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Taylor C. Shepherd

Director of Government Relations

TCShepherd@mlstrategies.com

+1.617.348.1639

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Taylor began her professional public policy career at the Massachusetts State House and brings her thorough, thoughtful, detailed-oriented mentality to ML Strategies as a lobbyist and strategist.  As a former Fiscal Policy Analyst at the House Committee on Ways and Means and a Budget Analyst at the Department of Mental Health, Taylor has a deep understanding of all aspects of navigating the legislative and executive branch, with a particular focus on budgetary appropriations and health care.  Most recently, Taylor has taken a leadership role in the ML Strategies Energy Practice, sharing her expertise on climate and energy issues and is the firm's point of contact and liaison for all internal and external energy issues.  As clean energy policies continue to remain at the top of the Commonwealth's legislative and regulatory priorities, Taylor is ready to assist companies navigate government and reach their business goals.

Education

  • Salve Regina University (BA, cum laude)

Viewpoints

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This issue of Hill to Hill covers the continuing risk of a federal government shutdown despite the bipartisan debt ceiling agreement, the ongoing rollout of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, developments related to the Massachusetts state FY2024 budget and a pending tax relief package, recent ML Strategies events, and more.
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This issue of Hill to Hill covers the budget and appropriations process on Capitol Hill, developments related to the Advanced Research Project Agency for Health and the CHIPS and Science Act, the start of the new Massachusetts legislative session and proposals filed by the Healey-Driscoll administration, and recent ML Strategies events.
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On February 2, 2022, the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity released a new draft of a bill designed to provide mechanisms for how personal information is used and to control how companies use such information.  This 65-page bill, known as the “Massachusetts Information Privacy and Security Act” or “MIPSA”, would be the first major piece of legislation related to data privacy passed since the Legislature updated the data breach legislation in 2019.
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Today, Governor Charlie Baker released his Fiscal Year 2023 (FY2023) budget recommendations.  This is the unofficial start of “budget season” in Massachusetts that will culminate with a legislative conference committee agreeing on a budget bill sometime around late June or early July.
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On Wednesday, September 1st, Attorney General Maura Healey certified 17 out of 30 ballot proposals filed in August to continue on the path to securing a spot on the 2022 ballot.  Of the 17 proposals certified, 16 were initiative petitions including, but not limited to, proposals relative to alcohol reforms, requirements for presentation of identification to vote, and the employment of app-based drivers.  The seventeenth proposal is a constitutional amendment providing for no-excuse absentee voting.
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Those seeking to amend Massachusetts law or the Massachusetts Constitution through the state’s unique ballot initiative process had until Wednesday, August 4, 2021 to file their proposals with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. By the time the deadline was reached, 30 proposals were filed.
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Congress has passed another coronavirus relief package, the American Rescue Plan (ARP), which allocates significant funding to states to address shortfalls experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these dollars are specifically allocated – in other words, they are already earmarked for funding particular, specific public sectors like transportation or for private uses like the hard hit restaurant and hospitality industry.
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Only a handful of states have sought to tax digital advertising, and the path forward is murky at best due to practical considerations, federal preemption and constitutional questions. However, there are at least 4 bills filed for the 2021-2022 legislative session in Massachusetts that would implement a tax on a company that advertises on a digital platform.
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During his annual State of the Commonwealth address, Governor Charlie Baker highlighted the heroic work of frontline workers and first responders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while reminding the Commonwealth that though we are close, we are not out of the dark quite yet. Gov. Baker’s FY2022 (“H1”) budget recommendations support that perspective and indicates the state is still feeling the economic impacts of the pandemic.
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The fiscal year 2021 (“FY2021”) budget process has been anything but typical.  Shortly after Governor Baker’s budget proposal was released in January, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, reorienting the legislative calendar for the remainder of the 2019-2020 legislative session.