STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE LEGISLATURE sent bills dealing with police reform and abortion back to Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday and began work on compromise health care legislation that requires insurers to permanently reimburse for behavioral telehealth at the rates they’d pay for the same care in-person. The House joined the Senate in passing […]
police reform bill
Posted inPolitics
Senate approves Baker’s amendment, sends policing bill to House
THE MASSACHUSETTS Senate passed an amended version of police reform legislation on Monday that gives Gov. Charlie Baker most of the changes he sought on law enforcement training and the use of facial recognition technology. After a 31-9 vote, the bill now moves to the House, where Speaker Robert DeLeo has indicated he will take immediate […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Baker amends police reform bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER plans to return to the Legislature landmark legislation that would impose new accountability standards on police, proposing a handful of amendments Thursday that he hopes Democrats will compromise with him over, but making clear he’s not afraid to veto the legislation if lawmakers resist those changes. Baker, a […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Police reform milestones and missed opportunities
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Posted inCriminal Justice
Compromise police reform bill reported out
AFTER FOUR MONTHS of closed-door negotiations, six members of the House and Senate reported out compromise police reform legislation on Monday that establishes a certification system for officers and punts the contentious issue of immunity to a special legislative commission. The bill released by a House-Senate conference committee would create a civilian-led Peace Officer Standards […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Collins faces heat over vote on policing reform bill
WHEN THE VOTE finally came in the wee hours of Tuesday morning on a vigorously debated police reform bill, the measure easily cleared the state Senate by a 30-7 margin. But one dissenting vote stood out on legislation prompted by a nationwide surge of attention to the issue of police brutality toward black Americans. Sen. Nick […]