Important weeks in the legislative session.  Committees were to release bills.  State House News tells us that 900 bills were given “extensions” which means the committees have not been willing to support, reject, or send them to “study” (effectively killing them for the year).

Paid Sick Leave is in the House Ways and Means Committee. Contact all members of that committee and the House Leadership, Speaker Robert DeLeo  ( 617-722-2500) and House Ways and Means Chairman, Charles Murphy of Burlington of Winthrop (617-722-2990);  Barbara L’Italian of Andover of Boston – Vice Chair (617-722-2380);  Stephen Kulik of Worthington of Franklin – Assistant Vice-Chair   (617-722-2380).

Urge 15 of your friends to call, as well.   Telephone numbers for all on State House Website

Scaccia of Boston            Fox of Boston                 Koczera of New Bedford
Canavan of Brockton    Fagan of Taunton          Quinn of Dartmouth
Garry of Dracut              Creedon of Brockton    Rodrigues of Westport
Balser of Newton           Timilty of Milton            Kane of Holyoke

Donelan of Orange        Rush of Boston       Driscoll of Braintree  

Guyer of Dalton             Sciortino of Medford     Sannicandro of Ashland

Welch of West Springfield     Speranzo of Pittsfield   Rice of Gardner

Conroy of Wayland       deMacedo of Plymouth   Hargraves of Groton

Perry of Sandwich         Polito of Shrewsbury         Smola of Palmer

Webster of Pembroke

For a script for telephone calls, see our Paid Sick Leave page.

Savings Bank Life Insurance

For 20 years, the SBLI company has sold insurance in the Commonwealth with a provision in the statutes prohibiting discriminatory provisions in rate setting by gender.  Now, the company wants to be able to establish different rates for men and women.  Please contact your senator.  The company has been profitable for many years without discriminating.  Whatever small savings women might achieve by discriminatory rate setting, they will lose more in the long run in the insurance field.  Just last year, Massachusetts was finally able to end discrimination in annuities.  Now SBLI wants to turn the clock back.

Contact your senator immediately.  Urge they not take this discriminatory action.

Transgender Civil Rights Bill 1728

Once again the Massachusetts legislature is dragging its heels on civil rights legislation.   A bill to add transgender identity to the state’s civil rights statutes is still pending, notwithstanding that a majority of the legislators have indicated their support.

Write the leadership.  Urge that this bill be released from the Judiciary Committee for floor debate and a vote.