Winners and Losers In Legislature's Mad Dash To Finish Line

A release from Reading's Anne Landry, candidate for State Representative in the 30th Middlesex District:

This week saw a mad dash to the finish line as the Massachusetts legislature wrapped its 2017-2018 formal session. Although bills can still move forward after July 31, they can only do so in informal sessions, when any one legislator can block a bill from advancing.

Like many advocates for kids, I was deeply disappointed that the legislature was unable to reach consensus on the foundation budget legislation that sought to update our Chapter 70 funding formula. As a result, the formula that determines how much state aid each municipality receives to fund our public schools will remain outdated and inequitable — and will not account for the real cost of providing education in today's economy. It will not account for the high costs of health care, special education, and educating low-income students and English Language Learners. It will leave kids behind. Moving this legislation forward and across the finish line will be a high priority for me as your state representative in the new legislative session. And even without the revenues I had hoped would be forthcoming through the Fair Share Amendment that was struck down by the Supreme Judicial Court, I will push hard for additional funding for our public education system and for the communities of Woburn and Reading.

I was also gravely disappointed that the ban on conversion therapy — that would ban the harmful practice of "therapy" designed to "convert" LGBTQ kids — did not get done despite bicameral and bipartisan support. This is also a piece of legislation I will work hard to get done early in the next legislative session.

The biggest success, for me, of the legislative session happened earlier in the session: criminal justice reform, which was signed into law in April of this year. I worked on this legislation over the course of four years in my role as Chief Counsel to Senator Brownsberger. We listened to all stakeholders of our criminal justice system- from probation officers, to prisoners, to crime victims, to district attorneys, to judges, to public defenders- and worked to build consensus on an omnibus piece of legislation that tackled the criminal justice system from arrest to re-entry. I spent much of the fall of 2017 drafting that legislation and worked as the Senate staff lead on the bipartisan conference committee that negotiated the differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation. At the end of the day, the bill passed the Senate unanimously and the House 148-5. It was the biggest undertaking of my career — at least, before running for office! — and it was honor to do that work as a member of Senator Brownsberger's staff.

I look forward to bringing the skills and tools I have gained in listening to all stakeholders — including those who have historically not been at the table — and in analyzing, negotiating, and writing legislation to bear in serving the people of the 30th Middlesex District and the Commonwealth.

You can read past Weekly News Reflections by Anne at Anne's campaign Facebook page: www.facebook.com/anneforstaterep.

Anne Landry is a candidate for State Representative in the 30th Middlesex District, including wards 2-6 in Woburn and precincts 2-5 in Reading. With over a decade of experience in public service and having worked on the House and Senate sides of the state legislature, she currently works as Chief Counsel to Senator Brownsberger. Anne earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish from the University of Richmond (graduating summa cum laude) and a Juris Doctorate (with honors) from Emory University School of Law. She lives in Reading with her husband, Ryan, an elementary school music teacher, their 23-month-old son, Michael, and their Labrador retriever, Lucy. For more information about her campaign, visit https://www.anneforstaterep.co...