Top state officials seek review of criminal justice system

The Boston Globe reports that, “the top officials in Massachusetts government are asking for an independent review of the state’s criminal justice system.” The nonprofit group the Council of State Governments will conduct the analysis with the funding of the US Department of Justice and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Senator Brownsberger, who has been studying Massachusetts criminal justice statistics?, told the Globe that the request is a solid effort to get more data in an area where the state needs to make progress, “which is how do we get people safely back out onto the street in a way they can succeed and not return to being incarcerated.”

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.”