Zayda Ortiz

Environment / Energy Invest in and empower local climate solutions by supporting home-rule petitions that take important steps on climate, particularly the important efforts being made in Medford and Malden to protect our neighbors. Environment / Energy Replace the lead water pipes and improve outreach to vulnerable families and neighbors with programmatic and funding support. Environment / Energy Reach 100% renewable energy by 2035, seeking solutions that ensure no one is left behind in the transition to clean energy. Environment / Energy Protect our waterways and green spaces by working with our communities to provide clean, safe recreation areas for our families while beautifying our cities and reducing heat islands. Environment / Energy Strengthen public transportation to reduce emissions and transition our state vehicles to electric. Education Promote diversity in our teaching staff and curriculum because our students do better when they can see themselves in lessons and in the teachers and staff. Education Fulfill our commitment to high-quality public education and make sure funding is distributed fairly so that communities like Malden and Medford are not overburdened when compared to neighboring communities. Education Promate accurate, appropriate sex education to protect our young people from dangerous myths and misinformation about reproductive health and promote safe, healthy relationships. Education Expand free and reduced college tuition for state residents through age 24 and ensure all residents can graduate from public college and trade school without taking on debt. Education Ensure our schools serve all by removing the pressure of testing as a requirement to graduating and creating a pathway for local school systems to regain control from receivership. Education Increase support services within the schools by increasing teacher and paraprofessional staffing and access to support materials, safe spaces, and counseling. Infrastructure / Transportation Fix unsafe bridges and culverts to protect our residents from dangerous, preventable failures. Infrastructure / Transportation Invest in the MBTA and increase oversight to renew focus on serving our communities and hold the MBTA executives accountable. Fully fund municipal road repairs and addressing underlying structural issues with roads and highways. Infrastructure / Transportation Create viable alternatives to driving by investing in bike lanes, safer pedestrian infrastructure, and a reliable public transit system, making it easy and safe to get around our district in a variety of ways.. Healthcare Restrict crisis pregnancy centers that mislead women and girls about the services that they provide and the choices available. Healthcare Fund access to prenatal care by removing copayments and other charges from pregnancy care. Housing Promote more paths to homeownership by giving tenants the first right to purchase their units if the owners decide to sell. Housing Invest in affordable housing by establishing a statewide housing production goal of 427,000 new units by 2040, including 85,400 affordable units. Housing Giving cities and towns the tools they need to stabilize housing.The statewide ban on rent control and bureaucratic“home rule” procedures prevent cities like Medford and Malden from passing laws to address our housing crisis. We need to remove these barriers at the state level, giving communities more options for preserving, funding, and creating affordable homes. Housing Create new housing in our unused space by removing barriers in converting vacant land and commercial buildings to multi-family housing and expediting the process for to create accessory dwelling units (ADUs).