Accomplishments as of June 2007

Thomas P. Conroy

State Representative
Lincoln, Sudbury, Wayland

Social Issues:

  1. Voted against the proposed amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution to ban gay marriage.

Budget:

  1. Helped secure state aid increases for Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland by 8%, 8%, and 10% respectively.   Met one-on-one with Chair of House Ways and Means about this priority and the ones below)
  2. Helped secure a $1MM increase in funding for the METCO program.
  3. Helped secure additional funding in the FY2007 and FY2008 budgets for the early intervention program for infants at risk of needing special education services.  

Lowering Property Taxes:

  1. Through membership on the Joint Committee on Public Service, enhanced the effectiveness of the pension reform bill that would save towns from funding pension liabilities through the town budget process because of underperforming investment management by local pension boards.
  2. Helped increase state aid (see above).
  3. Advocated on behalf of strengthening the bill (and Governor’s initiative) to allow towns to save health care dollars for town employee benefits by participating in the state’s Group Insurance Commission health care benefit pool. (Did this as a member of the Committee on Public Service, which has jurisdiction over this and the pension bill)
  4. Signed letter to Speaker DiMasi advocating for the meals and hotels tax, and for ending the property tax exemption on telecommunication companies. Continue to advocate for these revenue enhancement ideas through one-on-one conversations with the House leadership team.
  5. Advocated with several members of the 15 member corporate tax panel to approve of the “check the box” corporate tax loophole closing.

Turnpike:

  1. Testified before Joint Committee on Transportation, advocating that the FastLane discount program be extended
  2. Helped win the extension of the discount program twice since January, most recently on June 18. The extension currently lasts through August 2007

Environment:

  1. Cosponsored and helped recruit cosponsors to the Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals bill.
  2. Cosponsored bills to protect the Commonwealth’s rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.
  3. Spoke at the 29 th annual Mass Council on Lakes and Ponds (COLAP) conference on June 16, 2007 in support of further efforts to protect our water resources.
  4. Spoke in Sudbury in mid-May at LS on climate change at an event that included the screening of a documentary on that topic.  

Education:

  1. Cosponsored the bill to allow for alternative ways of measuring student success, as opposed to relying solely on MCAS scores.
  2. Advocated during the budget process for increased funding for special education and regional transportation.  
  3. Helped increase Chapter 70 funding significantly for Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland (see state aid above).
  4. Attended LS public safety committee meetings on the January 19 incident and have stayed in close contact with committee members on the course of the committee’s proceedings.  

Local Issues:

  1. Earmarked funding for a walkway that would link Sudbury’s walking trails to the Assabet River Valley Wildlife Refugee Visitor Center in Sudbury.
  2. Helped get Wayland High School to be chosen as one of 18 pilot projects throughout the state for evaluation by the Massachusetts School Building Authority under its new procedures.  
  3. Advocating on behalf of Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland to secure nearly $20MM in capital expenditure funding for several infrastructure improvements in the communities.  

Economic Development:

  1. Actively participated in 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership and the Arc of Innovation meeting to help create jobs

Voting Rights:

  1. Cosponsored same day registration bill to enhance voter participation.
  2. Sponsored bill to allow permanent resident aliens in Wayland to vote in local elections and on local ballot initiatives.