N.E. Commercial Fisheries to Receive Federal Aid

Today Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr released the following statement regarding the announcement that the New England commercial fisheries will receive almost $33 million in fisheries disaster relief aid:

“Our commercial fishing industry is facing a prolonged crisis that threatens its very survival, and these funds represent a critical lifeline for fishing families and ports.  Although the amount is modest in the context of the threat, it does represent recognition by the federal government of its obligation to provide resources in the face of this dilemma.  Now, the funds need to get to the people who need them without delay, without being sacrificed to the costs of overhead and bureaucracy, and without a mistaken belief that they will solve the problems the industry faces.

Hopefully, with these funds at work to prevent immediate extinction of commercial fishing in Massachusetts and New England, we can use the time they buy to chart a course for better management, and a groundfishery that can survive now and prosper in the days ahead.”

Please click here to read New Bedford Stand Times Reporter Steve Urbon’s latest report on the fisheries disaster relief money.

Senate Approves Restrictions, Inquiry into Foster Care Placements with Individuals having Prior Criminal Records

The Senate today approved temporary restrictions on the placement of children under the care of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in foster homes with individuals who have a prior criminal record.

The amendment, offered by Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) and the Senate Republican Caucus, prohibits DCF’s approval of any new foster care placements involving individuals or family members convicted of a felony, unless there are specific written findings on the necessity of such placement and a finding that the placement poses no threat to the safety of the child.  The amendment was approved on a roll call vote of 32-5 as part of a $196.4 million supplemental budget passed by the Senate today.

The amendment also requires the Office of the Child Advocate to examine all such existing foster care placements to ensure the safety of each child, and to determine whether or not such placement is appropriate.

The Senate’s actions follow recent media reports indicating that DCF has allowed foster parents with prior criminal records to take children into their homes in 650 cases since 2013.  There are currently 552 active homes caring for children where the guardian has a prior criminal conviction.

Under DCF policies that were last updated in 2008, prospective foster parents who have been convicted of crimes such as soliciting sex from a minor, motor vehicle homicide, and armed assault are not automatically disqualified from becoming foster parents, and can seek a waiver from DCF.  This is due in part to a 2000 Superior Court decision.

According to recent media reports, DCF maintains a “discretionary” list that includes about 110 crimes applicants can have on their records and still qualify as foster parents.  Some of these offenses include:

·         inducing sex from a minor;

·         soliciting a prostitute;

·         possessing obscene “pornographic” material;

·         assault and battery with a dangerous weapon,;

·         armed burglary;

·         involuntary manslaughter;

·         motor vehicle homicide while driving under the influence; and

·         trafficking in cocaine or heroin within 1,000 feet of a school

Last December, the Massachusetts Senate Republican Caucus – led by Senator Don Humason (R-Westfield), the Caucus’ representative on the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities – released a letter calling for an independent investigation into the failures of DCF regarding the disappearance of Jeremiah Oliver.  Oliver, a five-year-old Fitchburg resident, went missing last fall while under DCF care, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

The supplemental budget now heads to the House of Representatives for further action.

An Interesting Editorial

In today’s Gloucester Daily Times, the newspaper cites an important issue regarding the federal government’s REAL ID Act, and the repercussions citizens of the Commonwealth will soon face if the state doesn’t comply with the federal law.

To read today’s editorial, please click here.

Senator Tarr’s Statement on Unemployment Insurance Reform

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) released the following statement today, following the Senate’s adoption of an order scheduling debate on an unemployment insurance reform bill for Thursday, February 6^th:

“The need for reforming our broken unemployment insurance system is clear, and legislative action is long overdue.  Senate Republicans have been offering reforms consistently for the past several years.  Finally, the opportunity is before us to take the steps necessary to implement lasting reforms that will encourage businesses to hire workers, make the system fair for all, and prevent the types of abuses that have plagued the system for years, while at the same time ensuring that the trust fund remains solvent.

Now that it appears the Senate is serious about bringing this issue to the floor, we will be offering a series of amendments to achieve these goals.  Hopefully, this week we can pass the type of real reform bill that we have been calling for repeatedly, and one that will break the cycle of perennial rate freezes while positive change waits for action.”

Senator Tarr's Statement on the DOC’s Decision to Appeal Latest Ruling in Kosilek Case

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) released the following statement today following reports that the Department of Corrections will appeal a 2-1 decision made by a panel of First Circuit of Appeals judges that ruled to uphold U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf’s 2012 ruling that the Department of Corrections were in violation of Michelle Kosilek’s constitutional rights by denying her gender reassignment surgery:

“The recent decision made by a panel of First Circuit Court of Appeals judges to uphold an earlier decision ordering the Department of Corrections to provide a gender reassignment surgery for a convicted killer is not only outrageous, but injudicious.  Providing extraordinary surgery for someone who has committed 1st degree murder isn’t a wise decision for state tax payers and certainly doesn’t serve the interests of justice in Massachusetts or a precedent for the rest of the country.

I applaud Governor Patrick and the Department of Corrections’ decision to appeal this ruling. It sets a bad precedent that will result in serious ramifications that go beyond just the borders of the Commonwealth.”

MEDIA ALERT: Tarr on 'Greater Boston' Tonight

Tonight at 7:00 p.m., Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) will be a featured guest on WGBH’s Greater Boston with host Emily Rooney.  Senator Tarr will be discussing with Emily and Defense Attorney Jack Cuhna a bill that he filed that would provide parole for juveniles convicted of 1st degree murder.

Please tune in to watch tonight’s segment. To learn more about the bill, please click here to read a previous blog post.

MEDIA ALERT: Senator Hedlund on 'Broadside' Tonight

Assistant Senate Minority Leader Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth) will appear live on “Broadside” tonight, where he will join host Jim Braude for a discussion of issues raised by Governor Patrick and President Obama in their State of the Commonwealth and State of the Union speeches last night, including the minimum wage and other issues likely to come up for debate during the 2014 legislative session.

“Broadside” airs live at 6 p.m. on New England Cable News, and repeats at 7:30 p.m., 2:30 a.m. and 4 a.m.

Senator Tarr's Statement on Governor Patrick's State of the Commonwealth Address

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) released the following statement last night regarding Governor Patrick’s State of the Commonwealth Address:

“Tonight Governor Patrick has spoken eloquently about the strengths of our Commonwealth, and the many attributes of the people of our state. In doing so he has recounted our challenging path through a long and difficult recession, and expressed our prospects for recovery.

Yet the Fiscal Year 2015 budget he has delivered to the legislature creates serious concerns. First, it increases state spending by nearly 5%, an ambitious amount in light of the fluctuating revenue patterns of the past several months, and it depends on revenue from gaming, though it’s proving difficult to get even one facility started in the state.

Unfortunately, the governor’s proposal also once again incorporates new taxes and stabilization fund withdrawals into the state spending plan, continuing a trend of dependence on these things even as we should be seeking to move away from them to build a solid foundation for future prosperity.

Hopefully as the legislative process unfolds we can chart a new course toward prosperity, and one which spends the dividends of robust economic growth rather than making tax increases and one-time revenue measures an integral part of every budget discussion. There are many ways to accomplish that goal, and we must be bold enough to pursue them.”

MEDIA ALERT: Senator Hedlund to Discuss Flood Insurance on 'Greater Boston' Tonight

Assistant Senate Minority Leader Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth) will be appearing on tonight's edition of "Greater Boston" with host Emily Rooney.  Senator Hedlund will be discussing the redrawn federal flood insurance rate maps and how they are affecting the towns in his district and across the state.  Be sure to tune in to WGBH Channel 2 at 7 p.m. to watch the discussion.

Senator Tarr's Statement on an Independent Investigation of DCF

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) released the following statement today regarding an independent investigation of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families conducted by the Child Welfare League of America:

 

“A thorough and unbiased third-party investigation is necessary and important to correcting problems at DCF, and my hope is that the Child Welfare League of America can provide such an investigation.  At a minimum it must be as comprehensive as possible, be able to go where the facts take it, seek and use information from many sources, and be produced through a transparent, accountable process that is supported by sufficient resources to get the job done.

 

The facts surrounding the case of Jeremiah Oliver, and those that have surfaced as a result of that case, are deeply disturbing and they demand that we all work to address this situation in an effective manner.  I appreciate today’s update from Governor Patrick, and hope that he will continue to openly report on the progress of CWLA’s efforts.”

Media Alert: Senator Tarr On the Air with Fox 25

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr will once again be a guest on the Fox 25 News to discuss a bill he recently filed that would set parole for juveniles convicted of first degree murder.  Please tune in at 6:15 p.m. to watch tonight’s segment.

Coalition of Legislators File Parole Eligibility Bill for Juveniles Convicted of 1st Degree Murder

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) and State Senator Barry Finegold (D-Andover) have joined with a coalition of legislators including Senators Richard Ross (R-Wrentham), Donald Humason (R-Westfield), James Timilty (D-Walpole), Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge), Eileen Donoghue (D-Lowell) and Joan Lovely (D-Salem), and Representative Theodore Speliotis (D-Danvers) in filing legislation requiring juveniles convicted of first degree murder to serve a minimum of 35 years before becoming eligible for parole.

The legislative measure comes on the heels of a 2012 United States Supreme Court decision stating that it is cruel and unusual punishment for states to require all juveniles who commit the crime of murder to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and a decision made last year by the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling that all juveniles convicted of first degree murder under the age of 18 must be eligible for parole.

“In the wake of court decisions eliminating life without parole for these offenders, we must act now to ensure that those murderers serve the sentences their crimes deserve, and that we protect public safety from their premature release,” said Senator Tarr.  “If we must consider parole in these cases, it must be done with respect to victims and their families and the security of our communities as much as to the rights conferred by the judiciary.”

The bipartisan, bicameral bill, which meets the recommendation of District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett and the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, was filed on Tuesday and currently has a total of 22 sponsors.  More legislators are expected to sign-on to the public safety bill before the deadline of Friday, January 31st at 5:00 p.m.

“The Supreme Court said that it is cruel and unusual punishment that a juvenile would have to spend their life behind bars without parole, but it is also cruel and unusual punishment that after only 15 years and every 5 years thereafter, a victim’s family would have to relive such a horrible tragedy,” said Senator Finegold.

Currently, due to the courts’ recent rulings, Massachusetts now requires parole eligibility of 15-25 years after a first degree murder conviction, which is the same period for a second degree murder conviction.  The new process will now allow families of victims to appear before the parole board to provide testimony and relive the tragic details concerning the death of a loved one, making it difficult to ever truly recover from such a horrific event.

The family of Beth Brodie said “Serving fifteen years of a life sentence does not seem like a reasonable punishment for a killer of any age.  Could we find a number of years that’s more reasonable?  No we don’t think we could, but this feels like a slap in the face.  Preparing for parole hearings forces us to re-live the worst days of our lives.  The pure and innocent are paying the price for the evil and twisted.  We seek justice, justice for Beth Brodie, justice for all families involved.”

“Lost in the decision of the Supreme Judicial Court is justice for victims and those that mourn such devastating losses. We are thankful for this effort to right a great injustice for victims and their families. It is our hope that Senator Finegold’s proposal will pass the legislature and be signed into law so that those convicted of first degree murder serve longer sentences before they are eligible for parole and therefore prevented from harming others,” said the Ritzer family.

Once the deadline has past, the bill will be assigned to a committee for further action.

MEDIA ALERT: Senator Tarr on Fox 25 Today

This evening at approximately 5 p.m., Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr will once again be a guest on the Fox 25 News.  The topics scheduled for discussion include Governor Patrick’s latest climate control plan, and the effects recent storms have had on coastal communities.

Please tune in to watch tonight’s discussion.

MEDIA ALERT: Sen. Tarr on 'Broadside' Tonight

 Tonight at 6 p.m., Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr will be a featured guest on NECN’s “Broadside” with host Jim Braude.  They will be discussing the failures of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, and the need for an independent investigation to review the practices and procedures of the department.

 “Broadside” re-airs at 8 p.m., and again at 3:30 a.m.

Senator Tarr's Statement on Governor Patrick's DCF Comments

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) released the following statement today, following news reports that Governor Deval Patrick is considering a third party investigation of the Department of Children and Families in light of the disappearance of 5-year-old Fitchburg resident Jeremiah Oliver:

“The situation involving the Department of Children and Families and a missing child continues to demand an independent investigation as to not only what has occurred in the Oliver case, but also the systemic deficiencies which led to this young child’s disappearance and which may be contributing to other problems if left undetected.

The Senate Republican Caucus has been consistent and unmistakably clear in its call for an independent investigation into this matter by the Auditor, the Inspector General, or a combination of both.  Governor Patrick’s remarks, as reported today, reflect his beginning to acknowledge the necessity of that type of investigation.  We certainly welcome his support for what we have requested and for shining a bright light on the workings of this agency that is so critical to the welfare of some of our state’s most vulnerable children.

First and foremost, we must understand the problems that may be ingrained in the system and need to be rectified immediately.  Adding a new department within the agency may only increase bureaucracy at the expense of ensuring that every child is adequately and effectively served by those who handle cases on the front lines of this agency.

Every child involved with this agency is potentially at risk.  That is why we need to make sure the system works for everybody, rather than creating a new specialized bureaucracy for some.”

MEDIA ALERT: Senator Tarr on Fox 25

On Thursday morning, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr will once again be a guest on the Fox 25 News, where he will be discussing a bill he recently filed that would authorize the Division of Marine Fisheries to establish a Massachusetts Seafood Marketing Program.  Please tune in at approximately 8:45 a.m. to watch tomorrow morning’s segment.

Senator Tarr on the Air with NECN

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr was recently interviewed by NECN Reporter Peter Howe regarding a bill he filed that would authorize the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries to establish a Massachusetts Seafood Marketing Program. To view the segment, please play the posted video below.

In Case You Missed It...

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr appeared on the Fox 25 News last night to discuss the troubling case of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver of Fitchburg, whose family has been receiving services through the Department of Children and Families since 2011 and who has gone missing since September.  Please click on the video below to view the segment in its entirety.

Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Sen. Tarr's Statement on DCF Missing Child Case

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) released the following statement today, following a press conference by Department of Children and Families Commissioner Olga Roche updating the department’s response to the disappearance of 5-year-old Fitchburg resident Jeremiah Oliver:

“Today’s press conference by DCF Commissioner Olga Roche exposed more troubling details about the failure of the department to protect 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver.  While the commissioner is right to discharge those at fault from state employment, and to order better scrutiny of certain cases, the situation deserves more.

First, a system that tolerated falsified reports and lies needs to be reviewed independently to ensure that there are no other children who are vulnerable due to lack of home visits or other forms of oversight.  In addition, we must all collectively determine what reforms are needed to ensure that no other child goes for months without needed home visits.  And we must also continue to hope and pray for the safe return of this young boy.”          

MEDIA ALERT: Senator Tarr on Fox 25 Today

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr will be appearing live on Fox 25 this afternoon to discuss the disappearance of 5-year-old Fitchburg resident Jeremiah Oliver, whose family has been receiving services through the Department of Children and Families (DCF) since 2011 but who has been missing since September 14^th.

Senator Tarr will be providing reaction to today’s press conference by DCF Commissioner Olga Roche and Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary of Children, Youth and Families Kathy Betts announcing “action steps” the agency is taking to “help strengthen families and ensure a safe and secure environment for children.”  Earlier this month, the Senate Republican Caucus called for an independent investigation by Auditor Suzanne Bump and/or Inspector General Glenn Cunha into DCF’s failures regarding Oliver’s disappearance.

The segment will air live on Fox 25 today at approximately 4:57 p.m.