CORI Reform Passes the House
The Massachusetts CORI Reform Bill passed in the House Wednesday with a vote of 138 to 7! This is the last major step before the House and Senate bills are merged and sent to the Governor for his approval. GLAD is proud to share this victory with the Boston Workers Alliance and the countless other allies and supporters of the Commonwealth CORI Coalition. This reform legislation would limit employers’ access to the criminal records of job applicants and reduce the number of years until felony and misdemeanor charges can be sealed.
We officially joined the CORI coalition about a year ago - attending meetings, sending out email action alerts and updates, and volunteering during phone bank initiatives. But GLAD has always been concerned about the current Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) system that prevents gay men and people with HIV from getting jobs and housing because of old or irrelevant criminal records.
CORI can have a disproportionate impact on the gay community because of outmoded laws about sex, or their selective enforcement, and this is an issue that has been central to GLAD since the beginning. GLAD was founded in 1978 when undercover police officers targeted gay men in the Boston Public Library men’s room and arrested over 100 men on misdemeanor and felony charges. This type of entrapment still occurs today, though not on as large a scale, and no one should be arrested or hassled for foot-tapping, cruising, talking or flirting, hand-holding or other non sexual touching. GLAD supports CORI reform to protect individuals arrested on trumped-up sex charges but found innocent.
Additionally, many people with HIV face CORI discrimination that prevents them from accessing housing. People with HIV may have a CORI from a number of years ago for charges that are non-violent and related to substance abuse. Yet housing authorities can reject applicants with a CORI, so people with HIV who have waited years to become eligible for subsidized housing, find they are denied for a past record. Appealing CORI-related housing rejections is a complicated process that leaves people homeless. CORI reform legislation would make it easier for people who have rehabilitated to access the housing they deserve.
We are happy to see this much needed legislation pass the House! To help ensure the final signing of the bill, please make a final call to your State Rep thanking them for voting Yes!