BOSTON—State Senator Jason Lewis joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to pass sweeping legislation to protect residents from the Trump administration’s weaponization of federal immigration enforcement. 

The PROTECT Act holds federal immigration agents legally accountable for civil rights violations, bans local and state police from participating in civil federal immigration enforcement, and prohibits immigration arrests at courthouses, houses of worship, schools, hospitals, and childcare facilities.

The bill also blocks unauthorized deployment of other states’ National Guards into Massachusetts and allows parents facing detention or deportation to pre-arrange guardianship for their children. 

“I am proud to be an immigrant to this country. Immigrants from all over the world have long made Massachusetts and the United States stronger by contributing in so many ways to our economy, culture, arts, and science,” said Senator Jason Lewis. “In addition to inflicting terrible pain and suffering on families who do not deserve to be treated this way, the Trump administration’s immigration policies are damaging our economy and our nation’s future prospects for growth, innovation, and global leadership. Through the PROTECT Act, the Massachusetts Senate is standing up for our immigrant residents and neighbors, for our communities, for our businesses, and for our future.”

The Senate’s PROTECT Act delivers targeted protections for those most at risk: young children, crime victims, legal residents with complex immigration statuses, and public employees subjected to federal intimidation. It also makes clear that none of its provisions limit local law enforcement’s ability to investigate and prosecute a crime. 

Highlights of the state Senate’s PROTECT Act include:

• Preventing racial profiling and limiting civil immigration enforcement by prohibiting state and local law enforcement from stopping, questioning, or targeting individuals based solely on immigration or citizenship status, and by clarifying that state and local law enforcement may not participate in civil immigration enforcement activities.
• Strengthening trust in local law enforcement by prohibiting Massachusetts law enforcement from participating in new federal “287(g)” agreements that deputize local police to carry out federal immigration enforcement duties. 
• Protecting sensitive community spaces by prohibiting warrantless civil immigration arrests in sensitive locations such as schools, childcare centers, hospitals, houses of worship, and state courthouses, helping ensure residents can access essential services without fear.
• Supporting families facing potential immigration detention by allowing parents to establish pre-arranged guardianship plans so children can remain safely cared for if a parent is detained or deported.
• Protecting victims and witnesses of crime by strengthening protections for immigrants who are victims or witnesses of crimes, including trafficking victims, and expedites visa processes so they can safely assist law enforcement and prosecutors.
• Safeguarding public employees acting in good faith by expanding protections for state and municipal employees through indemnification when they are acting within the scope of their official duties, shielding them from inappropriate federal intimidation or legal pressure. 

The PROTECT Act also includes legislation originally filed by Senator Lewis that requires employers to notify their employees when they receive federal notices of I-9 paperwork inspections which federal agents have weaponized to data mine personal information leading to warrantless raids and arrests.

The legislation is a product of extensive input from senators, immigrant rights groups, members of the public, and law enforcement officials. It builds on proposals offered by Governor Healey, the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, and the House of Representatives, as the legislature and executive branch recognize the gravity and urgency of these issues and work together to address them in a timely and coordinated way. 

After passing with a bipartisan vote of 37-3 in the state Senate, the PROTECT Act will now be reconciled with a similar version that was previously passed by the House of Representatives before being sent to Governor Healey for her signature.

BOSTON—State Senator Jason Lewis joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to pass the Mass Ready Act, an environmental bond bill that takes action to reduce plastic waste, invest in climate preparedness, and protect natural resources statewide.

The Senate’s legislation supports the removal of “forever chemicals” from drinking water, helps municipalities withstand floods and droughts, and makes outdoor recreation possible for more residents through improved trails and parks. It also expedites timelines for culvert replacement projects and includes requirements to inform prospective homebuyers and renters of flood risks. The bill includes $3.9 billion in bonding authorizations for a wide variety of environmental programs.

In an effort to cut down on pollution and our reliance on plastics, the bill would remove single-use plastic bags from retail stores, allow plastic utensils and straws to be given to consumers only upon request, prohibit single-use plastic bottle purchases by state agencies, except in emergency situations, and require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a statewide bulk plastic recycling program for products such as car seats.

During debate on the Senate floor, Senator Lewis was also successful in amending the bill to add a statewide prohibition on unrecyclable black plastic from being used as food service ware, and to require DEP to report back to the legislature on the feasibility and benefits of phasing out single-use polystyrene products.

“The production, consumption, and disposal of single-use plastics is causing tremendous harm to our environment and human health,” said Senator Jason Lewis. “Contrary to what many consumers believe, less than 10% of post-consumer plastic waste in the United States is actually recycled; the vast majority of this waste is burned in incinerators, buried in landfills, or ends up as litter in our streets and parks, eventually making its way into our oceans and breaking down into ubiquitous microplastics. This legislation puts us on the right track towards strong investments in protecting our environment and cleaning up our communities.”

Additional highlights of the state Senate’s Mass Ready Act include:

• Guarding against climate change and extreme weather events by authorizing up to $500 million for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program, supporting climate resiliency planning in cities and towns.
• Protecting clean drinking water and soil by authorizing up to $450 million for the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust to protect access to clean water across the Commonwealth, $125.5 million to support resource conservation and preservation initiatives, and $15 million to address PFAS, lead, and other contaminants in schools and childcare centers.
• Investing in critical infrastructure by authorizing up to $800.5 million for properties and roadways owned and managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, $521.6 million for state and municipally owned dams across the Commonwealth, $225 million for coastal infrastructure and resilience, and $5 million to promote the use of safer alternatives to PFAS in products and manufacturing.
• Conserving the natural world by authorizing up to $30 million for tree-planting initiatives across the Commonwealth, $50 million for MassTrails Grants, and $20 million to support the biodiversity goals of the Department of Fish and Game, as well as creating a local-option process for towns and cities to choose to ban anticoagulant rodenticides, which can be dangerous to pets and wild animals such as eagles and hawks.
• Supporting local farmers and healthy food access by authorizing up to $20 million to support the growth and economic competitiveness of the Commonwealth’s agricultural, commercial fishing, and cranberry-growing sectors, and $132.5 million for the Food Security Infrastructure Grant program including the Massachusetts Food Trust Program to increase access to healthy, affordable food.

After passing with a vote of 36-3 in the Senate, the bill was sent to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

BOSTON—State Senator Jason Lewis joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to pass the FARM Bill, agricultural legislation aimed at supporting Massachusetts’ 7,000 farms, making it easier for families to buy fresh and nutritious food, and protecting the state’s food supply for the future, as the state faces federal funding cuts and climate change threats.

An Act fostering agricultural resilience in Massachusetts—known as the FARM Bill—builds on a recent special commission report focused on making Massachusetts agricultural operations sustainable for the 21st century, and is a major step forward in supporting Massachusetts farmers and growing the state’s agricultural economy.

“Local farms and agriculture are core to our state’s economy and wellbeing,” said Senator Jason Lewis. “This legislation ensures small farms have the supports they need to grow in an evolving economy and bolsters farm-to-table and farm-to-school programs that promote healthy eating habits.”

Highlights of the FARM Bill include:

• Codifying the Healthy Incentives program (HIP) into law to help families afford fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Codifying the Farm to School program into law to support partnerships between schools and local growers that provide fresh ingredients for student meals.
• Supporting agritourism, such as corn mazes and ‘pick your own” berry and fruit operations, by removing hurdles that help owners of small farms to grow their businesses.
• Protecting farmland and improving long-term planning by creating a statewide agricultural land database and improving the Agricultural Preservation Restriction program to ensure long-term sustainability.
• Updating state emergency planning efforts to prioritize the security of the local food supply chain and requiring regular reporting on the distribution of local produce through food banks, universal school meals, Meals on Wheels, and other food assistance programs given federal cuts to emergency planning and assistance. 
• Exploring renewable energy opportunities on farmland, balancing clean energy goals with agricultural land preservation. 
• Establishing a five-year property tax exemption under a local option program for new farm buildings and structures to help farmers remain viable and expand their operations.
• Codifying the Food Security Infrastructure Grant program into law to build a more resilient and equitable local food system.

After passing with bipartisan support in the Senate, the FARM Bill was sent to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

BOSTON—State Senator Jason Lewis joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to pass the BRIGHT Act, a $3.28 billion bond bill that invests in upgrades to public higher education campuses across Massachusetts and strengthens the learning experiences of students at community colleges, state universities, and UMass campuses.

An Act to build resilient infrastructure to generate higher-ed transformation modernizes facilities and addresses the backlog of deferred campus maintenance by harnessing the power of the Fair Share Amendment, a small income surtax on the state’s wealthiest residents, to back a new state bond issuance.

“I was proud to help lead the passage of the Fair Share Amendment to support critical education investments just like this,” said Senator Jason Lewis. “This bill invests in new housing, modern and sustainable infrastructure, and urgent deferred maintenance that will save the state money in years to come and upgrade facilities for the benefit of our public college students.”

The funding will help cover deferred maintenance, repairs, and major capital projects including lab modernization, workforce development facilities, and climate resilience and energy efficiency priorities. The bill also provides support for public colleges and universities to turn unused campus property into housing or mixed-use developments, and simplify the process for selling or leasing surplus land. 

To finance BRIGHT Act projects, this legislation dedicates $125 million per year from the Fair Share surtax on high-earning households to create and back a new special revenue bond. The state collected roughly $3 billion in total Fair Share revenues in 2025. 

This capital investment package builds on recent Senate-led policies to make public higher education in Massachusetts more affordable and accessible, including tuition-free community college and substantial increases to student financial aid.

After passing with bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill will now be reconciled with a similar version that was previously passed by the House of Representatives before being sent to Governor Healey for her signature.

Dear friends,

After almost 12 years of proudly representing the Fifth Middlesex District, I have made the difficult decision not to run for re-election to the state Senate this year.

Serving in the Senate and previously in the House of Representatives has been a great privilege. I am truly grateful to the voters who placed their faith in me in numerous elections. I have had the opportunity to work on impactful legislation—like universal paid family and medical leave, increasing the minimum wage, the Student Opportunity Act, the Fair Share Amendment, strengthening early education and childcare, and Alzheimer’s treatment—that has improved the lives of my constituents and residents across the Commonwealth. I have also been able to partner with community groups to pursue exciting local projects, including constructing the Tri-Community Greenway, opening the Bridge Recovery Center, renovating the Winchester Center Commuter Rail Station, building many new schools, and more. It has also been very rewarding to provide constituent services that have helped people access healthcare, unemployment insurance, housing assistance, and resolve other issues that they are struggling with. 

I have certainly not done this work alone! I appreciate the hard-working and talented staff that have been part of my team over the years, my wonderful colleagues in the House and Senate, dedicated state and municipal public sector employees, inspiring citizen advocates and activists, and others who care deeply about public service and strengthening our communities. We have made a good team.

I look forward to continuing to serve my constituents until the last day of this legislative term. After that I will begin a new chapter in my life, one in which I will find new ways to make a meaningful impact.

Finally, I want to acknowledge how disheartening it has been to see a profession that I greatly respect—public service—be so utterly corrupted, abused, and debased by Donald Trump and his cronies. Since he was re-elected, I have struggled to maintain my optimism; but I draw strength and hope for our future from the many amazing people that I have had the great fortune to work with. I know firsthand their determination, integrity, resilience, compassion, and courage. Together, we will continue to strive for greater justice, equity, and opportunity for all.

State Senator Jason Lewis