As your next State Representative, Kostas will fight for…
Affordable Childcare
Massachusetts ranks among the most expensive states in terms of childcare costs in the United States. To enroll a child in standard full-time daycare, a family would need to pay an average cost of $372 a week, or almost $20,000 a year. This makes it harder for new parents to go back to work, potentially limiting their personal and career growth. We need to work to allocate more money towards childcare programs so young families can flourish and not have to choose between working and raising children.
Sustainable Housing Solutions
Affordable housing is an issue that affects all demographics in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, whether you’re trying to buy your first house or hold onto the home you raised your family in. Kostas will work tirelessly to secure funding for affordable homes programs to help solve our housing supply problem including accessory dwelling units by right, and reducing the minimum lot size required to build a home. Kostas will also work to support property tax relief for seniors so they do not get priced out of their homes.
Organized Labor
As a labor leader himself, Kostas understands the need to protect workers in the Commonwealth from unfair labor practices. Massachusetts ranks among the most expensive states to live in, which is why we need to ensure everyone is paid a fair and livable wage. It is also important that we work to expand organized labor and fight against union-busting and other anti-union behaviors. When we stand together, we are given greater strength at the bargaining table and can improve everyone’s standard of living. When we fight, we win!
Expanding Educational Opportunities
Kostas is a strong supporter of ensuring access to pathways after high school, whether that is through college, university, or vocational training. Kostas wants to emphasize technical training so that people who choose not to go to college can learn skills and trades to build better lives for themselves. As a graduate of the Mansfield Public School system, Kostas believes that strong public schools are essential and will advocate on behalf of students and educators. Foxboro, Mansfield, and Norton deserve to have top-tier school districts that meet the daily needs of students and educators. He will fight hard in the State House to secure funding for necessary upgrades to school buildings and other needs in partnership with our local school boards.
Reproductive Rights
Kostas strongly believes abortion is healthcare, and healthcare decisions should be made by the patient and their doctor. Ensuring women have access to safe abortion is a right that needs to be protected. As abortion access is being limited across the country, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts needs to strengthen reproductive rights and ensure that reproductive healthcare is accessible and covered by insurers, including both private insurance and MassHealth. Kostas is also committed to ensuring that families in the Commonwealth have access to affordable fertility treatments and family planning so that parenthood is an option for people if and when they are ready.
Addiction Recovery
To address the addiction epidemic we need to do several things. First, we need to expand access to treatment by ensuring programs are well-funded so that people currently suffering from addiction can get the help they need. Secondly, we need to increase monitoring of prescription drugs to ensure that potentially dangerous medications are not being over-prescribed by healthcare providers. This can be done by enhancing the Massachusetts Prescription Awareness Tool (MassPAT) which tracks prescription drug use. We also need to increase support for mental health services. People often turn to drugs as a form of self-medication, and this can lead to substance abuse and further increase the addiction epidemic.
