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The 8th Suffolk District

Where Do I Vote?

For the Neighborhoods. Marty is a strong community advocate. Devoted to the residents of the 8th Suffolk District, she stays focused on ways to improve our quality of life.

• Under Marty’s leadership, the Central Square Theater received urgently needed state funds that allowed the construction of the new theater to move forward.
• The Charles River, from Magazine Beach to the Esplanade, is a precious resource that must be protected and enhanced so everyone can continue to enjoy the river basin. Marty led the fight to stop the re-routing of Storrow Drive into the Esplanade when the Arlington-Clarendon Street tunnel is rebuilt. She continues to take a leadership role as the state determines when and how the tunnel will be rebuilt.
• As part of a team with local residents and elected officials, Marty worked to bring an affordable grocery store to the West End and Beacon Hill.
• Lowered groundwater levels threaten buildings in the Back Bay and on the flat of Beacon Hill. While in the state legislature, Marty continues her advocacy on this issue, working closely with the city and state agencies responsible for finding a solution to this critical problem.
• The Hynes Convention Center is Back Bay’s economic engine. With the Back Bay Association and the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, Marty successfully fought to keep the Hynes open.
• As the only elected official standing with the Beacon Hill community, Marty led the fight to stop Suffolk University from building a mega-sized dorm in the neighborhood.

Fiscal Responsibility. Unlike the federal government, Massachusetts must have a balanced budget each year. Marty understands that our state government cannot afford to fund every worthy program or initiative, and she is committed to making the hard choices required annually during the legislature’s budget debate to ensure that we don’t spend beyond our means. Marty supports the law that gradually increases the personal exemption and decreases the income tax rate as the state collects more revenue. In this way, the state will maintain core services and reduce taxes step by step in a fiscally and socially responsible way.

Education.As a member of the Legislature’s Education Committee, Marty is working to ensure that Massachusetts does all it can to improve education. She knows the state must provide adequate funding for early childhood education, our K-12 schools, and the higher education system. She also knows that funding isn’t enough, which is why she supports longer school days and a longer school year, so children have more time to learn, and better professional development for teachers, so they can provide the high quality education our children need and deserve.

Affordable Housing. Marty understands the need to preserve the affordable housing we now have. She supports “expiring use” legislation so people are not forced out of their homes. She also supports the use of incentives that will expand the amount of affordable housing being built in the commonwealth.

Heath Care. Because she believes everyone is entitled to affordable and accessible health care, Marty supports passage of an amendment to the state’s constitution giving every resident a constitutionally protected right to adequate health care. In April 2006, Marty joined with her colleagues in passing the sweeping health care reform law that should lead to 95% of all Massachusetts residents having health insurance within three years.

Safer Roads. To enhance the safety of our roads, Marty supported the tougher drunk driving penalties in Melanie’s Law. There are repeat offenders who should have their driver’s licenses revoked sooner, and who should serve jail time if they continue to drink and drive. In addition, she voted in favor of increased driver’s education requirements for first time drivers and better enforcement of the laws that govern teenagers, too many of whom are driving illegally. Marty also voted in favor of the primary enforcement of our state’s seat belt law.

Equal Marriage. Marty supports equal marriage rights for all people, and she supports the repeal of the 1913 law, born of racial discrimination, that is now being used to discriminate against gay and lesbian people who wish to get married in Massachusetts.

Reproductive Freedom. Marty believes women should have the right to make their own reproductive choices. She voted in favor of the Emergency Contraception law that gives women easier access to emergency contraception in local pharmacies and requires hospitals to offer emergency contraception to rape victims. Marty is a lead sponsor of the Buffer Zone Bill which would establish a fixed 35-foot buffer zone surrounding the entrances and driveways of all of the reproductive health facilities in the state, providing essential protection for patients and medical personnel.

Environment. Marty believes we are stewards of our environment. She is the lead sponsor of two bills that would protect our natural resources. An Act Relative to the Reinstatement of the Clean Environment Fund, also known as the Bottle Bill, will expand the types of beverage containers for which a deposit is required to include nearly all containers of carbonated and non-carbonated drinks. The bill would also separate the uncollected bottle deposits into a separate fund, the Clean Environment Fund, that would be dedicated to sustain programs and projects supporting recycling, climate protection, parks, urban forestry, water quality and conservation, and air quality. An Act Relative to Electronic Waste and Recycling is modeled on a successful California law that promotes the recycling of certain electronic products, including computer monitors and TVs. It requires retailers to charge a visible fee at the time of purchase and transmit the funds to recycling programs that would collect electronic products from consumers for free and recycle them.

Stem Cell Research. Marty supports the full range of stem cell research because it offers a tool for understanding degenerative diseases and an avenue for the discovery of life-saving drugs. She voted for groundbreaking legislation which establishes Massachusetts as a center for cutting edge, life-saving research with appropriate regulatory oversight, and maintains Massachusetts’ place as one of the nation’s leaders in biotechnology research.

Minimum Wage. Marty voted for the first minimum wage increase since 2001, raising the rate to $7.50 in 2007 and $8.00 in 2008, giving Massachusetts one of the most competitive minimum wages in the country.