Author Archives: Jeanne Mooney

As vote looms, concern raised over tax holiday

The Boston Globe reports on the upcoming vote on the sales tax holiday that, “a growing chorus of legislators and budget watchdogs from across the political spectrum is voicing sharp skepticism about the summer sales tax holiday, a decadelong Massachusetts tradition popular with consumers.” Senator Brownsberger plans to vote against the holiday and is quoted as saying on his website, “[h]olidays are festive and I am not by nature a grinch.”

AG’s Office offers information sessions on Earned Sick Time

The Attorney General’s website has a page on Earned Sick Time that is a resource for employers and employees to learn about the new law that went into effect on July 1, 2015. The AG is also offering five web-based and three in-person public information sessions about the Earned Sick Time Law. These two-hour sessions, conducted by a staff member, will review the law’s regulations and allow time for questions from attendees. Those interested are asked to RSVP to a session, which are being held during July, August, and September.

Rethinking tough-on-crime

CommonWealth Magazine’s summer 2015 cover story on criminal justice policy reform by executive editor Michael Jonas, focuses in on the debate over repealing mandatory minimum sentences, which is one aspect of Senator Brownsberger’s legislative priority to reduce the footprint of the criminal justice system and to help make it easier for people to get back on their feet. As reported in the piece, “Sen. Will Brownsberger, who co-chairs the Legislature’s Joint Committee on the Judiciary, thinks the state should pull back the entire “footprint” of the criminal justice system, not only the length of many prison sentences but also various sanctions and fees that hit people once they’re out of prison. Rather than help ease offenders back toward productive pursuits, Brownsberger says, these often seem more like tripwires setting ex-prisoners up to fail.”