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.
MASSPIRG is working to safeguard public health, protect consumers in the marketplace, transform our energy and transportation systems, reduce waste, remove toxic threats, curb wasteful spending, revitalize our democracy, and protect our environment.
Broad coalition calls on lawmakers to support new bill to ban toxic PFAS.
Lawmakers file bill to make large buildings more energy efficient.
MASSPIRG praises new Governor's pledge to fight global warming, protect our environment, and improve public transit.
Advocates highlight environmental and health risks associated with gas stoves and demonstrate induction cooking.
