Media Alert: On the Air with Dan Rea

Tonight at 10:00 on WBZ Radio (AM1030) I will be discussing with Senator Steven Baddour and host Dan Rea parole and sentencing reform now pending before the Senate. That legislation, based on a bill we filed several months ago and another bill, known as “Melissa’s Law”, targets those serving multiple life sentences and repeat violent offenders, and is scheduled for debate on Thursday.

Posted below is a summary of the bill. Please click here or tune in to WBZ-Radio 1030 AM at 10:00pm to listen to tonight’s broadcast

S.2054 Summary

Today’s Proposed Congressional Districts

The unveiling of the Massachusetts Congressional redistricting maps signals that the committee and the legislature are now focused on perhaps the most important element of this year’s effort.

Given the importance of the necessary changes in our congressional districts, transparency and inclusiveness are absolutely critical to the process of approving these maps. What began with extensive public hearings, which centered largely around changes in Congressional districts, must continue now that the time to make decisions is approaching.

Unfortunately the committee did not meet to discuss the maps that were put forth today prior to their release, and that limited the role of the committee members in producing them.

Now, however, as we continue to digest the numbers and the details of the maps presented today, it is imperative that legislators and the public have sufficient time to understand what is being proposed and offer comment before any more decisions are made. Should doing so mean returning to formal session for a day past the scheduled date for the end of those sessions, then we should do exactly that.

Please click here to view an image of the proposed congressional map and to read more about the redistricting process.

Yesterday’s Media Appearances

Yesterday I had the opportunity to be a guest political analyst on Fox 25’s morning news segment “Tolman and Gray”. Boston City Councilor Michael Ross and I discussed the GOP presidential primary race and the Hard Rock Café International Group’s interest in operating a casino in western Massachusetts.

Later in the day I also made a guest appearance on NECN’s “Broadside” where I discussed with Representative Straus and host Jim Braude the status of the expanded gaming legislation.

Please play the posted videos below to watch yesterday’s appearances.

Tolman and Gray: MyFoxBOSTON.com

Media Alert: On the air with NECN’s 'Broadside'

I will be joining State Representative Bill Straus of Mattapoisett and host Jim Braude as a guest on tonight’s episode of “Broadside” on New England Cable News. Tonight’s segment will focus on the status of the expanded gaming legislation as it makes its way through the conference committee process and on to the Governor’s desk. Be sure to tune in tonight at 6 p.m. for the live broadcast, or watch the show when it re-airs at 8 p.m.

Making Our Roadways Safe

Today over 70 Massachusetts police chiefs came to the state house to speak in unison on a bill they support and I co-sponsored that would allow a municipal police officer the authority to administer a traffic stop in a neighboring community as long as the officer has been engaged in the continuous pursuit of the suspect vehicle. Senate Bill 662, An Act Improving Apprehension of Drunk Drivers and Other Law Violators, is sponsored by Senator Brewer and would provide law enforcement officials with a long overdue tool in the fight to keep our communities’ streets safe from drunk drivers.

The police chiefs also participated in a hearing of a Joint Committee on the Judiciary, on SB 662 today, and testified on the importance of swift passage of the bill. I had the opportunity to speak with reporter Jon Keller of WBZ-TV as part of his coverage of SB 662. To read the actual text of the bill please click here.

Below are two photos taken today of me standing with the chiefs, including one photo of me with Chiefs Peter Silva of Essex and Ken Walsh of Wenham.

Media Alert: On the Air with Fox 25

Tomorrow morning I will once again be a guest political analyst on the Fox 25 Morning News segment “Tolman and Gray”. Boston City Councilor Michael Ross and I will be discussing the GOP presidential primary race, the Hard Rock Café International Group’s interest in operating a casino in western Massachusetts, and the Occupy Boston movement.

Please tune in tomorrow morning at approximately 7:15AM to watch our lively discussion.

New Districts Approved

Today the House and the Senate voted to approve new districts for each of the legislative bodies and the Executive Council. The new maps, which were approved, are based on the information produced by the most recent (2010) federal census and the work of the Special Committee on Redistricting. You can view the maps depicting these new districts by clicking here.

Still pending in the legislative process are the state’s Congressional districts, which must be redesigned to reflect the results of the 2010 Federal Census. These districts are likely losing one seat in Congress, and all of the remaining 9 districts must be reconfigured as to accommodate the redistribution of the total population.