I’m seeking input on legislation pending before the Senate. What should the penalties be for people who bypass the legal adoption process and permanently place or receive children through online forums? The question comes up in the context of legislation to address the phenomenon of “rehoming” of adopted children. I’d really appreciate hearing reactions to this.
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
Working Group named for Review of Criminal Justice System
Senator Brownsberger has been named to a 25-member Working Group to partner with the Council of State Government’s (CSG) Justice Center on criminal justice reform and justice reinvestment. We share Governor Baker’s press release on the formation of the group called the Working Group of the Council of State Government’s Massachusetts Criminal Law Review.
Transgender Access to Public Accommodations
The legislature will consider this year legislation to complete the work we started a couple of years ago to provide full legal protection to transgender people. The main unfinished business is to prohibit discrimination in access to public accommodations. I view this legislation as simple and necessary and fully support it. I am a cosponsor and I have long been a supporter of this legislation.
Boston is #4 in the world for Ivory sales, Cambridge is #7
Boston is a heavy purveyor of ivory which is contributing to the mass destruction of elephants and rhinos in the world. Destined to be extinct by 2025, MA needs to pass its Ivory Ban Bill despite whatever economic loss the individual owner of ivory may face. We are a grassroots organization that has members in …
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Next Up: Opioid Control Legislation
A committee of Senators has been working to develop legislation in response to the current wave of opioid drug use. Perhaps the most innovative and possibly controversial concept in the legislation is to verbally screen middle-school and high school students for substance abuse. Your thoughts on this proposed program or any aspect of the legislation would be very welcome.
A Step in the Right Direction
This week the Senate took an important step towards making it easier for people who have gotten in trouble to get out of trouble and get back to work. We voted unanimously to repeal provisions of state law that automatically suspend the driver’s licenses of people convicted of drug offenses and require them to pay reinstatement fees of $500 or more.