Press Room

Today, a permanent bust of African American orator, writer, abolitionist, politician, and freedom fighter, Frederick Douglass, took its place among several of the United States’ foremost historical figures in the Massachusetts State Senate chamber.

Today, the Joint Committee on Education gave favorable approval to comprehensive early education and care legislation—S.301—which would make high-quality early education and care more affordable for families, strengthen early education providers, improve compensation and professional development for the early education workforce, and address the workforce needs of Massachusetts employers.

Today, with bipartisan support, the Massachusetts Senate passed An Act to sensibly address firearm violence through effective reform—the SAFER Act—to increase firearm safety in the state without infringing on the rights of gun owners. Following a thorough debate amongst members on the Senate floor, the bill passed 37 to 3.

Thanks to robust gun laws and investment in gun violence prevention, Massachusetts already has one of the lowest rates of gun violence in the nation. Senate bill S.2572, An act to sensibly address firearm violence through effective reform—the SAFER Act—builds on that strong foundation, updates state laws to reflect new technologies and trends, and makes the Commonwealth’s residents even safer without infringing on the rights of lawful gun owners.

Today, the Massachusetts Senate introduced Senate bill S.2572, An act to sensibly address firearm violence through effective reform—the SAFER Act—comprehensive gun safety legislation to reform and modernize the state’s firearm laws, support the state’s public safety and public health infrastructure in mitigating gun violence, and strengthen accountability and oversight mechanisms for illegal gun activity.

Today, the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to enhance consumer protections for residents receiving appraisals for their own real estate, or prospective real estate.

Today, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation that would prohibit declawing, tendonectomy, and similar procedures from being performed on cats in Massachusetts, except in cases of medical necessity to address a condition that jeopardizes a cat’s health—as determined by a licensed veterinarian.

Today, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to modernize the Commonwealth’s laws and strike outdated and non-inclusive statutes that are discriminatory against LGBTQ+ individuals in the state.