April 2025 Newsletter

Dear Caucus Members, Legislative Colleagues, & Partners,

Thank you for your steadfast engagement and continued support.

The Caucus’ legislative priority bills for the session have been assigned to their respective committees, and we are actively encouraging co-sponsorship among our members and colleagues. Updates on the bills are detailed below.

As the Legislature focuses on debating the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, the Women’s Caucus has reviewed budget priorities submitted by its members to identify key areas of collective advocacy that align with our strategic priorities. In this edition, we are pleased to share the Caucus’ selected House budget priorities. We will actively engage with both chambers to ensure our priorities are reflected in this critical budget.

The Caucus remains committed to advancing its mission beyond legislative advocacy by promoting equity and leadership opportunities across the Commonwealth. We deeply value your partnership and, as always, invite you to connect with us. For questions, ideas, or opportunities to collaborate, please feel free to reach out to our Executive Director, Seble Alemu.

Sincerely,
Senator Robyn Kennedy & Representative Christine Barber
MCWL Co-Chairs

Our State Budget Task Force, co-chaired by Sen. Comerford and Rep. Ciccolo, is working to support amendments that relate to our Caucus priorities during the FY26 budget debate. In April, we supported the above amendments to the House budget. We look forward to soon supporting amendments in the Senate budget debate!

Strategic Priorities

Elevating Women’s Economic Opportunity/Eliminating Barriers
Addressing Racial and Gender Disparities in Health Care
Empowering Women in Government

Filed as H.223 by Rep. Domb and S.130 by Sen. Friedman is currently assigned to the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities.

An estimated 80% of human service workers in MA are women, and nearly 1/3 are people of color. Human service workers are more likely to live below the poverty level.

Filed as H.2483 by Rep. Barber, Rep. Livingstone, and S.1549 by Sen. Jehlen is currently assigned to the Joint Committee on Public Health.

Period poverty—insufficient access to menstrual products and education—contributes to health issues, educational setbacks, and economic hardship. In Massachusetts, one in seven children cannot afford menstrual products.

Filed as H.2208 by Rep. Fluker-Reid and as S.1411 by Sen.Miranda, and is currently assigned to the Joint Committee on Maternal Health, Substance Use, and Recovery.

Maternal health outcomes in Massachusetts reflect deep-rooted racial and gender disparities in our healthcare system.

Filed as H.2432 by Rep. Kane and Rep.Gentile, and as S.1484 by Sen. Comerford, is currently assigned to the Joint Committee on Public Health.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, with a 95% mortality rate. The American Cancer Society estimates that 1 in 60 women will develop pancreatic cancer, and rates are rising faster among women under 55 compared to men.

Filed as H.H.804 by Rep. Blais is currently assigned to the Joint Committee on Election Law.

Advances inclusive language in election laws, acknowledges the historical and ongoing under-recognition of women legislators, and ensures government remains accessible and representative of all citizens.

Explore the full slate of our endorsed legislation here.

Women’s Caucus Members with Lieutenant Governor Driscoll at the 50th Anniversary Press Conference, March 2025, more here.

As part of our 50th Anniversary Celebration, we proudly hosted a powerful play inspired by the life and work of Julia Ward Howe—an author, philanthropist, and suffragist whose visionary politics continue to resonate today. The production aimed to lift Howe’s timeless call for equality into our own era, reminding us that the pursuit of political parity remains unfinished. In Massachusetts, only 241 women have served in the Legislature compared to more than 20,000 men. The play served as both a celebration of progress and a call to action for the work still ahead.

Each year, the Women’s Caucus and our Sexual Violence Task Force, led by Rep. Higgins and Rep. Farley-Bouvier, hosts a commemoration of Denim Day—a solemn reminder that there is NO excuse and NEVER an invitation to harass, abuse, assault, or rape. To stand in solidarity with survivors, legislators, constitutional offiercers, staff, service providers as well as the Commonwealth’ Governor and Lituentet Governor providers wore jeans with a purpose to show our support for survivors and to raise awareness of the reality that in the US, over half of women and almost 1 in 3 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetime.

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Start by Believing Day, the Women’s Caucus Staff Mentoring Program hosted a virtual Lunch and Learn focused on building skills and knowledge for navigating conversations about sexual assault and domestic violence disclosures from constituents and colleagues. The session was facilitated by experts from Jane Doe Inc.

Harvard undergraduate students recently completed and presented an impressive body of research focused on the Women’s Caucus’ three strategic priorities, offering thoughtful policy recommendations to help advance our mission. We are deeply grateful to Dr. Sparsha Saha, Lecturer on Government, for her steadfast support of the Caucus through research and civic engagement over several semesters. This initiative has fostered meaningful collaboration between academia and public service.

We have exclusive merchandise for our 50th Anniversary! Visit our store, grab your gear, and support our mission.

The Caucus’s legislative priorities have been published and widely circulated.
April 11- 17 was National Black Maternal Health Week, we highlighted our past and current legislative work, as well as the fact that 1 in two black moms experience maternal health disorders.
During the National Public Health Week, we showcased how all our legislative priorities are connected and result in better health outcomes for all.
We continue the social media campaign to honor all 241 MA women legislators. Engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter.

Representative Kate Hogan was honored with the Legislator of the Year Award by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance in recognition of her advocacy for sexual assault survivors.
The Children's Trust recognized Senator Robyn Kennedy and Representative Susannah Whipps for their dedication to MA children and families.

Please send articles, events, social media content, accomplishments, or updates relevant to MCWL members and partners. Submit all updates to Seble.Alemu@MALegislature.gov