Sent: Friday, August 3, 2012 11:19:56 AM
Subject: FW: STATE CAPITOL BRIEFS – LUNCH EDITION – THURSDAY, AUG. 2, 2012
Good Morning
I want to thank everyone who forwarded a name of a loved one for me to ride in support or in memory of for this weekends Pan Mass Challenge to benefit Dana Farber Cancer Center. I have been asked why I continue to ride. Last August 2nd, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer and on November 3rd he died of lung cancer. Last year I rode in support of my dad this year I ride in his memory. I ride because one day I will be able to stop adding names to my memory list.
Thanks for all you do and have a wonderful weekend
Anne
I want to thank everyone who forwarded a name of a loved one for me to ride in support or in memory of for this weekends Pan Mass Challenge to benefit Dana Farber Cancer Center. I have been asked why I continue to ride. Last August 2nd, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer and on November 3rd he died of lung cancer. Last year I rode in support of my dad this year I ride in his memory. I ride because one day I will be able to stop adding names to my memory list.
Thanks for all you do and have a wonderful weekend
Anne
LAWMAKERS KEEP BILLS MOVING IN INFORMAL SESSIONS
While the formal portion of the 2011-2012 legislative session ended at midnight Tuesday, the five-month informal period of lawmaking officially began on Thursday morning and the House and Senate used their brief gatherings to keep bills moving toward Gov. Deval Patrick's desk. Bills that require roll call votes, such as bonds, land transfers and veto overrides, are off the table during informal sessions but pretty much everything else is on the table as long as all of the members present agree to it. Few members of the Legislature attend informals, with three or fewer often on hand in the Senate and six or fewer in the House. The branches on Monday advanced to Gov. Deval Patrick's desk, over the objections of major business groups, legislation aimed at ensuring more widespread insurance coverage for hearing aids and cleft palate. Republican lawmakers who have often criticized the extent of extra health care mandates in Massachusetts opted against preventing the bill from moving forward on Thursday. The House also gave initial approval to bills establishing a 15-member Massachusetts afterschool and Out-of-School Time Coordinating Council (S 2111), regarding taxpayer hearings before the Appellate Tax Board (S 2187), dealing with the theft from or destruction of historic homes (H 442), and regarding off-road recreational vehicles (S 2381) and snowmobile education and safety (H 4359). - M. Norton/SHNS
SOMERSET OFFICIAL HIT WITH $25,000 ETHICS PENALTY
Somerset Water and Sewer Commission board member Charles Fisher II has paid a $25,000 civil penalty and admitted to violating the state's conflict of interest law in connection with his work over five years as a paid employee of a company that performed sewer work requiring board permits, state ethics officials announced Thursday. According to the State Ethics Commission, Fisher was from 2006 until 2011 a paid employee of Charles F. Fisher & Sons and a board member while he performed at least 60 sewer tie-ins or repairs in Somerset, work that required permits from the board. In 2001, when Fisher was also a member of the board, he contacted the commission for advice about whether his company could perform the work in Somerset while he was on the board and was told that he was banned from doing so under the conflict of interest law, according to the commission. In a statement, Ethics Commission Executive Director Karen Nober said, "The conflict of interest law requires a municipal employee's undivided loyalty to the municipality. That loyalty is compromised when a municipal employee is paid privately for performing work that is also regulated by the municipality." - M. Norton/SHNS
GUV RAISES SAFETY CONCERNS OVER NEWBURYPORT BILL
While Gov. Deval Patrick has been stamping his approval on numerous local bills sent to his desk in recent days, the governor returned one on Tuesday, saying it had potential “problematic public safety implications.” In a letter to lawmakers accompanies by an amendment, Patrick said he was okay with the bill’s exemption from the civil service law of the positions of plumbing inspector and gas fitting inspector in Newburyport, but raised concerns about a provision of the bill exempting the two positions from the state law requiring that all plumbing and gas fitting inspectors be licensed and that they have five years of practical experience in their profession to qualify as an inspector. The law also requires inspectors to inspect all plumbing or gas fitting in the process of “in the process of construction, alteration or repair for permitted projects,” according to Patrick’s letter. “Exempting plumbing and gas fitting inspectors from this section could result in unlicensed and unqualified individuals performing functions that have public safety implications,” Patrick concluded. The House on Thursday sent Patrick’s amendment to the chairman-less House Committee on Bills in Third Reading, whose members include Rep. James O’Day (D-Worcester) and Rep. George Peterson (R-Grafton). - M. Norton/SHNS
END
08/02/2012
Serving the working press since 1910
http://www.statehousenews.com
While the formal portion of the 2011-2012 legislative session ended at midnight Tuesday, the five-month informal period of lawmaking officially began on Thursday morning and the House and Senate used their brief gatherings to keep bills moving toward Gov. Deval Patrick's desk. Bills that require roll call votes, such as bonds, land transfers and veto overrides, are off the table during informal sessions but pretty much everything else is on the table as long as all of the members present agree to it. Few members of the Legislature attend informals, with three or fewer often on hand in the Senate and six or fewer in the House. The branches on Monday advanced to Gov. Deval Patrick's desk, over the objections of major business groups, legislation aimed at ensuring more widespread insurance coverage for hearing aids and cleft palate. Republican lawmakers who have often criticized the extent of extra health care mandates in Massachusetts opted against preventing the bill from moving forward on Thursday. The House also gave initial approval to bills establishing a 15-member Massachusetts afterschool and Out-of-School Time Coordinating Council (S 2111), regarding taxpayer hearings before the Appellate Tax Board (S 2187), dealing with the theft from or destruction of historic homes (H 442), and regarding off-road recreational vehicles (S 2381) and snowmobile education and safety (H 4359). - M. Norton/SHNS
SOMERSET OFFICIAL HIT WITH $25,000 ETHICS PENALTY
Somerset Water and Sewer Commission board member Charles Fisher II has paid a $25,000 civil penalty and admitted to violating the state's conflict of interest law in connection with his work over five years as a paid employee of a company that performed sewer work requiring board permits, state ethics officials announced Thursday. According to the State Ethics Commission, Fisher was from 2006 until 2011 a paid employee of Charles F. Fisher & Sons and a board member while he performed at least 60 sewer tie-ins or repairs in Somerset, work that required permits from the board. In 2001, when Fisher was also a member of the board, he contacted the commission for advice about whether his company could perform the work in Somerset while he was on the board and was told that he was banned from doing so under the conflict of interest law, according to the commission. In a statement, Ethics Commission Executive Director Karen Nober said, "The conflict of interest law requires a municipal employee's undivided loyalty to the municipality. That loyalty is compromised when a municipal employee is paid privately for performing work that is also regulated by the municipality." - M. Norton/SHNS
GUV RAISES SAFETY CONCERNS OVER NEWBURYPORT BILL
While Gov. Deval Patrick has been stamping his approval on numerous local bills sent to his desk in recent days, the governor returned one on Tuesday, saying it had potential “problematic public safety implications.” In a letter to lawmakers accompanies by an amendment, Patrick said he was okay with the bill’s exemption from the civil service law of the positions of plumbing inspector and gas fitting inspector in Newburyport, but raised concerns about a provision of the bill exempting the two positions from the state law requiring that all plumbing and gas fitting inspectors be licensed and that they have five years of practical experience in their profession to qualify as an inspector. The law also requires inspectors to inspect all plumbing or gas fitting in the process of “in the process of construction, alteration or repair for permitted projects,” according to Patrick’s letter. “Exempting plumbing and gas fitting inspectors from this section could result in unlicensed and unqualified individuals performing functions that have public safety implications,” Patrick concluded. The House on Thursday sent Patrick’s amendment to the chairman-less House Committee on Bills in Third Reading, whose members include Rep. James O’Day (D-Worcester) and Rep. George Peterson (R-Grafton). - M. Norton/SHNS
END
08/02/2012
Serving the working press since 1910
http://www.statehousenews.com
In the spirit of the Olympics, I want to award Denise Andrews the gold medal for hypocrisy for her performance at the 2nd Franklin District Democratic debate the other night.
ReplyDeleteJim White was all over her for her votes against open and transparent state government and he scored some direct hits.
White hit Andrews for voting against allowing legislators to have 24 hours to read and digest a bill before voting on it and for voting against putting votes taken in committee (where the real work is often done) on the Legislature's website.
Andrews said “I believe fully in transparency." Yeah sure you do until Speaker DeLeo tells you do don't.
And if any representative wants to get a bill moved, they have to play ball with the speaker, just the way it is. If they don't, they never get a bill moved and one could serve years and not have a single bill or action because they don't work with the speaker DeLeo. My question is this, all candidates were asked about the gas tax and they all said they did not want to raise it, so here it is, the gas tax, we are told, goes towards road and bridge repair & building, now we have evryone demanding better gas mileage for cars, we have the hybids and slowly going to all electric cars which = less gas used = less gas tax collected so where in the future will the money come from to do roads & bridges? Why do you think some at Beacon hill floated the mileage tax? If you look at the open meeting law, you see the state house is exempt, and that was done prior to Denise Andrews getting elected, the boys n girls on Beacon Hill do not want their votes on the record so ya can use it against them at election time.
ReplyDeleteI thought Denise ran away with the debate and will be voting for her. She is intelligent and genuine. A nice breath of fresh air from the typical MA politician.
ReplyDelete