Dear Women's Caucus Members, Legislative Colleagues, and Partners,

We are glad to bring you our May 2024 newsletter with updates from the Senate budget debate, our legislative priorities, and more. As we enter the busy spring season, we continue to uplift our strategic and legislative priorities, relevant events and articles, and to celebrate our members.

As always, we encourage you to reach out to our Executive Director Nora Bent to connect, share your ideas, and think about how we can continue to work together.

Sincerely,

Senator Joan Lovely & Representative Hannah Kane
MCWL Co-Chairs

The final Senate budget included all three of these amendments. Thank you to our State Budget Task Force Senate Chair Sen. Friedman and Women’s Caucus Senate Chair Sen. Lovely, and to Senate President Spilka and Senate Ways & Means Chair Rodrigues.

You can see our priorities from when the House debated its version of the budget several weeks ago. We look forward to working with the Conference Committee to ensure that these amendments are reflected in the final FY25 budget.

Strategic Priorities

• Elevating Women’s Economic Opportunity/Eliminating Barriers

• Addressing Racial and Gender Disparities in Health Care 

• Empowering Women in Government

Legislative Priorities

Passed the House & Senate: An Act relative to salary range transparency

• This bill passed the House of Representatives and the Senate in October. The bill is now before a Conference Committee.

Passed the Senate: An Act to increase access to disposable menstrual products

• This bill passed the Senate in October. Currently, it is before the House Committee on Ways & Means, and we look forward to continuing to advocate for its passage.

Extended: An Act supporting parents running for public office 

• H.669, Rep. Meschino and Rep. Connolly & S.422, Sen. Jehlen

In Ways & Means: An Act relative to postpartum depression screening

• H.2163, Rep. Fiola & S.1375, Sen. Friedman

• The Joint Committee on Public Health reported out a redrafted bill that includes this legislation and more—H4566. That bill is now before the House Committee on Ways & Means.

Sent to Study: An Act relative to a livable wage for human service workers

• H.191, Rep. Khan & S.84, Sen. Friedman

You can see letters of testimony in support of all of our legislative priorities here.

Endorsed Legislation

• You can see the complete list of our endorsed legislation here. 

• All major status updates about our endorsed bills are frequently updated on our website.

Our Board of Directors recently met with Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. We shared our priorities and talked about areas of shared interest and collaboration, including economic development, maternal health, and empowering women in government.

• President Biden issued an Executive Order Recognizing and Honoring Women’s History.
  

• May is AAPI Heritage Month. We stand in support of the House Asian Caucus’ #ShopAAPIMonth initiative, and encourage everyone to support local AAPI businesses.
  

• May is Maternal Mental Health Month. Please remember that you are not alone, and help exists.
  

• This interesting study found that over the course of two generations, girls began their menstrual cycles earlier. This was especially true for menstruators who came from lower economic backgrounds or were racial minorities.

• On Tuesday, June 4, The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA), Office of Women’s Health (OWH) and the US Department of Labor's Women's Bureau will hold a webinar, "The Impact of Menopause on Women: Considerations for Health Care and the Workplace." See details and register here.
  

• On June 14, the MA Commission on the Status of Women is hosting their annual Commonwealth Heroines event at the State House. See event details and the list of honorees here.

• Senate President Spilka and Rep. Nguyen are being honored by Emerge Massachusetts at their Women of the Year celebration.
  

• Rep. Khan, Rep. Farley-Bouvier, and Sen. Kennedy all received awards from the Children’s League of Massachusetts.
  

• Sen. Lovely and Rep. Domb received the “Caring Bear Award” from The Caring Force.
  

• Rep. Nguyen received the Holly Taylor Sargent Prize for Women’s Advancement at her graduation from the Harvard Kennedy School.
  

• Rep. Montaño received the Advancing Equity & Justice Award from the MA Commission on LGBTQ Youth.

Please send relevant articles, upcoming events, social media you would like shared, accomplishments, or other updates that you think MCWL members and our partners would find helpful. All updates should be sent to Nora.Bent@MALegislature.gov