With 2016 underway, it seems fitting to look back on College Democrats of Massachusetts’ 2015. It was a big year as our caucus and regional chapter systems continued to expand, and as the country and the state experienced their own trials and tribulations we were there every step of the way.
CDM endorsed a series of bills in 2015, mainly centered on the social issues that are personal for many of our members. We first touted the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and then moved on to address rampant sexual assault on campus by applauding the Sexual Assault Climate Survey measure. We collectively bristled at the continuing discrimination against transgender individuals, and thus endorsed a bill to ensure that all public spaces are made equal and discrimination-free. We made it a priority to make education accessible to everyone, and supported the Education Equity bill. We are proud to report that each of these bills are still alive in the legislature, moving forward for hearings in 2016.
We endorsed four different candidates for local races in the 2015 election cycle, and cheered when three of those candidates won: Worchester Mayor Joe Petty, Boston City Councilor (District 4) Andrea Campbell, and Chelsea City Councilor Judith Garcia. Campbell and Garcia’s victories were indicative of a larger trend of female success in Massachusetts politics this year – just before this newsletter went to press, City Councilor Michelle Wu was elected as the Boston City Council’s third female president.
In terms of the Commonwealth as a whole, we observed and commented on many of the biggest political stories of 2015. After the biggest winter of snowfall on record, there were loud complaints about the failure of the MBTA to provide service during the crisis; the MBTA’s general manager resigned soon after. Boston wrestled with its bid to host the 2024 Olympics, sparking public outrage over financial concerns; eventually, the bidding group pulled the plug on the idea, and many Bostonians breathed a sigh of relief. The state struggled to deal with what was being called an “opioid crisis” that led to upwards of a thousand deaths across the Commonwealth.
The Massachusetts legislature had a successful year of reforms. They increased the earned income tax credit. They contributed funding to end the massive early education waitlist statewide. They passed measures to reform the MBTA and give it more resources to deal with such weather crises as that of Winter 2015. They provided services and training to foster families across the state. They increased state funding to higher education. They funded pilot programs for police body cameras. The Senate also implemented a program called Commonwealth Conversations, in which legislators travelled around the state to speak to constituents and gain public opinion about the most pressing issues in Massachusetts.
As the legislature looks forward to 2016, many different members have offered their priorities for the year. Among the most commonly cited are measures to penalize distracted driving, close the gender wage gap, close the state budget gap that has plagued the Commonwealth for years, regulating ride-hailing industry giants Uber and Lyft, and creating new requirements for toy guns so police can more easily differentiate them from real firearms.
2015 was a successful year in Massachusetts, and with priorities like these, 2016 looks just as promising. The College Democrats of Massachusetts will be there every step of the way, with commentary from young progressives and official endorsements of the bills and candidates that we believe will make this state a better place.
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