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John J. Lawn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John J. Lawn
Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the 10th Middlesex District
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 11, 2011
Preceded byPeter Koutoujian
Personal details
PartyDemocratic
EducationMerrimack College (BA)

John J. Lawn is an American politician and businessman, currently serving as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He is a member of the Democratic Party.[1]

Early life

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John J. Lawn Jr. was born and raised in Watertown, Massachusetts. He attended St. Patrick's School and Watertown High School before graduating from Merrimack College in 1991.[2]

Education

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Lawn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and sociology from Merrimack College.[3]

Political career

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Lawn has served on the Watertown Town Council since 2006. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2011, representing the 10th Middlesex District, which includes parts of Newton, Watertown, and Waltham. He serves as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing.

After the incumbent representative Peter Koutoujian resigned from the Massachusetts House to serve as Middlesex County sheriff, Lawn won the May 11, 2011, special election to replace him. Lawn had previously been a member of the Watertown City Council and owned a real estate business.[4]

In October 2019, Lawn endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.[5]

Recent legislation

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  • In May 2026, Lawn filed House Bill H.1829, which would eliminate the statute of limitations for civil child sexual abuse claims in Massachusetts.[6] In November 2025, Lawn was the lead sponsor of a bill, passed unanimously by the Massachusetts House, to strengthen legal protections for health care workers, including new incident-reporting and interagency coordination requirements aimed at reducing workplace violence in health care settings.[7]
  • In September 2025, Lawn praised passage of a supplemental state budget bill directing $122 million to acute care hospitals serving high proportions of low-income patients, $77 million to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund, and an additional $35 million to community health centers.[8]
  • Lawn has also worked with the Watertown city government on a Home Rule Petition to give the city more flexibility in shifting property tax burden from residential to commercial and industrial properties. The bill passed the House unanimously on July 8, 2026.[9]

Awards

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  • Rob Restuccia Leadership Award, Health Care for All, presented at its annual "For the People" reception, June 2024[10]
  • Legislator of the Year, the Arc of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council, presented March 6, 2024, at the Massachusetts State House[11]
  • Legislator of the Year, MassBio (Massachusetts Biotechnology Council), presented at its Policy Leadership Breakfast, January 2024.
  • Legislative Champion Award, Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, presented at its National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebration, November 2024[11]
  • Legislator of the Year, Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (MassNAELA), presented at its annual meeting, December 12, 2024[12]
  • Champion of Youth Award, Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, presented March 26, 2025, at its Annual Legislative Luncheon and Advocacy Day[12]
  • Community Health Center Champion, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers[13]
  • Community Partner recognition, St. Mary of Carmen Society, the Nonantum Children's Christmas Party Association, and the Nonantum Neighborhood Association

Personal life

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Lawn and his wife raised five children in Watertown. His wife and daughter both work as nurses in the Boston area, continuing a family history in health care, as his mother emigrated from Ireland in the early 1960s to the U.S. through a nursing work-exchange program.[citation needed]

In May 2026, Lawn publicly disclosed in an op-ed for The Boston Globe that he was sexually abused as a child by an adult supervisor at a local recreational facility and by a Catholic priest, both since deceased. In the piece, he called for eliminating the statute of limitations in Massachusetts civil child sexual abuse cases.[14]

In July 2025, Lawn was arrested near the Massachusetts State House after colliding with a parked pickup truck and running two stop signs.[15] He pleaded guilty to operating under the influence and leaving the scene of a crash that caused property damage. He was sentenced to a 45-day loss of license, and a year of probation.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ John J. Lawn. Massachusetts General Court.
  2. ↑ "About". John Lawn For State Rep. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  3. ↑ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  4. ↑ "John Lawn". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
    - Paine, Dan Atkinson and Laura. "Watertown councilor John Lawn wins state rep seat". The Herald News. Fall River, MA. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Joe Biden Wins Backing of 51 Massachusetts Leaders After Democratic Debate" (PDF). www.htv-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com. October 18, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Bill H.1829". malegislature.gov. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Lawmakers Discuss Changes to Health Care System, Including State Rep. John Lawn". Watertown News. June 16, 2026. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Rep. Lawn Lead Sponsor for Bill Passed by Mass. House of Reps. to Strengthen Protections for Health Care Workers". Watertown News. November 22, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  9. ↑ "State Rep. Lawn Thanks Governor, Legislature for Passing Bill to Provide Funding for Hospitals, Community Health Centers". Watertown News. September 23, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  10. ↑ "State Rep. Lawn Honored by Health Care for All Massachusetts". Watertown News. June 21, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Rep. Lawn Receives Mass. Commission on Persons with Disabilities Legislative Champion Award". Watertown News. November 11, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  12. 1 2 "State Rep. Lawn Named Legislator of the Year by Mass. National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys". Watertown News. December 22, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Proud to support Health Care for All and the great work they do! | John Lawn". LinkedIn. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  14. ↑ Lawn, John Lawn, Jr. (May 6, 2026). "Rep. John Lawn: I'm a Survivor of Child Sexual Abuse - Calls for End of Statue of Limitations". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on May 6, 2026. Retrieved May 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Riley, Neal (July 16, 2025). "Massachusetts State Rep. John Lawn arrested on drunk driving charge, says "I am deeply sorry"". CBS News Boston. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  16. ↑ Kazakiewich, Todd (July 17, 2025). Haynes, Veronica (ed.). "Mass. lawmaker pleads guilty to OUI, leaving scene of crash charges". WCVB. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
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