Jay R. Kaufman
Since January 1995, Jay Kaufman has been serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. His primary interests are education, health care, environmental protection, and social and economic justice. He is currently Chairman of the Committee on Public Service and has served on the Committees on Health Care, Commerce and Labor, Criminal Justice, and Long-Term Capital Planning. He chaired a special legislative task force that developed landmark legislation on medical records privacy. Jay also chaired a committee examining the social and ethical implications of emerging genetic technology (Genetic Testing and Privacy Act of 2000), and a commission that explored alternatives to property taxes to fund public schools. During his freshman term, he broke a six-year logjam to win passage of the Rivers Act, a major environmental protection bill. He has sponsored tax reform legislation (property tax relief enacted in 2000) and secured increased funding for METCO, the state's premier racial desegregation program. Driven by his passion about the need to reinvent public education policy, he directed "A New Public Education", a Brandeis University based program of research and public conversations to define a new vision for public education in Massachusetts. Jay led the legislative fight to pass and implement the state's campaign finance reform law. He has become a well-known voice for progressive policies and an outspoken leader in the Massachusetts House.
Jay hosts OPEN HOUSE, a monthly public policy forum that received a Beacon Award as the nation's best government affairs series.
Prior to leaping into the political arena, Jay founded, and for 14 years directed, the Massachusetts Bay Consortium, a non-profit association of eighteen colleges and universities. The Consortium develops interdisciplinary environmental courses and brings together leaders in academe, government, business, the advocacy community and the public at large to promote sound environmental policies and practices. He also consults to organizations on strategic planning and change management. He now also directs the Center for Leadership and Public Life at Northeastern University.
Jay lives in Lexington with his wife Cathy (who trains American Sign Language interpreters). His sons Noah and Kenneth are students at the Northeastern University School of Law and Colby College, respectively. His son Marc lives in New York.
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