Dave on the Issues
Civil Rights & Liberties
Dave attending this year’s Belmont Pride Parade
While in office, Dave has consistently advanced legislation pertaining to civil rights and liberties. He will continue to champion all policies to strengthen these rights that we hold so dear. For instance, he filed legislation to guarantee the right to a lawyer for low-income people facing eviction, and now a coalition of over 100 groups are supporting the idea which has gained significant traction at the Statehouse. In fact, it is tremendously exciting that the concept has now been endorsed by both the Boston Globe and — amazingly — the Chief Justice of our state’s supreme court.
Another example is legislation he filed in 2019, working with the ACLU, which will impose a moratorium on the use of facial recognition and biometric technology until such time as regulations governing its use are in place. An unlawful encroachment on the Fourth Amendment rights of all citizens, this technology also has been shown to misidentify people of color. Dave believes we must reign it in and this bill has also been endorsed by the Boston Globe.
Economic Justice
Dave speaking at a rally for rent control on the steps of the State House
As your Representative, Dave has worked tirelessly to fight the economic inequalities that so many of us in the Commonwealth face, and find new solutions to ensure that no one in our communities are disadvantaged. He proud to have authored and passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a vital policy breakthrough providing a new civil right for pregnant workers that will protect them from workplace discrimination. Dave also fought for the new $15 minimum wage, Paid Family and Medical Leave and countless other advances in protections for workers. He also was a key advocate of, and voted for, the Fair Share amendment which will raise revenue to invest in transportation and education by raising taxes on those whose annual income exceeds a million dollars.
Criminal Justice Reform
Dave attending a Black Lives Matter protest in Cambridge
Not new to this fight, criminal justice reform has been — and will continue to be — one of Dave’s highest priorities. In fact, he has consistently been one of the Representatives on the leading edge of this issue, filing a wide variety of reform bills each session. The Commonwealth passed major criminal justice reform in the 2017/2018 session, now hailed as a model for how to improve justice systems across the country. That law reduced or eliminating mandatory minimum sentences, reduced the use of solitary confinement, and codified important changes to the bail system so that low-income defendants are not unfairly imprisoned pre-trial. Given the outrage over the killing of George Floyd and innumerable other acts of state-sanctioned violence against people of color, Dave is pushing for major additional reforms now. In fact, working with the senior-most member of the Black and Latino caucus of legislators (Representative Frank Moran, a Dominican-American), Dave has filed two reform bills, one of which expressly guarantees the right of the public to film law enforcement and the other of which creates a new civil right for people of color who are falsely reported to law enforcement.
Women’s Rights/Right to Choose
Governor Baker handing Rep. Dave Rogers his pen used to sign the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
Dave has been a leader on women’s rights generally, and choice specifically. He is proud to have the endorsement of Planned Parenthood Massachusetts and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts for having been a key leader on reproductive rights and choice. In fact, in their most recent “Legislators Scorecard”, Dave received the highest possible ranking of any legislator along with one or two others. Dave offered to be, and was under consideration to be the lead sponsor of the ROE Act which will 1) modernize our current laws by codifying the right to choose here in Massachusetts; 2) expand access to abortion for those who don't have health insurance or whose health insurance is excluded from coverage by establishing safety net coverage for abortion care; and 3) remove unnecessary legal barriers that delay and deny access to reproductive health care, by removing mandatory parental approval for those below 18 and allowing for cases of a fatal fetal diagnosis. It will also eliminate restrictions like the currently legal but largely unenforced 24-hour waiting period between counseling and abortions. In his district, Dave has been the featured speaker at events promoting passage of the ROE Act. He also attended the key hearing to stand in support of the ROE Act, and has pressed the case for action in meetings with his colleagues who are senior leaders of the body. He is committed to helping lead the fight for the passage of this vital Act, in the strongest possible form.
Additionally the bill Dave authored and passed, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, creates a major new right to prevent pregnancy discrimination which has been identified as one of the biggest remaining obstacles to women’s equality. He also cosponsored the Pay Equity Act, an important new law here in the Commonwealth, and supported the ACCESS Bill, which requires coverage of all FDA approved contraceptives with no consumer cost sharing.
Transparency
Dave is incredibly transparent in how he does his work. He explains his positions in detail, meets with constituents regularly at community events and always carefully explains his approach on any legislative issue. Dave also sends out a detailed monthly newsletter outlining policy positions, and publicly publishes his personal cell phone (617-817-9395) for all constituents to contact him.
As for a pledge that was circulated, Dave is generally supportive of the concepts within the pledge, but had really serious concerns about how it was written. For instance, the pledge calls for releasing all testimony received by a committee, but he is Chair of the Cannabis Committee, where he receives highly sensitive personal health information from medical cannabis patients. The way the pledge is written, he would be committing to releasing confidential health information. While Dave does already disclose everything that is not confidential, he would never release any confidential medical information because it would be wrong.
Education
Dave with the 2017 Arlington High School Hockey State Champions during their visit to the State House
Dave has long supported the idea that we need to look beyond just test scores to provide schools where the whole child can flourish. This past legislative session, Dave strongly supported the “Student Opportunity Act”, which has since been passed overwhelmingly and signed into law. This Act will allow for the Commonwealth to invest $1.4 Billion into our Public Education System over the next seven years. As your Representative, Dave has and will continue to support and fight for legislation that will ensure that Arlington, Belmont, and Cambridge’s commitment to education is protected.
Transportation/MBTA
Just like most members of our community, Dave has endured the painstaking process that is our morning and afternoon commutes. He believes and successfully has fought for comprehensive solutions to our State’s transportation challenges, including a long-term revenue solution for the MBTA. As a member of the MBTA Caucus, solving our transportation issues has been one of his highest priorities and just recently, he supported the passage of a major tax increase package to benefit transportation infrastructure, including additional funding to the T. This bill, which was passed overwhelmingly in the House, will raise corporate taxes to invest those funds in transportation. If the Governor and the federal government will not lead, Dave will and has, by taking tough votes to invest new revenue in our transportation network. Dave also realizes that a vibrant transportation system is an environmental issue as every commuter on the T is one less car on the road and few carbon emissions. By 2022/2023, the Red Line will be virtually a brand new system, with new cars, track and an improved electrical grid and that is in part due to the steady advocacy of Dave.
Environmental Protection
Dave poses with Senator Ed Markey following his announcement of the Green New Deal in Massachusetts.
Along with income inequality and racial justice, addressing climate change is the issue of our time. Endorsed by the Environmental League of Massachusetts for his tireless work on environmental issues, Dave has made environmental advocacy central to his work as your legislator. He strongly supported and advocated for the increase in the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and the push for offshore wind. In fact, Massachusetts is now poised to lead on offshore wind with up to 3200 megawatts (Mw) approved, the first 800 Mw of which is the Vineyard Wind project. To put this in perspective, 3200 Mw is enough offshore wind to power 1.6 Million homes and create many well-paying green jobs. Dave also successfully pushed for major increases in funding for environmental protection; and just recently sponsored a multi-state offshore wind procurement legislation.
This Bill will explore options to cooperatively procure additional offshore wind power with the other New England states. It will control energy costs through new utility-scale renewable energy projects; dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased offshore wind; and prepare Massachusetts for an influx in new energy service jobs.
With his work experience in the green energy sector and at the EPA always in mind, he will continue to be a vigorous champion of environmental causes.
Dave is seeking another term as your Representative because he feels our State has unfinished business with regard to controlling healthcare costs. Having previously served on the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, he has continually supported expanded health insurance rights, and have formed the necessary relationships and skills to find solutions to this vital issue. He has co-sponsored single payer legislation, as well as introduced the “Cover All Kids” legislation, which would give health care rights to undocumented children. Everyone deserves the right to make their own choices for their body, and Dave will continue to fight to ensure that everyone receives the proper coverage they need, no matter their choice. Dave is proud to have supported the Advancing Contraception Coverage and Economic Security in our State, or ACCESS Bill. He is particularly pleased to have co-sponsored this bill, which goes even further than the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which allowed health insurance companies to choose one form of contraception to cover within each of the 18 categories. The ACCESS bill requires coverage of nearly all FDA approved contraceptives, with no cost sharing with consumers. With this legislation, most Massachusetts women will be protected from whatever action the Trump administration takes on repealing birth control coverage.