Although I made the decision not to participate in the recent State Senate forum due to concerns regarding the impartiality of the process, I believe the voters of this district still deserve the opportunity to know where I stand on the issues that were raised.

As promised, I am making my responses to the Randolph Forum questions publicly available below.

I remain committed to answering questions, discussing the issues that matter to our communities, and giving voters the information they need to make their own informed decisions.

Water infrastructure and quality have been ongoing issues in Bridgewater and other communities. What are your short, medium, and long-term fixes to address this issue?

Answer:

• Safe drinking water is not a luxury, it’s a basic responsibility of government. When residents turn on their tap water, they should be able to trust what comes out.
• Short term, focus on transparency and immediate assistance. Bridgewater needs timely testing, clear consistent communication and help accessing federal funding.
• Medium term, focus on modernizing treatment systems, replace aging pipes and wells, and pursue regional solutions that make sense.
• Long term, advocate for predictable capital funding. Create and infrastructure plan that prioritizes communities with the greatest need.

School districts across the Commonwealth are facing tough budget seasons. How are you working with district leaders to limit the negative impacts of funding shortfalls on student experience and success? In particular, unrestricted government aid?

Answer:

• My job as a senator would be to work directly with district leaders to identify those pressure points and then fight for targeted state resources. I would also push for full implementation of the Student Opportunity Act, while making sure that the formula reflects the actual costs districts are facing.
• Most importantly, I don’t want budget cuts to become cuts to opportunity. If a district is forced to make difficult choices, we should be asking how we protect classroom instruction, special education, mental health services, vocational opportunities, athletics, arts, and the programs that keep students engaged.
• Every child deserves a great education, regardless of the ZIP code they happen to live in.

The senate district is made up of seven communities with different needs and challenges. How can a State Senator represent these varying needs effectively?

Answer:

• My first goal in office is to create and implement a Municipality Partnership Initiative. Through this initiative, we will be building a solid structure of how each town’s municipalities work with the State Senate office. We will meet monthly with municipalities, maintain a district action dashboard tracking every major municipal priority, build a regional roundtable so communities can solve shared challenges together, help municipalities secure state funding while coordinating directly with state agencies, and publish annual community reports cards so residents know what has been accomplished.

Is MBTA zoning, plus the new ADU legislation, sufficient to make abundant housing, or what else is needed? MBTA zoning requires towns to have higher-density housing near transit stops; ADUs are Accessory Dwelling Units, with a new law allowing one in every single-family home.

Answer:

• I believe housing policy has to recognize that communities need infrastructure to support growth. If we’re asking a community to accommodate more residents, the Commonwealth should be prepared to help with schools, water, wastewater, roads, and transportation.
• We need different kinds of housing, not one-size-fits-all development. Young people need starter homes and apartments. Seniors need downsizing options. Families need three and four bedroom housing. People with disabilities need accessible homes.
• My goal would be abundant housing that is attainable, well-planned, and connected to the infrastructure and services people need.”

Medicare-for-All did not make the November ballot; do you agree with universal healthcare?

Answer:

• Massachusetts should continue working toward universal access while aggressively addressing the things that make healthcare unaffordable: prescription drug costs, hospital consolidation, insurance regulations, primary-care shortages, and the cost of mental and behavioral healthcare.
• I would also want to understand the financing and implementation details of any Medicare-for-All proposal before promising residents that one particular structure is the answer.
• My standard is straightforward: every person should be able to get the care they need, and we should build a system that is financially sustainable for patients, employers, taxpayers, doctors, nurses, and hospitals.

Nine other ballot initiatives did make the November ballot; do you have any that you strongly support or strongly oppose?

Answer:

• I strongly support greater transparency in government, so I am particularly supportive of the effort to strengthen public-records access. Government belongs to the people, and transparency shouldn’t be treated as an inconvenience.
• I’m also supportive of policies that protect our natural resources and make government more accessible and accountable.
• More broadly, I encourage voters to read each question carefully. Nine statewide initiatives is a lot, and voters should understand exactly what a yes or no vote does before they cast it.

Please give us your thoughts on what the parameters of any audit of the state legislature ought to be. Would you support the will of Massachusetts voters as expressed in the Question 1 outcome of 2024? Would you support the audit scope that Auditor DiZoglio recommends?

Answer:

• I absolutely support accountability for the Legislature.
• I also believe an audit needs to be genuinely independent and professionally conducted. The 2024 voters were very clear in Question 1: they wanted the State Auditor to have authority to audit the Legislature. I respect that vote, and I would not simply ignore it.

The recently-signed PROTECT Act limits federal immigration enforcement overreach and restricts local and state police cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Do you support the new law, and should it have been stronger or weaker?

Answer:

• I support the fundamental principle behind the PROTECT Act: Massachusetts law enforcement should be focused on keeping Massachusetts communities safe, not functioning as an arm of federal civil immigration enforcement.
• I believe local police need the trust of the people they serve.
• The Commonwealth should defend constitutional rights, maintain public trust in local law enforcement, and make clear where state authority ends and federal immigration authority begins.

What is your take on Flock Safety cameras? They record photos with automated license plate readers for local criminal investigations, but the data has been leaked for inappropriate usage. How to restrict inappropriate use in balance with personal privacy and civil rights?

Answer:

• Until the restrictions are strong enough and are regionally coordinated, I cannot support the need for Flock Safety Cameras at this time. It is important that the public feels comfortable with the restrictions and the surrounding towns are working in unison.

What is the biggest challenge facing residents of this district, and how would you most effectively leverage the powers of this State Senate seat to impact solutions?

Answer:

• In short, my answer is the cost of living.
• The populations of each town in our district continue to grow. Problems continue to arise, we continue to find ourselves asking the same questions. Accountability, transparency, and trust are built through structure. Building a structure that each of our towns can comprehend and succeed in.
• That’s why I don’t think the answer is one bill or one program. The State Senate seat gives me several tools to work with: the budget, legislation, oversight, appointments and relationships with state agencies, and most importantly, the ability to bring the needs of our seven communities directly to Beacon Hill.
• I would use that position to fight for infrastructure funding, responsible housing development, strong schools, municipal aid, transportation improvements, economic development, and programs that help seniors and working families stay in the communities they call home.
• My Municipal Partnership Initiative encourages the State Senate office and the entire district to work as one.

How to increase Chapter 90 aid?

Answer:

• Our cities and towns shouldn’t have to beg the State House every year for money to fix roads they are responsible for maintaining. Chapter 90 should be predictable, adequately funded and based on the infrastructure communities actually have to maintain.
• 1. Raise Chapter 90 to at least $400 million annually.
• 2. Authorize it for five years instead of one year at a time.
• 3. Use road mileage as the primary basis for distributing the additional funding.

Another question on the ballot: Your views on the potential impacts if passed on repeal of the marijuana law is passed?

Answer:

• Immediate financial impact to the state’s budget from receiving excise tax
• Thousands of jobs lost
• Repealing will open the door to a black market again that we have worked so hard to move away from.

A Commitment to the Voters

These responses are being published so voters throughout the district have direct access to my positions on the questions presented as part of the Randolph Forum.

I will continue to engage directly with residents, answer questions, and make my positions available to the people I am asking to represent.

Tony King
Candidate for State Senate