Another big theme in the discussion about the opioid epidemic is treatment — making treatment for the disease of addiction more available in a host of ways. This piece offers background on the issue of coerced treatment and seeks feedback on the Governor’s proposal to allow physicians to hold people with addictions against their will for days or, in some cases, months for treatment.
Justice
animal welfare, civil law and procedure, criminal law, disability, drug policy, family law, freedom of speech, guardianship, gun violence, housing law, immigration, indigenous agenda, lgbtq rights, policing, privacy, sexual child abuse, terrorism, women's rights
Opioid Plan, Part I — Pain Medication and Addiction
Early next year, the legislature will likely continue efforts to address the rising dysfunction, disability and death from opioid drug abuse. Physicians face powerful conflicting goals and incentives in treating pain; pain is a real problem and addiction is a real problem. Based on what you are seeing and hearing yourself, are doctors getting the balance wrong and making pain medication too readily available?
Waltham woman at front of sex abuse battle
The Waltham News Tribune? reported on the legal victory of Waltham native Rosanne Sliney, who won her “fight against child sex abuse laws last week when the Massachusetts Supreme Court reaffirmed a 2014 law? extending the statute of limitations for lawsuits filed by victims of child sex abuse.” Rosanne shared her story at a press conference held at the office of her attorney Carmen Durso. Anne Johnson Landry, Senator Brownsberger’s Committee Counsel and Policy Advisor, attended and shared, “Rosanne’s story was really compelling and I think spoke to the need for reform in a way that showed that the three year statute of limitation just didn’t make any sense.” Senator Brownsberger was a one of the co-authors of the legislation.
No Fly List/No Guns
Blue Mass Group is reporting on a bill introduced by Rep. Lori Ehrlich, H. 4331, which would ban sales of guns in the Commonwealth to anyone on the federal No Fly list. I’m interested in Sen. Brownsberger’s position on this. According to the Blue Mass Group report, the bill has numerous co-sponsors, including Rep. David …
SJC upholds time limit expansion in civil sex abuse cases
The Boston Globe reports on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s (SJC) decision to uphold a 2014 law extending the statute of limitations on civil cases of child sexual abuse to 35 years and makes it retroactive. This was legislation that Senator Brownsberger long worked on. You can read the SJC decision here.
Syrian Refugee and Terrorist Threat
Dear Senator, I know this topic will not be easy. But I still want to post my concerns here. In light of the recent tragedy in Paris, I am wondering whether we should review its recent decision in accepting refugees from Syria. Because I still remember the Marathon bombing right here in Boston about three …