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SECTIONS ADVERTISE LINKS GOVERNMENT Copyright ©2001 Massachusetts News, Inc. Photocopying and data processing storage of all or any part of this issue may not be made without prior written consent.
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April Editions. Compiled
from staff reports, wire services, and the State House News Service.
Tuesday,
April 30, 2002 The House is due today to consider a Senate-passed order calling for senators and representatives to gather at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the House chamber for this year's first constitutional convention. The Senate scheduled the convention during its session on Monday. Such conventions are held to consider amendments to the state constitution. Supporters of an amendment defining marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman need to salinger.support from 25 percent of members voting at a convention this year to keep their question on track for the 2004 statewide ballot. 'Patriots Day Accord' Not a Done Deal House and Senate leaders have been publicly touting the Patriots Day accord they reached with Gov. Jane Swift to close this year's budget deficit. Leaders say the deal shows a spirit of bipartisan cooperation that must prevail if state government is to survive its worst budget crisis in ten years. But the agreement is far from a done deal. Swift aides drafted it into bill form last week and its next stop is the House Ways and Means Committee. During a private caucus last week, committee chairman John Rogers (D-Norwood) informed his colleagues that the so-called fiscal 2002 recovery budget would surface in the House in three weeks, at the earliest. The committee and the House are focused on passing a tax bill this week and passing a fiscal 2003 budget next week. Swift's bill closes a $689 million deficit in this year's budget, primarily by utilizing an assortment of state reserve accounts. The bill also includes $371 million in new spending. The bulk of the new spending, $298 million, will pay bills at Medicaid, the state health program that covers 1 million Massachusetts residents. Other notable items include $11.7 million for snow and ice removal costs despite the mild winter, $2.5 million to rehire Department of Social Services social workers who were laid off recently, and $5.6 million for post-Sept. 11 public safety costs. DSS officials are eager to get social workers back on board. And the Department of Revenue, which is struggling to turn around tax returns, is also eager to receive $1 million included in the bill to improve response times. Finneran's Furniture Safe - For Now A Supreme Judicial Court justice told Clean Elections advocates on
Monday not to auction House Speaker Thomas Finneran's office furniture
to pay for the law until the court can rule on a complaint that alleges
the advocates are targeting furniture to bully lawmakers. Echoing comments
by Finneran's lawyer, Justice Martha Sosman said "Your desire to levy these particular items is clearly driven by motives that are unrelated to the money," Sosman told Clean Elections supporters. Sosman asked them why they couldn't continue to auction state-owned cars. On Sunday, advocates auctioned 13 cars owned by the state Lottery to raise about $176,000 for candidates. Candidates are still owed about $52,000. Fuel Cell Technology Bill On Agenda For Committee A nine-member commission would be given 18 months to study fuel cell technology and make recommendations about its commercial applications and role in power generation under legislation to be aired at a Beacon Hill hearing this morning. Fuel cells operate much like a battery, turning oxygen and hydrogen into electricity in the presence of an electrically conductive material called an electrolyte, according to fossil.energy.gov, a US Department of Energy web site. Unlike a battery, fuel cells never lose their charge. As long as there is a constant source of fuel - usually natural gas for the hydrogen and air for the oxygen - fuel cells will generate electricity. The legislation, sponsored by Energy Committee co-chairman John Binienda (D-Worcester), requires the development of a statewide fuel cell initiative. Monday,
April 29, 2002 There will only be one major topic of discussion on Beacon Hill this week: budget. This week's tax debate begins just days after lawmakers got their first look at what would happen to their favorite programs and services if they fail to find new revenue sources. Special interest groups of all stripes are expected to be rallying at the State House all week to speak up for tax raises to make sure their projects are funded. The $21.8 billion budget put forth by the House Ways and Means Committee
allows for a billion dollars less in spending next year than the appropriation
for the current fiscal year that ends June 30. Most accounts experience
reductions of between 8 and 10 percent. Others are targeted for far
bigger hits and some are wiped out completely. If representatives want
money restored, they'll have to come up with the money this week and
assure that it finds its way to their priority accounts during the next
two months of deliberations with their Senate colleagues and then with
Gov. Jane Swift. Speaker Finneran has set the tax and budget debate
up in such a way that the House will Two Chambers, Administration Have Agreement on Part of Budget Gap Gov. Jane Swift's chief of staff, Stephen Crosby, announced Friday
that there is bipartisan agreement on settling $1.3 billion worth of
next year's projected $2.3 billion budget gap. Those agreed upon items,
Crosby said, include $700 million in spending cuts, drawing $500 million
from reserves, and reducing the state's pension system payment by $128
million. Differences remain over the remaining $1 billion gap. Swift
wift's former budget chief cautioned against "false choices" and "scare tactics" designed to generate support for big tax hikes that he says are not necessary. In his most declarative statement in a letter to "friends and interested parties," Crosby says: "While this governor is in office, there will be no dramatic reductions in education funding; nor will there be 10 percent across the board cuts in Medicaid and other urgent health care obligations." Swift Expected to Sign Clergy Abuse Bill Budget-balancing maneuvers and tax hikes may be uppermost on lawmakers' minds this week but two other matters are more apt to attract national attention. This state figures prominently in continued controversy over allegations sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy. A bill now on Acting Gov. Swift's desk would add Massachusetts to dozens of other states that already have laws requiring members of the clergy to report suspected abuse. She has said her legal staff will review the legislation before she signs it. It she does, clergymen and women will join teachers, health care professionals and others who deal with children and are required to report their suspicions. Backers of the proposed law say it is up to prosecutors to decide what effect its passage will have on cases already in the mix here and on Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law, who has become a lightning rod in the sad stories that continue to consume headlines. Finneran Will Ask Court to Spare His Furniture State lawyers representing House Speaker Thomas Finneran are expected
today to ask a Supreme Judicial Court justice to halt the sale of State
House furniture to pay candidates owed money under the Clean Elections
Law. The SJC has ruled that backers of the law can seize and auction
state property to pay for the campaign finance reform law. Advocates
demanded an inventory of state-owned furniture in the offices of Finneran
and two top deputies, Rep. Salvatore DiMasi (D-Boston) and Rep. Joseph
Wagner (D-Chicopee). Finneran scoffed at Candidates Filing Deadline is Tuesday House and Senate incumbents and those who want to challenge them or run for open seats, have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to file their nomination signatures with city and town voter registrars. Local officials then have three weeks to review the signatures and certify those that are proper. Men and women running for House seats need 150 certified signatures while those seeking Senate seats need 300. Also due this week are the nomination papers of those seeking any of the eight spots on the Governor's Council. They need 1,000 certified names to qualify for the ballot. Candidates for statewide office have until next Tuesday (May 7) to file their nomination signatures.
Friday,
April 26, 2002 The search is on for Republican candidates to run against incumbent Democrats with no opponents. Republican State Committee Executive Director Jonathan Fletcher on Thursday published a list of "state Representatives who voted with King Tom Finneran more than 95% of the time last year." Each of these lawmakers, he added, is currently unopposed for November's general election. The party would like, of course, to find candidates to run against each of the incumbent Democrats. The list, as presented by the Republican State Committee, looks like
this:
House Budget Plan Cuts $1 Billion In the midst of the worst fiscal crisis in state government in ten years, the House Ways and Means Committee endorsed a $21.8 billion fiscal 2003 budget Thursday afternoon. It cuts spending by a billion dollars from this year's projected level of $22.8 billion. The House budget committee drew $500 million from reserves to help balance the budget, which is most notable for the government-wide spending cuts, which total more than $1.5 billion. House budget chief John Rogers says maintaining state government in its present form would require $24 billion in spending in the fiscal year that begins July 1 Clergy Reporting Bill Goes To Governor A bill to require religious officials to report child abuse to the authorities is now on Gov. Jane Swift's desk, after the Senate gave the measure final approval today. The Senate also advanced bills to promote water re-use in the midst of a shortage, extend health coverage for certain prosthetic devices and more. The Senate meets next on Monday at 11 am without a calendar.
Thursday,
April 25, 2002 Supporters Call For Birmingham to Convene Constitutional Convention Fifteen lawmakers on a key committee issued an opinion urging rejection of a ballot question that would amend the Massachusetts Constitution to ban gay marriages. The plan "would not only allow discrimination, but require it," they said. Advocates of the amendment, which would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, have vowed to fight on to get the question on the ballot in 2004. Senate President Thomas Birmingham and House Speaker Thomas Finneran may now call a House-Senate constitutional convention by May 8 to consider the bill and other constitutional changes. Supporters immediately put out a call for concerned citizens to contact their legislators and ask them to pressure Birmingham. A Constitutional Convention could also be called by Gov. Jane Swift. The fifteen lawmakers who signed the opinion opposing the plan are: Reps. Spilka, Gobi, Torrisi, Timilty, Finegold, Kaprielian, Nangle, Dempsey and Sens. Sprague, Fargo, Panagiotakos, Joyce, Havern and Chandler. House Budget Debate Will Feature Fewer Amendments Many Democrats abandoned House leadership, but Speaker Thomas Finneran prevailed when the House voted 80-63 late Wednesday to severely limit the scope of revenue-related amendments that will be considered during House budget debate set to begin May 6. All revenue options will be considered during House debate next week. But once that debate is done, budget debate will be limited to consideration of spending, not revenue options. House Rules Committee chairman Rep. Angelo Scaccia said leadership does not want to include tax hikes in its budget because such proposals could face a line item veto from Gov. Jane Swift. By sending Swift a non-appropriation bill calling for a package of tax hikes, Scaccia said Swift's options will be more limited: sign it, veto it, send it back with amendments or let it become law without her signature. Amendments to the $21.8 billion budget, which will be released this afternoon, are due Tuesday at 5 p.m. Horse Issue Will Not Be on 2002 Ballot A Suffolk Superior Court judge on Wednesday rejected a bid by proponents of a ballot question banning the slaughtering of horses for human consumption to force the question onto this year's ballot despite the lack of enough certified voter signatures. Supporters of the question said workers at the private signature gathering company they hired duped unsuspecting voters into signing a second unrelated petition relative to marriage. In court last week, Judge Thomas E. Connolly suggested the plaintiff's problems stem from the work of their own vendor, not Secretary of State William Galvin, the defendant in the lawsuit. Save Our Horses chairwoman Susan Wagner said the decision ends any near-term hopes for the campaign. Self-Extinguishing Cigarettes a Hot Item Forces pushing to require cigarette makers to begin selling self-extinguishing cigarettes are mounting a campaign to get legislation through the House. It cleared the Senate last June. Legislators, firefighters and consumer advocates touted the bill at a press conference in Worcester Wednesday, and will hold a similar press event in Somerville today. Cigarettes are the leading cause of fatal household fires in Massachusetts. Supporters of the legislation (S 1916) say fires can be prevented if the industry makes cigarettes that go out when not being actively smoked. New York passed similar legislation, becoming the first state to do so, in 2000.
Wednesday,
April 24, 2002 Massachusetts lawmakers on Tuesday outlined the latest version of a bill requiring members of the clergy to report suspected abuse of children and they predicted the new bill would move through both branches by week's end. Final negotiations over differing House and Senate bills were conducted quietly in recent weeks as more and more headlines shouted of alleged child sexual abuse by Catholic priests, and the growing scandal threatened to force the resignation of Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law. The bill adds clergymen and women, along with church workers, to the list of those already mandated to report suspected child abuse. That list currently includes medical professionals, teachers, police and firefighters, social workers and foster parents. The proposed addition to the law is retroactive and would require clergy, within 30 days of its signing, to report cases in which the victim is still a child to the Department of Social Services. Cases in which the victim is now an adult would be reported to a district attorney's office. More New Taxes on Horizon For Massachusetts Residents New taxes on capital gains, personal income, and cigarettes are emerging as the most popular revenue options to help close the state's budget gap, House lawmakers said Tuesday. Legislators are mulling a list of more than 100 taxes and fees to help close a budget gap that could reach $2 billion by the end of the next fiscal year. The list represents a menu of options and is not itself a firm proposal, House leaders said. The menu includes as options for consideration increases in the sales, gasoline, liquor, beer, and income taxes, as well as wide-ranging proposals to charge prisoners $5 a day or bring casino gambling to Massachusetts. Birmingham Calls For Increase in Income Tax Rate Hours before House members were due to meet private and discuss tax hikes and casino options, Senate President and Gubernatorial candidate Thomas Birmingham told school officials he is prepared to raise the income tax rate to 5.6 percent from 5.3 percent and fight to prevent any cut in education aid to cities and towns. "This is my top priority," Birmingham said. Birmingham said raising the cigarette tax remains a viable option. Regarding casinos, the Senate presidents said it "would not be my first choice. Holyoke Will Vote on Casino Voters in the western Massachusetts city of Holyoke will be asked in November whether they would support casino gambling in their community, under a bill backed by the Committee on Election Laws Monday. The question will be placed on the ballot in Holyoke only, and the result will be non-binding. With Beacon Hill again considering whether to lift a ban on casino gambling, Holyoke Mayor Michael J. Sullivan said city leaders want to again gauge voter interest in expanding gambling opportunities. Voters supported the idea in a 1994 vote, Sullivan said, and the city council endorsed the bill unanimously this year. Sullivan said he does not favor casino gambling, but wouldn't object to a casino boat gambling proposal. The difference, he said, is that instead of the casino itself being the tourist destination, a casino boat could attract tourists to the entire Holyoke area, resulting in new hotels, restaurants and other retail establishments. "The whole region would become a destination," he said. The bill (S 2320) now goes to the Senate.
Tuesday,
April 23, 2002 Frustrated by what they say is a gap in the state's public safety network, police chiefs on Monday called on the Legislature to create a new state official, municipal police commissioner, to oversee local law enforcement operations. The chiefs, from across Massachusetts, said they feel the state Executive Office of Public Safety has overlooked their concerns, because no official position exists within state government to lobby for their needs or to coordinate local police in case of a disaster. "The time to plan for a crisis is before it happens," said George DiBlasi, a retired police chief and executive director of Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. "We need the support of the Commonwealth in creating a plan that protects the citizens, coordinate resources, and maximizes personnel if and when we are faced with a threat to our security." The municipal police commissioner would act as a liaison between local police and the state public safety secretary, help lobby for money in the state budget, and direct local police in the event of a terrorist strike or other calamity. Substance Abuse Treatment Advocates Call For Tax Hikes Advocates and users of state-funded substance abuse treatment programs
were urged Monday to support legislators who may be nervous about taking
politically perilous votes to raise taxes. "You must tell them
that you will support them if they support you," said The House Ways and Means Committee will propose a no-new-taxes fiscal year 2003 budget this week that is expected to spare no program from the chopping block. The budget will demonstrate the impact of solving an expected $2 billion-plus revenue shortfall next year with the use of cuts and reserves alone. Clean Elections Auction Set For Sunday Barring unlikely last-minute action on Beacon Hill, supporters of the voter-approved Clean Elections Law expect to auction off more than a dozen late model Lottery vehicles Sunday in Saugus. The law's supporters hope to raise tens of thousands of dollars to satisfy court judgments in favor of three candidates who have qualified to date for public campaign funding - another two dozen candidates are running under the law's fundraising and spending limitations. Clean Elections advocates on Monday called on Gov. Jane Swift, the Legislature, and the Judiciary to avoid the auction by making available $23 million set aside for Clean Elections nearly two years ago. Unable to reach consensus, the Legislature has failed to either fund or repeal the law, as the Supreme Judicial Court has ordered. Swift supports the law and advocates hope she will invoke emergency powers to make the $23 million available now that the extreme step of auctioning vehicles is about to be taken. Romney in Washington For Olympic Ceremony Olympians and Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitt Romney meets
this afternoon at the White House with President George W. Bush. The
pair will host a ceremony on the South Lawn with US Olympic and Paralympic
athletes. Before the public event, Romney will attend a private reception
with White House chief of staff Andrew Card and meet with homeland security
director Tom Ridge. On Wednesday, Romney will be in Salt Lake City to
close out his dealings with Olympic organizers and employees and to
accept
Monday,
April 22, 2002 Supporters of the Clean Elections Law are preparing to head back to the Supreme Judicial Court on Monday, April 29, to argue that furniture in the offices of three House leaders should be auctioned off to raise money for Clean Elections candidates. The law's supporters admit their targeting of House Speaker Finneran's furniture is partly a publicity stunt, but maintain his furniture is as qualified as any other state furniture that Supreme Judicial Court Justice Martha Sosman says is eligible for the auction block. House leaders countersued last week. They're seeking injunctive relief
to prevent the plaintiffs from seizing their furniture. Meantime, the
law's backers continue to identify other pieces of state property, namely
expensive vehicles, that might be added to the two Lottery sport utility
vehicles seized last Thursday. They are working with the attorney Police Chiefs Support State Police Boss Police chiefs from across Massachusetts and the chairmen of the Legislature's Public Safety Committee will today call for new legislation creating the position of municipal police commissioner. The bill would also set up a 10-member police commission to provide statewide oversight of local police activities. The commissioner would be a new position within the Executive Office of Public Safety, much like the state fire marshall. Backers of the bill say the marshall has played an increasingly important role in coordinating local firefighting and emergency response efforts after September 11. Local police need a similar statewide chief, supporters say. A news conference with police chiefs and Rep. Timothy Toomey (D-Cambridge) and Sen. Guy Glodis (D-Worcester) will be held to announce support for the bill, which has just been filed and has yet to be heard by any legislative committee More House Seats May Be Open There will be more than a dozen open House seats up for grabs this fall and that number may grow before the April 30 deadline for legislative candidates to file nomination papers. Three of the House seats are already open since there is not enough time remaining this year to fill seats now vacant. Rep. Brian Cresta (R-Wakefield) moved into a federal post, Rep. John Hart (D-South Boston) has moved to the Senate, and Rep. Thomas McGee (D-Lynn) is about to follow Hart to the Senate. Last week brought news that Rep. David Donnelly (D-W. Roxbury) has been nominated for a judgeship and that House Ways and Means vice-chairwoman Rep. Nancy Flavin (D-Easthampton) is not running for reelection. The next ten days may bring more news about the plans of incumbents, who face an end-of-the-month deadline to commit to running again. Rally Will Seek Tax Hikes For Drug Abuse Programs Hundreds of people are expected to rally today at the foot of the Grand
Staircase to encourage lawmakers to raise taxes and other revenues to
protect substance abuse services from budget cuts and to restore funds
cut this fiscal year. Ralliers will highlight a January 2001 report
by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Imploding tax collections prompted Gov. Jane Swift to cut substance abuse funding by $3.2 million this year and AIDS funding, which also covers some treatment, by $3 million.
Friday,
April 19, 2002 The state will save $165,000 this year because 147 representatives have volunteered to forfeit a month's pay, according to Treasurer Shannon O'Brien's office. House Speaker Thomas Finneran proposed the idea as a symbolic gesture showing House members, who make an average salary of $50,000, are not exempt from feeling the effects of the state's tough fiscal situation. The state has to make up a $689 million budget deficit by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Seven members said no to the voluntary pay cut: Rep. Ruth Balser (D-Newton), Rep. Cele Hahn (R-Westfield), Rep. Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington), Rep. Philip Travis (D-Rehoboth), Rep. Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington), Rep. Christopher Hodgkins (D-Lee), and Rep. Kay Khan (D-Newton). Four members -- Rep. Carol Donovan (D-Woburn), Rep. Ellen Story (D-Amherst), Rep. Michael Ruane (D-Salem) and Rep. Harriett Stanley (West Newbury) - will instead give their pay to charities of their choice. And Rep. Paul Caron (D-Springfield), Rep. James Marzilli (D-Arlington) and Rep. Byron Rushing (D-Boston), did not respond either way and thus will be kept on the payroll. Members taking the furlough will not receive paychecks in the last two weeks of both May and June. Lottery Fleet First 'Contributor' To Clean Election Fund State Treasurer and Lottery overseer Shannon O'Brien said Thursday that it's "too bad" that the gridlock over funding the Clean Elections Law has come to this: a court-appointed constable seized a pair of 2001 Ford Expeditions from the State Lottery's fleet of vehicles in Braintree. The plan is to sell the vehicles at auction this weekend to raise funds for candidates who have abided by the voter-approved public campaign financing system's rules. The Legislature has refused to fund or repeal the law, despite an order from the state's highest court to do one or the other. The House and Senate have agreed to a bill providing an extremely limited amount of public funds but the Senate has not acted on a House amendment to the bill, which would likely face a veto from Gov. Jane Swift. The branches do not appear to have the votes for an override of that veto, a reality that has extended what many are calling a constitutional crisis. "The Lottery will adjust without these cars, just as it adjusted when I cut its budget by $1 million to help close the budget deficit," O'Brien said in a statement. "I am a supporter of Clean Elections, and it is unfortunate that for more than three years, the Legislature has failed to resolve this issue. The law has not been funded, amended or repealed. Instead, we've seen only legislative gridlock." House Going Formal on Monday The House on Thursday admitted a new bill filed by Rep. Fagan (D-Taunton) dealing with student fees at public higher education institutions. It also advanced bills relative to Milton, school committee members, the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission, and insurance producers. The House also adopted a resolution remembering the 87th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. The House will next meet Monday in a formal session. House Report on Budget Options Due Monday The House will hold a bipartisan caucus on Monday at 12:30 p.m. to hear and discuss the recommendations of a working group charged with examining new revenue raising opportunities such as taxes, fees etc. Aides to Speaker Thomas Finneran said details of the report will be made available to the press afterwards. Chairmen Rep. Paul Casey (D-Winchester) and William Greene (D-Billerica) led the working group's efforts.
Thursday,
April 18, 2002 A vote to replace Senate President Thomas Birmingham (D-Chelsea) is set for January, though speculation has swirled that the date could arrive sooner. Birmingham is running for governor, and some believe he will step down as president to focus on campaigning. Spokeswoman Alison Franklin denied that and said Birmingham "intends to serve his full term" as Senate president. The race appears to be even. Each of the seven senators said to be running claims no more than four to six votes, senators said. Twenty-one are needed to win. Many exaggerate their level of support, senators said. "Everybody's claiming commitments from the same people other members are committed to," a senator said. "When you get down to it, I don't think there's any candidate who has more than five or six votes." The seven candidates, all legislative veterans, are: Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford), Linda Melconian (D-Springfield), Robert Travaglini (D-Boston), Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge), Marian Walsh (D-Boston), Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst) and Michael Morrissey (D-Quincy). The Senate president sets the Senate's agenda, appoints committee chairs, presides at legislative sessions, and inherits a bully pulpit to rival the House speaker and governor. Presidents have been known to help kill bills they dislike and push through ones they favor. Two Lawmakers Calling It Quits Rep. Nancy Flavin (D-Easthampton) has announced she will not seek a sixth term in the House, where she currently serves as vice-chairwoman of the important House Ways and Means Committee. In Wednesday's edition of the Springfield Union News, Flavin said she's been thinking about a change for several months. "I need to do something a little less intense and a little more healthy," she said. Before joining Ways and Means, Flavin was co-chairwoman of the Legislature's Insurance Committee. Also on Wednesday, Rep. David Donnelly, a West Roxbury Democrat who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, was nominated by Gov. Jane Swift to take a seat on the Waltham District Court. The lawyer/legislator was elected to the House in 1995. He served as an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County from 1982 until 1984. If confirmed, Donnelly would join 13 of his House colleagues who will not seek re-election in November. Newest House Member Takes The Oath Former legislative aide Peter Kocot at noon on Wednesday took the oath of office for the House seat previously held by his longtime boss, Majority Leader William Nagle (D-Northampton). Gov. Jane Swift swore in Kocot, while Speaker Thomas Finneran looked on along with the new representative's mother, wife and two young sons. "The representative-elect and I were aides at the same time - a long time ago," said Swift, who began her political career back in the 1980s as an aide to former Sen. Peter Webber (R-Pittsfield). "As a Western Massachusetts resident, we need all the help we can to make sure Western Massachusetts is well represented. His professional caliber is very welcome." His House colleagues will officially welcome Kocot during a formal session next week. In last week's special election, Kocot collected 4,095 votes to the 2,472 that went to Green Party candidate Michael Aleo. No Republican candidate contested the race.
Wednesday,
April 17, 2002 While most state employees enjoyed an extended weekend, Gov. Jane Swift, House Speaker Thomas Finneran and Senate President Thomas Birmingham met Friday and again on Monday and devised a plan to erase the state's $689 million deficit. The solution primarily involves withdrawal of funds from state government reserves. The proposal does not include any tax law changes, borrowing or budget cuts. With slightly more than two months left in the fiscal year, leaders agreed that it's too late to trim spending or adjust tax laws in a way that would close such a large deficit. As proposed, the plan calls for using $200 million in rainy day funds, a $134 million withdrawal from the pension fund, and tapping $115 million from a capital project funds. The remaining funds include: a $60 million draw from the tobacco settlement fund, $40 million from refinanced state debt, $91 million from health care and welfare reserves, $23 million from an education and technology-maintenance account, and $2 million in unused dollars for voting equipment. House Handles Local Bills The House on Tuesday advanced legislation affecting West Springfield, Shrewsbury, Waltham, Fitchburg, Huntington, court advisement, and the disposition of undistributed ballots. A new bill filed by Gov. Swift regarding the re-sale of tickets was sent to committee. The House meets next at 11 a.m. Thursday in an informal session. Senate Names State POW/MIA Memorial The Senate met Tuesday morning to advance a bill designating the POW/MIA memorial at the Bourne National Cemetery as the state's official POW/MIA memorial. Also advanced was a bill relative to the Milton community schools. The Senate is to meet next on Thursday at 11 a.m. in an informal session. Gun Conference is Today Organizers of a conference today at the State House are pitching it as the first attempt to examine gun violence and law in a regional way. Legislators and advocates from all over New England will hold a press conference at 12:30 p.m. at the Grand Staircase to announce regional collaboration on gun violence prevention. Only Vermont will not be formally represented at the conference.
Tuesday,
April 16, 2002 The halls of the State House were quiet Monday as state employees observed Patriots' Day. Today promises to be a bit more lively. Anti-tax activists will both celebrate and defend the voter-approved income tax cut, as the Legislature and Gov. Jane Swift have both signaled a new openness to delaying the final last phase of the tax cut. Under the law passed by 59 percent of the voters in 2000, the income tax rate dropped first to 5.6 percent, and then to 5.3 percent. It is scheduled to fall to 5 percent on Jan. 1, 2003. Business groups have suggested delaying the tax cut until the economy improves. But activists from Citizens for Limited Taxation say the voters' will should be upheld and the tax cut honored. They will stage a "celebration" today, the annual tax-filing deadline. CLT has invited Swift or an executive branch representative, legislators who voted for the rollback and have promised to preserve it, and candidates for governor and lieutenant governor who actively supported or did not oppose the rollback and who still support rolling it back to 5 percent. Governor's Council Interview Could Raise Questions About Judicial Extensions A Worcester attorney who wants to move from private practice to the Industrial Accidents Board appears Wednesday before members of the Governor's Council for an interview. John G. Preston is a Suffolk Law School graduate who has spent much of his 30-year career representing insurers and employees in disputed workers compensation cases tried before the IAB. Gov. Swift has nominated him for a six-year term as an administrative judge. His six-year assignment may surface questions from some councilors who have already expressed frustration that many long-time IAB judges ranked as "highly qualified" are being forced to return to the council every year for one-year extensions of their assignments. At the same time, judges rated only "qualified" have been given more salinger.six-year terms. The issue reared up several weeks ago when Administrative Judge William Constantino got a six-year reappointment and two councilors complained. While the eight-member council easily confirmed his reappointment, councilors Mary-Ellen Manning (D-Peabody) and Marilyn Petitto Devaney (D-Watertown) did not support it. Kocot May Be Sworn in Next Week The results of last week's special election for a Massachusetts House vacancy could be certified by the Governor's Council this week but the winner - Peter Kocot (D-Northampton) will probably not be sworn in and seated until next week. Such ceremonies during which the governor administers the oath of office usually occur during a formal House session. Kocot will take the seat that opened up when his boss, Majority Leader William Nagle resigned last spring to become clerk-magistrate of the Ware District Court.
Monday,
April 15, 2002 Following a hearing last week, members of the Public Service Committee this week will review drafts of majority and minority reports on the Protection of Marriage Amendment, a proposed constitutional amendment which would define marriage in Massachusetts as a union between one man and one woman. The language in each of those reports will likely be refined over and over during the week and members of the panel are expected to convene in an executive session on Monday, April 22. The initiative petition was signed by enough voters to place it before lawmakers. Even if it wins the endorsement of one quarter of House and Senate members meeting in a Constitutional Convention this year, it would still need to win the support of the same number of House and Senate members seated for the 2003/04 session before appearing on the ballot in 2004. House Members Can Accept 'Furlough' Today Monday is the deadline for House members to sign up if they intend
to comply with Speaker Finneran's call that each surrender eight days
of pay from now through June 30. It appears that most House members
will follow his recommendation, although exact numbers were unavailable
Friday. While the dollars saved are not significant, the Clergy Reporting Bill Goes to House Attention now turns to the House after the Senate last week passed its own version of legislation requiring clergy to report child abuse to the authorities. Senators said they were frustrated with the pace of informal negotiations to resolve different versions of the bill that had passed in both branches. So the Senate took action to adopt a new version. House leaders said that would only slow passage of a bill that both sides agree is needed to protect children from possible abuse by religious leaders of all faiths. "They unnecessarily further delayed the final passage off this legislation because we are not going to accept their version, word for word, line for line," said Rep. Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford). "That means we have to pass something else." The bill may head to a House-Senate conference committee to iron out differences, he said. The main sticking point appears to be what types of religious communication
should remain exempt from the reporting requirement. The Senate version
excludes instances of abuse learned in the context of a Catholic confessional
or "similarly confidential spiritual communication." A House
version says "religions that have rules and practices" which
forbid reporting could remain exempt, senators said. Senators claimed
that would have allowed most religious institutions to maintain the
"status quo." Said Cabral, "I'm disappointed that [the
Senate] decided to take unilateral action because we had been Municipal Retirement Bill Moves to Senate The House last week passed legislation giving cities and towns the
option of offering employees early retirement as a way of shrinking
their own budgets. The provisions are similar to the offer extended
earlier this year to state workers. An amendment attached to the House
bill affects Massachusetts Turnpike Authority employees who were covered
under the state bill but not offered the incentive to leave the payroll
with enhanced benefits. That's because there is no board of directors
at the MTA to legally extend the offer to those workers. For that reason,
the bill on its way to the Senate now extends to Nov. 1 the window during
which those workers can apply for the budget-balancing Gun Controllers Have Major Conference in Boston This Week Gun control advocates and lawmakers from New England states meet for a daylong conference Wednesday to explore new ways to clamp down on gun ownership across the region. Massachusetts has among the strictest gun laws in the nation; Maine among the most permissive, aides to one of the conference's sponsors, Sen. Cheryl Jacques (D-Needham) said. A regional gun control plan is needed, advocates say, to develop a
regional approach and share resources. Lawmakers from Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine will participate.
Join Together, a project of the Boston University School of Public Health,
cosponsors the conference.
Friday,
April 12, 2002 Frustrated with negotiations with the House, the Senate on Thursday unanimously adopted a new version of legislation requiring clergy to report child abuse to the authorities. Senators pushed through their own version of the bill that would exempt instances of abuse learned in the context of a Catholic confessional or "similarly confidential spiritual communication." A House-passed version of the bill was too broad, senators said, and would have allowed religious institutions to maintain the "status quo." Attempts to resolve difference between the two bills bogged down, senators said. "We have negotiated in good faith but reached a stalemate," Sen. Sue Tucker (D-Andover) said. The Senate bill adds priests, rabbis, ministers of all churches, Christian Science practitioners and religious workers who instruct children to the list of professions such as teachers and social workers that must now report abuse. Senators said they could no longer wait for action by the House. Sen. Cheryl Jacques (D-Needham) said, "We don't have the time to have philosophical debates. While we think about this law, there are cases that need prosecution." The bill now heads to the House. Municipal Retirement Bill Advanced by House The House engrossed a bill Thursday that gives cities, towns, and other municipal employers the ability to offer early retirement as a way to save money and prevent worker layoffs. The House also passed bills regarding the naming of several local bridges, stage II vapor collection systems, and requirements for group life and health insurance. It also enacted bills relative to the state's depreciation rates, the Julian D. Steele housing project in Lowell, and a voting subprecinct in Newton. The House will next meet Tuesday at 1 pm. House Leaders Turn Over Asset List For Clean Elections Funding Three House leaders have turned over a list of state property in their offices to House counsel Lou Rizoli, thereby meeting the 4 p.m., Thursday, filing deadline imposed by Clean Election Law supporters, according to House Speaker Thomas Finneran's spokesman, Charles Rasmussen. Because the Legislature has refused the fund the voter-approved law, its supporters want to sell the office property to raise money for Clean Elections candidates. However, supporters of the law said their attorney, John Bonifaz of the National Voting Rights Institute, had not received the lists as of 4:45 p.m. They have subpoenaed House Speaker Thomas Finneran, House Majority Leader Salvatore DiMasi, and Election Laws Committee co-chairman Rep. Joseph Wagner to deliver a list next Tuesday in Bonifaz's office. The state Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that state property can be auctioned off to fund the campaigns of qualified candidates. Clean Election supporters said they will not ask for state-owned open space, historic artifacts and buildings, and art to be auctioned off. Instead, they are focusing on the office furnishings of the triumvirate they blame for the Legislature's failure to release $23 million set aside in an account to pay for the law. They have also asked for a list of state-owned vehicles, and State House parking spaces to consider auctioning. Ken White, director of Common Cause Massachusetts, a supporter of the law, said they would consider dropping the subpoenas if they receive the list Friday, but only if they were satisfied with its contents. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Warren Tolman is owed $231,000, and legislative candidates James Eldridge and Doc Westerling are both owed $8,100. Thursday,
April 11, 2002 The ballot question which would legally define marriage as a union between one man and one woman is not a mandate on the gay lifestyle according to supporters who spoke at a hearing Wednesday. "We know in our hearts that the best thing for any child is to be raised in a family with a mother and a father," said Sarah McVay Pawlick, president of Massachusetts Citizens for Marriage as she testified before the Joint Public Service Committee. Pawlick added, "As women, our hearts and souls tell us this matter is not to be solved by studies and reports but by a lifetime of experience." Supporters also testified that the issue should not be killed on Beacon Hill. "This isn't about whether a legislator agrees with the traditional view of marriage," said Ron Crews, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute. "This is about allowing the people of Massachusetts to have a voice." Attorney General Thomas Reilly told the committee that cities and towns
that sought to extend health care to the children of gay workers would
face "constitutionally insurmountable obstacles" if the ballot
question were to pass into law. "This proposed constitutional amendment
is aimed directly at our most vulnerable citizens, the children and
dependents of same sex couples," Reilly said. Attorney Chester
Darling answered Reilly's objections, stating that the ballot question
"is not to deny benefits to children. We seek to preserve the unique
institution marriage." Governor's Council Flexing Muscles Over Court Budgets Alexander Sands is a seasoned Boston real estate attorney about to take a seat on the state's Land Court and continue a family tradition. But if warnings from some members of the Governor's Council ring true, Sands may the last new judge to be seated until the court system's large budget problems are resolved. Gov. Jane Swift tapped Sands for the Land Court seat vacated when Judge Mark Green was elevated to the Land Court. While councilors expressed support for the candidate and praise for his qualifications, several wondered how the Swift administration and council could continue appointing judges while scores of court employees are being laid off or furloughed to keep budgets balanced. Democratic councilors Michael Callahan of Medford, Carole Fiola of Fall River and Marilyn Petito Devaney of Watertown said they were hesitant to add judges to the system while much of the rest of state government is being shrunk. But Sands, of Gloucester, appears poised for confirmation when councilors meet next Wednesday. Mandated Reporting By Clergy Comes Before Senate With the Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis deepening almost every day, the full Senate is poised on Thursday to consider a rewritten bill aimed at forcing clergy members to report suspected cases of abuse. According to Senate sources, the House and Senate do not have a final agreement, but the Senate is ready to consider a redrafted bill that might be amenable to the House. The bill excludes from reporting information conveyed in confession or during "similarly confidential spiritual communications." It requires cases with victims under age 18 to be reported to the Department of Social Services and those with victims 18 and over to be reported to district attorneys. The bill also drops language regarding instances during which social workers would be required to testify in court. Democrat Claims Nagle Seat Voters in Western Massachusetts on Tuesday picked Peter Kocot to fill the House seat that's been vacant for ten months and that once belonged to Majority Leader William Nagle. Kocot (D-Northampton), who was a top aide to Nagle for many years at the State House, collected 4,094 votes in Tuesday's special election. His opponent, Green Party candidate Michael Aleo, received 2,471 votes. No Republican sought the seat.
Wednesday, April 10, 2002 The proposed Protection of Marriage ballot question
gets a hearing today before the Public Service Committee. The initiative
petition which defines marriage in Massachusetts as a contract between
one man and one woman was signed by more than 57,000 voters last year.
The House and Senate must convene a Constitutional Convention by May
8 in order for the petition to be acted on this year by this Legislature.
Any change in the Constitution must be endorsed by two successive Legislatures
before it reaches the voters. If the House and Senate sitting now back
this proposal, it must also win the support of lawmakers to be seated
in January for the 2003/04 session before Bilingual Education Ballot Question Rejected The Committee on Education on Tuesday, rejected a ballot initiative eliminating bilingual education in favor of a one-year immersion program, and instead supported a bill crafted by committee chairmen Sen. Robert Antonioni (D-Leominster) and Rep. Peter Larkin (D-Pittsfield). Lincoln Tamayo, head of English for the Children, the group behind the ballot petition, said supporters will now go out and collect the 9,500 additional signatures needed to salinger.a spot on the November ballot. The campaign will receive a boost Wednesday when Republican candidate for lieutenant governor James Rappaport throws his support behind the ballot question at an 11 a.m. press conference outside the State House. The new bill written by the Education Committee (H 4947) allows school districts to choose between a menu of programs, such as a transitional program, a more-intensive immersion program, and a "two-way" bilingual education program between English and non-English speaking students. It also imposes a two-year participation limit with a possible third year of immersion, and establishes an office in the Department of Education to oversee program accountability. Campaign Begins Online to Oust Finneran Could a website start a revolt in the Massachusetts House? Liberal activists, having failed so far to topple House Speaker Thomas Finneran, launched www.OverthrowFinneran.org on Tuesday. The site is a hub of activism, with pages to email lawmakers, register opposition to the speaker, sign up for protests, send letters to newspapers, join ballot campaigns and pass the word on to friends. The goal, said Eric Weltman, organizing director of Citizens for Participation in Political Action, is to galvanize opposition to Finneran in the wake of a delayed state budget, attempts to kill the Clean Elections law, and changes made two years ago to the special education law. "We fully expect that Speaker Finneran will scoff at us," Weltman said. Senate Ways and Means Releases Several Bills In addition to a $919 million environmental bond bill, the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday endorsed the following bills: S 1530 identification, ehabilitation, maintenance and protection of burial grounds and cemeteries located on current or former state-owned lands; H 28 licensing of insurance producers; H 4108 authorizing the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to transfer parcels of land in Medfield; H 4362 leasing of a parcel of recreational land in Quincy under the control of the Metropolitan District Commission to Mini-Fenway Park Inc.; H 4494 authorizing the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to convey land formerly owned by Worcester County; H 4685 providing for an early retirement incentive program for certain employees of the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission; S 1587 to include employees of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission in the state retirement system; and S 1918 disposition of state-owned property in New Salem. All of the bills will be considered during a formal Senate session Thursday afternoon.
Tuesday,
April 9, 2002 In a terse, two-sentence judgment the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has ruled against Alec Costerus of Concord. Costerus had initiated action against the Police Chief and several others over what he considered to be an illegal confiscation of handguns from his home, as well as the denial of a License to Carry firearms. Costerus told the Beacon Hill Beat last week, "As you correctly reported in the October 18, 2001 edition of the Beacon Hill Beat, I will be making a Petition to the U.S. Supreme Court as the First and Fifth Circuits have opposing views of this Constitutional right. Costerus admits there is no guarantee that the High Court will accept the case but, maintains that "one has to take the stand in order to preserve of freedom." House Expected to Take Up Four Bills Wednesday The House, which meets formally on Wednesday, is set to debate four measures that were approved by the House Ways and Means Committee Monday. H 4777 is intended to save between $300 million and $500 million over the next three years by changing a requirement that corporate taxpayers write off depreciation of certain tangible assets, enabling them to be taxed on lower net profits. H 4978 is a plan to allow cities and towns to offer early retirement programs for municipal workers. S 2131 is legislation to include employees of the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission in the group insurance plan. S 2241 is legislation further regulating a plan already approved by the Legislature to demolish the Julian Steele public housing development in Lowell and build new housing. Medicaid Caucus Precedes House Session Wednesday House members will gather privately again on Wednesday to hear about another fiscal and public policy challenge - preserving services to 1 million Medicaid recipients in the midst of a fiscal crisis. A full formal session is planned following the caucus. During Monday's informal session, the House gave final approval to bills affecting Dracut, Easthampton, Sandwich, Swansea and Sharon. The House also advanced legislation regarding Newton, Brookfield and Dedham. Former Senator Seeking Restoration of Breast Cancer Funding Former senator and current Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Lois Pines Monday asked legislative budget writers to raise taxes and restore $3 million for breast cancer research programs in their fiscal year 2003 budget. Gov. Jane Swift eliminated the grant money from her budget as part of her effort to make up a projected $2 billion revenue shortfall in the fiscal year that begins July 1.In a lightly attended news conference held in the wine cellar of The Federalist restaurant, Pines called for tax hikes to prevent the breast cancer programs, and others like them, from being dropped next year."The cuts are likely and serious, and unless we call for more revenues to offset the deficit, a lot of programs are going to cease," she said.
Monday,
April 8, 2002 The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to approve legislation today that would allow cities and town to offer early retirement programs to their municipal employees. Many cash-strapped communities have been awaiting the enactment of this bill in order to balance their budgets. Also expected to receive approval is legislation to prevent the loss of between $300 million and $500 million over the next three years due to changes in the federal tax code. Gov. Jane Swift and Democratic legislative leaders have agreed to advance the bill. A provision of a federal law approved last month allows corporate taxpayers to write off depreciation of certain tangible assets, enabling them to be taxed on lower net profits. The change has forced decision-making in states like Massachusetts that piggyback on certain federal tax laws. Tuesday is Special Election Day in First Hampshire District On Tuesday, voters in the 1st Hampshire representative district will fill a House seat that's been empty since Majority Leader William Nagle vacated it 10 months ago. There are two candidates, both from Northampton. They are Democrat Peter Kocot, a longtime aide to Nagle who won a two-way primary last month, and Michael Aleo, a special education teacher and member of the Green Party. After Nagle resigned last June, Speaker Thomas Finneran so delayed placing before the House the paperwork needed to order a special election that residents of the district went to court in attempt to force his hand. Finneran has declined to explain his reluctance to order the special election that will finally take place Tuesday. There is no Republican candidate and the winner of the Aleo/Kocot race will serve the remainder of Nagle's term, which ends this year. The victor will not get much of a breather since he will have to campaign and be elected again this fall Bilingual Education Bill Before Ed Committee This Week Education Committee chairmen Sen. Robert Antonioni (D-Leominster) and
Rep. Peter Larkin (D-Pittsfield) are expected to recommend an amended
version of their bilingual education reform bill at a committee executive
session Tuesday. Their bill, H 4947, is supported by 17 urban superintendents.
It allows school districts to choose between a Other bilingual education reform bills before the committee include a joint bill filed by Sen. Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton) and Rep. Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford), one by Gov. Jane Swift, and a ballot initiative that would eliminate bilingual education and place non-English speaking students in one-year immersion programs. Sell-Off For Clean Elections Funding Get Approval Officials in charge of state-owned land are preparing a list of properties and other assets that might soon be sold to pay for the Clean Elections Law. Supreme Judicial Court Justice Martha Sosman ruled Friday in favor of selling state assets to satisfy court damages for public financing candidates who have qualified for funding, which isn't available because the Legislature hasn't approved any. Sosman said the Legislature has had more than two months to comply with a directive to fund or repeal the law. A liability fund that the SJC had been using to pay Clean Elections candidates has dried up. Gubernatorial candidate Warren Tolman is owed $231,000 by the state and legislative candidate James Eldridge of Acton is owed $8,100. Sosman said there's no shortage of assets available to sell, listing real estate, equipment, vehicles, furniture, books, artwork and historic artifacts.
Friday,
April 5, 2002 Hoping to spur growth in one of Massachusetts' leading industries, Gov. Jane Swift said Thursday she will propose legislation to allow biotechnology companies to raise cash by selling unused tax credits to other companies. Biotechnology companies would be able to sell unused research and development tax credits to any corporate taxpayer for up to 75 percent of the tax credits' value, under the plan. The idea, Swift told hundreds of executives and researchers at the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council conference in Boston, is to help companies raise capital to speed the development of medical technologies. The legislation would apply to "new or expanding" biotechnology
and advanced materials companies, Swift said. A company could sell up
to $500,000 in tax credits annually and $4 million over its lifetime,
under the bill. Cash raised from the sale of the tax credits could be
used to pay for new equipment, building improvements, or everyday expenses,
Swift said. They may not have their high-profile jobs for long, but new appointees are in place to help run the state agencies overseeing food and agriculture, insurance, racing, and travel and tourism. Gov. Jane Swift filled the four posts this week. The new administration officials are former Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation director Douglas Gillespie (food and agriculture commissioner); former deputy insurance commissioner Julianne M. Bowler (insurance commissioner); Walpole Police chief Joseph Betro (racing commissioner); and former hotel executive Paul J. Sacco (travel and tourism director). Former insurance commissioner Linda Ruthardt is reportedly under consideration for another post in the Swift administration. All of the other posts opened up because appointees opted to take advantage of the state's new early retirement law. Murphy Healey Popular Choice With Top Republicans With the party abuzz over a fight for lieutenant governor, three major Republican players came out today in support of Kerry Murphy Healey. Gov. Jane Swift, former Gov. William Weld and former Treasurer Joseph Malone issued a letter praising Healey as "an effective Republican leader who will bring proven public policy experience and a fresh perspective to the State House."
Thursday,
April 4, 2002 Gov. Jane Swift and legislative leaders met Wednesday and agreed to pass legislation that will prevent the loss of between $300 million and $500 million over the next three years due to changes in the federal tax code. A provision of a federal law approved last month allows corporate taxpayers to write off depreciation of certain tangible assets, enabling them to be taxed on lower net profits. States with tax codes that are piggybacked on the federal tax code are now considering whether to go along with that change. "This is the right thing to do to restore important self-determination to our tax code and our state," said Senate Ways and Means Chairman Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford). Montigny said Senate President Thomas Birmingham salinger. support for the change from Swift and House Speaker Thomas Finneran at a meeting Wednesday. Montigny expects decoupling legislation to be approved soon. Food and Agriculture Head Sworn In On Agriculture Day Taking advantage of Agriculture Day at the State House, Gov. Jane Swift swore in Douglas Gillespie, of Weston, as the new commissioner of the Department of Food and Agriculture. He replaces Jonathan Healy, who retired in March. Speaking to a gathering of farmers, agricultural advocates and legislators, Swift, who hails from farm-rich Western Massachusetts, called Agricultural Day her "favorite day of the year." Gillespie is the former assistant executive director for the Massachusetts
Farm Bureau Federation in Ashland, serves on his town's board of selectmen,
and is a fourth-generation farmer. He said during brief remarks that
DFA's greatest challenge will be meeting the new agricultural needs
of Massachusetts' Formal Session Brings Little Legislative Action The House enacted four bills, admitted Gov. Jane Swift's bill making changes at Massport, welcomed two high school state championship teams and adjourned without fully going through its calendar during its formal session Wednesday. The House convened in the morning and promptly recessed for an afternoon caucus on state credit rating issues. When it came back, it enacted bills relative to deposit banks, firefighters and the civil service test in the town of Ipswich, and April as Autistic Awareness Month. It also advanced bills regarding Sharon, Dracut and Korean Veterans. The House also welcomed the Waltham High School Division 1 hockey champions and Attleboro High School boys' gymnastics champions. Council Confirms Constantino Members of the Governor's Council on Wednesday voted 6-1 giving former state Rep. William Constantino (R-Clinton) another six years as an administrative judge on the Industrial Accident Board. Councilor Mary-Ellen Manning (D-Peabody) was the lone opponent and Councilor Marilyn Petito Devaney (D-Watertown) abstained from the vote. Councilors also interviewed Gov. Swift's pick to be the new clerk-magistrate of the Barnstable District Court - William Eldridge, a career employee in that office.
Wednesday,
April 3, 2002 Saying the party needs a fresh start in its quest to retain the Corner Office for a fourth consecutive term, Republican Patrick Guerriero late Tuesday announced he's dropping out of the race for lieutenant governor and endorsing GOP State Committee chief Kerry Murphy Healey. He made the surprise announcement at a twilight press conference, flanked by Healey, on the steps of the State House. The announcement came four days before Saturday's GOP nominating convention in Lowell where Guerriero and businessman James Rappaport were to square off for the second spot on the ticket headed by gubernatorial candidate Mitt Romney. Guerriero said he got into the race in January to help ensure that Republicans would retain their hold on the governor's office. Guerriero said he has asked his delegates to switch their support to Healey and was confident she would have enough delegate support at Saturday's convention to make it onto the September primary ballot. Healey said she would resign as head of the GOP state committee after five months on the job. House Committee Preparing Budget Deficit Bill House Ways and Means chairman John Rogers (D-Norwood) was hunkered
down in budget meetings Monday and Tuesday, and unavailable to discuss
a bill he intends to file this week aimed at erasing the state's budget
deficit. He was quoted in the Sunday Boston Rogers will reportedly use about $300 million in "rainy day" funds, $175 million in unspent dollars earmarked for capital projects, $144 million from an account designated for reducing welfare caseloads, and a $10 million voluntary state worker furlough program. Helmet Optional Bill Gets Nod From Public Safety Committee A dozen motorcycle enthusiasts cheered and applauded Tuesday when the Committee on Public Safety endorsed a bill giving motorcyclists over the age of 21 the option of not wearing a safety helmet while riding. Organizers afterward thanked committee co-chairman Rep. Timothy Toomey (D-Cambridge), who brought the bill to a vote despite his personal objection to it. Toomey said enough legislators have filed similar bills that it deserves to be debated in the House and Senate. Vice-chairman Rep. Kevin Murphy wasn't at the hearing, but asked to be recorded as against the bill.
Tuesday,
April 2, 2002 Tobacco manufacturers not participating in the national legal settlement with the states would be required to establish and fund escrow accounts under legislation to be unveiled today at the State House. The bill to be filed by Sen. Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst) and Rep. Daniel Bosley (D-N. Adams) would prohibit state revenue officials from issuing tax stamps to non-participating manufacturers who have not set up escrow accounts. Rosenberg and Bosley say the escrow accounts are required of non-participating manufacturers under the 1998 master settlement, which awarded billions of dollars to the states as reimbursement for health services rendered over the years to smokers. Romney Names Campaign Manager He has run Republican political campaigns in Maine and California,
and his business background shows ties to the software and transportation
industries. Now Ben Coes will try to get Mitt Romney elected as governor
of Massachusetts. Romney has tapped Coes as his campaign manager. Coes
most recently served as president of the software company Beachfire
Inc., and previously as general manager of Iron Road Railways Inc.,
a holding company that manages transportation companies in the US and
Canada. In Motorcyclists Rally on Beacon Hill Today Motorcyclists plan to ride to the State House today and lobby for legislation that would make helmets optional for drivers 21 and over. Many bikers believe helmets are not built to offer real protection in crashes where drivers are traveling at speeds greater than 15 mph. The Massachusetts Motorcyclists Association says 30 states have made helmets optional for drivers 21 and over. Federal officials in the early 80s removed the requirement that states have mandatory helmet laws to receive federal highway funds. The Legislature's Public Safety Committee put the helmet choice bill into study last July. Subcommittee Targets Medicaid Fraud State government should restock its decimated corps of Medicaid fraud investigators to help control cost increases threatening the future of a program that serves one million residents, according a new subcommittee report. Only five investigators remain at the Bureau of Special Investigators, which claimed savings of $15 million in 1999, when the bureau had 107 investigators on its payroll. The Medicaid Waste, Fraud and Abuse Subcommittee also found the attorney general's anti-fraud units are understaffed, with one investigator working in a unit that reviews utilization of Medicaid services.
Monday,
April 1, 2002 Legislation giving cities and towns the option of
offering early retirement to their employees is expected to hit the
House floor this week. Crafted by the Public Service Committee, the
bill last week cleared the Counties Committee and it's now awaiting
action before the House Ways and Means Committee. Two changes made by
the Backers of the original bill worry that those changes could make benefits under the proposed law too generous when the intent of the legislation is to save money. The bill is moving quickly through the House because the state's 351 cities and towns are facing their own budget writing deadlines and many want to use the early retirement provision to save dollars. Allowing municipalities to offer workers an incentive to leave their jobs was cited last week as one of several ways to help local governments ease the impact of revenue shortfalls. Propane Tank Regs Change Today New state regulations declare as of today, propane gas tanks, like the ones commonly found on backyard grills, can be turned away from refilling stations if they lack overfill protection valves. The new rules, handed down from state Fire Marshal Stephen Coan, apply to propane gas tanks between four and 40 pounds. Because gas expands when heated, on a warm day if overfilled, gas could leak out of the tank and settle in the area around it. An errant spark or flame could result in an explosion. The valves ensure tanks are not overfilled and the gas has room to expand. Coan's office said most tanks manufactured after September 1998 already have the valve. He said a way to check if your tank meets the new state law is to look for the manufacturing date, or the shape of its shut-off valve. A triangular-shaped valve usually means it is in compliance. The new regulations will bring state statutes into compliance with guidelines set by the National Fire Protection Association. Annual Jane Doe Rally Marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month Activists organized by Jane Doe, Inc. rally today to mark the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The group has called on Gov. Jane Swift to declare a state of emergency on matters of sexual violence and to create a task force to identify ways to better help survivors. Speakers include: District Attorney Daniel Conley, Senate President Thomas Birmingham, Sen. Cheryl Jacques, Rep. Lida Harkins, Rep. Peter Koutoujian, Attorney Wendy Murphy, Governor's Commission on Domestic Violence Executive Director Beverly Kennedy, sexual assault survivors and community leaders. Energy Efficiency Make Earn Tax Breaks Energy-efficient refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers would be exempted from the state's 5 percent sales tax, under a bill to be reviewed by the Energy Committee Tuesday. The proposal, sponsored by House Energy Committee Chairman John Binienda (D-Worcester), is intended to encourage sales of energy-efficient appliances. Under the plan, lost tax revenue would be paid back to the state out of an energy reserve already paid for by surcharges on most electricity bills. AFL-CIO Announces Public Policy Agenda All five Democratic candidates for governor have been invited Tuesday evening when the Massachusetts AFL-CIO unveils its public policy agenda for this fall's election. Also on hand will be many of the academicians who have worked with the labor organization during the past several months to come up with an agenda. It addresses economic security, access to health care, affordable housing, right to organize, tax policy, education, and worker education and training. Republican candidate Mitt Romney was evidently overlooked when the invitations were mailed.
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