Priorities — Christopher Worrell, State Representative

Legislative Record

Laws passed.
Communities served.

Three bills signed into law. Four public safety petitions enacted. Legislation pending on housing, criminal justice, workers' rights, and more. This is what representation looks like.

Signed Into Law

Chapter 40 · Oct. 8, 2025

New Library & Affordable Housing at Uphams Corner

After multiple sessions of advocacy, Chris secured passage of legislation authorizing the redevelopment of 555–559 Columbia Road as affordable housing paired with a brand-new branch of the Boston Public Library — clearing the pathway for a long-awaited project in the heart of the 5th Suffolk.

“The creation of both a renovated Uphams Corner Branch Library and new housing is a win-win for Dorchester and the entire city.” — Rep. Worrell at the signing with Gov. Healey

Chris and Brian Worrell at their joint constituent office on Erie Street

01 — Housing & Libraries

Chris Worrell with Boston Police in Dorchester

02 — Public Safety

4 Laws Enacted

193rd General Court

Expanding Boston’s Public Safety Workforce

Recognizing that Boston’s police and fire departments need to recruit from the full pool of qualified, mission-driven candidates from our communities, Chris filed and secured passage of four home rule petitions allowing experienced applicants to join the BPD despite age-based hiring restrictions.

Chapter 199

Wendy Pierre-Louis

Chapter 200

Terrance Joseph Williams

Chapter 201

Nuias Daveiga

Chapter 331

Elsie Barbosa

Chris Worrell marching with hotel workers at Boston Park Plaza strike

Signed Into Law

Chapter 202 · Sept. 11, 2024

03 — The Most Significant Liquor License Reform in Boston Since Prohibition

For nearly a century, Boston’s liquor license system locked Black and brown neighborhoods out of the city’s restaurant economy. A state-imposed cap and a transferable secondary market — where licenses traded hands for upwards of $600,000 — concentrated restaurants downtown while Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury went decades without enough sit-down restaurants to anchor their commercial corridors. Mattapan, for years, didn’t have a single full-service liquor license at all.

As the original House sponsor, Chris led the charge to deliver 225 new liquor licenses to Boston — the single largest expansion since the end of Prohibition — in close partnership with City Councilor Brian Worrell and Senator Liz Miranda.

195

ZIP-restricted licenses across 13 neighborhoods

New licenses for the 5th Suffolk alone

37+

Businesses approved in first wave, early 2025

Non-transferable

Licenses stay in the neighborhood. Forever.

“I don’t even drink. But I know the importance of this legislation.” And now, the proof is in the storefronts opening up across the 5th Suffolk and beyond. — Rep. Worrell

194th General Court

Fighting for what’s next.

Housing & Homeownership

Building pathways to ownership, not displacement.

H.1576

Permanently Affordable Homeownership

Creating a program to develop affordable homes for low- and moderate-income buyers, addressing the homeownership gap in communities long excluded from wealth-building.

H.1577

Tenant Purchase Opportunities

Establishing a pilot program to give tenants the right of first refusal when their buildings go up for sale.

H.3278 & H.3904

Graduated Deed Excise Tax & Senior Property Tax Relief

Generating new revenue for affordable housing while protecting longtime Boston homeowners on fixed incomes from being priced out of their neighborhoods.

Criminal Justice Reform

A justice system that reflects our values.

H.2054

End Mandatory Life Without Parole for Emerging Adults

Recognizing what science tells us about brain development and giving young people a meaningful chance at rehabilitation.

H.2052 & H.2051

Restorative Justice, Parole & Limits on Youth Sentencing

Building a parole system that prioritizes accountability, healing, and successful reintegration — and ensuring that young people are treated as young people in our justice system.

H.1965

Compensation for the Wrongfully Convicted

Strengthening the Commonwealth’s commitment to making whole those whose lives have been upended by miscarriages of justice.

Workers & Working Families

Dignity, safety, and a fair wage.

H.2189

Bereavement Leave — Guaranteeing time to grieve without fear of losing a paycheck.

H.2191

Enhanced Minimum Wage for Care Workers — Lifting up the workforce that lifts up our seniors, our children, and our most vulnerable neighbors.

H.2190

Strengthening Workplace Anti-Harassment Protections — Ensuring every worker has a safe, dignified workplace.

Environmental Justice & Public Safety

Justice doesn’t stop at the courthouse.

H.1072

Environmental Audit of EJ Neighborhoods — Accountability for how environmental burdens are distributed.

H.2733

Audit of Gun Violence Prevention Funding — Ensuring dollars reach the community organizations doing the work.

H.2241

Recovery Housing Standards in EJ Communities — Protecting communities from the impact of poorly regulated sober homes.

Standing with Workers

On the Picket Line with Boston’s Workers

Chris leads from the podium at Beacon Hill — and on the picket line — when it comes to workers’ rights. His record makes clear whose side he’s on.

Chris Worrell at Commonwealth Caribbean Breakfast

Cultural & Community Investment

Honoring the full story of who we are.

H.3602

Massachusetts Caribbean American Cultural Center — Establishing a statewide cultural center in Boston to honor Caribbean American contributions to the Commonwealth.

H.1468

Senator Bill Owens Center — Honoring a trailblazing legislator by naming the Center for African, Caribbean and Community Development at UMass Boston.

Education & Youth

Every child deserves a clear path forward.

From the Joint Committee on Education to founding the 180 Degrees Program, Chris brings the same urgency to educational opportunity that he brings to every issue touching the 5th Suffolk.

Get Involved

Chris Worrell speaking at MASS DAE education forum

Chris Worrell with New England Patriots players and youth

Chris Worrell at Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester with New England Patriots

Mental Health & Recovery

A conversation that’s long overdue.

Chris co-created the Mental Shift Workshop for Black boys and men, has secured funding for community-based recovery programs, and has made mental health a defining focus of his legislative work — not an afterthought.