Sen. Jehlen: Foreclosure Bill Will Keep People in Their Homes

Legislation was passed last week.

The following information was Sen. Patricia Jehlen's office: The Massachusetts State Senate last week approved a bill aiming to require lenders to offer modified loans to people on the verge of foreclosure. Under the legislation, lenders conduct a financial analysis to determine whether  receiving lower monthly mortgage payments from the borrower would bring a better return than the anticipated recovery from a foreclosure. Sen. Patricia Jehlen, a Democrat serving Medford and Somerville, has been vocal in her support of the bill. “This bill will help keep people in their homes,” Jehlen said in a written statement.  “The foreclosure crisis has affected many, with 62 properties already foreclosed upon and 179 more in the process in my …

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Letter to the Editor

Sen. Jehlen Confronts the 'Wage Gap' Between Men and Women

"The wage gap costs the average working woman $150 each paycheck, $8000 each year, and $380,000 during her lifetime," writes Jehlen.

Editor's note: In the following letter to the editor, Somerville State Sen. Patricia Jehlen talks about the pay gap between men and women. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Equal Pay for Equal Work? Can We Afford to Wait Another 46 Years? If you were frantically trying to submit your returns before the deadline, you may have missed that April 17th was significant for a reason other than taxes.  It was Equal Pay Day, a day designed to raise awareness about the fact that even after decades of progress, women still only earn about 80 cents for every dollar that men earn.  That means that the wage gap costs the average working woman $150 each paycheck, $8000 each year, and $380,000 during her lifetime!   Since…

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HIV Testing Bill Sponsored By Jehlen Passes Senate

State Senator Patricia Jehlen's bill to allow verbal consent for HIV tests passed in the Senate and has been sent to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Article and info provided by Senator Jehlen's Office: On Thursday, the Senate passed a bill that will expand HIV testing in Massachusetts.  The bill, sponsored by Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville), makes testing easier by removing burdensome written consent testing requirements while still retaining all of the patient privacy protections currently in the law.  The law puts Massachusetts in line with 48 other states in allowing patients to verbally consent to HIV tests. “This bill will save lives, expand testing, reduce new infections, and save the Commonwealth money,” said Sen. Jehlen.  “This bill is the result of collaboration among many groups, including doctors and advocates for those living with HIV.  A large number of doctors …

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