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.