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With the goal of providing financial relief to families across the commonwealth while making Massachusetts more competitive with other states, the Massachusetts Legislature overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan tax relief package supporting residents across all income levels on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2023.

This is according to a spokesman for Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), who joined her colleagues in voting to send this legislation to the governor’s desk. Having passed the House of Representatives and Senate, the bill now goes to Governor Maura Healey -- who is also an Arlington resident -- for her consideration.

The bill includes $561.3 million in tax relief in Fiscal Year 2024, $1.02 billion in Fiscal Year 2027 and beyond, according to Friedman's communications director, Stephen Acosta.

“The conference committee’s tax relief package passed in the Legislature today is a major victory for the residents of the Commonwealth,” said Friedman, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, in a news release from Acosta.

“This legislation provides relief to our working-class and lower-income residents by raising the caps on child income tax credits, earned income tax credits and the senior citizen circuit breaker. We also ensure that the provisions of the Fair Share Law are upheld by all taxpayers, increasing much-needed investments in our transportation and public education systems. This package increases our competitiveness and will deliver targeted relief for our residents, and I am very thankful for the work of my colleagues serving on the conference committee for their work to deliver this legislation.”

The compromise bill includes the following tax changes, according to Friedman's office:

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Gov. Maura Healey, who earlier this month became an Arlington resident, on Wednesday signed the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) state budget passed by the Legislature on July 31 and supported by all three local state legislators.

Sen. Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Rep. Sean Garballey (D-Arlington) and Rep. David M. Rogers (D-Cambridge) all voted in favor of the $56.2 billion FY24 budget. A joint news release says that it provides for historic levels of investment in education, housing, regional transportation, health care, workforce development, and more, as part of a broad strategy to grow our state’s economy and make Massachusetts more affordable, inclusive and competitive.

Arlington will receive $18,703,409 in Chapter 70 education funding and $9,069,495 in unrestricted general government aid, according to the announcement provided by Friedman's office. Specific allocations are listed further down in this article.

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Sen. Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate in unanimously passing a $55.9 billion budget for fiscal 2024. Following a robust, spirited and engaging debate process, the Senate approved 478 amendments, adding $82.2 million in spending to the budget.

As the Commonwealth continues to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Senate’s budget prioritizes upholding fiscal discipline and responsibility, and supports the long-term economic health of the state. The Senate budget delivers historic levels of investment in education, housing, regional transportation, health care, workforce development, climate preparedness, and much more, while centering equity and opportunity as part of a broader, more comprehensive strategy to make Massachusetts more affordable, inclusive, and competitive.

Rep. Rogers, Jack Cooper.

State Rep. Dave Rogers has nominated John "Jack" Cooper of Arlington for the 2023 Black Excellence on the Hill Award.

The award recognizes black community leaders who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to improve their communities and the Commonwealth.

To celebrate, he joined Jack, the other nominees from across the state and House colleagues from the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus in a ceremony at the State House. In a news release, Rogers expressed his admiration for Cooper’s work: “His tireless dedication to improving the lives of all people, regardless of their race or socioeconomic status, is an inspiration to us all. I congratulate him." 

Rogers     Garballey

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UPDATED  Nov. 12: The Massachusetts Legislature has passed a $3.76 billion relief package to provide energy assistance, support transportation needs and invest in small-businesses, caregivers, health care, affordable housing and efforts to fight climate change.

Many thousands of dollars for Arlington-based organizations are included.

The vote occurred Nov. 3, according to a recent news release from Sen. Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), Rep. Sean Garballey (D-Arlington) and Rep. David M. Rogers (D-Cambridge), who were among those who voted for its passage. Gov. Baker signed the measure Nov. 11, BostonGlobe.com reported.

The bill includes more than $800,000 for nonprofit efforts based in Arlington, as follows:

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An act designating July 8 as Massachusetts Emancipation Day, also known as Quock Walker Day (H.3117), became law Nov. 1, when it was signed by Gov. Charlie Baker. The law directs the governor to issue a proclamation commemorating the day each year. State Sen. Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) and state Rep. Michelle Ciccolo (D-Lexington) sponsored the legislation in the Massachusetts Senate and House.

In 1783, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the Constitution of the Commonwealth’s Declaration of Rights rendered slavery unconstitutional. Quock Walker, born to enslaved parents in Massachusetts, was the driving force behind this ruling. At 28 years old, after having been promised his freedom on multiple occasions, Walker self-emancipated. Shortly after, Walker was found working nearby -- and was beaten and locked in a barn by his former enslaver.

Walker sued his former enslaver for assault and battery and was found to be a free man by a jury of the Worcester County Court of Common Pleas. This ruling was appealed -- and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court again found that Walker was a free man. This critical decision served as the precedent that ended slavery in the commonwealth on constitutional grounds, and it led to Massachusetts becoming one of the first states in the nation to abolish slavery.

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RogersGarballey

The Massachusetts Legislature unanimously passed a $52.7 billion budget for fiscal 2023. The budget, passed July 18, upholds fiscal responsibility and makes targeted investments to strengthen the state’s economic foundation, protect the most vulnerable residents and support the everyday needs of communities and families in the Commonwealth.

The budget went to Gov. Baker for his signature.

“The FY23 budget invests significantly in the Commonwealth, funding services and programs that will benefit all residents,” said Sen. Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) in a July 25 release. “I’m especially proud of the historic investments we make in early education and care, and the work we’ve done to improve community-based mental health and substance use disorder services in our state. This budget reaffirms our commitment to supporting working families across Massachusetts, and includes funding for education, health care, food insecurity, and programs for our most vulnerable neighbors.”

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Friedman files bill responding to Roe decision

The Massachusetts state Senate on Wednesday, July 13, unanimously passed a bipartisan bill protecting providers, residents and visitors to the Commonwealth who engage in legally protected reproductive and gender-affirming health care. The state House of Representatives passed similar legislation; a conference committee may reconcile the two versions.

An Act expanding protections for reproductive and gender-affirming care includes provisions preventing the commonwealth’s cooperation with bounty-style anti-abortion and anti-gender-affirming- care laws in other states. It mandates health insurance coverage for abortion and abortion-related care with no cost-sharing. And it ensures access to emergency contraception. It also provides confidentiality to providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care.

Senate Bill 2996, filed by Sen.Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington), expands on her amendment to the Senate fiscal 2023 budget, filed in response to the leaked U.S. Supreme Court opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson and adopted by the Senate in late May.

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The state Senate has passed three bills that seek to reform various aspects of the criminal legal system to create fairer processes and encourage rehabilitation.

Two of the bills, S.2942 An Act promoting diversion of juveniles to community supervision and services, and S.2943, An Act updating bail procedures for justice involved youth, address how criminal courts divert convicted youth from jail and improve processes that allow certain youth to stay out of jail while their cases are pending.

A third bill, S.2944 An Act relative to forfeiture reform, would raise the burden of proof required for civil asset forfeiture, which allows law enforcement to seize items alleged to have been connected to a crime. Sen. Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) supported all three bills.