At Issue & In Focus

National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Wednesday, January 11^th has been proclaimed as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Human trafficking is one of the most egregious human rights violations we see. It is a heinous crime of exploitation that involves forcing people to work for others for profit, whether through traditional types of labor or sexual exploitation.  Victims are men, women, and children from our state, our country, and across the globe.  Experts estimate that world-wide, 27 million people are trafficked annually bringing in $32 billion dollars. It is the fastest growing and second largest black market.

This past year, our office worked with legislators to enact a law that makes human trafficking a felony in our state and creates services for victims. The passage of this law has given us some important tools to combat trafficking, but more work needs to be done. To that end, we are beginning the work of our state wide task force made up of government and non-profit agencies to examine and address all aspects of trafficking.

Everyone has something to offer in the fight against human trafficking. Hospital, hotel, and transportation staff are in a unique position to identify victims.  Educators and parents can encourage prevention and internet safety education. Today, everyone can take a moment to learn about the signs and consequences of human trafficking and all that we can do to prevent this exploitation.

To learn more about human trafficking and what you can do, visit the Attorney General’s website.

AG Coakley Announces Legislative Agenda

Attorney General Martha Coakley today announced the filing of nine bills as a part of her legislative agenda. The series of bills seek to better protect public safety, combat fraud and corruption, and address the foreclosure crisis in Massachusetts. The bills include legislation that would establish standards and require banks to engage in loan modifications when they are financially beneficial to the bank before foreclosing on a property.  The AG’s Office also filed comprehensive human trafficking legislation that would establish human trafficking for sexual servitude or labor as a crime in Massachusetts, one of only five states in the country without human trafficking laws. Additionally, the AG’s Office filed comprehensive economic crime legislation designed to give law enforcement the necessary tools to investigate and prosecute sophisticated criminal activities and enterprises in the 21^st century.  Other bills filed relate to drug trafficking in methamphetamine, corporate manslaughter, dissemination of harmful materials to minors, manufactured housing, metals dealing, and the failure to have workers’ compensation insurance.  To see the full press release, click here.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an international observance promoted by the United Nations (U.N.) since 1992 and held each year on December 3^rd. 

The Day aims to promote a better understanding of disability issues with a focus on the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities.

To learn more, check out the U.N.’s web page Enable or go to www.disability.gov.

Suffrage Educational Materials Now Available Online

2010 is the 90th anniversary of National Women’s Suffrage in the United States, an important anniversary in the history of our country and in the history of women.  In recognition of this historic milestone, Attorney General Martha Coakley and the Women’s Suffrage Celebration Committee (WSCC) have sponsored a series of opportunities to raise awareness of the importance of the right to vote and the contributions made by women to our civic life.

The Education Subcommittee of the WSCC recently compiled various educational resources related to women’s suffrage which include links to materials related to equality, voter registration, get-out-the vote campaigns, and similar topics and they are now posted online. 

To access a selection of books, reading lists, documents, children’s resources, films, and websites regarding women’s history, visit the Women's Suffrage Educational Materials page of our website.

Education Materials Disclaimer: Books, lists, resources and websites were compiled from a variety of sources with the assistance of the Women's Suffrage Celebration Education Sub-Committee. The Attorney General's Office is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any resources listed.

High School Student Scholarship Opportunity

2010 is the 90th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. To honor this milestone anniversary, Attorney General Coakley has partnered with a number of organizations to offer a “Citizenship in Action” scholarship contest for Massachusetts high school students.

The contest is an opportunity for both young men and women to learn more about the sacrifices made, throughout history, to ensure women the right to vote. Interested students may submit an essay, digital video or poster on a number of themes for consideration. Three winners will be chosen by a team of judges and the prizes will be awarded by the Attorney General at a public event.

Deadline extended:  The deadline to enter is Friday, December 10, 2010.

For more information on the “Citizenship in Action” contest, visit the AGO website.

We The People...

223 years ago today, the U.S. Constitution was signed in Independence Hall in Philadelphia.  Still considered one of the most important and influential events in American history, this monumental document, modeled on the Massaachusetts Constitution, authored by our own John Adams, established the many rights and freedoms “We the People” enjoy today. The Constitution laid out the principles of liberty, access to justice, fairness, and equality. 

It is our responsibility to ensure that the noble principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution live on today as we celebrate the anniversary of this historic day. See how much you know about the U.S. Constitution by taking some of the fun and educational quizzes here (find out which signer you were most like!) or check out these 10 Fast Facts on the Constitution provided by the National Constitution Center.

 

AGO Honors Women's Suffrage

August 26 marked the 90th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Having a say in government was one of the principles this country was founded on, with No Taxation without Representation as the battle cry of the original “Sons of Liberty” on the Boston Common. Throughout our history, we have seen so many sacrifice so much for the right to vote – it is important to recognize those efforts, because that right is something so many people often take for granted.

To honor this anniversary, Attorney General Coakley has partnered with a number of organizations to celebrate suffrage. A number of events will honor the sacrifice of the pioneers of women’s suffrage throughout the fall, including a “Citizenship In Action” contest for High School Junior and Seniors. The contest is an opportunity for both young men and women to learn more about the sacrifices made, throughout history, to ensure women the right to vote. Interested students may submit an essay, digital video or poster on a number of themes for consideration. Three winners will be chosen by a team of judges and honored at one of the planned events. For more information on the “Citizenship In Action” contest, or some of the other events visit the AGO website.

Bringing Down Barriers

20 years ago today, Congress passed the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - one of the nation's premier civil rights laws - in an effort to ensure equality, access, and inclusion for all people with disabilities.

Today, 1 in 6 Americans, or almost 50 million people, directly benefit from this law. Over the past two decades, the ADA has made a powerful difference in helping those with disabilities achieve better access to housing, employment, entertainment, health care, travel and civic participation.

But barriers remain – whether they are barriers created by buildings or barriers created from ignorance. Those barriers took generations to create and it will take continued vigilance and dedication to fight and remove them.  The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office enforces federal and state laws protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities, successfully handling individual cases and advocating for the broader disabled community.
Here are a few recent examples:

• Attorney General Coakley secures nationwide relief for blind individuals in landmark settlement with Apple over the inaccessibility of its iTunes Store.
• Attorney General Coakley’s Office Obtains Consent Judgment Against Berkshire County Newspaper for Alleged Publication of Discriminatory Housing Advertisements
  
• Attorney General Coakley And The National Federation Of The Blind Reach Settlement With ATM Operator To Improve Accessibility, increasing the number of machines equipped with voice guidance technology to its fleet of over 23,000 ATMs nationwide and on more than 1,200 ATMs in Massachusetts, benefitting over 35,000 blind persons in Massachusetts

For more information on the rights of those with disabilities, please visit to the AGO website.

Lead Paint Safety in Massachusetts

The Attorney General’s Office Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention grant program, which concluded last month, supported public health programs across the Commonwealth in their efforts to provide lead poisoning education, outreach and testing to underserved populations statewide. Using funding from a national, multi-state settlement agreement with Mattel, Inc., and its subsidiary, Fisher-Price, Inc, the AGO awarded $433,000 to nine public health programs across the Commonwealth to provide education, outreach and testing to underserved populations.

Overall, the grantees distributed more than 15,000 pieces of educational material to families and individuals at risk for lead poisoning. Over 4,000 people learned about the affects of lead poisoning and how to protect children and others. The AGO grantees also participated in 230 different health fairs and education sessions over the course of the year. In addition, the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupation Safety and Health (MassCOSH) co-produced a play exposing the dangers of lead poisoning for day laborers and their families. The program was a onetime funding opportunity, but for the AGO and our community partners, the work goes on.

In addition to education and prevention, the AGO continues to prosecute lead paint violations, largely arising from the discriminatory refusal of landlords to rent an apartment to families with children. 

To learn more about the AGO grantees visit the AGO website. For more information on childhood lead paint testing and activities as part of the Massachusetts Lead Poisoning Prevention week, visit the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.

DOMA Decision Reached

Last Thursday, the Attorney General’s Office won a landmark decision that struck down Section 3 of DOMA. Today, same-sex wedded couples in Massachusetts will immediately be eligible for over 1,100 federal benefits that they were previously ineligible for due to this discriminatory and unprecedented law which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman.  This is the first time a successful challenge to the Spending Clause of the Constitution has been brought and only the third time that a successful 10th amendment challenge was brought.

The decision, issued late yesterday by Judge Joseph L. Tauro also distinctly gives Massachusetts the right to regulate marriage among its citizens so that it no longer has to operate under a federally created caste system of first and second class marriages. Judge Tauro wrote in his ruling that “DOMA set the Commonwealth on a collision course with the federal government in the field of domestic relations.” Judge Tauro also wrote that because the federal government attached unconstitutional conditions to the receipt of federal funding, it exceed the scope of its authority. Massachusetts was the first of five states to marry same-sex couples.