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Statement of Georgia D. Katsoulomitis, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, in Response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Decision

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is a stunning reversal of legal precedent and the loss of a constitutional right that has been protected for almost half a century. The reversal of Roe v. Wade is not only a devastating loss of reproductive rights for women in the United States but it is also an affront to the fundamental right to bodily autonomy and to our privacy rights. Furthermore, it opens the door to legal challenges that threaten to weaken or eliminate other important fundamental rights and liberties.

Dobbs does not outlaw abortion in the United States; it simply leaves the legality of abortion access to each individual state. The consequence is that the choice of whether a woman has access to reproductive health services will depend on where in the United States she happens to live. Women of economic means who reside in states that restrict or outlaw access to abortion may have the financial ability to travel to states where abortion remains legal and accessible. However, low income women in states with restrictive abortion access now have no choice or options – at least not safe ones.

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Senate Ways and Means FY 2023 Budget Proposal: Preliminary Analysis of Key Issues Affecting Low-Income Massachusetts Residents

On May 10, 2022, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2023 (FY 23), which is referred to as Senate 4.  The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute prepared this analysis of selected budget topics impacting low-income residents of the Commonwealth:

  • Cash Assistance, SNAP and Related Items Administered by DTA
  • Child Welfare: DCF and Related Items
  • Criminal Justice Reform
  • Health Issues in MassHealth and ConnectorCare
  • Homeless Services
  • Housing
  • Legal Services/Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation
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Join us at the African Meeting House on April 28

On April 28, the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) will be hosting our 2022 Catalyst for Change event at the African Meeting House on Boston’s Beacon Hill. Built in 1806 and located in Smith Court, the Meeting House is considered the oldest extant Black church building in America. Smith Court served as a center for Boston’s Black community in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Along with the Meeting House, it is also home to the Abiel Smith School, which today houses the Museum of African American History.

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Analysis of the Governor’s FY23 Budget Proposal

The annual budget process begins each year when the Governor files budget recommendations as a bill with the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Under the state Constitution, the Governor must submit a proposal by the 4th Wednesday of January or, in the event of a new term, within the first five weeks. This bill is called “House 1” or “House 2” depending on the year.

On January 26, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2023 (FY23), which is referred to as House 2. The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute prepared this analysis of selected budget topics impacting low-income residents of the Commonwealth:

  • Cash Assistance, SNAP and Related Items Administered by DTA
  • Child Welfare: DCF and Related Items
  • Criminal Justice Reform
  • Health Issues in MassHealth and ConnectorCare
  • Homeless Services
  • Housing
  • Legal Services/Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation

In the next step of the state budget process, the House Committee on Ways and Means examines the Governor’s budget and will release its own budget recommendations for deliberation by the House of Representatives. MLRI will prepare an analysis of the House Ways and Means budget when it is released.

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Welcome!

Welcome to MLRI’s new blog.

We plan to use this platform to share MLRI news, helpful information on our initiatives, and perspectives on important topics related to poverty law.  2020 was one of the most difficult years in all of our memories. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests highlighting the importance of racial equity could not have made it clearer that the work we do is important to helping people living in poverty, Black and Brown communities, and other vulnerable residents.

MLRI has been a nationally recognized poverty law and policy center for more than five decades. We work together with advocacy and community partners to protect the rights of low income individuals and families.  Throughout the last 50 years, we’ve had hundreds of victories — large and small — and led groundbreaking initiatives that have benefitted low-income people in Massachusetts.

We are working on a number of initiatives related to housing protections, racial equity, immigrants’ rights, food insecurity, and many more.  We plan to use this blog to inform you of our work and update you on our progress.

Thank you for your interest in our work and we look forward to sharing more with you in the weeks and months to come.

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