State Sen. Jamie Eldridge is entering his 11th year representing the Middlesex and Worcester district, which includes the town of Harvard. In an interview with the Press, he outlined his legislative priorities for 2020.
Sen. Eldridge cited climate change legislation as a top priority for this year, and the Senate climate bill was, in fact, one of the first major pieces of legislation debated in 2020. The climate bill is actually a package of three: An Act Setting Next-Generation Climate Policy (S.2477); An Act Relative to Energy Savings Efficiency (S.2478); and An Act to Accelerate the Transition of Cars, Trucks, and Buses to Carbon-Free Power (S.2476). The package includes measures that address many of the provisions included in Eldridge’s own 2019 sustainability bill (S.1958), which aimed to transition Massachusetts to 100% renewable energy by 2045. The new legislation seeks to do so by 2050.
The package also includes elements of former State Rep. Jen Benson’s carbon pricing bill (H.2810) (See Nov. 15 Harvard Press “Pollute More, Pay More”), but gives the executive branch authority to determine how carbon would be priced. A decision must be reached regarding transportation carbon pricing by Jan. 1, 2022, and for commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings by Jan. 1, 2025.
The overall aim of the trio of bills is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, an idea that has received public statements of support by Gov. Charlie Baker; Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland; and House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop. The Eagle-Tribune reports that while both New York and California have committed to reach net-zero emissions, no major economy in the world has accomplished this feat yet. Notably, reaching “net-zero” emissions does not necessarily mean that the state will have zero carbon emissions, or wholly green practices. For example, “net-zero” or “carbon-neutral” technology can take the form of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, but it can also refer to practices such as costly carbon sequestration technology that perpetuates fossil fuel mining and is itself very energy intensive.
Eldridge notes that the legislation tackles local problems, as well as the large-scale climate crisis, addressing continuing problems like gas leaks, an issue that has been of great importance to the district, as shown by advocacy group “Mothers Out Front.” (See Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 Harvard Press “Gas leaks in Harvard,” and “Gas leaks continue.”) The package advanced to the House with overwhelming support on Jan. 30.
Housing
Also atop Eldrige’s list of priorities for this session is housing legislation. “We [need to] make sure that there is housing for all residents in Massachusetts, including affordable housing, so that’s something I hope we can pass this session,” he said. In a statement at the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Gov. Baker said that the median home price—at more than $400,000—and median rental price in the commonwealth are currently the highest in the nation.
Immigration policy continues to be of central importance to Eldridge as well. “In an era where immigrants continue to be targeted by the Trump administration, we’re looking to pass the Safe Communities Act and the Work and Family Mobility Act,” he stated. (See Dec. 5 Harvard Press “Safe Communities Act” and Nov. 1 Harvard Press “Mass. seeks driver’s licenses.) A public hearing was held Jan. 24 for Eldridge’s Safe Communities Act, with advocates and opponents alike coming out to make their respective cases on Beacon Hill.
Health care
“On the health care front it’s not entirely clear what the legislature is going to take up, but I’ve been focusing on how do we guarantee health care as a right, and that includes mental health,” said Eldridge. “I hear from constituents on a regular basis about how hard it is to access a therapist or a psychologist or psychiatrist, and I really don’t think we’re doing a good job with mental health care in Massachusetts.” With the resignation of Jen Benson from the 37th District, Eldridge reports that Rep. Dan Colony has been permanently assigned as acting chair of the Healthcare Finance Committee—a position previously held by Benson. Both Eldridge and former Rep. Benson co-sponsored the ROE Act (See Nov. 7 Harvard Press “Reproductive rights debated”), which Eldridge hopes to see passed this session.
In regard to former Representative Bensen, Eldridge commented, “I certainly will miss her. [She was] a legislator who was very focused on a number of key policy areas, including climate change, and I was certainly surprised at the news but happy for her in her new job as the president of the Alliance for Business Leadership.” He acknowledged that there is a “gap” in representation but reminded constituents that there will be a new representative “in just a matter of months.”
Reflecting on the Senate’s accomplishments in 2019, Eldridge stated that he is “pleased and very proud” of the Student Opportunity Act (See Oct. 17 Harvard Press “Education reform passes”), as well as the Nov. 18 Senate passage—it awaits approval in the House—of the statewide plastic bag ban of which he was the lead sponsor (See Oct. 24 Harvard Press “Ban the bag?”). He also highlighted language that the Senate included in its hands-free driving law—which goes into effect on Feb. 23—and provides for data collection regarding the demographics of residents being pulled over by the police. “I have heard some concern from the members of the black and Latino community in my district [who] really want the state to take a closer look at who is getting pulled over, and for what reason,” Eldridge said. “So that language is something that the Senate championed.”
Transportation
Eldridge identified transportation as a major area for improvement and was disappointed that a strong revenue package was not passed in 2019. “It’s a lot easier to raise taxes in a non-election year than in an election year,” he explained, “and I’m just concerned that we’re going to pass just a regressive tax or not raise enough revenue to fix transportation.” Unless the state raises around $500 million, he said, “I don’t think we’re going to be fixing transportation anytime soon.” Eldridge emphasized that improvements are needed not only to MBTA infrastructure but also to shuttle and Regional Transit Authority van service. He noted that the latter would be a great benefit to Harvard, whose demographic makeup is composed increasingly of senior citizens.
Citizen participation, particularly on the issue of transportation, is of utmost importance, Eldridge said. “It’s critical for people to weigh in about how they feel about a gas tax, about raising taxes on large corporations, closing corporate tax loopholes—these are all options that the legislature can take, but if everyday constituents, residents, don’t weigh in, it’s going to be the corporate special interests that win the day on Beacon Hill.”
Eldridge is widely available to constituents on multiple social media platforms, as well as by phone and email, and he says he welcomes feedback from the district. His recently updated podcast, “The Eldridge Files,” is available on Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud.
