From the Senate President’s office: the Senate on Thursday passed legislation to reduce the impact and prevalence of gun violence in Massachusetts, including stricter background checks, enhanced penalties, new gun-related crimes, increased protections in schools, and other provisions designed to overall ensure a safer Commonwealth.
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
Response to the Buffer Zone Ruling
The Governor has approved legislation to protect access to reproductive health clinics. The bill was developed in an expedited process, but was carefully vetted.
Compromise Language Reported on Juvenile Murder Sentences
The Governor has approved the House-Senate agreement on a new sentencing structure for juveniles convicted of first degree murder.
Campus Rape
Jonathan Kamens urges that Massachusetts take a leadership role in restricting the ability of colleges and universities to adjudicate cases of alleged sexual assault internally rather than through local law enforcement.
Decedent’s Electronic Assets
Jim Berets asks about proposals at the state level to address the ownership of electronic assets of deceased residents.
Undocumented immigrant children in Massachusetts
This news story from WickedLocal Bedford reveals what is accurate and what is inaccurate about reports of planeloads of undocumented children landing at Hanscom Air Force Base.