MLAC Statement on Massachusetts House Leadership Appointments

Statement by Lonnie A. Powers, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation on Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo’s Leadership Appointments

BOSTON, March 3, 2015 — “We applaud Speaker DeLeo’s well-chosen leadership appointments, and congratulate the House committee leaders on their new positions. Our partnership with the legislature is vital to the success of civil legal aid programs in the Commonwealth, which provide critical support to low-income individuals and families facing issues related to housing, employment, education, health care, and domestic violence, among others. We would like to congratulate Representative John Fernandes, especially, on his appointment as Chair of the Judiciary Committee. Representative Fernandes served on the Boston Bar Association’s Statewide Task Force to Expand Civil Legal Aid in Massachusetts, which issued a groundbreaking report last fall on the state of civil legal aid in Massachusetts. We look forward to continued collaboration with Representative Fernandes as we work to increase funding for civil legal aid and fight for access to justice for all in the Commonwealth.”