Special to the Record
Representative Judith Garcia recently delivered testimony before the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure in support of H.434, an act relative to apportionment of lottery revenues. The bill, which Representative Garcia co-leads alongside Representative John Mahoney, seeks to update the state’s lottery aid formula and make local funding more fair for communities across Massachusetts.
In her testimony, Representative Garcia emphasized the need to reform a system that continues to under-serve working-class communities like Chelsea. “In 2023 alone, Chelsea residents spent over $50 million on lottery tickets,” Garcia stated. “Yet the city received back just $9.5 million in local aid – only 18 percent of what our residents spent.”
The current lottery revenue distribution formula, last updated in the 1970s, does not consider which communities are actually buying the lottery tickets or how much financial need those communities have. Under the existing system, wealthier communities that contribute little or nothing to lottery sales often receive disproportionately high levels of aid. For example, the town of Harvard, with a median household income of $200,000 and no recorded lottery sales in 2023, received nearly $2 million in lottery-based local aid.
“This system is outdated and unjust,” said Garcia. “It penalizes communities that are most invested in the lottery and in greatest need of funding. It’s time for a more equitable approach that reflects both contributions and community needs.”
H.434 proposes to update the state’s lottery aid formula to ensure a fairer distribution of revenues. The bill aims to make sure that communities generating most of the lottery revenue, often lower-income urban municipalities, receive a more proportional return on their contributions.
Representative Garcia also acknowledged the work of local leaders like Gladys Vega, President and CEO of La Colaborativa, who has long supported equitable funding for Chelsea and similar communities. Vega submitted testimony in support of H.434, reinforcing the call for reform on behalf of the communities she has served for decades.
“We have seen first-hand the toll this regressive system takes on our families. The lottery has become a false promise tool that exploits the financial hardship of our people while funneling the proceeds elsewhere. The truth is low-income gateway cities like Chelsea are subsidizing the rest of the state due to yet another inequitable allocation model,” said Vega. “Chelsea is resilient. We are generous. But we are also tired of being overlooked.”
“I want to especially thank Gladys Vega, whose advocacy on this issue has paved the way for this legislation,” Garcia said. “Her voice and leadership have been crucial in highlighting the inequities our communities face.”
The bill received strong support from advocates, local officials, and community organizations who see it as a necessary step toward correcting a system that has disadvantaged cities like Chelsea for far too long. Representative Garcia concluded her remarks by urging the Committee to move bill H.434 forward. “Our residents deserve to know that when they contribute to the lottery, their schools, roads, public safety, and public services will benefit – not just those in wealthier ZIP codes,” she