Having the Courage to Say ‘No’

A lot of the work I do as a State Representative involves advocating in favor of legislative policies. But sometimes, my job is to stand up and say ‘no’ on your behalf.

This past year involved several good examples of that.

This year, I voted against a controversial proposal that makes sweeping changes to our state’s firearms laws. I believe I did my due diligence on this issue by listening attentively to both sides of the argument, including constituents, experts, and attending more than seven hours of public hearing testimony for and against the bill last year. Ultimately, I believe it was important for me to rely on my experience as a former Deputy Police Chief with 40 years of law enforcement experience. I am adamantly opposed to violent crime, and I strongly support making Massachusetts a safer place to live. However, after much research I do not believe this bill, as written, will do anything meaningful to make Massachusetts safer. What it will do is significantly take away the constitutionally-protected rights of responsible gun owners. We need tougher enforcement in the courts, not more laws.

I also voted against changes to legislative rules that I believe undermine the will of the voters. This November, voters statewide approved a ballot question (Question One) that would permit the Auditor to audit the Legislature. I supported Question 1 and I believe the will of the voters should be implemented. However, others disagree. Weeks after the vote, the Legislature passed a rule change allowing the Auditor to designate an independent outside firm to Audit the House every year. While this appears on its face to be an improvement of current law, it’s not what the voters asked for with Question One; in fact, it undermines the intent of the question. So, I voted against the rule change. I stand firmly with the voters and the Auditor in supporting full transparency and accountability, as Question One intended.

One more issue came to light late this session, as a legislative committee advanced a bill that would remove the ability for Massachusetts residents to claim a religious exemption when it comes to any vaccination requirements. I oppose this bill because I believe it takes away very important rights and freedoms concerning sincerely-held personal religious beliefs. As of this writing, this bill has not yet been considered by the full House. Should it come up for a vote at a formal legislative session in the future, I plan to vote against its passage.