Priorities

Education
  • Lifelong supporter of public education: attended Brookline public schools, sent two children to Newton public schools, currently has two grandchildren attending Ward Elementary School in Newton
     
  • Committed to fighting reduction in funding during tough fiscal times for the Special Education "Circuit Breaker," a state allocation that reimburses districts for spending on students with complex educational needs
     
  • Voted for the Education Reform bill that gave Massachusetts school districts a competitive advantage in seeking federal "Race to the Top" funding for their schools and greater flexibility to experiment with alternate schedules and curricula to improve student performance.  Senator Creem also authored a successful amendment protecting the authority of local cities and towns to control disposition of certain surplus school space which was at risk of falling under state control
     
  • Co-sponsored School Sponsored Travel Safety Law to require school districts to adopt an approved policy to protect students on overnight travel trips sponsored by the school
     
  • Named to Stand for Children's 2008 Legislative Honor Roll in recognition of leadership and efforts in support of public education
     
  • Received numerous honors from METCO for outstanding commitment and support for keeping the door to educational opportunity open to all children
     
  • Secured $100,000 in funding for traffic safety measures at Driscoll School in Brookline

Local Aid/Increasing Revenue
  • Committed to maintaining current levels of local aid to fund schools and municipal services while protecting core programs by finding efficiencies and eliminating unnecessary or unwarranted expenditures
     
  • Appointed to serve on Special Municipal Relief Commission to explore ways to ease financial burden on cities and towns
     
  • Chaired Revenue Committee and supported legislation to allow increase in local option meal tax and hotel tax for cities and towns
     
  • Led passage of 2008 law closing corporate tax loopholes and reducing corporate tax rates, resulting in increased revenues and fairer distribution of the tax burden among corporations.  This reform lowered the corporate-tax rate from 9.5% to 8.0%, while leveling the playing field for small businesses and home-grown Massachusetts companies.

Housing
  • Supports legislation that promotes affordable housing in all our communities to make sure housing at all market levels is available so citizens on more limited incomes, including retirees, will be able to continue living in their communities
     
  • Supports measures to assist tenants who are at risk of displacement - through no fault of their own - by a landlord's foreclosure problems
     
  • Strong advocate for voucher programs for qualified individuals and families so that individuals may choose their own rental housing

Public Protection
  • Strongly supports appropriate staffing and equipping of police, fire and all other public safety offices to guarantee public protection and adequate emergency response
     
  • Lead Sponsor of Food Allergy Awareness Law
     
  • Secured funding for a State Fire Safety Grant to the Wellesley Fire Department
     
  • Secured funding for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for enhanced safety devices at the Wellesley Farms commuter rail station track crossing

Business & Technology
  • Committed to improving the business landscape in Massachusetts to encourage Life Science and other cutting edge companies to site and expand facilities here, while supporting increased training to qualify residents for these new jobs
     
  • Original sponsor of Law to Promote Stem Cell Research in Massachusetts
     
  • Supported, as Revenue Chair, tax incentives and capital funding for the Life Sciences, boosting start-up firms and helping add jobs in this expanding Massachusetts industry sector
     
  • Supports further initiatives to assist start-ups hiring in Massachusetts to develop new drugs and new technologies that are revolutionizing medicine, recognizing that higher education has a role to play in offering certificate and training programs to align our workforce with this growing industry
     
  • Voted in favor of health care cost containment laws to promote the use of technology and efficiency-saving measures in the health care field
     
  • As Revenue Chair, was instrumental in the passage of landmark legislation to provide tax incentives to studios, producers and filmmakers, which has successfully brought jobs and films to Massachusetts

Seniors
  • Committed to strengthening policies and supports for seniors on critical issues such as health care, prescriptions and similar issues that affect them and their ability to age gracefully in our communities
     
  • Selected as the Massachusetts Council on Aging's 2009 Advocate of the Year
     
  • Sponsored laws to Provide Senior Property Tax Relief.  Won enactment of an increase in the annual cap on the successful "volunteer work-off" program.  Increased eligibility for property-tax deferral program.
     
  • Secured funding for the Aging Well At Home Program operated by Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Boston in the town of Brookline
     
  • Secured funding and led Senate override of Governor's veto to ensure that nursing homes could continue to provide kosher meals to residents who maintained a kosher diet

Government Reform
  • Committed to government transparency, elimination of public sector sweetheart pension deals and increasing voter participation in elections
     
  • Voted to support comprehensive reform of the state's campaign finance and ethics laws
     
  • Supported State Employee Pension Reform Law and filed legislation to further reform the state pension system for new employees in order to restrain the enormous growth in costs projected for retiree pensions and health care in the coming decades
     
  • Filed Transparent and Open Government legislation requiring the development of a comprehensive, public, searchable website that details costs, recipients and purposes of all state expenditures and tax incentive programs
     
  • Lead sponsor of bill to allow election-day registration in Massachusetts, allowing individuals with identification to register on the spot and to cast a vote on election day without creating significant problems or costs (based on Maine and New Hampshire experience)
     
  • Filed legislation to make voter-registration forms available in high schools and colleges, and another bill to make procedures for voting easier for the blind and the disabled
     
  • Supports legislation to add Massachusetts to the National Popular Vote compact, allowing for direct election of the President rather than through the outdated Electoral College.

Judiciary/Criminal Justice
  • Committed to reforming the criminal justice system to better protect our residents, modernize sentencing requirements and public records upkeep, and improve the efficiency of our courts
     
  • Protected children from predators by sponsoring legislation to update the definition of obscene material, recognizing electronic material, including text messages, internet and email
     
  • Lead sponsor of Aggravated Assault Law to provide enhanced penalties for assaults resulting in serious injury, as well as assaults on pregnant women and assaults committed in violation of a restraining order
     
  • Co-sponsored and led to passage legislation to provide protection to women and workers at reproductive health clinics
     
  • Sponsored law to crack down on repeat drunk drivers
     
  • Led as Criminal Justice Chair passage of law to establish sex offender registry and parole supervision for life for certain sex offenders
     
  • Drafted law to criminalize the enticement of children with the intent to commit a sexual or violent crime

 

Environment
  • Committed to protecting our environment, preserving open spaces, improving our parks and recreational facilities, energy conservation, and the use of "green" technologies to promote environmentally-sound development
     
  • Secured funding for Charles River, specifically removal of non-native water chestnuts
     
  • Secured funding for Hall's Pond Restoration in Brookline and renovations to Pellegrini Park and an Intergenerational Playground at Davis Community Playground in Newton
     
  • Voted in favor of "Green Communities Act" to promote and develop energy efficiency and renewable energy across the Commonwealth
     
  • Secured funding to assist the City of Newton with a smart growth development plan for Newton Center
     
  • Supported transportation initiatives, including a traffic study leading to safety changes on Nonantum Road and a study of sound reduction efforts for neighborhoods near highways in Newton; secured funding for the Route 9 corridor and for pedestrian safety on Hammond Street and Hammond Pond Parkway in Brookline and for the Rockland Street Bridge in Wellesley
     
  • Lead sponsor of legislation to expand and update the Bottle Bill to include water, juice and sport drink bottles
     
  • Supports the Dark Sky Initiative to prevent light pollution and save energy by limiting the amount and types of lighting that is used on projects

Paid for by Committee to Elect Cynthia Stone Creem
Copyright © 2010 Senator Cindy Creem. All Rights Reserved.