Carl Sciortino for State Representative

Background:

I come from a working-class background, and ran for state representative four years ago to put the concerns of the working families of my district first. I defeated a conservative, entrenched incumbent, and have since worked on behalf of my constituents to increase local aid for schools, create senior housing and transportation, and increase funding for parks and open space. I also have been a leader in promoting strong environmental policies, support for working families, and equal rights for all.

Goals:

I am running to continue the hard work I have done on behalf of my constituents and for issues we care about. In just four years, we have accomplished a lot, securing marriage equality, improving our public schools, and passing landmark health care legislation. I have specific aims for my next term in office, including MBTA debt relief, transgender non-discrimination, and closing corporate tax loopholes. I filed legislation this session to direct the state to assume the T’s “legacy debt” in order to allow the MBTA to get on firm financial footing, and improve service, operations, and reliability. I have also sponsored a bill to protect transgender individuals from hate crimes and discrimination, which will include gender identity and expression in the state’s non-discrimination statute and will amend existing hate crime laws to explicitly protect people targeted for violence and harassment. I was a leader in preventing multi-state corporations from exploiting tax loopholes, and will continue to fight to close corporate tax loopholes.

Issues:

As a legislator, I have worked hard on education, the environment, and support for working families, and those issues remain my top priorities. I ran for office on the promise of putting our public schools first, and have been strongly advocating for better funding for education. I am also committed to MCAS reform, having filed legislation that would create a system of multiple assessments to determine if students should graduate from high school to decrease the negative consequences of reliance on a single metric. I have also fought for stronger environmental policies, including global warming legislation and energy efficiency. I have filed several bills related to energy efficiency and clean energy sources, including a green buildings bill that requires state buildings to be constructed in accordance with energy efficient standards. I was also the lead sponsor of a bill that encourages the growth of Massachusetts' renewable energy economy by increasing tax incentives for renewable energy installations. Finally, I have worked to support the working families of my community by closing corporate tax loopholes, co-sponsoring legislation to raise the minimum wage, and securing increased local aid for our schools. I hope to continue this work on behalf of my constituents, and will continue to prioritize these important issues.

Grassroots Support:

Four years ago, I defeated a 14-year incumbent through a strong grassroots campaign. I went door-to-door, talking to voters in the district about the issues that they care about, and amassed a strong volunteer corps that assisted me in this effort. This year, my name will not be on the ballot because of a problem with my nomination papers, but I am prepared to do the work necessary to make sure that I succeed in a write-in/sticker campaign. I am currently out canvassing the district every day, with a growing group of volunteers, and we will have a strong presence at the polls on Election Day.

DFA Values:

I have been a leader in the fight for socially progressive values in my first two terms in office. I ran for office on a progressive platform in my first race in 2004. A key issue that election cycle was my strong opposition to writing discrimination into the Massachusetts constitution, and we finally succeeded in our efforts last year to secure marriage equality for all residents of the Commonwealth. I also passed a law that established a 35-foot buffer zone around the entrances of reproductive health facilities to protect patients and staff from harassment and intimidation, which is the strongest such law in the country.

I have been fiscally responsible during my time in office, seeking to offset the costs of programs with revenue increases and ensuring that they do not fall on the backs of working families. I have worked to close corporate tax loopholes so that corporations pay their fair share of taxes. Corporate tax cuts drain funds from our schools, our cities and towns, and healthcare programs, and I will continue to fight for our public services and a sensible tax system.