Legislative Director, MASSPIRG
Started on staff: 1986
B.S., University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Deirdre runs MASSPIRG’s public health, consumer protection and tax and budget programs. Deirdre has led campaigns to improve public records law and require all state spending to be transparent and available on an easy-to-use website, close $400 million in corporate tax loopholes, protect the state’s retail sales laws to reduce overcharges and preserve price disclosures, reduce costs of health insurance and prescription drugs, and more. Deirdre also oversees a Consumer Action Center in Weymouth, Mass., which has mediated 17,000 complaints and returned $4 million to Massachusetts consumers since 1989. Deirdre currently resides in Maynard, Mass., with her family. Over the years she has visited all but one of the state’s 351 towns — Gosnold.
Attorney General Maura Healey today sued manufacturers of poly- and perfluoroalkyl (PFAS) “forever” chemicals used in firefighting foam for causing millions of dollars in damages to communities across Massachusetts by knowingly contaminating drinking water sources, groundwater, and other natural resources with highly toxic PFAS chemicals that pose a serious threat to public health and the environment.
Public health leaders and organizations called on state lawmakers to pass a bill to get the lead out of drinking water at Massachusetts schools and childcare centers at a State House public hearing.
New FAA announcement action will result in more airports ending their use of the highly toxic PFAS firefighting foam, know as Aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), which has contaminated water at hundreds of sites across the country.
Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate prescription drug prices is a start, more reforms are needed.
State legislature to consider updating Open Meeting Law
State legislative committee considers bill enhancing public access to local government meetings by guaranteeing hybrid meeting options.
