‘Our children are going to benefit from this’

A group of advocates waited outside of the Senate Chamber as lawmakers met in formal session. Some sat on chairs and chatted with companions, while others walked back and forth in the hall, sometimes peeking through the door seam with expectant eyes.
One hour later, Deborah Harris of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and Sen. Sal DiDomenico, D-Everett, came out from the chamber. The advocates immediately clustered. After finding out about the result, the group burst into cheers. They waved a self-made banner and put on their blue caps, which were printed with a short caption in white, “We lifted the cap on kids.”
The controversial welfare family cap, which prevented families from receiving additional benefits if they have another child, was finally lifted after the sixth legislative vote to override Gov. Charlie Baker’s vetoes on April 25…Harris has long supported lifting the cap. She wrote in her testimony that it hurts children born to very low-income mothers. It also hurts the child’s older sisters and brothers, because siblings excluded by the cap would face increased risks of homelessness and other hardships associated with extreme poverty, including cognitive, emotional, and physical health challenges, she said.
Read more in the Lowell Sun.