Kafka to Seek Another Term as Stoughton’s State Representative

Representative Louis L. Kafka (D-Stoughton) announced in a press release on Friday that he will be seeking reelection to another term as the State Representative to the Massachusetts General Court from the 8th Norfolk District.

Citing the challenges that lay ahead for his District and the Commonwealth, Kafka is both “concerned and invigorated by what he expects will be an eventful next session,” the press release states.

Kafka, a Democrat, was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1991. His district, the 8th Norfolk, currently consists of precincts 2, 3, 4 and 6 in Stoughton; all precincts in Sharon; precinct 4 in Mansfield; and precincts 3 and 4 in Walpole.

Representative William C. Galvin (D-Canton) represents Stoughton’s other four precincts.

“I still enjoy the work very much; between new legislative challenges and constantly tackling constituent service cases, it is both stimulating and fulfilling,” Kafka stated in the press release.

“There’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel economically, and I look forward to helping ensure that the Legislature does whatever it can to assist in bringing the Commonwealth back to a healthy fiscal climate for its citizens.”

Kafka, a Stoughton resident and Sharon High graduate, was the ranking member of the House Committee on Ways & Means, before being promoted to Chairman of the House Committee on Steering, Policy, & Scheduling in February of 2009.

The Kafka Committee will be hosting a Campaign Kickoff Reception Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at Alice’s Mandarin Taste Restaurant (37 Pond Street, Sharon), from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person.

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A full press release from Representative Kafka’s office is below:

Boston - Representative Louis L. Kafka (D-Stoughton) announced that he’ll be seeking reelection to another term as the State Representative to the General Court from the 8th Norfolk District. Citing the challenges that lay ahead for the 8th Norfolk and the Commonwealth, Kafka is both concerned and invigorated by what he expects will be an eventful next session.

After serving as ranking member of the House Committee on Ways & Means, Representative Kafka was promoted to Chairman of the House Committee on Steering, Policy, & Scheduling in February of 2009. The Committee is tasked with setting the calendar for the House of Representatives, meaning that almost no bill can become a law in Massachusetts without the initial approval of Chairman Kafka and the Committee. Kafka has previously served as a member of both the Joint Committee on Transportation and the Joint Committee on Insurance; he has also served as Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs.

Kafka is an accomplished legislator with a history of bills signed into law protecting seniors, the environment, health care, and animal cruelty. He is the author of The Diabetes Cost Reduction Act, which requires health insurance plans subject to state insurance mandates to provide coverage for supplies, equipment, education and training for people with diabetes to manage their illnesses and avoid costly and disabling conditions. He has also written laws that that protect the rights of mentally retarded citizens when they purchase life insurance, ban toxic phosphate-based detergents from supermarket shelves, ban phosphates from the great lakes and waterways of the Commonwealth, and ensure that residents of nursing homes have access to kosher meals. He has also stiffened the criminal penalties for those who attend or participate in acts of animal cruelty like dogfighting.

He’s not resting on his laurels, however. This session, he filed bills mandating that insurance companies provide better coverage for citizens with cleft palate and cleft lip, infantile cataracts, and patients who undergo mastectomies. He’s also filed a bill designed to protect the health of public safety officers who may be stabbed by a needle during the performance of their duties, and he has been the leading voice for Early Intervention program funding in the House. He has also worked closely with public safety officials in his district to craft legislation that would crack down on trafficking in methamphetamines and reforming the building code in regards to fire systems.

“I still enjoy the work very much; between new legislative challenges and constantly tackling constituent service cases, it is both stimulating and fulfilling,” said Rep. Kafka. “There’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel economically, and I look forward to helping ensure that the Legislature does whatever it can to assist in bringing the Commonwealth back to a healthy fiscal climate for its citizens.”

In 2011, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed significant reforms in the fields of gaming, human trafficking, pension reform, and redistricting, all with support from Representative Kafka. This year, the Legislature is expected to vote on how best to contain health care costs in Massachusetts, and debate is anticipated on a variety of existing proposals.

To mark the occasion, The Kafka Committee will be hosting a Campaign Kickoff Reception on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at Alice’s Mandarin Taste Restaurant (37 Pond Street, Sharon), from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Tickets are $25 per person; all are welcome. Further, anyone who is interested in working on Representative Kafka’s re-election campaign is encouraged to contact him via his Post Office Box (PO Box 73) in Sharon, MA 02067.