By Mary Romaniec
As Published By The Grafton News
November 10, 2016
Senator Michael Moore can trace his career in public service back when he watched his parents square up against injustice, and then become part of solutions by volunteering their time.
Representing the Second Worcester District — which includes Auburn, Leicester, Millbury, Shrewsbury, Northbridge, Upton, Grafton and parts of Worcester — Moore, 53, grew up understanding that public service of some kind would be a part of his path in life, not just a career.
He was re-elected for a fifth term on Tuesday, defeating newcomer Republican Mesfin Beshir, executive director of The Ethiopian Dream Center, which helps immigrants find jobs, housing and health care.
As a lifelong Millbury resident, he watched his parents volunteer, with his father, Arthur, serving on one town board or another.
“He always ran for office,” Sen. Moore said with a wry grin. “He believed government is supposed to help people. And it’s true.”
His father successfully challenged the blue laws in Massachusetts that prohibited him from opening his hardware store on Sundays. Moore described how his father opened in protest — then went to jail. The elder Moore eventually won in court. That protest epitomized how his father saw something he believed was wrong and then wanted to fix it. It was also how his father interacted with people that stuck with Moore, as he began to find his own way in life. “Dad always wanted me to be in public service,” Moore said.
After graduating with a master’s degree in criminal justice from Western New England College, Moore went to work for the Department of Environmental Police for 22 years. As a police officer, Moore investigated reports of harm from medical waste and other hazardous materials. In this role he saw firsthand how difficult it was to hold corporations accountable, even those he believed were harming the environment and people. Moore reflected back on his time in the field as a great career. “It is one of the best jobs going,” Moore said, describing his time interacting with the state parks and fish and game.
He then went to work for the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office before running for former Sen. Ed Augustus’s seat when he decided not to seek re-election. Although a lifelong Democrat, Moore described himself as a fiscally conservative person who often votes with Republicans on the need for transparency.
But it is his penchant for listening attentively that is one of Moore’s strengths. “I like to hear what interests people because it helps me legislatively,” he said. “It’s a good way to learn about them.” Starting his fifth term, Moore reflected that the job is interesting with each day. “It’s always new to me,” Moore said.
Those skills were put to work on several key legislative issues which he said helped him evolve. More recently, when the transgender bathroom bill became a hot topic, a constituent had a conversation with him on why her daughter needed protection within the law so she could access a restroom that reflected her identity. “I totally evolved on that one,” said Moore. It is not that he felt a moral discord with those who were transgender, but he didn’t understand how transgender persons were impacted daily with conflict and discrimination, simply because of their choice of where to use a restroom. The senator came out in full support and testified on behalf of the bill, mainly because he said he listened to those directly affected. “It’s not a flip-flop, it’s learning,” he said. Gov. Charlie Baker signed the bill into law in July.
As the Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, Moore said the biggest issue the committee is addressing now is sexual assaults on college campuses. They are looking to find a way to get the institutions to be more transparent about the issue. “We are trying to alleviate the secrecy of it all,” said Moore. He and the Committee have filed legislation to make it easier for victims to come forward. The bill would require all students and staff to receive mandatory annual sexual violence prevention and be aware of the resources and rights available to victims both on and off-campus.
Another topic of concern to Moore is how health insurance companies in Massachusetts once did not cover Lyme disease. When a bill was passed by both branches to mandate coverage it was vetoed by Baker — who suggested the legislators needed to defer to other medical experts. But lawmakers overrode it in the summer. To Moore, this was a no-brainer.
“Everyday things are being discovered,” he said, meaning the next treatment option and understanding of Lyme disease is evolving too.
But when asked what else motivates him, without hesitation he said his 12-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter. “I want my children to be proud of me,” he said. It’s the little things that reverberate back to what a father can instill in his children, the same way his parents did to him.