Legislators to Consider Creating Commission to Prevent Bullying

Today I am reaching out to each of you who lives in Massachusetts, we need your voice to help advance our legislation on Beacon Hill to stop bullying of elderly and disabled persons living in multifamily housing.

I learned from John Horgan, Legislative Director for Senator Joan Lovely, that today "...Senator Lovely filed the Resolve Creating a Commission to Study Ways to Prevent Bullying of Tenants in Public and Subsidized Multi-Family Housing this Morning. The Resolve has been given a docket number, Senate Docket No. 442."

That Resolve is identical to the previous bill, S2329 from the last session. The Resolve would bring together all the stakeholders to work together to seek solutions the problem of bullying in housing.

A legislative study commission would be the first such effort by any state to address these problems and confirm Massachusetts as a protector of the human and civil rights of all.

Our bill to study the causes of bullying and identify ways to prevent it had strong bipartisan support and almost passed in the final hours of the last legislative session. Although it was sponsored by the Joint Committee on Housing, approved by powerful Senate Committee on Ethics and Rules, and sailed through votes by the Senate, unfortunately the House did not see fit to approve it. This time, we will do a more thorough job of preparation and education in both house and senate to seek the widest possible support.

We can now take advantage of the widespread good will for the issue of bullying prevention and the momentum that is so evident on Beacon Hill to seek early passage in the current session.

Senator Lovely will be reaching out to her colleagues to seek their support as co-sponsors. There is a short window for action. Please call or write today and ask your legislators to join the effort.

Please call or email or write to your state senator and representative right now, and tell them that you support the bill, Senate Docket No. 442, and urge them to act as co-sponsor and to support early action to advance the bill through the legislative process. To become a sponsor, they can contact Senator Lovely's office.

To find out the names and contact information for your senator and representative, all you need is to enter your zip code at https://malegislature.gov/People/Search

We are being joined in these efforts by the partners of the Stop Bullying Coalition: The Mass Alliance of HUD Tenants and the Independent Living Center of the North Shore and Cape Ann, and by so many individuals like you.

Let's show them that we care. Every voice that is heard will surely make a difference! Thank you for what you do. And please, do it now!!