Expanding Public Transportation
Fewer cars will clog Boston’s highways thanks to an upcoming five-mile extension of the Green Line. Our research and advocacy helped build support for the project. We also helped convince state leaders to begin study on four additional major rail expansions.
Closing Corporate Tax Loopholes
No longer will a few powerful corporations get away with exploiting tax loopholes, thanks to a tax fairness bill we worked to pass in 2008. The new law will keep more than $400 million from being funneled to out-of-state subsidiaries each year.
Ending Big Pharma’s Giveaways To Doctors
Drugmakers can no longer shower doctors with free gifts, meals and trips to boost the sales of prescription drugs. That’s because we persuaded Beacon Hill leaders to crack down on Pharma’s “direct-to-doctor” marketing practices, which contribute to the spiraling cost of prescriptions.
Keeping Dangerous Toys Off Store Shelves
Toxic chemicals, including lead and hormone-disrupting phthalates, are now banned in toys, thanks to a law we worked alongside our delegation to help pass in Congress. The same law requires regulators to test toys and infant products for safety before they hit store shelves.
Locking Out Identity Thieves
In the wake of failures in data security on the part of data dealers and credit card companies, we worked to convince the Legislature to pass one of the nation’s strongest laws to prevent identity theft in 2007.
Demanding Action From Big Tobacco
Lives have been saved by the Fire-Safe Cigarette Bill MASSPIRG helped to pass in 2006. The law requires cigarette manufacturers to make cigarettes with paper that burns slower to prevent fires started by cigarettes.
Getting Young Voters To The Polls
In 2008, for the first time in 20 years, the number of young voters going to the polls exceeded the number of voters over age 65. Our New Voters Project played a part in making it happen in Massachusetts, helping more than 10,000 students register to vote on Massachusetts college campuses.
Working To Update The Bottle Bill
MASSPIRG helped to win the original Bottle Bill in 1982, and we’ve helped build support to update the landmark recycling law to include millions of new containers, including bottled water.
Making Beacon Hill More Transparent
Where are your tax dollars being spent, exactly? Our 2008 report “Transparency.gov 2.0” made the case for bringing the state budget online, to boost accountability and efficiency in government spending.
