Dear Neighbor,
I hope to update you soon on all the hearings, committee and commission meetings, and other events in the past month.
Today, it's just about one day: Thursday, July 24, 2025.
Senate finally passes bill to dignify individuals with disabilities
On Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed a bill I've worked on for fifteen years. It replaced 373 sections of the Mass. General Laws that used language considered disrespectful by the people it referred to, such as "retarded" and "handicapped."
In the photo on the left, I celebrated with Melissa Reilly, who was a persistent advocate for eliminating "the R word," lobbying every senator and representative during her 12 years as Sen. Jamie Eldridge's office assistant.
Melissa said, "All people with disabilities shoud be treated and respected by others and not be mocked or judged or bullied... We are all unique and deserve respect, we do not want to be known as The "R" Word... We are hardworking people and need to be respected and have dignity."
Words are important. Language changes. We should use language that respects the people it refers to, and listen to them. "Nothing about us without us."
Fifteen years ago, Eileen Feldman, a member of the Somerville Commission on Persons with Disabilities, told Rep. Denise Provost and me how disrespected she felt being called "handicapped." We filed a bill to remove 10 sections of the Massachusetts General Laws that used that word. I kept filing the bill, adding references to the "r word," and updating it as we found new offensive sections. After Denise left the legislature, that bill and its successors were co-led by Rep. Kay Khan, then by Rep. Mike Finn, and now by Rep. Jay Livingstone, who filed it along with me. It was favorably reported by the Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities every year.
I am very happy to have the bill reported favorably early in session, and hope this is the year we get it all the way.
Over the years, we have found more than 400 sections with offensive words, including the "r word." We have changed the names of 3 offices because the people they serve asked for more respectful names. The Department of Retardation is now the Department of Disability Services. The Mass. Rehabilitation commission is now MassAbility. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs is now AGE (Executive Office of Aging and Independence).
But there were still 362 sections of the general laws that use offensive words. Majority Leader Cindy Creem added an amendment changing "hearing impaired" to "deaf or hard of hearing," so there are now 373 sections. A screenshot of just one page of the summary, showing some of the sections, is to the left.
Thursday, we voted to replace those sections. For example, "the retarded" is replaced by "persons with mental or intellectual disabilities." "The handicapped" is replaced by "persons with disabilities."
It's taking a long time for a simple idea to become law. But it's more comprehensive. And it's an example of the power of persistence.
Another example of persistence:
Several decades ago, I planted some hybrid, modern petunias in our front "yard." From time to time over the years, bur rarely, a little wild petunia would emerge. This year, again, after many years with no petunias, this plant showed up in our driveway.
We also passed a bill to protect people with autism
Sen. Jo Comerford's "blue envelope" bill will protect people with autism during traffic stops. The bill will codify a program that provides blue envelopes, upon request, to drivers with autism that can be handed to police in the event of a traffic stop. These envelopes include guidance for the police officer to facilitate communication in what can be a highly stressful and triggering situation. Ilyse Levine-Kanji, of Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts (AFAM). said, “In a stressful situation, where split second decisions must be made, I’m relieved that a police officer could see a blue envelope in [my son]’s car and immediately understand that any unusual behavior or speech pattern is a result of his autism. This bill could thereby dramatically decrease the possibility of a tragic misunderstanding.
The Senate also passed a bill to eliminate archaic laws
Senator Will Brownsberger's bill strikes laws from the 18th century that criminalized sodomy as a "crime against nature," punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and blasphemy, punishable by up to a year in prison. Both laws have been found unconstitutional.
This reminded me of a very disturbing book, The Case of the Piglet's Paternity, about the trial of a man convicted in 17th century Rhode Island of bestiality because a deformed stillborn piglet was supposed to have resembled him. He and the pig were executed. You can read about that case here. Bad as some things are today (coming: newsletter about my bills on wrongful convictions and false confessions), laws in this country have come a long way.
Thursday, the Globe continued to cover the assisted living residence fire in New Bedford
As co-chairs of the Committee on Aging and Independence and the Commission on Assisted Living Residences (ALRs), Rep. Tom Stanley and I know the fire shows the urgency of making assisted living residences safer and more available. We especially want to learn more about the 20 "affordable" ALRs - a small minority of the 273 mostly luxurious ALRs - where most of the residents' services are paid for by Mass. Health. At Gabriel House, 75% of the residents were being paid for by Mass. Health.
The Globe story mentions my concern that the MassHealth rates - $50/day - that pay for services for people in some of these residences are inadequate. The VNA of Eastern Mass. stopped using Mass. Health's Group Adult Foster Care program to run its affordable assisted living in Somerville because the low rates don't support adequate services.
Also Thursday, the Globe wrote about the danger of deporting health care workers
The protest by medical workers pointed out that "one out of six hospital workers" in the US are immigrants. Dr. Hashmi "urged those in the crowd to think of their grandmother not able to get treatment because an immigrant doctor's visa was denied, or being able to find a home nurse because of the workforce shortages." Those shortages are already dire across the whole continuum of health care. (Cartoon from The Week)
Stay in touch,
Pat Jehlen