MBTA Gloucester Drawbridge Presentation

For some time I have been working to engage the MBTA to replace the bridge over the Annisquam River in Gloucester.  Reports indicate that this is one of the most dangerous bridges in the state.  

I am pleased that the MBTA will offer a public presentation on the final design plans for the Gloucester Drawbridge project on Thursday October 1^st.  The 6:30 PM meeting at Gloucester City Hall is open to the public and will outline the replacement of the bridge including new; foundations, track, mechanical and electrical components, approach spans, and construction of a new control tower on the Gloucester Station side of the river.

Construction of the bridge, originally built in 1911, is expected to begin in 2016 with an advertisement for construction contractors to be distributed in February.  The MBTA intends to reduce impact to rail traffic during construction by building the bridge in stages. One half of the bridge will be demolished and reconstructed at a time, while rail traffic is maintained on the other half.  While efforts will be made to minimize delays and gaps in service, there will be limited occasions that will require construction over nights and weekends; no rail operations will be allowed on the bridge at those times.

If you would like further information about the scope of the project or have particular concerns, you may contact the MBTA or my office.

Reforms For Department of Children and Families

Boston– Today, State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) issued the following statement regarding reform efforts announced by Governor Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders, Department of Children and Families Commissioner Linda Spears, and SEIU Local 509 Chapter President Peter MacKinnon:

The DCF reforms announced jointly today by the Baker Administration and SEIU Local 509 are important and productive in many ways. Acknowledging that the state’s beleaguered child welfare agency has been suffering from systemic failures is a necessary and critical first step to actually confronting those failures in a realistic and productive way, and it sets a course toward desperately needed change.

Substantially, the reforms make good and practical sense, and that is confirmed by the support of the people who are working at DCF to protect kids every day. Accessing, using and sharing information, maintaining manageable caseloads with effective supervision, and providing technical support to case workers all have tremendous potential to give DCF new strength and effectiveness.

Perhaps most importantly however, clearly establishing the mission of DCF to keeping children safe, is critical to moving the agency forward by doing everything possible to reduce the risk of harm to our state’s most vulnerable children.

DCF is in clear need of reform and support, and now there is a plan to provide them. The Legislature should do what it can and must do to help bring that plan to fruition.

Senate Republican Amendment Targets Lengthy Driver Insurance Surcharges

Secures Study to Reduce Nation’s Longest Payment Period

Boston- The Senate today adopted a Republican Caucus proposal which could lead to a reduction in the length of time that drivers are subject to the state’s insurance surcharge point system for traffic violations.

Under existing law, auto insurance companies calculate premiums using the Safe Driver Insurance Program (SDIP) which factors in surchargable driving events on a person’s record for up to six years. Surchargable events include minor infractions such as speeding and major offenses such as at-fault accidents and driving under the influence.

“Across the nation, the average insurance surcharges period is less than two and a half years; our amendment requires the Insurance Division to evaluate our system to determine if and how we can move away from a six year system that levies a penalty on drivers far longer than in any of our neighboring states,” said Senator Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R- Gloucester).

The proposal, authored by Tarr, and offered by the Senate Republican Caucus was unanimously adopted by the Senate. It requires the state Division of Insurance to conduct a study on the feasibility of reducing the amount of time driver points remain on a drivers SDIP record. The report along with recommendations must be submitted to the legislature no later than December 31, 2015.

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Reforming the MBTA

     Responding to the systemic problems of the MBTA highlighted by system-wide failures that were exposed by our last winter, I worked during the Senate debate of the Fiscal Year 2016 State Budget to develop and sponsor an amendment with my colleagues in the Republican Caucus to create a Fiscal Management Control Board to begin the process of productive reform. Importantly, we worked to reach a bipartisan compromise with Senate Transportation Chair Thomas McGee (D- Lynn) and Governor Charlie Baker that was approved unanimously by the Senate, prevailed in the budget process, and became law. By clicking the links you can read the language of our amendment and its final version, Section 199, of the state budget.

     Yesterday that Fiscal Management Control Board proved how important it is to address issues in mass transportation by issuing its first report on many dimensions of the MBTA. It contains information critical to understanding the situation we face, and points in the direction of necessary actions to confront problems, capture savings and efficiencies, and restoring reliability and fiscal soundness to a system that so many riders and our economy and quality of life depend on. You can read the entire report by clicking this link. or the image below.

MBTA Fiscal & Management Control Board 60 Day Report

On Yom Kippur

I wish you peace and happiness on this day of reflection and in the new year.

G'mar Chatima Tova.

Senate Minority Leader Tarr and Senate President Rosenberg Lead Delegation to Quebec Conference

Boston-  A bi-partisan delegation of Massachusetts Senators will be led by Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R- Gloucester) and Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) to Quebec City this weekend to attend the Massachusetts-Quebec Cooperation Conference.  The conference is the first session of meetings scheduled between the Massachusetts legislature and the Assemblée Nationale Quebec.

A joint program with the Québec National Assembly, the conference will begin the implementation of the cooperation agreement signed last year by then-Senate President Therese Murray and Speaker Robert DeLeo. The agreement recognizes the significant cultural and economic ties between Massachusetts and Québec, setting forth a framework for cooperation at the legislative level. Sessions take place from September 19 to 21.

“There are tremendous benefits to be gained from expanding partnerships with our Canadian neighbors in areas such as trade, energy, research and others,” said Senator Tarr.  “In particular, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces have the means to generate and provide alternative energy that can boost our region’s independence from coal and oil, and I am eager to move us closer to collaboration on that front.”

“Climate change and access to clean renewable energy doesn’t stop at an international border.  Working with our partners in Quebec to share ideas, discuss future collaboration, and possible regional solutions that will benefit all of Massachusetts,” said President Rosenberg.  “I look forward to a robust discuss with our Canadian counterparts during this conference.”  

Areas of focus include tourism, economic development, energy and transportation. On Saturday, speeches will be made by Jacques Chagnon, president of the National Assembly of Québec and Senate President Rosenberg followed by working sessions and a discussion on the political and institutional situations of Québec and Massachusetts.

Sunday’s working session will focus on energy  with presentations from Jean-Yves Benoit, director of the Carbon Market Division at the Québec Ministry of Environment, and Gary Sutherland of Hydro- Québec. Monday includes a field visit regarding tourism and air travel.

Canada and Massachusetts are closely connected. Canada purchases 14 percent of all Massachusetts’ exports, supporting nearly 162,000 jobs in the Commonwealth. 25 percent of all Canadian product exports U.S. content, with that figure rising to 32 percent in sectors such as machinery and transportation equipment.

Medal of Honor Recipients at the State House

Today, we were honored to welcome members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society as they visited the State House for a ceremony on the front steps overlooking the Boston Common.  Recipients of the Medal of Honor are in Boston attending the society’s annual convention this week; this is the third time Boston has hosted them.

Bravery and self-sacrifice have been hallmarks of our service members from the very begging of our struggles for independence.  In 1782, General George Washington presented the first military award for gallantry, the Badge of Military Merit; it wasn’t until 1862 when Congress adopted a resolution to create the Medal of Honor - -our nation’s highest military award for bravery.

Currently there are 78 living recipients of the Medal of Honor from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan; more than 40 are in Boston this week making visits to schools, libraries, and ceremonies so that they can share their stories. 

If you have an opportunity to see one of these men, please thank them for their service, their actions above and beyond the call of duty have helped secure our freedoms and our democracy and they have liberated millions of people around the globe.