Advocate for the Mentally Ill
As the first ever House Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Representative Balser leads efforts to expand access to treatment for mental illness and addictions. Click here for the 2005-2006 report of the Committee.

Advocate for the Environment

As Chair of the Open Space Subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Local Affairs (1999-2004), Representative Balser advocated for the preservation of publicly protected open space. The first report, entitled "New School Construction and the Loss of Article 97 Land" was issued in March, 2000 and is available as a PDF file. She issued a follow-up report in 2005, which is also available as a PDF file. She was recognized for her efforts with awards from the Newton Conservators and the Environmental League of Massachusetts.

Advocate for Equal Rights

A leading advocate for gay marriage, Representative Balser was profiled by the Boston Globe following the March 11th, 2004 Constitutional Convention. Representative Balser received an "A" from the Boston Phoenix for her speech during the debate on gay marriage at the earlier Constitutional Convention in February 2004. Here's what the Boston Phoenix had to say at the time, when giving her an A rating for her speech:

"Separate but equal is not a part of civil rights, it is a violation of civil rights," Balser said near the beginning of one of the most thoughtfully constructed and argumentative speeches of the day. She pierced the argument that marriage has been hetero for millenia with the magnificent observation that "we have a historic opportunity to expand our definition of love and marriage." She read from an American Psychological Association report to refute arguments that same-sex marriage is bad for children. She spoke of other movements for equality that had faced opposition. In scope, language, and passionate delivery, Balser’s speech may have been the best of the day.

Advocate for the Disabled
Representative Balser has been a leading advocate for human services throughout her legislative tenure. During the fiscal crisis, she fought against funding cuts to programs that serve the most vulnerable. Here, she was speaking to a large rally outside the State House led by the Massachusetts ARC (the Association for Retarded Citizens).