Muradian celebrates perfect voting record

State Rep. David Muradian, R-Grafton, maintained a perfect voting record for the 2019-2020 legislative session, participating in all 474 roll call votes recorded in the House of Representatives between January of 2019 and January of 2021.

Formal legislative sessions were extended last summer to allow the House and Senate to continue to meet and pass legislation to help address the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 global pandemic. The last roll call of the session came in the early morning hours of January 6, with the enactment of a $626.5 million economic development bill to provide financial assistance to small businesses and to promote more affordable housing development in the Commonwealth.

Muradian compiled a 100 percent voting record by casting votes this session on several key bills that were later signed into law, including a $16 billion transportation bond bill; Breakfast After the Bell legislation providing students with access to expanded school breakfast options; and Nicky’s Law, which authorizes the establishment of a statewide registry to track and prevent the re-hiring of caregivers who have been charged with abusing clients with intellectual disabilities.

Muradian supported the 2019 Student Opportunity Act, which creates strong accountability standards to help close student achievement gaps across the state and calls for a $1.5 billion increase in Chapter 70 funding over the next seven years. He also voted to support legislation expanding mail-in voting options for Massachusetts residents; addressing disparities in maternal health care; and requiring insurance carriers to provide telehealth coverage parity with in-person primary and chronic disease care for the next two years, as well as permanent coverage parity for behavioral health services delivered via telehealth.

Other major bills Muradian voted on during the 2019-2020 legislative session included proposals to:

• require prompt public notification of sewage discharges into public waterways;
• mitigate the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus;
• criminalize female genital mutilation;
• ban the use of cell phones while driving, except when used in hands-free mode;
• protect students attending colleges that may be in danger of closing;
• establish a continuing education program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School to address deployment-related health conditions among Massachusetts veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
• create a Women’s Rights History Trail to promote education and awareness of the struggle for women’s rights in Massachusetts;
• establish a special commission to honor Deborah Sampson, a Plympton resident who served in the Continental Army during the American war for independence, by creating a permanent memorial at the State House; and
• strengthen local and regional public health systems by providing access to educational training courses and supporting the efficient delivery of services.

“It has truly been an honor serving the residents of Grafton, Northbridge and Upton during this Legislative Session,” Muradian said. “I hope this voting record can act as a positive influence on our community, and demonstrate the strong dedication and commitment I have to my constituents. Our district deserves full time representation, and it is truly an honor to be your State Representative.”