Statement on NEFMC’s Vote to Drastically Reduce the Catching of Cod Fish

Today I released the following statement regarding yesterday’s vote made by the New England Fisheries Management Council to reduce the available catch of Gulf of Maine Cod by77% to 1,506 metric tons and George’s Bank Cod by 61% to 2,506 metric tons:

“Yesterday’s vote by the New England Fisheries Management Council is devastating news for fishing ports and fishing families throughout Massachusetts and our region.  The impending socio-economic devastation demands that public officials and industry stakeholders work together as never before to bring innovation, flexibility and leadership to the table, and to find ways to keep the fishing industry alive through these perilous times.

We cannot allow New England’s domestic fish harvesting capacity to disappear, and I am calling on my colleagues in government and those in the industry to rise to the challenge before us of ensuring the survival of an industry that feeds our country with a precious catch every day.”

Statement on IG Welfare Report Revealing the Loss of Millions of Taxpayer Dollars

Today I released the following statement regarding a report by Inspector General Glenn Cunha revealing the continued loss of public dollars and ongoing abuse within the state’s welfare system, while taxpayers are being asked to pay more taxes, fees, tolls, and other expenses to finance the expansion of transportation and education initiatives proposed by the Governor:

“The report released yesterday by Inspector General Cunha proves that there is still substantial work to be done to eliminate and prevent fraud, waste and abuse in our state’s welfare system.  It’s unacceptable that taxpayers would be asked to pay more while millions are being wasted.  Equally unacceptable is the diversion of precious dollars intended to support those in need from people who deserve them to those who do not.

We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work in confronting these issues now, and our caucus is committed to action on them as soon as possible.”

Senate GOP Caucus Files Additional Joint Rules for 188th General Court

The Massachusetts Senate Republicans Caucus are proposing an ambitious series of changes to the joint rules which govern the House and Senate, setting the stage for a critical debate tomorrow centering around transparency and accountability in the state’s legislative process.  The proposed changes, filed on Tuesday afternoon, would put more information in the hands of the public and members of the legislature, ensuring more informed and accountable actions on Beacon Hill.

The changes proposed by the caucus come at the beginning of a legislative session that will confront critical issues such as increases in taxes and spending proposed by Governor Patrick, the reform of the Sex Offender Registry System, and the oversight of the state’s forensic crime labs.

Highlights of the Senate Republican Caucus’ proposed rules package include:

• Requiring committees to post all committee votes on the General Court website;
• Requiring conference committee reports to be accompanied with a summary when filed with the Senate and House clerk’s office;
• Requiring all conference committee reports to be filed no later than 5:00pm on the prior day scheduled for consideration by the General Court and the text of all conference committee reports be posted on the General Court website;
• Providing conference committee members with the option of issuing a minority report;
• Providing legislators at least 48 hours before meeting in an executive session to provide recommendations of legislation to the full membership of the House and Senate with the bill numbers and texts of all petitions to be considered;
• Allowing the House and Senate to consider and adopt a joint resolution by March 15^th of each year declaring the minimum level of state aid to be appropriated to the cities and towns for the upcoming fiscal year;
• Requiring each committee to hold at least one public hearing per year to determine if the agencies and programs under its jurisdiction can achieve savings or operate in a more cost-effective manner, and to submit their findings and recommendations to the House and Senate Clerks and Chairs of the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees;
• Requiring that each committee to consider the cost-effectiveness of all laws, regulations, and programs that fall under its purview, and recommend whether such measures should be continued, curtailed, or eliminated;
• Requiring all joint committees to include a taxation impact statement showing the fiscal impact of any changes to fees or taxes contained in the proposed legislation, and how they will impact the average taxpayer and the state’s economy; and
• Requiring the broadcasting of all informal sessions.

Modern technology and communications mean that more informed and accountable decisions are a necessity and not a luxury.  We must modernize our rules to reflect the fact that we can, and we should, provide increased amounts of information to each other and the people we represent.

Last week the Senate Republican Caucus was successful in the passage of a Senate rule that would require the posting of all roll call votes taken by the members of the Senate on the General Court website within 48 hours of the vote being taken.  That measure was passed unanimously by a vote of 39-0, and will take effect no later than May 1^st of this year.

Media Alert: On the Record with Channel 5

This Sunday at 11:00AM I will be featured alongside House Minority Leader Brad Jones on Channel 5’s political news show “On the Record”.  Representative Jones and I sat down with Hosts Janet Wu and Ed Harding to discuss the latest political news of the Commonwealth.

Don’t forget to tune in on Sunday to watch our lively discussion.

Senate GOP Caucus Successful in Transparency Rule

Today the Senate Republican Caucus was successful in passing a Senate rule that would require the posting of roll call votes on the General Court website within 48 hours of the vote being taken.  The measure was passed unanimously by a vote of 39-0, and will take effect no later than May 1^st of this year.

This is a step in the right direction of transparency.  This rule change will provide the public with the opportunity to see how exactly members are voting in a timely fashion.

Unfortunately, some of the rules offered by the caucus did not generate the needed support from the members of the majority party.

Those proposed rules included:

• The television broadcasting of informal and formal sessions online and making a digital copy of the sessions available to public access television;
• posting filed bills on the internet;
• requiring a unanimous vote of all the members present to allow Senate business to proceed beyond the hour of midnight;
• mandating that any measure that proposes an increase in taxation by available in print and posted on the Senate website at least 7 days prior to consideration;
• directing the Senate Ways and Means Committee to include in its executive summary of the state budget any federal revenue source, non-recurring funding, and off-budget spending that alters an existing appropriation; and
• pairing of votes only in cases where a senator is absent from the chamber due to military service or physical incapacity.

While an opportunity has been lost today, the Minority Party will continue to explore every option possible to promote transparency within the legislative process.

Senate GOP Caucus Files Additional Senate Session Rules for 188th General Court

Today the Senate Republican Caucus is offering a package of rules scheduled for debate during today’s full senate session that if passed, would increase transparency and accountability within the legislative process.  The package offered comes at a particularly important time due to the Senate already slated to take up many important issues for debate early in the legislative calendar.

Highlights of the Senate Republican Caucus’ proposed rules package include:

• Requiring the Clerk of the Senate to post all roll call votes within 48 hours of a vote being taken;
• Broadcasting of informal and formal sessions online and making a digital copy of the sessions made available to public access television;
• Requiring a unanimous vote of all the members present to allow Senate business to proceed beyond the hour of midnight;
• Mandating that any measure that proposes an increase in taxation by available in print and posted on the Senate website at least 7 days prior for consideration;
• Allowing any senator to object to the consideration of a particular matter during an informal session, even if a senator is not physically present as long as a written request to the Clerk of the Senate has been received no later than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of session;
• Directing the Senate Ways and Means Committee to include in its executive summary of the state budget any federal revenue source, non-recurring funding, and off-budget spending that alters an existing appropriation;
• Requiring the Clerk of the Senate to post on the Senate website the text of legislation introduced in the Senate that has not been assigned a bill number;
• Allowing the opportunity to repeal, add, change or modify any rule if two or more senators propose the measure;
• Allowing a bill or amendment be divided into two or more separate measures if they are capable of detaching;
• Pairing of votes only in cases where a senator is absent from the chamber due to military service or physical incapacity; and
• Prohibiting the use of cell phones or other mobile electronic devices in the Senate Chamber while the Senate is in session.

We must ensure that the rules of the Senate provide as much transparency and accountability as possible as we face important issues.  These proposals for change will not only ensure that members have access to information in a timely way, but also that the public has greater access to what transpires on Beacon Hill as well.

Media Alert: On the Air with NECN

Today New England Cable News (NECN) Reporter Allison King stopped by my office to interview me regarding Governor Patrick’s FY’14 budget proposal, which includes increases in taxes, fees, tolls, and other charges to finance his education plan, future transportation expansions, and other state spending initiatives.

Please tune in to see Allison’s report during this afternoon and evening’s news beginning at 4:00pm.