Special to Times-Free-Press
Rep. Adrian Madaro was sworn in for his fifth term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives at the inauguration ceremony Jan. 4 at the State House in Boston.
Madaro has represented the entire East Boston neighborhood since first being elected in 2015.
Madaro is a graduate of Boston Latin School and holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from Tufts University. He is also a graduate of Suffolk University Law School.
The Times-Free Press spoke with Rep. Madaro about his goals for the new legislative session. Following are Rep. Madaro’s responses:
As you begin your fifth term, what is your top priority in the new session?
My top priority for the new session is to continue serving the residents of East Boston by making sure they have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. I will continue to elevate their voices on Beacon Hill, where I can direct funding and help change our laws for the benefit of the entire Commonwealth.
This session, I will be refiling legislation that creates an affordable childcare and early education system for all Massachusetts families. Massachusetts has one of the highest costs of childcare in the nation. Our bill tackles this by creating a system where all children under the age of five can receive quality education and care at affordable rates. By giving children access to new learning opportunities, parents can remain in the workforce and achieve financial stability.
I will also be refiling a bill to advance language access across various state agencies for people with limited English proficiency. I believe that everyone should have access to state government regardless of the language they speak. During the pandemic, many workers in East Boston struggled to get the services they needed because a lot of information was only available in English. This bill will change that by making the most public-facing state agencies translate and interpret information into the most commonly spoken non-English languages in Massachusetts.
This session, I will continue my advocacy for a low-income fare on the MBTA. Low-income residents rely on public transit to get their kids to school, go to work, buy groceries, and go to the doctor. By making public transit more affordable, we can provide our neighbors with greater access to meaningful employment and opportunities for economic success.
I will also continue to prioritize holding MassPort accountable to the East Boston community. I am committed to ensuring that MassPort mitigates the airport’s impact on our health and wellbeing.
Finally, I will continue to fight for policies and resources that create more affordable housing, increase home ownership, prevent displacement, and help people remain in the community they call home.
On which legislative committees will you be serving in the new session?
Committee assignments have not been released yet, but I look forward to helping address our state’s most pressing issues wherever I am assigned.
What do you consider your top legislative accomplishment to-date?
Last year, I helped usher the most comprehensive reforms to mental health care in Massachusetts in decades through An Act Addressing Barriers to Care for Mental Health. Among other things, this law contains measures to support children and adolescents facing mental health challenges. The overarching goal of this legislation is to increase access to quality, on-demand mental health care for residents of all ages and backgrounds. This legislation provides Massachusetts the tools to ensure that insurance carriers, hospitals, and providers treat mental health the way they treat physical health.
In addition, I helped author what became the first environmental justice (EJ) law in the Commonwealth, creating more protections for EJ communities, like East Boston. EJ communities have historically borne a disproportionate share of environmental burdens. This law provides designated communities with greater access to the state regulatory processes that are meant to safeguard them against excessive pollution and degradation, thereby protecting residents’ health and well-being.
Are you excited about working with the new administration?
I look forward to working in partnership with Governor Maura Healey and her historic administration. As a fellow Democrat, we share the common goal of making early education and childcare more affordable for Massachusetts’ families. I’m excited to work on our shared priorities.
Has your law school experience been helpful in your role as state representative?
My legal education has helped me enhance my negotiations skills as well as my ability to read the law, which allows me to draft policy proposals for the Legislature.
Who serves on your legislative office staff at the State House?
The members of my legislative staff are: Gloribel Rivas, Chief of Staff, Steven Gingras, Legislative and Communications Director, Jessica Martinez, Legislative Aide, and Patricia Briand, Administrative Aide.