Platform

May-2023- Last update

Strengthening our Economy

Investing in local growth

Senator O’Connor believes in investing in our economy so that we will continue to see strong returns on those investments. This has included helping small businesses and organizations grow, securing grants and earmarks for local economic projects, and prioritizing long-term, sustainable economic growth.

To list a few, Senator O’Connor has secured the following economic development bonds:

$3 Million for Scituate for the repair, replacement, and construction of water infrastructure,
$3 million for water infrastructure development at Union Point,
$1 million for economic development at Weymouth landing,
$1 Million for Hull to invest in streetscape and parking improvements and business development in the Hull Nantasket Beach Front Business District,
$2 Million for Marshfield for the construction of a Business Climate Innovation Center to assist businesses on climate adaptation, resilience and reducing emissions, and
$2 Million for Norwell that will go towards the design, planning, construction, and renovation of Norwell Town Center

Holding the Line on Excessive spending and taxation

Proposed multiple bills that would establish tax credits for middle class families, small businesses, people taking care of elderly relatives or individuals with disabilities, fishermen, employers of veterans, college tuition loan-payers, disabled veterans’ property, teachers’ classroom supplies, hearing aids, and more.
Consistently votes against legislation that proposes unsustainable taxes. Most recently, Senator O’Connor voted against the tax provision in the Transportation Bond Bill.
Actively supporting legislation that would prevent taxpayers from being billed for the costs of expanding pipelines, also known as the pipeline tax.
Senator O’Connor was one of the only Legislators to not only vote against the legislative pay raise, but to also file the necessary paperwork to return his stipend back to the Commonwealth’s general fund.

Supporting local unions and the middle class

Senator O’Connor has always believed in the value of labor. As the son of a union nurse and union plumber, he was taught at a very young age the importance of being able to collectively bargain, earn a living wage, and have access to health and retirement benefits.
For his entire career, Patrick has supported and demanded project labor agreements, fought for workers’ rights to collectively bargain, stood with unions against efforts of privatization, and voted in favor of legislation that directly benefits the hardworking men and women of organized labor in Massachusetts.

Securing Grant Funding for Local Growth

$3 Million in grant funding to support the agriculture, commercial fishing, and cranberry growing industries of the Commonwealth.
$1 Million for the construction of a Community Rowing Center and a Marine Science Center near the public waterfront.
$1 million from the Seaport Economic Council (SEC) for Marshfield to construct a new 7,058-square-foot building to support local commercial fishermen and the working waterfront. The building will also focus on increasing tourism, recreational boating, and fishing, and will link other waterfront infrastructure investments in the town, including Harbor Park and the Esplanade of the Brant Rock business district.
$2 Million for Hingham through the Massachusetts Dredging Program to remove an estimated 62,000 cubic yards of sediment from the Hingham Inner Harbor and allow for all-tide use of the boat ramp and restore all- tide access to over 230 public moorings.
$250,000 for the South Shore Music Circus through the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Supporting Businesses through COVID-19

Helped dozens of local small businesses retain their employees and keep the lights on during the economic shutdown.
When the state of emergency began, our office was all-hands-on-deck to help individuals and businesses apply for loans, grants, and navigate the new economy through COVID-19. We were able to help hundreds of individuals overcome systematic issues and survive the shutdown.
Senator O’Connor hosted economic briefings in partnership with each Town’s Chamber of Commerce to provide updates and offer guidance to local businesses trying to navigate new laws and reopening structures.

Promoting Sustainable Housing Growth

Secured $323,000 in grant funding for Weymouth and Hingham through the Housing Choice Community Capital Grant Program for infrastructure improvements in communities that have shown commitment to advancing sustainable housing production.
Served on the South Shore Chamber of Commerce’s Housing Working Group which studied and reported six strategies to preserve and enhance our high quality of life by building a stronger regional economy and housing market. Read the final report here.

May-2023- Last update

Investing in Education

Active Advocate of the Student Opportunity Act (Foundation Budget Review Commission Legislaion)

As the ranking member of the Education Committee, Senator O’Connor was a key player in the passage of the SOA, having served on the 6-member conference committee to consolidate the final legislation and pass into law.
This legislation is the most significant change to public education funding since 1993 and represents an unprecedented $1.5 billion investment in our education system ($2.2 Billion when accounting for inflation).
The Student Opportunity Act:

Adjusts the education funding formula in order to better assess the necessary costs of each individual district, distributes resources more evenly, and enables schools to provide the opportunity every child deserves.
Adjusts the formula better account for the rising cost of employee health care, and increases in special education and English learner enrollment.
Makes another major policy change to the funding formula includes returning the definition of “low-income” to 185% of the Federal Poverty Level as opposed to the 133% level that has been used in recent years.
Fully funds charter tuition reimbursements, includes transportation costs into the special education reimbursements, and lifted the annual cap on Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) spending by $150 million.
Makes additional policy updates include providing funding to districts and schools pursuing creative approaches to student learning, and ensuring the Secretary of Education collects and publishes data on student preparedness in each district and high school for post-graduate success in college and the workforce.

Passing the LOOK Act (An Act Relative to Language Opportunity for Our Kids)

Senator O’Connor actively worked to pass landmark legislation that will finally address the achievement gap that exists between students who are English Learners and those who are not.
In 2009, a report found that only 20% of Sheltered English Immersion students achieved proficiency - there are simply too many of these students falling through the cracks.
The bill afforded local school districts the flexibility to implement programs that they believe work best for their community, gave parents a say in what they believe is best for their child, and equipped the state government with the tools it needed to efficiently implement and monitor an effective English Language curriculum.

Support for Universal Free Full-Day Kindergarten

During the debate of the Massachusetts FY21 Supplemental Budget, O’Connor secured $250,000 to assist the Town of Weymouth in implementing their free full day kindergarten program. In November 2019, Weymouth committed to providing free kindergarten for families in the 2021 school year. This funding will assist Weymouth in setting the program in motion.
Senator O’Connor has sponsored and pushed for legislation that would create and offer a grant program designed to help schools establish or maintain free full-day kindergarten. This grant program would be designed to offer matching grants to communities looking to establish a new free full-day kindergarten program when they didn’t have one already, or to communities who currently offer free full-day kindergarten but are at serious financial risk of losing that program.

Supporting School Safety

Secured $75,000 in the FY2019 Budget for Weymouth to fund new security features and emergency training exercises for school staff at WPS.
Secured $113,794 in the FY2017 budget for Hull to cover the salary, benefits, and training for a School Resource Officer in the Hull Public Schools as well as for security camera enhancements.
Secured $100,000 in the FY2017 budget for Cohasset to cover the salary, benefits, and training for a School Resource Officer in the Hull Public Schools as well as for security camera enhancements.
Secured $111,500 in funding for a Public School Multi-Hazard Plan for Hingham Public Schools in May of 2016. The Multi-Hazard Plan establishes protocols, responsibilities of school and public safety personnel, and evacuation guidelines for a variety of potential situations. This amendment will provide funds for safety training, exterior cameras, expanded coverage of PA speakers, and outfitting twenty school buses with surveillance cameras with recorder capabilities.
Secured $332,842 in funding through the Commonwealth’s Safer Schools and Communities Initiative to assist schools in the district in making critical school security upgrades. The funding was used by districts to invest in door locks, surveillance video cameras, panic alarms, and secure single-entry point equipment.

Cohasset: $34,670
Duxbury: $60,000
Hingham: $56,980
Scituate: $24,476
Weymouth: $78,358
South Shore VoTech: $78,375

May-2023- Last update

Preserving our Environment

Reaching a 100% Renewable Future

Supports expanding our Renewable Energy Portfolio, which involves procuring more megawatts of wind, solar, and other clean energies so that our resources are eventually 100% renewable. This means setting aggressive timelines so that Massachusetts can meet emissions reduction targets and eliminate our carbon footprint as fast as possible.

Energy Storage

Supports investment in energy storage to complement the expansion of renewable energy sources. Energy storage is a significant strategic opportunity because it can improve grid operations, provide backup power through storms, and benefit the local economy. Ratepayer cost benefits of energy storage are associated with reduced peak demand, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced cost of renewables integration, and increased grid flexibility and resilience.

Playing an Active Role

As the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change, Senator O’Connor plays a hands-on role in the final approval of clean energy legislation. He is often appointed to conference committees to consolidate the House and Senate versions of climate change legislation and work to keep strong provisions intact for final passage into law.

Fighting the Compressor Station

Since the gas company Enbridge first approached the Town of Weymouth in 2015 with a proposal to build a compressor station, Patrick (who was then Weymouth Town Council President) was one of the first to reject the project. Since then, he has remained steadfast in his opposition through action, advocacy, and legislative procedure.
In June of 2018, the State Senate debated and passed a sweeping clean energy omnibus bill. Senator O’Connor offered an amendment to the bill which would ban the construction of compressor stations within a half-mile of residential homes, playgrounds, churches, day cares, schools, protected waterways, areas of critical environmental concern, and environmental justice neighborhoods. The amendment was adopted and passed by the Senate.
In 2020, Senator O’Connor and the Fore River Basin delegation were successful in having an air monitoring station installed in the vicinity of the project site. This will help collect baseline levels of pollutants in the air to support the fact that this region cannot sustain any additional emissions, especially the emissions of a compressor station.

Investing in Sustainability

$6.8 Million through the Dam and Seawall Repair and Removal Program for Scituate, Marshfield, Weymouth, and Duxbury to design, reinforce, and build new coastal resilience infrastructure.
$1.1 Million for Cohasset, Duxbury, Marshfield, Norwell, and Weymouth to fund energy conservation measures in municipal facilities like schools, public safety buildings, libraries, and DPW facilities.
$225,000 for Scituate, Cohasset, and Duxbury for climate change flood vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning
$111,600 for the entire district to help maximize recycling, composting and waste reduction programs.
$37,500 for Cohasset to install six new electric vehicle charging stations throughout town.

May-2023- Last update

Improving Our Healthcare Systems

COVID-19 Pandemic

Seeing the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed inequality and flaws in our existing healthcare system, Senator O’Connor has worked tirelessly with his fellow senators to pass several pieces of healthcare reform legislation, the most recent being the Patients First Act.
The act increases access to telehealth service, ends the unfair practice of surprise billing, expands the healthcare workforce to enhance quality care, and analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on our healthcare system.
As we move forward with the ongoing pandemic, Senator O’Connor continues to turn to accomplished scientists and experts in the field of epidemiology and medicine.

Prioritizing Transparency, Equality, and Access in Healthcare

As a leader in healthcare, Senator O’Connor believes Massachusetts should provide the very best quality care for every resident who needs it.
In 2017, he was instrumental in passing An act furthering the Health empowerment and affordability by leveraging transformative healthcare, with the goal of fighting for lower costs for consumers, improved coverage and increased transparency.
In 2019, after hearing from a staff member about how his pharmacist’s cost transparency had saved his family hundreds of dollars on his son’s eczema prescription, Senator O’Connor wrote legislation to bring this type of savings to every family. An Act relative to pharmaceutical price transparency and cost sharing would prohibit “gag orders” put on pharmacists by drug provider organizations, allowing every pharmacist to provide customers with information about prescription drug prices and the clinical efficacy of lower-priced alternative drugs.
Senator O’Connor also voted in favor of the Pharmaceutical Access, Cost and Transparency (PACT) Act to further lower prices.

Improving Healthcare Access from Day One

Senator O’Connor is committed to passing legislation which focuses on the challenges around prenatal and maternal health in Massachusetts. In 2018, Senator O’Connor filed, An Act establishing a newborn health and safe sleep pilot program, which would create a program within the Department of Public Health to distribute safe-sleep receptacles, commonly known as “baby boxes”, to new parents and guardians free of charge.
The bill sought to promote safe sleeping practices, as well as to bring new mothers into a closer relationship with their healthcare community, improving prenatal and postnatal care. He has also supported bills to study barriers to substance use treatment for women in the perinatal period, to address racial inequities in maternal healthcare in Massachusetts, and to increase options for safe, professional birthing care in the Commonwealth by licensing midwifery.

Mental Health

In 2018, Senator O’Connor helped pass a bill increasing access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), exploring tools to reduce harm and save lives, expanding education and prevention efforts, and addressing the high rates of co-occurring conditions of substance use disorder (SUD) and mental illness.
Serving on the Promote Prevent Commission, Senator O’Connor takes a hands-on approach to support efforts to subsidize and mainstream mental health care as a form of preventative wellness.

Decades of scientific study and practice prove that evidence-based programs, policies, and practices can prevent addiction, substance misuse, depression, anxiety, suicide, violence, risky behaviors, and many other behavioral health issues.
The Promote Prevent Commission supports acting early and investing upstream, applying an integrated behavioral health approach, implementing the science of prevention, investing in a continuum of care, and building infrastructure and partnerships to support a working model.

May-2023- Last update

Ensuring Public Safety

Supporting First Responders

Senator O’Connor believes that public safety officers who dedicate themselves to the safety of every Massachusetts resident are indispensable parts of our community. This is why Senator O’Connor fights for legislation that evaluates, reforms, and supports our Police and Fire Departments.
As we modernize our public safety system to ensure equal protection of all citizens, regardless of race or color, Senator O’Connor believes in preserving due process for police officers, while implementing certification systems and increased training for the law enforcement profession.
In the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget, Senator O’Connor secured $10,000 for the Weymouth Police Department to design and build a permanent memorial for Sergeant Michael Chesna, who was tragically killed in the line of duty on July 15, 2018, in defense of the community he loved and served.
Senator O’Connor was a lead advocate in passing legislation to double the Line of Duty Death Benefit for the families of first responders from $150,000 to $300,000. The legislation was signed into law in 2017 and will provide more equitable relief for families who lost a loved one in the line of duty.
In 2018, Senator O’Connor supported and passed “An Act relative to the municipal police training fund”, a landmark bill that established a funding mechanism to give our first responders the best training possible, so that they can meet the extreme demands of their job and confront threats to our communities and to themselves.
Senator O’Connor’s legislation has also helped to fund Massachusetts Fire Departments, providing them with the equipment and resources they need to save lives. He co- sponsored a bill in 2018 that set up a bulk-purchasing program to buy extractors at a reduced price to clean fire gear, protecting fire fighters from the toxic carcinogens than can remain in gear after entering a burning building.

Adapting Public Safety Measures to Changing Environments

Senator O’Connor has consistently advocated to pass legislation that fights crime and violence in the Commonwealth.
He supports providing resources to law enforcement officials tasked with pursuing interstate traffickers of fentanyl and carfentanil, illegal firearms, and other underground criminal systems.
In 2016, he sponsored an amendment allowing rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft to immediately suspend a driver if they have been cited for a serious safety violation.
In 2020, Senator O’Connor’s bill, commonly known as “Dana’s Law”, passed to create a registry of caretakers found to have abused individuals under their care. Once a person’s name appears on the registry, they will be barred from hire within the caretaking industry.

Strengthening laws to protect Domestic Violence Victims

Senator O’Connor has been advocating for aggressive protection for anyone facing domestic threats. Working alongside victims and victims’ families, he continues to find ways to strengthen our laws to truly protect domestic violence victims. This includes:

Increasing access to restraining orders and including ways to inform officials if there is an immediate threat to the victim’s life
Improving the court and probation system to give domestic violence victims a stronger voice and increased protection from previous abusers
Strengthening educational programs and monitoring for any person who has committed domestic abuse

Increasing the Security of Public Spaces

In response to national gun violence tragedies, his legislation created “An Active Shooter/ Hostile Event Response” program, referred to as “ASHER”, as the standard guidelines for active shooter or hostile event situations in Massachusetts.
In 2019, he also filed legislation to establish a grant program to assist municipalities without a School Resource Officer to afford one, believing in the ability of SRO’s to protect school campuses, foster a healthy social environment, and help students build positive relationships with law enforcement.
Supporting and securing school safety grants to South Shore public schools who apply for funding to increase security camera surveillance, door locking mechanisms, and communications systems.

Investing in Safety

In addition to advocating for legislation that promotes the health and safety of constituents, Senator O’Connor frequently secures funding for programs and resources to further protect communities.

Examples of secured funding over the years includes:
$10 Million for municipal police training across the Commonwealth
$100,000 for structural repairs for the Humarock Fire Station in Scituate
$99,000 to implement the Buyer Diversion Treatment Alternative Program in towns of Weymouth, Quincy, Braintree, and Randolph.
$44,674 to Fire Departments across the South Shore for fire safety education programs.
$19,616 in grants to South Shore Fire Departments for gear and equipment that will reduce firefighters’ exposure to cancer-causing chemicals on the job

May-2023- Last update

Protecting the Vulnerable

People with Disabilities

One of Senator O'Connor’s top priorities as a legislator has been to advocate for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In March of 2020, O'Connor was named the Legislator of the Year by the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC). His efforts have focused on inclusionary employment opportunities, protecting our most vulnerable with a new caretaker abuse registry, and creating more adult disabled housing.
After first being sworn-in to office in 2016, the Joyce family walked into Senator O’Connor’s office and told him about the abuse their nonverbal son, Dana, was experiencing at his group home. That meeting led to Senator O’Connor filing Dana’s law. The bill establishes a registry of individuals found to have committed abuse against those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Group homes serving these populations would be required to check the registry during the application process, and any individual who appears on the registry would be barred from employment. Dana’s Law was signed by Governor Baker in March of 2020.
In 2019, Senator O'Connor co-hosted a panel with the MDDC to discuss the challenges and achievements regarding employment and accessibility for those living with disabilities. The panel discussed strategies that will allow the Commonwealth to increase employment opportunities that those living with disabilities.
Senator O'Connor was also able to secure $180,000 for the Town of Cohasset to launch their project to build a new home for adults with disabilities to replace the Trettis House. The Town broke ground on the project in December of 2019 and it is expected be complete by the end of 2020. The project will not only ensure comfortable living conditions for its residents, it will also provide the opportunity for them to live a productive life in a wonderful community.
In a recent supplemental budget, Senator O'Connor was able to secure $100,000 for the Friendship Home in Norwell to assist with their operation. The Friendship Home enriches the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families by providing quality respite care and support services in a safe and caring environment.
Senator O’Connor passed legislation to create a commission to study the availability of adult disabled housing stock in Massachusetts. The commission is tasked with determining the level of need for more accessible housing, as well as best practices and costs to increase housing stock to meet that level of need.
Most of all, Senator O'Connor enjoys the time he is able to spend with his friends at the South Shore Arc - whether it's the Arc's annual Summer BBQ, Pumpkin Carving event, or even a tour of the State House.
Veterans
Senator O’Connor’s first speech as a member of the Senate was dedicated to ending veteran homelessness in Massachusetts. That day, the Senate adopted O’Connor’s amendment that sought to make the final push to get every last Veteran off the streets and provide them the safety, comfort, and happiness they deserve. While we have made great strides in confronting this issue, Senator O'Connor believes there is always more we can do to find a home for the Commonwealth's 1,200 homeless veterans.
Since that speech, two new Veterans Homes have been built on the South Shore. In 2017, Weymouth opened its new Veterans’ Home on Main Street after two years of construction - a project Senator O'Connor supported during his time on the Weymouth Town Council. In 2019, Marshfield also broke ground on their own Veterans Home - Senator O'Connor secured $100,000 in a previous state budget to support the design, planning, and construction costs for this project.
In 2016, Senator O’Connor voted in favor of the Veterans’ HOME Bill - the legislation provided substantial housing services for disabled Veterans, benefits for their families, tax exemptions, and other well-deserved privileges. Two years later, O’Connor’s amendment to the BRAVE Act increased the Veteran property tax deduction program by 90% - allowing Veteran’s to decrease their property tax burden. The BRAVE Act expand benefits and increase access to a range of services for veterans, active-duty military, and their families.
Veterans were willing to put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms and Senator O'Connor believes we should do everything we can to support them when they come home.
Low-Income and Marginalized Families
Senator O'Connor is committed to ensuring the programs the Commonwealth has in place are dedicating to lifting those experiencing difficult times out of poverty. Often-times, those most deeply impacted by low-income are children, seniors, veterans, and historically marginalized communities.
Emergency Assistance Shelter Program
In the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, Senator O'Connor offered an amendment that sought to end what is known as the "cliff effect" in the Emergency Assistance shelter program. The Cliff Effect is the unfortunate situation where a person headed toward economic stability earns a wage increase, but the raise triggers the loss of benefits that are worth more than the raise. It’s a huge setback that often keeps people in poverty.
Those that have been a part of the Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter program in Massachusetts are familiar with this phenomenon. In order to qualify for this program, households must earn less than 115% of the federal poverty level; for a family of three, this means less than $24,530 a year ($2,044 a month). Once in shelter, families must develop and adhere to a rehousing plan, which includes activities to increase their economic mobility and move towards self-sufficiency. However, in Massachusetts, you are kicked out of the EA shelter program if you end up succeeding and earning more than 115% of the poverty level.
Senator O’Connor's amendment raised the cap of maximum household earnings for the shelter program from 115% of the poverty level to 200%. This change now allows that family of three to earn up to $42,660 a year ($3,555 a month) and still be a part of the EA shelter program. This increase to 200% ensures that families can actually work their way off government assistance and not fall back into the emergency shelter program.
Breakfast After the Bell
In Massachusetts, roughly one in eight children face food insecurity. We also know that when children come to school hungry, they are unable to perform their best and as a result, their academics suffer. With this in mind, Senator O’Connor voted in favor of legislation known as Breakfast After the Bell that requires schools with more than 60% low-income students to offer breakfast to the entire student body. This will bring access to breakfast for roughly 600 schools and over 150,000 low-income students across Massachusetts.
The program may be delivered through a variety of models, allowing schools the flexibility to select the model that best fits their students’ needs. As a federally reimbursed program, Breakfast After the Bell has the potential to provide up to $30 million statewide to Massachusetts schools, with payments made directly to school nutrition departments - helping to support jobs, update kitchen equipment, and provide healthier menu options. Senator O'Connor believes giving our students the best resources they need to succeed starts with making sure they are healthy and able to learn.
Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
In March of 2020, Senator O’Connor and his colleagues passed a mid-year supplemental budget to address many time sensitive deficiencies and unforeseen needs across the Commonwealth that require immediate attention. This included $15 million for the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This investment helped over 40,000 vulnerable low-income households – including low-income families with children, seniors and veterans – stay warm throughout the remainder of the winter.
Crossroads – Duxbury Camp Wing
Crossroads has a variety of services that work to serve under-resourced kids in a safe and stimulating environment – their largest summer program is Camp Wing in Duxbury. At all of their programs, kids set and achieve goals, gain new skills through challenges, make positive choices, and develop healthy relationships with their peers and adults. The extra support Crossroads provides makes a real difference in these children’s lives and we can’t thank them enough for their work. Senator O'Connor always looks forward to visiting Camp Wing each summer and is always blown away with the guidance, resources, and skills the program provides to children in the community.
Senator O’Connor was named the Crossroads 2019 Legislator of the Year for his work advocating for policies on Beacon Hill that allow them to further their community-building mission.
Backpack Program - Weymouth
This past summer, Weymouth Public Schools offered free lunches to residents under age 18 to alleviate the hunger some children face when they lose access to school meals over the summer. During the 2016 - 2017 school year, teachers at the Abigail Adams Middle School launched a weekend backpack program to provide weekend meals for kids in need and coordinated with the Weymouth Food Pantry to get the program running. In 2019, the Weymouth Food Pantry announced plans to embark on a project where volunteers pick up leftover or unused products from restaurants - opening up a huge supply of additional food.
Over the past two fiscal years, Senator O’Connor secured $37,000 to assist in their operation.
Student Opportunity Act
Senator O’Connor served on the conference committee responsible for producing a final version of the Student Opportunity Act – legislation that invests an additional $2.2 billion (accounting for inflation) over a seven-year phase-in period into K-12 public education. This is the most significant change to public education funding in twenty-five years and adjusts the funding formula to better account for the additional resources districts with higher special education, English learner, and low-income students populations. Every child deserves a high-quality education, regardless of their zip code.
Seniors
Senator O'Connor is proud to partner with the local senior centers to ensure they have the resources they need to carryout successful programs. This includes working to secure:
- $19 million for the Councils on Aging to help senior citizens in the FY20 budget
- $75,000 in the FY20 budget for the Marshfield Senior Center to make renovations, accessibility improvements, and security upgrades.
- $2 million in the Capital Bond Bill in 2018 for the Town of Scituate to improve their Senior Center. This funding was used to contribute towards the design, engineering, construction, renovation, expansion, and general improvements to the facility. The facility is expected to be completed in the fall of 2020.
- $50,000 in the FY19 state budget to make improvements to the Duxbury Senior Center to adjust for their growing senior population.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator O’Connor visited South Shore Elder Services to donate 100 masks to their staff and thank them for their tireless efforts to deliver the services so many of our seniors need. Their staff stepped up for thousands of our seniors and ensured their Meals on Wheels program continued to operate at full capacity.
In addition to partnering with the local senior centers, Senator O'Connor has also filed and sponsored legislation that will directly benefit our seniors. This includes helping to pass legislation addressing the Alzheimer’s Crisis (S.2612, the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s and Dementia Act). The legislation sought to improve cost effectiveness and patient and caregiver experience in acute care settings, incorporate Alzheimer’s curriculum in continuing medical education programs, ensure proper notification of an Alzheimer's to families, and more. Over 130,000 people are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease in Massachusetts — those individuals are being cared for by more than 337,000 family and friends. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, in 2018 Massachusetts will spend more than $1.6 billion in Medicaid costs caring for people with Alzheimer’s.
Senator O'Connor also teaches a Lifelong Learning class with Rep. Josh Cutler at the Duxbury Senior Center to discuss important bills on Beacon Hill and the issues that are important to seniors. The room is always filled with engaged citizens with great opinions and ideas on how to continue to move Massachusetts forward.
Animals
Senator O'Connor is the lead sponsor of legislation that is supported by the Mass. Coalition To End Puppy Mills, MSPCA-Angell, The Humane Society of the United States, Sweet Paws Rescue, the Animal Rescue League of Boston.
This includes S.175 – “An Act banning the retail sale of cats and dogs in pet shops” - the legislation would prohibit the sale of dogs and cats in retail pet shops unless the animals come from shelters or rescue organizations. Right now, pet stores obtain animals from USDA-licensed commercial breeding facilities, commonly known as puppy mills. USDA regulations are so minimal that they allow breeders to keep dogs in cramped, stacked, wire cages for their entire lives, don’t require breeders to vaccinate dogs, and allow mother dogs to be euthanized after they’re no longer able to reproduce.
He has also cosponsored S.534 – “An Act Protecting Research Animals”, to require research institutions and product testing facilities that intend to euthanize a dog or cat for any purpose other than scientific, medical, or educational research to offer the dog or cat for adoption to an animal shelter organization first.
O'Connor is in support of S.505 – “An Act Concerning the Use of Animals in Product Testing”, which would require testing facilities to use test methods that replace, reduce, or refine animal testing of products and ingredients when they are available and provide equivalent or better scientific quality and relevance for the intended purpose.
Senator O'Connor was also named a member of the Special Commission to review animal cruelty and domestic abuse reporting that was created by the PAWS II legislation that passed in the summer of 2018. The commission reviewed the feasibility of training Animal Control Officers (ACOs) to become mandated reporters of domestic abuse, and social workers to become mandated reporters of animal abuse because of the strong correlation between those that abuse animals and those that abuse people.

May-2023- Last update

Rated One of Beacon Hill's Most Independent Legislators

Senator O'Connor has always focused on the issues at hand and done what he feels is best for the people of his district. This approach led to him being rated as one of the most independent legislators by the Beacon Hill Roll Call. His record of bipartisan leadership includes:

Helping Low-Income and Marginalized Families

In the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, Senator O'Connor offered an amendment that sought to end what is known as the "cliff effect" in the Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter program. The Cliff Effect is the unfortunate situation where a person headed toward economic stability earns a wage increase, but the raise triggers the loss of benefits that are worth more than the raise. It’s a huge setback that often keeps people in poverty.

Those that have been a part of the EA shelter program in Massachusetts are familiar with this phenomenon. In order to qualify for this program, households must earn less than 115% of the federal poverty level; for a family of three, this means less than $24,530 a year ($2,044 a month). Once in shelter, families must develop and adhere to a rehousing plan, which includes activities to increase their economic mobility and move towards self-sufficiency. However, in Massachusetts, you are kicked out of the EA shelter program if you end up succeeding and earning more than 115% of the poverty level.

Senator O’Connor's amendment raised the cap of maximum household earnings for the shelter program from 115% of the poverty level to 200%. This change now allows that family of three to earn up to $42,660 a year ($3,555 a month) and still be a part of the EA shelter program. This increase to 200% ensures that families can actually work their way off government assistance and not fall back into the emergency shelter program.

Advocating for the Student Opportunity Act (Foundation Budget Review Commission Legislation)

Senator O'Connor played a key role in the passage of the Student Opportunity Act, having served on the 6-member conference committee to consolidate the final legislation and pass into law. This legislation is the most significant change to public education funding since 1993 and represents an unprecedented $1.5 billion investment in our education system ($2.2 Billion when accounting for inflation).

The Student Opportunity Act:

Adjusts the education funding formula in order to better assess the necessary costs of each individual district, distributes resources more evenly, and enables schools to provide the opportunity every child deserves.
Adjusts the formula better account for the rising cost of employee health care, and increases in special education and English learner enrollment.
Makes another major policy change to the funding formula includes returning the definition of “low-income” to 185% of the Federal Poverty Level as opposed to the 133% level that has been used in recent years.
Fully funds charter tuition reimbursements, includes transportation costs into the special education reimbursements, and lifted the annual cap on Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) spending by $150 million.
Makes additional policy updates include providing funding to districts and schools pursuing creative approaches to student learning, and ensuring the Secretary of Education collects and publishes data on student preparedness in each district and high school for post-graduate success in college and the workforce.

Protecting People with Disabilities

After first being sworn-in to office in 2016, the Joyce family walked into Senator O’Connor’s office and told him about the abuse their nonverbal son, Dana, was experiencing at his group home. That meeting led to Senator O’Connor filing Dana’s law. The bill establishes a registry of individuals found to have committed abuse against those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Group homes serving these populations would be required to check the registry during the application process, and any individual who appears on the registry would be barred from employment. Dana’s Law was signed by Governor Baker in March of 2020.

Voting to Ban Conversion Therapy

Senator O'Connor was the only Republican in the Massachusetts Senate to vote to ban conversion therapy for minors. Conversion therapy tries to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill prohibited conversion therapy performed by licensed state therapists on minors and did not affect pastoral counseling by religious leaders.

As part of Senator O'Connor's research on the bill leading up to the vote, he read "Boy Erased,” by Garrard Conley, the memoir of a young gay man who was sent to conversion therapy by his parents. In an interview after the vote, Sen. O'Connor was quoted as saying, “Any practice that involves coercion or physical or mental discomfort to children to change their sexual identity should be banned. This was a very strong message that the Massachusetts state legislature could send to this practice.”

May-2023- Last update

Securing Record Local Aid

Cohasset

Senator O'Connor helps break ground on the new Trettis House project in Cohasset, an Adult Disabled Housing project set to open in the fall of 2020. Senator O'Connor secured $180,000 in funding to help support the project.