Accomplishments
Education
Steve played a vital role in ensuring the passage of the historic Student Opportunity Act, which will bring an additional $1.5 billion into our public education system. He was also a strong supporter of extending the Universal School Meals by adding $110 million in the FY23 Budget.
He also:
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Secured over $931,000 in state grants for improving education in Malden in 2021-2022 (Over 10% of all state grants awarded to Malden)
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Sponsored and hosted fellows from Leadership Next Gen Fellowship Program to provide civics education for youth in communities of color.
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Voted in support of a sweeping, comprehensive Early Education and Care bill aimed to strengthen existing system and programs.
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Advocated and filed legislation establishing tuition-free programs for public school teachers at MA public colleges or universities
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Sponsored legislation to mitigate the fiscal impact of charter schools on public schools
Climate & Flood Resiliency
Steve has been a strong advocate of climate resiliency projects in Malden, particularly in the face of recent rise in floods and storms. He has led the Town Line & Linden Brook Culvert Working Group since 2021 and supported increased safeguards against rising sea levels for coastal and floodplain communities.
He helped to secure over $1 billion for Community Climate Resiliency Projects to fight climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the new Greenworks fund.
He also:
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Secured over $2.5 Million in state grants for environmental initiatives
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Supported the City with over a dozen local and federal grant applications for climate resiliency planning, flood mitigation, and climate change preparedness
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Cosponsored legislation to address inequities in the placement of highways, power plants and airports
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Cosponsored legislation to ensure access to clean, safe drinking water in all schools
Economic
Development
Steve has fought to fund many local economic initiatives from job training programs to operations grants to local non-profits which work to create opportunity for all Malden residents. He's also worked with the City of Malden to ensure our businesses have the resources they need during COVID-19.
He also:
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Cosponsored legislation to establish a MassMade program to identify, connect and support local businesses.
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Cosponsored legislation to give Gateway cities like Malden priority access to technical assistance to promote economic opportunity zones.
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Voting & Elections
Steve has continuously fought for legislation that would ensure every citizen has the right to vote and more importantly, has access to local, state, and federal elections. He has been a strong supporter of expanding language access and filed bills that would remove barriers faced by non-native English speakers throughout the election process.
He also:
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Successfully fought for a fully bilingual ballot in Malden
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Drafted and sponsored a bill to include Chinese transliterated names of candidates, making Malden the 2nd ever city in Massachusetts to have transliterated ballots.
Transportation
Steven believes all Maldonians should be able to safely and easily get to work each day. He has secured funding to improve traffic safety In Malden, including traffic calming and intersection improvement projects on the Fellsway, Washington and Winter Streets, and fought to improve public transportation infrastructure in Malden.
He also:
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Consponsored legislation to provide supplemental funding for public transportation infrastructure during COVID-19
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Cosponsored legislation to ensure safety, efficiency and accountability in transportation projects through state inspections
Community
Outreach
People over politics is Steve's motto. He prides himself on his office's accessibility and responsiveness to all constituents. Steve works each day to ensure that every member of our community feels welcome to ask questions, express their opinions, and feel at home here.
He also:
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Created multilingual community resources for Malden residents in need of housing, food, and unemployment assistance
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Host monthly office hours in Malden
Racial Justice
Steve recognizes that communities of color have been deprived of the same rights and opportunities that others enjoy for too long. Inspired by the courageous advocacy of Mya and Deanna Cook of Malden, He drafted and filed the MA CROWN Act. The bill was signed into law in 2022, banning all forms of race-based hair discrimination in the Commonwealth.
He also:
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Filed and sponsored legislation to create a special commission to address generational poverty
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Cosponsored legislation to ensure safety, efficiency and accountability in transportation projects through state inspections
Parks &
Open Space
He has secured funding for many parks and open space proposals throughout Malden, including Trafton Park and grants to support youth programs. He has also been a consistent advocate for the Bike to the Sea trail.
He also:
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Cosponsored legislation to further preserve publicly-owned green spaces
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Continues to advocate for better crossing signals to improve safety and access to our parks