STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

February 2 -- House Speaker Thomas Finneran today herded his loudest
liberal critics into the dimly-regarded Federal Financial Assistance
Committee, stripped Rep. Philip Travis of his Banking Committee
chairmanship and shuffled around some of his top committee chairmen.

The move heightened the animosity between Finneran (D-Mattapan) and the
small band of liberals who consistently criticize his leadership.

In a 20-minute caucus this morning, House members ratified the leadership
changes Finneran termed a "continuation of the status quo" that would also
bring "fresh ideas" to some committees for the 1999-2000 legislative session.

Minutes after the caucus ended, the small band of legislators who have
chafed under Finneran's leadership clustered together, poring over the
committee assignments listing and bemoaning their fate.

Rep. Byron Rushing (D-Boston) joked that the FFA committee should be
renamed the "Counter-Rules Committee."  Most of the new committee members
offered a series of amendments intended to limit Finneran's power during
the rules debate on Jan. 26.

Reps. Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville), James Marzilli (D-Arlington), Ellen
Story (D-Amherst), Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington), Kay Khan (D-Newton) David
Gately (I-Waltham) and John Slattery (D-Peabody) make up the membership of
the committee.    FFA will be chaired by Rep. Shirley Owens-Hicks
(D-Mattapan).

"A substantial majority of people who made proposed changes to the rules
were effectively decapitated," Marzilli said.  "Many of us were removed
from the important committees on which we sat and sent to the graveyard
Federal Financial Assistance."

"None of us are children or naïve.  We knew that in speaking for more
debate and a more democratic process in the House, we were running the risk
of being punished," Kaufman added.  "What I find particularly difficult is
that I like Tom Finneran as a person. I don't dispute the need of someone
in his position to try to impose some discipline.  But what we've seen is a
crossing of the line from discipline to bondage."

Even some of the critics who were not dumped into the FFA Committee said
they felt the sting of political payback. Rep. Carol Donovan (D-Woburn),
who opposed Finneran during the rules debate, said she felt the speaker
deliberately rearranged her committees in order to punish her.

"Last year, I had Banks and Banking, Energy, and Public Safety," she said.
"I told him in the conversation that Public Safety was my favorite of the
three and that if he was going to only give me two committees, I would
prefer that he took me off Energy. So he took me off Public Safety, took me
off Banks and Banking, and put me on Energy."

Donovan said Finneran apparently had so many people to punish after the
rules debate that he wound up lacking enough allies to fill all the chairs
and vice-chairs.  She pointed out that Rep. David Donnelly (D-West Roxbury)
was made chairman of Judiciary and vice-chairman of Education, and that
Rep. John Rogers (D-Norwood) was made chairman of Taxation and
vice-chairman of Steering, Policy and Scheduling.

"What surprised me was that in some cases, people who are chairs are also
vice-chairs. I don't believe that's ever happened before," Donovan said.
"The only thing I can think of is that he (Finneran) didn't have enough on
his side to pick more people. There were 40 or 45 of us who opposed him in
the rules debate, so then you come down to - well, gee, I can't give those
people anything. So you've limited your numbers."

Marzilli and others said they were particularly upset because Finneran said
he valued their contributions just moments before releasing his
assignments.  They also said Finneran's move to assign some members to both
a chairmanship and a vice-chairmanship was a blatant attempt to consolidate
power in fewer hands.

"I don't think that there's anything new to the fact that the speaker will
use his power to achieve his own agenda," Marzilli said.  "I think that the
public needs to understand that this means he will again do everything he
can to stop the minimum wage increase, to stop HMO reform, to stop the ATM
fee ban from becoming law."

Finneran said Ways and Means chairman Paul Haley (D-Weymouth), assistant
majority Leader Barbara Gardner (D-Holliston) and Government Regulations
Committee chairman Daniel Bosley (D-N. Adams) would retain their posts.  He
called speculation that the three were on the way out "completely absurd."

Banks and Banking committee chairman Philip Travis (D-Rehoboth) was the
only legislator stripped of a chairmanship.  Travis is currently under
investigation for soliciting money from banks on behalf of an American
Indian tribe in his Rehoboth district.  The solicitations allegedly came as
the Banking Committee was reviewing a ban on ATM surcharges.  The banks
opposed the bill, which eventually died in another committee.

"There's a situation going on in regards to an inquiry," Finneran said of
Travis.  "For the good of the committee and the members, as well as
Chairman Travis and the institution, we thought it was appropriate to make
the change."  Finneran left the caucus before the ratification vote began.

Rep. William Greene (D-Billerica) takes over the Banking Committee from
Travis, who will become a member of the Ways and Means and Taxation
committees.

Rep. Peter Larkin (D-Pittsfield) assumes control of the Commerce and Labor
Committee from Rep. Robert Koczera (D-New Bedford), who is moving to run
Housing and Urban Development.  Former HUD chair Charlotte Golar-Ritchie
(D-Boston) was recently appointed to head the Department of Neighborhood
Development for the city of Boston.

"I've done Taxation.  Now it's like, this (Commerce and Labor) is where the
action's going to be.  That's why I'm excited about it," Larkin said.  "I
think they're good, strong committee assignments.  They're good people that
do good work."

Another happy legislator was Rep. Marie Parente (D-Milford), who retained
her chairmanship of the Committee on Local Affairs.  Parente likened the
day to Christmas and said, "I was a good girl this year. I'm still the
chair of Local Affairs!"
     

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