Samantha Hammar

Drug Policy

The people have spoken. Cannabis is here to stay, and our leaders need to enact the will of the people rather than obstruct it. Some people are worried about the health risks associated with cannabis use, which is understandable given the lack of information that has come from our State House. We need an honest and evidence-based public health campaign to educate consumers about cannabis laws, safe use, and youth prevention. But cannabis isn’t just a public health issue — it’s also an economic one. A thriving, well-regulated cannabis industry has the potential to generate additional jobs across sectors. It also has the potential to generate much-needed tax revenue for our cities and towns struggling to keep teachers and cops on the payroll. Learn more

As the recreational cannabis industry emerges, the barrier to entry should be lowered. We should support entrepreneurs who need access to startup capital and training just to enter the market. We also have to invest in business owners whose communities have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana enforcement, which is why I fully support the Cannabis Commission’s Priority Certification program. I also support the new Criminal Justice Reform law, which is a positive step towards correcting historic injustices in marijuana-related arrests and incarceration. The new law is a move in the right direction, but there is still much work left to do in creating an equitable justice system that doesn’t disproportionately penalize people of color. Learn more

We need to combat the opioid crisis by focusing on prevention, harm reduction, and recovery. I support the increased frequency of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in our schools (grades 7-12) and expanding the survey to younger middle school students so that we can better identify trends and indicators of future drug use and abuse. We also need to increase in-school programming, including open conversations about current substance use. We need additional staff-to-student support to create a judgement-free environment where counselors can discuss student-specific mental health issues and any family history of addiction. I also believe in limiting the number of pills dispensed per prescription with specific, strict protocol for teenagers. Learn more

Economy

I fully support a $15 minimum wage for all workers — regardless of age. I also believe we need to support our unions and pass legislation which protects employees from harassment. We need to side with our workers by ending non-compete agreements and banning mandatory arbitration clauses. I also believe paid family medical leave should be available to all. Learn more

We cannot wait until 2022 to get the progress we deserve. We need to elect leaders who understand the urgency and are willing to take political risks to move us forward. I am glad that progress on other economic issues — a minimum wage increase and paid family/medical leave — has resulted from the immense political pressure our leaders are now facing, but these ballot initiatives are a reminder that our State House has failed to do its job. Citizens created these ballot questions because they were tired of our lawmakers’ inaction. If our only path to progress is the ballot box, it’s time for new generation of political leadership. Learn more

Education

Families want and need to have affordable options when it comes to child care. Our State House needs to include Universal Pre K funding directly into our public education budget. We need to fully fund daycare vouchers for low-income families, and reimburse daycare providers on time and at market rates. I will also work with alongside our cities and towns to help them encourage commercial developers to include childcare providers in their building plans, create business development plans that fast-track permits for childcare providers, and lease space to childcare providers inside public buildings. Learn more

As someone who has taught sexual education in a public school, I strongly support teaching comprehensive, LGBTQ-inclusive sex education in all our schools. Teaching sex education in high school is too late. We need to introduce our children to healthy relationships – physical and emotional – very early on, to better prepare them for adulthood. Learn more

Government Reform

Additionally, much of the Commonwealth’s documents and communication fall under our open data laws. We should have a proactive way for publishing our data to allow for public records requests to be completed easier – for both the requestor and the staff fulfilling the requests. Learn more

Guns

I believe the right to life and liberty is just as important as the right to bear arms. I believe guns should be well-regulated and that the gun violence epidemic should be well-researched. We should keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people like domestic abusers and convicted criminals. I support background checks, permitting and safety training, red flag laws, and stronger trafficking laws. Learn more

Healthcare

Massachusetts is known for having the best health care services in the country. We need to ensure that our families are cared for by a sufficient number of health care providers — specifically nurses. Overworking our nurses affects health outcomes, and I strongly support a ballot initiative which limits the number of patients under each nurse’s care. We already have limits on the number of students per classroom teacher. The Patient Safety Act is similar and just as vital to the health and wellness of our communities. Learn more

I support a woman’s right to choose what happens with her body and her future. I believe there are no exceptions to this right and will advocate tirelessly to uphold this value. I believe we should not have any reporting or consent requirements for women seeking abortions or their physicians. A woman’s body, regardless of any qualifier, is her own to decide upon. I believe that access to affordable contraception is a basic human right. We need to ensure that all who need it have access to available, safe, and equitable health care, especially those within vulnerable populations, including undocumented immigrants, those in poverty, and our trans siblings. The Massachusetts ACCESS Bill must have strong implementation. We need to investigate the Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Massachusetts and determine their appropriate business status and support a public health campaign to inform women and families of their actual business practices. As someone who has taught sexual education in a public school, I strongly support teaching comprehensive, LGBTQ-inclusive sex education in all our schools. Teaching sex education in high school is too late. We need to introduce our children to healthy relationships – physical and emotional – very early on, to better prepare them for adulthood Learn more

Housing

Our cities and towns hold the keys to development projects and permitting, and at the State House I would support their efforts to reform their zoning code to make building easier. Multi-purpose buildings along main streets or public transportation corridors should be actively pursued where it makes sense, especially first floor commercial or retail space. I will encourage developers to be engaged with their communities, and provide public benefits including streetscape improvements, shuttles to transit, and other things that will lessen the impacts on local roads and schools from new housing. Learn more

Immigration

With each passing day, our government fails to live up to its democratic values by mistreating undocumented families at our border and in our communities. These abuses fly in the face of the American promise — a promise of liberty and justice for all, including our immigrant neighbors. Our elected officials have a moral obligation to stand up for all our residents — regardless of their immigration status.   The most important thing our State House can do to protect immigrants is pass the Safe Communities Act. This bill protects the civil rights, safety and well-being of all residents. It bans any registry based on religion or country of origin, guarantees immigrant detainees basic due process rights, focuses our police departments on crime rather than immigration enforcement, and keeps mixed-status Massachusetts families together. Learn more

Infrastructure / Transportation

Our public transportation system is broken. The demand on the system is already here and our State House needs to prioritize how our students, families, and our workforce get to where they need to go. We need to properly fund the operating budgets for the MBTA and regional systems, make aggressive capital investments for high-impact projects, and be very bold in finally getting rid of the MBTA’s debt burden. As a daily commuter on the T and the commuter rail, I know there are also e countless small improvements that would make a huge impact on the riders’ experience.  To start, we should extending 1A Zones to commuter rail stations within close proximity of an MBTA station to relieve pressure on the T. Learn more

Social Services

I support a woman’s right to choose what happens with her body and her future. I believe there are no exceptions to this right and will advocate tirelessly to uphold this value. I believe we should not have any reporting or consent requirements for women seeking abortions or their physicians. A woman’s body, regardless of any qualifier, is her own to decide upon. I believe that access to affordable contraception is a basic human right. We need to ensure that all who need it have access to available, safe, and equitable health care, especially those within vulnerable populations, including undocumented immigrants, those in poverty, and our trans siblings. The Massachusetts ACCESS Bill must have strong implementation. We need to investigate the Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Massachusetts and determine their appropriate business status and support a public health campaign to inform women and families of their actual business practices. As someone who has taught sexual education in a public school, I strongly support teaching comprehensive, LGBTQ-inclusive sex education in all our schools. Teaching sex education in high school is too late. We need to introduce our children to healthy relationships – physical and emotional – very early on, to better prepare them for adulthood Learn more

Families want and need to have affordable options when it comes to child care. Our State House needs to include Universal Pre K funding directly into our public education budget. We need to fully fund daycare vouchers for low-income families, and reimburse daycare providers on time and at market rates. I will also work with alongside our cities and towns to help them encourage commercial developers to include childcare providers in their building plans, create business development plans that fast-track permits for childcare providers, and lease space to childcare providers inside public buildings. Learn more