economy & Economic Justice

The COVID-19 pandemic has knocked our economy to its knees, negatively affecting many - from hourly wage workers to small business owners to local government - with economic ripple effects likely still to come. That’s why now, more than ever, we need someone with financial expertise and real-world experience in the State House.

Even when the last of our restrictions are lifted, we’ll have a lot of rebuilding to do. And this pandemic has highlighted the economic inequalities that already existed for too many people in our district. It’s imperative that when we seek to restore our economy, we do not leave our people behind.

That’s why, when I’m in the State Senate, I will fight for workers’ rights, support for small business owners and measures that bring not only economic stability but opportunity to ALL Massachusetts residents, and not just those at the very top.

Part of crafting a comprehensive economic restoration and justice plan is recognizing the other components of our system that break us financially. That’s why I’m calling for universal child care, which caps the costs of childcare for every family in Massachusetts at an affordable limit, so that every family can access quality, affordable childcare. This is not only good for our families and our children, it’s good for our economy too, as it enables more parents (especially mothers), who are under- or unemployed to return to the workforce.

Another financial burden that is breaking the backs of too many of our residents is healthcare. As your State Senator, I will advocate for the passage of the Medicare For All bill, which not only provides access to quality healthcare and mental health care for all residents, it reduces the overall costs of healthcare by cutting out the “middle man.”

But reducing costs for our families is just the first step. We need a renewed focus on jobs, and in particular, green jobs. I will advocate for a comprehensive green jobs program, which builds on the programs also in place and invests significant resources into training and implementation of jobs that further our fight against the climate crisis, including in infrastructure, transportation and offshore wind.

Lastly, we need to invest in our workers and our small businesses. This means advocating for a minimum livable wage NOW, and not years in the future. It means eliminating the tipped wage, and passing fair scheduling laws. It means strengthening our unions, and ensuring that every worker who wants to unionize can. And it means investing in our small businesses, especially in disenfranchised communities and communities of color.

+ Climate Crisis

If we do not take immediate and bold action, we will not be able to stave off the climate crisis that is decimating our beautiful communities. The measured responses the Legislature has taken so far are not enough. And worse, they have not always considered the voices of the underserved and overburdened communities when it comes to the siting of energy infrastructure (like the Weymouth compressor station), to the establishment/implementation of solar regulations, and to resiliency planning.

To save our communities, we need bold action. This is why I am calling for 100% renewable energy by 2045. If we want to decarbonize our entire economy (especially transportation & heating) then we need an electric grid that is 100% renewable energy. This should be met with a combination of aggressive new offshore wind development and incentives for residential solar, coupled with expanded battery storage technology. If we do this, while eliminating natural gas, Massachusetts would go further than ever towards meeting our climate goals.

We’re facing the deepest recession in a century, with unemployment in Massachusetts at an all time high. We need to put people to work, create jobs, and help our struggling local communities. As State Senator, I would immediately release and push for comprehensive legislation to fund a green jobs program, open to all, that would provide a paycheck, health insurance, and skills training to all participants. Its members would focus on installing residential solar, energy efficiency through heat pumps, restoring/protecting our open spaces, among other things.

Lastly, I will support and promote legislation that removes barriers to communities who want to eliminate their carbon footprint and protect their local environment. This includes supporting local gas bans through statute, giving communities the ability to adopt their own net zero stretch codes, and removing barriers to widespread solar installation on public buildings. As a member of my town's Advisory Committee, and through conversations with people across the South Shore, it's clear that there exist significant barriers for communities seeking to do everything from protect open spaces from plastic pollution to going 100% renewable.

+ Social and Racial Justice

Our system is set up to harm and hold down too many people. I’m not running for State Senate so I can uphold the status quo. I’m running because the status quo needs to go and instead we need to craft comprehensive, inclusive, equitable and just legislation that serves EVERYONE and not just some.

LGTBQ Protections: Despite being the first state to enact gay marriage, our LGBTQ community members still face discriminations in our current system. I will advocate for ensuring accurate and appropriate sex education in our schools, simpifying the process for co-parent adoptions, increasing access to HIV prevention and home care services, and ensuring protections for LGBTQ prisoners.

Racial Justice: Racial justice is justice for all and we can not wait another minute to enact massive reforms in our criminal justice system, our policing system and across our government as a whole.

My comprehensive criminal justice reform plan includes decriminalizing many offenses tied to homelessness or that have been used to profile Black and Brown communities. I will advocate for safe and fair marijuana laws, so that the communities of color that have been most negatively impacted by the war on drugs benefit the most from the state’s booming marijuan industry. Lastly, I will treat drug addiction as the public health crisis it is and reallocate resources into community and treatment programs to prioritize treatment over incarceration and end the school-to-prison pipeline.

In order to achieve racial justice we must pass police reforms. This includes eliminating qualified immunity, forming an independent, community-led licensing and investigation committee, banning weapons of war such as tear gas and excessive physical force such as chokeholds, and requiring reporting and data on the use of force by police officers.