SOMERSET — Massachusetts State Rep. Patricia Haddad is thoughtful and proud of her illustrious 24-year career.
A changemaker who pushed divisive bills, a longtime champion of clean energy and offshore wind on the South Coast, and a symbol of courage, Haddad Republican said. Justin Thurber’s electoral victory was “disappointing,” she said, “but I’m looking forward to it.”
Haddad, a Democrat, represented Bristol’s 5th District, which includes Dighton, Somerset, Swansea and Taunton, since 2001. She was the first woman to be named president pro tempore, “which was a huge honor,” she said.
Controversial bills proved to be major civil rights victories for Haddad
His first term was marked by groundbreaking legislation that legalized prosecutions of priests and clergy. “I voted yes,” Haddad said, adding, “I was in the paper for 28 days straight. People were calling me and asking “what are you doing?” » And I would say, “The right thing. »
“It was controversial,” Haddad said, recalling another bill allowing rape victims access to free emergency contraception. “We wanted to make sure it was available on college campuses.”
The legalization of same-sex marriage marked Haddad’s second term in office, spanning 2003 and 2004. “The tension,” she said, recalling being escorted from her office to her car as crowds of protesters descended on the steps of the Statehouse. “I was one of 35 people who would not vote for a compromise.”
“Part of being a representative is listening to everyone. There are so many votes that don’t concern you,” Haddad said, referring specifically to herself. “For me, it was a civil rights issue. If I voted against it, I was taking away someone’s rights. I couldn’t do that.
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Improving care for young children
Haddad chaired the Education Committee for four years and worked to improve early childhood education.
Before chairing the committee, she was appointed to a commission charged with providing accessible, affordable, high-quality child care, and ultimately proposed a bill under the banner of education rather than health and social services.
In Fall River alone, Haddad said, 1,700 children are looking for a spot in early childhood education. “It requires money,” she said, and the project is still underway.
Analyzing inequalities in access to affordable preschool education and beyond, Haddad discovered inequities in a school funding formula that had not been calibrated “since 1993,” Haddad said. “It was 2005. Something had to be done. And I was all about the process.
His goal was to “create a continuum” that would follow students from kindergarten through 12th grade. She planned to interview five or six communities willing to share information on demographics, tax rates and the annual school budget. She ended up making 13 saves.
There were dozens of problems, including special education and the condition of school buildings, but the amount of education funding municipalities received was tied to their financial situation, and a balance had to be struck. The latest “wealth measure” was created from the 1990 census, Haddad found.
Haddad created a new one, with a new system assessing the income declared by municipalities and a revaluation of their property over three years in accordance with a new funding commitment which would be assigned a floor of 17.5% and an approximate ceiling of 85%. , “but that no one would be penalized if they reached the cap,” regardless of whether the town or city loses population or sees an improvement in its tax base.
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Offshore wind blown to Somerset with help from Haddad
When Dominion closed the Brayton Point power plant in 2017“They were still paying about 12 million in taxes a year,” Haddad said, which is a significant portion of Somerset’s tax base. “We were at the end of every pipeline. » Haddad then declared that the members of Bristol Community College and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth pushed her to consider “alternatives.”
She organized summer meetings in 2014 at Somerset Public Library where global experts weighed in on a major question she had: What can you do for Massachusetts? Throughout this process, “it became increasingly clear that offshore wind was the way to go,” she said. “I had three 3-ring binders, filled with all the work I had done.”
The bill passed the House almost unanimously before being approved in the Senate and was referred to the Conference committee as part of a “true collaboration” between “both sides of the aisle.” driveway,” Haddad said.
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“I was constantly going to conferences,” Haddad said. “If I had the chance to speak, I would. Imagine me standing on Mount Hope Bay, waving my arms and saying “come here, come here”. Everyone enjoyed it,” but Haddad was determined to attract new business.
Green energy companies in the supply chain needed incentives. “Then along came Jake Auchincloss,” Haddad said, referring to the U.S. Representative from Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District. “And he saw the value.” Haddad believes Auchincloss promoted the idea of offshore wind in Congress, putting Somerset on DC’s radar.
Surprise visit from President Joe Biden in July 2022said Haddad, “was amazing. It was also the hottest day of the year. It was huge. A presidential visit sent a signal to people outside Massachusetts that “this can be real,” Haddad said.
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Haddad presents herself as a large-scale policy maker
It wasn’t until Haddad was named deputy majority whip in the House of Representatives in 2008 that a new focus emerged. “As a woman, your job is to uplift other women,” she said. During her two years as deputy whip alongside Speaker Robert DeLeo, 40 percent of chairs and vice chairs were women.
Negotiating gender and racial pay gaps became another of his policy victories, with the help of then-Attorney General Maura Healey and the Boston Chamber of Commerce on a new bill, urging businesses across the state to conduct a self-examination of their positions and salaries over a three-year period.
“You have to see the big picture,” Haddad said. “You engage with people and develop policies based on what will be best for the greatest number of people. »