MASSACHUSETTS SENATE staff seeking to unionize have gotten a big portion of what they want – minus the union. Senate President Karen Spilka on Wednesday announced a new compensation system for Senate staff, which standardizes job classifications and aligns them with pay grades and salary ranges that are based on work experience, training, and education. […]
Senate
Posted inCriminal Justice
Senate passes police reform bill in marathon session
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE SENATE OVERCAME a difficult rollout and several false starts to pass a far-reaching reform of policing in Massachusetts on Tuesday that would ban chokeholds, limit the use of tear gas, license all law enforcement officers and train them in the history of racism. The vote in the upper chamber now […]
Posted inPolitics
Senate ousts Brady from chairmanship
This story was updated to reflect the vote Thursday night of the full Senate. THE SENATE OUSTED Sen. Michael Brady from his position as chairman of the Public Service Committee Thursday because of his behavior during a night of drinking and driving more than a year ago. The ouster was adopted by a voice vote […]
Posted inPolitics
In Mass., white pols dominate state and local politics
THE PREDOMINANCE OF white male politicians in positions of power in Massachusetts may be a symptom of the way elections are run, according to a report released Wednesday entitled MassForward. The report recommends addressing the lack of minority representation in state and local government through reforms big and small, from relieving legislative staffers from the often […]
Posted inTransportation
Senate passes distracted driving bill unanimously
LEGISLATION TO CRACK down on cellphone use by drivers breezed through the Senate on Thursday, setting up a debate with the House over how concerns about racial profiling should be handled before it is sent to the governor. Before the unanimous vote, members highlighted the tragic stories of parents seated in the gallery who had […]
Posted inPolitics
Senate trying to limit policy proposals in budget
THIS YEAR THE annual spending bill may be just that. While the budget process is only about halfway through, the leadership of both legislative branches appears determined to focus on appropriations and to limit the amount of policy provisions included in the fiscal 2020 budget. “We talked a lot about the fact that we’re trying […]
Posted inTransportation
Senate takes on racial profiling, again, in distracted driving bill
THE SENATE WAYS AND MEANS Committee unanimously endorsed legislation on Thursday banning handheld cell phone use by drivers and requiring law enforcement to collect racial data on every traffic stop. The full Senate will take up the bill in one week, on May 9, according to Senate President Karen Spilka’s office. There has been momentum […]
Posted inPolitics
Senate ups ante in battle with House
IN A SHARP escalation of the infighting gripping Beacon Hill, the Senate took a major step Wednesday toward remaking the legislative process by ending the longstanding system of joint committees of the two branches and establishing separate Senate committees to consider bills. The Senate voted 39-0 to instruct the Senate Rules Committee to develop plans […]