RFG Attorneys Ann Hartner and Kristin Shirahama Chair WBA Legislative Breakfast February 1
[February 1, 2012]

(Press release, BOSTON, MA – February 1, 2012)

Today the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts (WBA) shared its 2012 Legislative Agenda with legislators at the Massachusetts State House at the organization’s Legislative Breakfast. This annual event marks the official kickoff of the WBA’s legislative efforts for the year. Women’s Bar Association leaders and members have the opportunity to share the group’s priorities with Massachusetts legislators as well as to meet and congratulate newly-elected state legislators. Senator Jennifer Flanagan, on behalf of Senate President Therese Murray, and Representative Martha Walz, on behalf of House Speaker Robert DeLeo, provided opening remarks, including highlighting the three WBA legislative priorities that were signed into law, alimony reform, anti-human trafficking, and transgender civil rights. The WBA then recognized the following legislators who were instrumental in advancing the respective legislation:
• Alimony Reform (Chapter 124 of the Acts of 2011): Senator Gale Candaras, Representative John Fernandes, Senator Cynthia Stone Creem, Representative Eugene O’Flaherty and Representative Steven Walsh.
• Anti-Human Trafficking (Chapter 178 of the Acts of 2011): Senate President Therese Murray, Senator Mark Montigny, Senator Jennifer Flanagan, Senator Bruce Tarr, Senator Cynthia Stone Creem, Representative
Eugene O’Flaherty, Representative Elizabeth Malia, Representative Sheila Harrington and Representative Kay Khan.
• Transgender Civil Rights (Chapter 199 of the Acts of 2011): Senate President Therese Murray, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Representative Carl Sciortino, Representative Byron Rushing, Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, Senator Benjamin Downing, Senator Cynthia Stone Creem and Representative Eugene
O’Flaherty.

After recognizing the WBA’s legislative accomplishments, the WBA was honored to have a legislator and two attorneys discuss their support for some of the remaining WBA priorities for the 2011-2012 legislative session:
• Comparable Worth: Representative Alice Wolf spoke about her bill, H 1415, and Senator Patricia Jehlen’s bill, S 931, An Act Further Defining Comparable Work. This bill is important as it eliminates the wage gap between men and women by ensuring that work requiring comparable skill, effort and responsibility – beyond the scope of specific male- or female-dominated professions – is compensated equally.
• Paid Sick Days: Elizabeth Toulan, Coordinator at the Massachusetts Paid Leave Coalition and Senior Attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services, spoke about the bills, H 1398 and S 930, An Act Establishing Paid Sick Days, sponsored by Representative Kay Khan and Senator Patricia Jehlen, respectively, which would give employees a minimum of seven paid sick days per year. These bills are important because paid sick leave protects public health by minimizing the spread of illness; saves employers money by reducing spread among workers, reducing diminished productivity and turnover; and
levels the playing field for employers who already offer paid sick days. The WBA recognizes that the needs of both businesses and workers will have to be balanced in any
bill that progresses.
• Accord and Satisfaction: Barnstable Assistant District Attorney and WBA Board Member, Lisa Edmonds, spoke about S 699, An Act Relative to Punishment for the Crime of Domestic Violence, sponsored by Senator Cynthia Stone Creem. Massachusetts currently is the only state where the accord and satisfaction is used to dismiss a criminal domestic violence case over the prosecution’s objection. This bill is important as it would make Massachusetts law consistent with that of the other 49 states by prohibiting the use of accord and satisfaction in domestic violence cases. Other priorities for 2012 are bills relative to Housing Rights for Victims of Domestic Violence, Rape, Sexual Assault and Stalking (S586/H386), to Bring Child Support Home (S34/H84), Asset Development (S1839/H1858) and budget items to support legal services and courts and judiciary funding.

The WBA’s Legislative Policy Committee is the legislative arm of the Women’s Bar
Association. Its dedicated members track the development of priority items, identify new issues that require the WBA’s support, and share information about the legislative process with attorneys across the state. “The WBA is so thankful to the legislators who worked tirelessly on the alimony reform, antihuman trafficking, and transgender civil rights legislation,” said WBA President Nancy
Cremins. “The WBA is also proud of our organization and its members who worked closely with these legislators, gave the WBA a presence at the State House and helped raise awareness on these important policy issues that affect many in the Commonwealth.”

Kristin Shirahama, who co-chairs the Legislative Policy Committee with Ann Morse Hartner, stated, “This year is unique in that we had three of our top priorities for the 2011-2012 Legislative Session signed into law. The WBA hopes to build upon this momentum and turn our legislative advocacy efforts onto the WBA’s remaining priorities.”

About the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts:

Founded in 1978 by a group of activist women lawyers, the Women’s Bar Association is one of the oldest bar associations in the country. Today, the organization boasts a vast membership of accomplished women lawyers, judges and law students across Massachusetts. The WBA is committed to the full and equal participation of women in the legal profession and in a just society. The WBA works to achieve this mission through committees and taskforces, and by developing and promoting a legislative agenda to address society’s most critical social and legal issues. Other WBA activities include drafting amicus briefs, studying employment issues affecting women, encouraging women to enter the judiciary, recognizing the achievement of women in the law, and providing pro bono services to women in need through supporting its charitable sister organization, the Women’s Bar Foundation. For more information, visit www.womensbar.org.

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