Issue Position: Fighting for Our Future -- The Economy, Education, the Environment
Issue Position
Will Brownsberger has:
Moved bill to ease barriers to innovation. Together with Rep. Lori Ehrlich, Will has led efforts to reduce the use of non-competition agreements in Massachusetts. These agreements prohibit employees from working for or creating potential competitors of an employer. While there is a legitimate need to protect intellectual property and other business assets, these agreements are overused and prevent people from forming new companies and even from getting new jobs after having been fired. Will has led a very collaborative process to strike the right balance on this issue including businesses and employee representatives. A result of that process received a favorable committee report in 2010 and has garnered increasing support this year.
Led in passage of state's clean energy plan. In the 2007-8 session, Will worked hard to get the legislature to pass the Global Warming Solutions Act, a bill which requires the state to inventory its greenhouse gas sources and develop a plan to reduce them. He was recognized for his successful efforts by the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters. (See the MLEV honor roll in this PDF pamphlet) In the current session, Will is working to strengthen that plan.
Won green transportation and bicycle laws. Will's efforts in the 2009 session contributed to inclusion of green transportation planning provisions in the transportation reform act. (Read more about green transportation) He also led in passage of a bicycle safety bill that would give cyclists more rights on the road, while at the same time holding them to a higher standard of behavior by making it easier to ticket them.
Opened doors for virtual learning technology. We are not doing a good job training young engineers and at the same time we are losing to the streets many kids who have struggled academically. Differentiated learning technology will help us do much better by all of our children. Working with Rep. Marty Walz and Rep. Alice Peisch, Will has advanced legislation to create new types of schools that make better use of technology.
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