Kate Lipper-Garabedian

Political Party: Democratic

District: 32nd Middlesex

Kate Lipper-Garabedian is a Democratic State Representative who has dedicated her professional career to public service. She is an education attorney with extensive experience in law, policy, and civic leadership.

Early in her career, she worked as a seventh-grade public school teacher in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood of Atlanta, teaching English and reading. Following her legal education, she served as a judicial clerk on the First Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals and spent over five years as a senior policy and legal advisor supporting states, school districts, colleges, and nonprofit organizations focused on improving the U.S. education system.

Before entering the State House, Lipper-Garabedian held the position of Chief Legal Counsel at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education from 2015 to 2020, where she worked on the Student Opportunity Act, early college initiatives, and consumer protections for college students and faculty. She also served as a Melrose City Councilor-At-Large from 2018 to 2020, where she chaired the Appropriations Committee and raised the bar for resident engagement.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts in English and History, University of Virginia
• Juris Doctor, Harvard Law School
• Governor's School for Government and International Relations, Richmond, Virginia
• Art of Social Change Program, School for International Training

Political Experience

Lipper-Garabedian was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in March 2020 in a special election, becoming the Commonwealth's first "COVID Rep," and was re-elected to a full term in the fall of 2020.

As State Representative, she currently serves as Chair of the House Committee on Ethics and is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and several joint committees. She previously served as Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs for two sessions.

Notable legislative achievements include sponsoring state laws on nursing home and assisted living residence reforms, tax relief for renters, and campaign funds for childcare expenses. She created the House Caucus on Blockchain Technology and has filed numerous bills addressing education, veteran supports, housing affordability for seniors, and cryptocurrency regulation. She also successfully championed expanded eligibility and significant funding for older students with disabilities to access special education during the pandemic.