The legislature and the Governor recently announced a joint commitment to avoid cuts in state aid to municipalities in the current fiscal year despite the state’s own loss of revenues.
Proposed Use of Force Rules
The Senate’s Reform, Shift, + Build Act creates a new statutory framework, where none currently exists, to govern use of force by law enforcement.
Time to hit the brakes?
In order to safely reopen our schools, we may need to hit the brakes on our phased reopening of the economy in Massachusetts and we back off of at least some elements of reopening.
Police Office Standards and Accreditation Committee
We need an independent state board with authority to certify police officers, receive civilian complaints, investigate serious police misconduct, and decertify officers when serious misconduct or a pattern of lesser misconduct is proven.
State Police Reform in the Reform, Shift + Build Act
Details of the state police reforms incorporated in the Reform, Shift + Build Act.
Qualified Immunity
The changes to qualified immunity that are proposed by the Senate’s policing bill responsible and overdue. I support them as written, but I am not opposed to clarifying amendments.