Saturday, May 25, 2013
Recap and analysis of the week in state government.
The rush from Beacon Hill to the westbound turnpike this week had as much to do with two of Worcester's political sons beating feet from the capitol as with the impending Memorial Day weekend. As Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray attempted as graceful an exit as possible from politics, fellow Worcester Democrat Rep. John Fresolo made his hasty escape under an ethics cloud feeling "marginalized" by his peers and pressured to resign, which he did. If not for those two storylines, the focus may have been on the Senate's breakneck budget debate concluding Thursday night as senators wiped their hands clean of 725 amendments and passed a $34 billion fiscal 2014 budget without the need for Senate President Therese Murray to threaten a Friday or Saturday …
Friday, May 24, 2013
Google partnered with the MBTA to deliver free wireless internet to the Boston area’s largest train station.
The MBTA is starting to get wired. South Station will have free wireless internet beginning today, according to a joint press release from Google, Redevelopment Ventures Corp. and the MBTA. Google invested in the endeavor and Redevlopment Ventures Corp. is responsible for WiFi development, the press release says. “Anything that improves our customers’ transit experience is a good thing,” MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott said in the statement. “By coupling this new initiative with the WiFi service provided on Commuter Rail trains, the MBTA is keeping its customers connected from the moment they enter South Station to the time they exit trains.” The Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line stops at South Station.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
The campaign committee called “Koutoujian for Congress” allows the candidate to raise money for a campaign and hire campaign staff.
Middlesex County Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian announced Thursday that he is opening a Congressional campaign committee account. The move is a serious indication that Koutoujian will run for U.S. Congress if Congressman Edward Markey wins the U.S. Senate special election next month. "I have dedicated my life to working on issues important to the people I have been honored to represent as a legislator and now as Sheriff. If given the opportunity, I intend to fight for the people of the 5th Congressional district as their representative in Washington," said Koutoujian. "Throughout my career, I have focused on guaranteeing access to quality, affordable health care, enacting common sense measures to strengthen our economy, ensuring public …
The proposed legislation is in response to a meningitis outbreak that killed more than 50 people and infected more than 700 individuals. The outbreak was traced back to a Framingham-based company.
A U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation that would increase federal oversight for companies that compound and sell sterile drugs across state lines, reported Reuters. The proposed legislation was introduced following a deadly meningitis outbreak that killed more than 50 people and infected another 700 in 2012. The outbreak was traced to contamination found in steroid injections made by Framingham-based New England Compounding Center. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) drafted the bill to make the blurry regulatory lines surrounding the pharmacies more clear. On Tuesday, the bill was passed unanimously on a voice vote by the Senate Health, …
42.273356
-71.426773
New England Compounding Center
697 Waverly St, Framingham, MA
/articles/senate-committee-approved-bill-to-oversee-compounding-industry
798932
/locations/9410927
Majority Whip of the Massachusetts Senate says she is in the race to be the congressman for the 5th Middlesex District, if Congressman Ed Markey Wins the Senate race on June 25.
Sen. Karen Spilka, who represents Framingham, announced on her personal Facebook page Tuesday, if Congressman Ed Markey wins the U.S. Senate seat vacated by now Secretary of State John Kerry, she win run for Congress. "Want my friends and supporters to know first: I'm in the race for the Massachusetts 5th Congressional district. Looking forward to making a formal announcement once Ed Markey is our US Senator," posted the Ashland resident. The senate election is Tuesday June 25. Congressman Markey, who represents Framingham and has an office downtown, is running against Republican Gabriel Gomez. A fundraising page was created for the Spilka for Congress campaign. On the page its states, "No one is more qualified than State Senate Majority …
New regulations will go into effect tomorrow, May 24.
New rules for the medical use of marijuana have been written into the commonwealth's regulatory code by the Massachusetts Public Health Council, according to State House News Service report. Among the new regulations are how much marijuana can be generally used by patients, the licensing procedure for medical marijuana dispensaries and how low-income patients can get access, according to the report. These regulations will go into effect tomorrow, May 24, according to the Lowell Sun. In November, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot measure that would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana as part of a treatment. Under the law, the state was operating under a 120-day window starting Jan. 1 for creating regulations for medical marijuana …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Town Meeting approved a plan for the Nobscot Chapel and a bylaw change that takes the Town of Framingham one step closer to becoming a Green Community. For all discussion and votes read Framingham Patch's live blog.
Framingham Town Meeting will resume tonight at 7:30 in Nevins Hall in the Memorial Building. This will be Day 10. Framingham Patch will be live blogging. NOTE: I may be late blogging as I will be live blogging the joint meeting between Framingham Selectmenand School Committee to appoint a 7th School Committee member. Tuesday night, Framingham Town Meeting rejected a proposal for a Teen Center with a Teen Advisory Council, but approved a $250,000 security upgrade to the schools and the town and the sale of the Jonathan Maynard Building to the Danforth Art Museum and School. To read more of the discussion and other votes and action by Town Meeting on Night 9, click here. To see what you have missed since Town Meeting began, check out our …
The vote was 6-5 for Don Taggart. Town Meeting member Bob Berman received 5 votes.
Tonight at 6:30 in the Memorial Building, there will be a joint meeting between the Framingham School Committee and Framingham Selectmen to appoint one of the three to the School Committee until April 2014. The seat is the remainder of the term for Michael Bower, who was elected to the Framingham Board of Selectmen last month. The candidates for School Committee are: At the meeting, each candidate will be given the opportunity to make an opening statement and then there will be time for Q&A between the candidates and the School Committee and Selectmen. Afterwards, there will be a public roll call vote in which each current School Committee member and Selectmen will announce whom they would like to appoint. The candidate that receives 6 …
Outgoing lieutenant governor said recent controversies had nothing to do with decision to resign.
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Tim Murray said none of the controversies that have dogged him during his tenure on Beacon Hill contributed to his decision to announce his resignation. In a press conference at the State House Wednesday, Murray said his final day on the job will be June 2. The next day he will take over as president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce where his salary will reportedly be around $200,000. In January, Murray said he had no intention of running for governor when Gov. Deval Patrick's term expires in January 2015. "This has been a very difficult but empowering decision," Murray said. "It has been an honor to serve as lieutenant governor." Patrick called Murray an "outstanding partner" during his time in …
42.35763
-71.063499
Massachusetts State House
24 Beacon St, Boston, MA
/articles/murray-to-resign-june-2-patrick-calls-him-outstanding-partner
1465768
/locations/9409818
CBS Boston reports Murray has a new job lined up already.
UPDATE, 12:15 p.m.: The Massachusetts Republican Party was quick to jump on the reports about Murray's resignation, saying Murray is trying "to outrun the scandal that dogs him" in a statement on their website. MassGOP attempted to liken Murray's exit to that of former House Speaker Thomas Finneran, who was convicted of obstruction of justice in 2007. “History doesn’t always repeat itself, but in this case it looks like Tim Murray is following the same path as a previous, disgraced Democratic official,” said Nate Little MassGOP Executive Director in the scathing statement. “Only time will tell if Murray follows the Finneran playbook to the end, complete with indictment and guilty plea.” UPDATE, 10:45 a.m.: Boston.com has updated their …
42.35763
-71.063499
Massachusetts State House
24 Beacon St, Boston, MA
/articles/lt-gov-tim-murray-to-resign
1465768
/locations/9408680
Kim Comatas
11:35 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013
Very flattered but I may be a bit to UN PC for public office. Then again, so was Barney Frank ;) more ›