MassScorecard.org comparison of Legislative voting record with the Massachusetts Democratic Platform


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EXPLANATORY NOTE by OnTheIssues.org:

We at OnTheIssues.org have a "sister organization" at the local level in Massachusetts, called Mass Scorecard.

Like OnTheIssues, the Mass Scorecard gathers voting records, then publicizes and explains them.

Like OnTheIssues, the Mass Scorecard allows legislators to explain their votes if they so choose (some did!).

Like OnTheIssues, the Mass Scorecard is heavily criticized for daring to make this public information more... public.

In the case of the MassScorecard, we compared legislators' voting records to the Massachusetts Democratic Party Platform. Many in the Massachusetts Democratic Party did not like that at all, nor did many of the legislators being compared. We believe that indicates that we're doing the right thing!

Below are the voting records of people who overlap between the Mass Scorecard and OnTheIssues.

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Grace Ross: Supports Stem Cell Research.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on overriding veto on Stem Cell Research Bill.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on overriding veto on Stem Cell Research Bill.     Mitt Romney: Vetoed stem cell research bill.

Budget & Economy     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on $300M to offset the budget deficit via bonds.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on $300M to offset the budget deficit via bonds.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on $300M to offset the budget deficit via bonds.

Civil Rights     Grace Ross: Opposes defining marriage for heterosexuals only.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on defining marriage as one man and one woman.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on defining marriage as one man and one woman.     Richard Tisei: Voted NO on defining marriage as one man and one woman.     Scott Brown: Voted YES on defining marriage as one man and one woman.     Richard Tisei: Opposed $200K reduction to blind job program.     Richard Tisei: Supported $900K for disability & mentoring aid.     Karyn Polito: Supported $900K for disability & mentoring aid.     Karyn Polito: Opposed "Turning 22" mental disability program.     Marty Walsh: Opposed $200K reduction to blind job program.     Marty Walsh: Opposed $900K for disability & mentoring aid.     Marty Walsh: Supported "Turning 22" mental disability program.     Richard Tisei: Opposed "Turning 22" mental disability program.     Scott Brown: Supported $200K reduction to blind job program.     Scott Brown: Supported $900K for disability & mentoring aid.     Scott Brown: Opposed "Turning 22" mental disability program.

Corporations     Grace Ross: Close corporate tax loopholes.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on closing $85 million in corporate tax loopholes.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on closing $85 million in corporate tax loopholes.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on Defeating corporate tax disclosure.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on Extending corporate tax credit 5 years.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on defeating corporate tax disclosure.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on Extending corporate tax credit 5 years.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on Defeating corporate tax disclosure.     Scott Brown: Voted YES on Extending corporate tax credit 5 years.

Crime     Grace Ross: Opposes capital punishment on human rights & racial grounds.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on reinstating capital punishment.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on reinstating capital punishment.     Karyn Polito: Opposed funding Mass Correctional Legal Services.     Richard Tisei: Opposed funding Mass Correctional Legal Services.     Marty Walsh: Supported funding Mass Correctional Legal Services.     Scott Brown: Opposed funding Mass Correctional Legal Services.

Drugs     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on earmark for women's substance abuse program.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on earmark for women's substance abuse program.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on earmark for women's substance abuse program.

Education     Grace Ross: No “under God” litmus test in pledge of allegiance.     Karyn Polito: Opposed federal school breakfast supplement.     Richard Tisei: Opposed federal school breakfast supplement.     Marty Walsh: Supported federal school breakfast supplement.     Scott Brown: Opposed federal school breakfast supplement.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on 3-year moratorium on charter schools.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on 3-year moratorium on charter schools.

Environment     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on requiring dental amalgam (mercury) separators.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on requiring dental amalgam (mercury) separators.     Karyn Polito: Opposed keeping park maintenance funding within MDC.     Marty Walsh: Supported keeping park maintenance funding within MDC.     Scott Brown: Opposed keeping park maintenance funding within MDC.     Richard Tisei: Supported cuts in Water Management Act enforcement.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on reduced fees for blood lead level testing.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on reduced fees for blood lead level testing.     Richard Tisei: Voted NO on reduced fees for blood lead level testing.

Families & Children     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on affirming marriage for heterosexuals only.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on affirming marriage for heterosexuals only.

Free Trade     Richard Tisei: Voted YES on International Trade Council to promote exports.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on International Trade Council to promote exports.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on International Trade Council to promote exports.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on International Trade Council to promote exports.

Health Care     Grace Ross: Expand psychiatric services as part of universal coverage.     Grace Ross: Supports employer assessment for uninsured employees.     Grace Ross: Expand MassHealth as basis for single system of coverage.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on maintaining two state psychiatric hospitals.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on maintaining two state psychiatric hospitals.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on Constitutional call for universal health care.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on Constitutional call for universal health care.     Richard Tisei: Voted YES on Constitutional call for universal health care.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on Constitutional call for universal health care.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on tax credits for all smoking regulation costs.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on tax credits for all smoking regulation costs.     Scott Brown: Voted YES on tax credits for all smoking regulation costs.     Richard Tisei: Opposed tax credits for all smoking regulation costs.     Marty Walsh: Opposed $10M cut in the uncompensated care pool.     Richard Tisei: Supported $10M cut in the uncompensated care pool.     Scott Brown: Supported $10M cut in the uncompensated care pool.

Immigration     Grace Ross: Allow in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.     Karyn Polito: Opposed two-way bilingual programs; supported English-only.     Marty Walsh: Supported two-way bilingual programs; supported English-only.     Richard Tisei: Opposed two-way bilingual programs; supported English-only.     Scott Brown: Opposed two-way bilingual programs; supported English-only.

Jobs     Grace Ross: Federal workfare rules violate minimum wages rules.     Richard Tisei: Voted NO on early retirement for MWRA-work-related cancer.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on early retirement for MWRA-work-related cancer.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on early retirement for MWRA-work-related cancer.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on early retirement for MWRA-work-related cancer.

Principles & Values     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on 'one nation under God' in pledge of allegiance.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on 'one nation under God' in pledge of allegiance.

Tax Reform     Grace Ross: Opposes papital gains tax rebate.     Grace Ross: Postpone reduction of income tax to 5%.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on postponing reduction of income tax to 5%.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on postponing reduction of income tax to 5%.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on capital gains tax rebates.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on capital gains tax rebates.     Richard Tisei: Voted YES on municipal meals tax, in addition to state tax.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on municipal meals tax, in addition to state tax.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on municipal meals tax, in addition to state tax.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on municipal meals tax, in addition to state tax.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on raising income tax to 5.95% to offset deficit.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on raising income tax to 5.95% to offset deficit.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on raising income tax to 5.95% to offset deficit.

Technology     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on replacing restrictions on local aid allocations.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on replacing restrictions on local aid allocations.     Richard Tisei: Voted NO on emerging technologies, math & science Fund.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on emerging technologies, math & science Fund.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on emerging technologies, math & science Fund.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on emerging technologies, math & science Fund.

Welfare & Poverty     Grace Ross: Opposes restricting welfare benefits to 5 years.     Grace Ross: $220K for homelessness; increase home-ownership options.     Grace Ross: $2M for Mass Rental Voucher Program as first step.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on $2 million for Mass Rental Voucher Program.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on $2 million for Mass Rental Voucher Program.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on restricting welfare benefits to 5 years.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on restricting welfare benefits to 5 years.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on veto override for $220K for homelessness.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on studying how to overcome federal workfare rules.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on veto override for $220K for homelessness.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on studying how to overcome federal workfare rules.     Mitt Romney: Vetoed $220K for state-run homelessness projects.     Mitt Romney: Vetoed studying how MA can overcome federal workfare rules.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on rejecting $25M earmarked for Housing Trust Fund.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on rejecting $25M earmarked for Housing Trust Fund.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on removing funds for Affordable Housing Trust.     Marty Walsh: Voted NO on removing funds for Affordable Housing Trust.     Richard Tisei: Voted NO on allowing parents on welfare to attend school.     Karyn Polito: Voted NO on allowing parents on welfare to attend school.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on allowing parents on welfare to attend school.     Scott Brown: Voted NO on allowing parents on welfare to attend school.     Karyn Polito: Voted YES on workfare for mothers of 2- to 6-year-olds.     Marty Walsh: Voted YES on workfare for mothers of 2- to 6-year-olds.     Scott Brown: Voted YES on workfare for mothers of 2- to 6-year-olds.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Grace Ross Former Green Challenger 2006 Karyn Polito Massachusetts Republican Lt. Governor Marty Walsh Massachusetts Mayor of Boston Mitt Romney Massachusetts Former GOP Governor (2003-2006); Pres. candidate (2008) Richard Tisei Massachusetts Republican Lt. Gov. Challenger Scott Brown Previously MA Republican Jr Senator New Hampshire