January 3, 2006

HEALEY UNVEILS IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICES FOR REPEAT DRUNK DRIVERS

 

 

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey announced that regulations mandated by Melanie’s Law go into effect today, requiring any repeat offender seeking a hardship license or full license reinstatement privileges to install an ignition interlock device into each vehicle he or she operates.

 

“The passage of Melanie’s Law ensures that repeat drunk driving offenders face harsher consequences for their reckless behavior,” said Healey. “If a repeat drunk driver has alcohol on their breath, ignition interlocks won’t allow drivers to start their engines.”

 

Healey added, “This is another important step to keep drunk drivers who have a history of breaking the law from getting behind the wheel and endangering our roadways.”

 

The interlock devices measure Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) and prevent the car from starting if the driver has a BAC greater than .02.

 

During the first month alone, over 400 repeat offenders must install the device in order to receive driving privileges. The repeat offender is responsible for costs associated with interlock devices averaging $125 for installation and $85 for a monthly maintenance fee.

 

The interlock devices are required in vehicles of 2nd, 3rd or 4th time offenders for two years after their licenses are reinstated. Any individual who tampers with the interlock device or is caught blowing into the device for someone else could face a jail sentence.

 

 

January 5, 2006

ROMNEY FILES BILL TO PROTECT RIGHTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS

Legislation would require HIV testing of rapists and sex offenders

 

Governor Mitt Romney today filed right-to-know legislation to provide crucial information and peace of mind to victims of sexual assault. Under the proposed law, every person indicted for or formally charged of rape or sexual assault would be tested for any sexually transmitted disease, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

 

“Victims of rape or sexual assault have the right to know if their attacker is carrying HIV or any other sexually transmitted disease,” said Romney. “After such a devastating attack, they at least deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing whether or not they are at an increased health risk.”

 

Upon the request of the prosecutor and the victim, the court would order that the sexual offender be tested for the presence of any sexually transmitted disease, including HIV. The test results would be reported to the court as soon as possible and then disclosed to the victim.

 

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, a criminologist who has conducted extensive research on sexual assault and domestic violence said, “For far too long, victims of sexual assault in Massachusetts have suffered not only with the trauma of the attack, but also the specter of HIV infection. Victims have a right to know critical information that allows them to make informed medical decisions about their bodies.”

 

The HIV testing requirement would cover a number of sex crimes in addition to rape and sexual assault, including indecent assault on a child under 14, indecent assault on a mentally retarded person and incestuous intercourse.

 

Massachusetts is one of a handful of states that does not require HIV testing for accused rapists. The recent alleged kidnapping and rape of a 25-year-old Framingham woman is a prime example of the need for such a law. The man accused of the assault has an admitted history of drug use, leading to fears that he is HIV-positive. Defense attorneys have been successful in barring testing that would allow the victim of the attack to know the HIV status of her alleged attacker.

 

“This bill will provide victims who choose to access it with important information that may assist them in making better informed medical decisions and could provide them with significant psychological relief and a clearer understanding of the totality of their circumstances,” said Nancy L. Scannell, Director of Government Affairs for Jane Doe Inc., Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.

 

“Because information is power, the most important aspect of this bill may well be its potential to provide victims with a tool to begin to reclaim the power to make decisions about their bodies that was taken from them when they were raped,” Scannell also noted.

 

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January 11, 2006

ROMNEY TESTIFIES ON EDUCATION REFORM

 

Calling education “an essential investment” in the state’s future, Governor Mitt Romney today appeared before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education to outline his reform proposals to bolster Massachusetts schools and improve student performance across the board.

 

Romney also introduced into the record written testimony in support of his legislation from former IBM Corporation Chairman and CEO Louis V. Gerstner Jr., who founded the Teaching Commission, a non-profit diverse group comprising 19 leaders in government, business and education committed to raising student performance by transforming America’s teaching profession.

 

“The world is growing more competitive every day, and it’s no secret that skills, education and knowledge will be crucial to success in the workforce of the 21st century,” said Romney. “Unless our kids are fully prepared to meet the challenges that lie ahead, Massachusetts will fall behind in the competition for the best jobs.”

 

To keep Massachusetts competitive, Romney filed comprehensive education reform legislation in September that would promote math and science excellence, close the achievement gap among students and enhance the quality and professionalism of teachers through incentives and training.

 

“If we don’t recognize our best students and provide them with the intellectual tools and support they need to advance, we won’t be able to keep up with other nations that are doing everything they can to promote excellence in education,” said Romney.

 

To help students excel in math and science, Romney would provide free laptop computers to all middle and high school students and establish seven specialized math and science academies in the state’s seven largest cities. Additionally, all high schools would be required to offer Advanced Placement courses in calculus, chemistry, biology and physics and high school students could receive credit for math and science courses taken at local colleges.

 

Under the Romney plan, teachers in the Commonwealth would be eligible for annual bonuses ranging from $2,500 to $15,000. Significant new investments in teacher development and recruitment are planned, including the hiring of 1,000 highly qualified math and science teachers as part of a new “Commonwealth Teaching Corps” that would be eligible for specific $5,000 annual bonuses. Teachers whose Advanced Placement math and science students demonstrate measured achievement could also receive up to a $5,000 annual bonus.

 

“I believe that our best teachers are underpaid and should be rewarded for the extra effort they bring to the classroom and the results they deliver for our students,” said Romney. “Teachers should be compensated according to their ability to produce real results, not solely on the number of years they’ve been on the job. If we want to attract ambitious teachers, we need to treat teaching as a profession.”

 

Romney said Massachusetts has come a long way as a result of previous education reform efforts and pointed to the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress exams as evidence of this success. In 2005 the exam ranked the state’s 4th and 8th graders as the best in the nation in both reading and math.

 

However, Romney said while Massachusetts leads the nation, we are falling behind other countries, and he urged the committee to pursue new reforms to prevent Massachusetts from giving up any ground. He said such reforms are especially important for those students who are falling behind.

 

Romney also pointed to data showing a persistent gap separating some of the states most disadvantaged students from their peers in other school districts.

 

To prevent students from falling further behind, Romney would cut in half from six years to three years the amount of time necessary to intervene in low-performing “turnaround” districts. A turnaround designation provides extraordinary powers to the superintendent including the ability to reassign personnel, implement teacher testing and dismiss unqualified teachers.

 

“The reality is that there are too many schools that have failed to make satisfactory progress, and it is taking too long to get them the help that they need,” said Romney.

 

Under the Romney bill, schools that do not show improve within two years could be placed under different management or reconstituted as charter schools. Romney pledged to provide funding in his upcoming Fiscal Year 2007 budget for turnaround partners, math and science training and other professional development initiatives for teachers in turnaround schools.

 

To prepare parents to take an active role in their child’s education, the plan requires elementary schools to offer voluntary parental preparation classes as part of Kindergarten registration. For parents that use state-funded childcare services, attendance in at least one parental preparation class is mandatory.

 

 

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“Today we are able to say that more drunk drivers will be taken off the road because of the steps we have taken to tighten our laws and regulations,” said Registrar Anne Collins. “Make no mistake about it, the steady progression we have taken to toughen our drunken driving laws will save lives.”

 

Healey also said that the process for getting the so-called hardship license should be a hardship for reckless drunk drivers and ordered the Registry of Motor Vehicles to enforce stricter rules when granting hardship licenses.

 

The Registry of Motor Vehicles will also be requiring this device as a condition of license reinstatement for anyone who has had their license suspended for five years or more because of a breathalyzer refusal and had their license reinstated by the courts.

 

“The ignition interlock device requirement and stiffer penalties mandated by Melanie’s Law will provide a powerful deterrent against impaired driving,” Colonel Thomas. G. Robbins, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.

 

 

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January 13, 2006

ROMNEY ANNOUNCES A NEARLY $200 MILLION INCREASE IN LOCAL AID

The 17 percent increase is biggest in years, will support wide range of local services

 

At the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Governor Mitt Romney today revealed that his Fiscal Year 2007 budget will boost state aid to cities and towns by $197.9 million, or 17 percent, over last year’s spending plan, increasing funding above the pre-fiscal crisis level of 2001.

 

“We owe a debt of thanks to our cities and towns that shared in the sacrifice as we succeeded in getting the state back on its feet again. It's been a long road back, but we are once more in a position to share our growth revenues with local communities,” said Romney.

 

The budget to be filed by Romney later this month will propose to increase the aid distribution to localities from $1.155 billion in the current year to $1.353 billion, partly by immediately uncapping lottery revenues. During the fiscal crisis, the lottery revenue distribution to cities and towns was capped in order to help the state balance its budget, and was due to be phased out over a period of years.

 

In 2001, local aid totaled $1.276 billion, the high point in the state’s history, but that number shrank as state revenues collapsed and the Commonwealth struggled to balance its own budget. The 2007 figures announced by Romney are $77 million higher than the pre-fiscal crisis level of 2001.

 

While total state revenue growth in Romney’s budget is forecast at four percent, local aid will grow by more than four times that amount, or 17 percent, one of the biggest increases in recent history.

 

Specifically, the Governor announced that:

 

 

The immediate, 100% uncapping of the lottery will yield an additional $158.7 million for cities and towns.

 

The category of local aid known as Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT, which compensates cities and towns where tax-exempt state properties are located, will go up by $9.2 million to $25.3 million.

 

An additional $30 million will be available to cities and towns through a new Housing Incentive Program to be distributed via the lottery formula. Municipalities that demonstrate improvement in the creation of new housing will be eligible to receive these funds. Nearly two-thirds of all communities have already submitted municipal scorecards to the Office of Commonwealth Development demonstrating progress in this area.

“The successful partnership between the Commonwealth and our cities and towns over the past three years has yielded some important new efficiencies and helped the state through difficult times,” said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, the administration’s liaison to municipalities. “Most of our citizens experience government at the local level and we are pleased to restore funding that improves the quality of life for everyone.”

 

The Governor’s budget for the fiscal 2007 year that starts July 1 is due to be filed with the Legislature on January 25.

 

 

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January 17, 2006

ROMNEY FILES BILL TO SUPPORT CONSUMER CHOICE IN WINE

Legislation would allow all wineries to ship directly to Massachusetts residents

 

Governor Mitt Romney today filed legislation to regulate the direct interstate shipment of wine to Massachusetts. The proposed new law would satisfy consumer demand for choice in wine without imposing burdensome restrictions on this type of commerce.

 

“It’s time we end the monopoly that wholesalers have over wine sales and allow out-of-state wineries to ship directly to Massachusetts consumers,” said Romney.

 

In the fall, Romney vetoed a bill prohibiting direct sales by wineries that produce more than 30,000 gallons of wine a year if they are represented by a Massachusetts wholesaler. That legislation would have benefited wholesalers at the expense of consumers, he said.

 

Under Romney’s new bill, any winery could ship to Massachusetts. The bill requires the Department of Revenue and the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission to promulgate regulations within 30 days of enactment.

 

Romney’s push to open up Massachusetts to direct wine sales follows last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said states cannot allow in-state wineries to ship to their consumers and deny that same privilege to out-of-state wineries. Following this ruling, a federal district court in Boston invalidated those portions of state law that restrict out-of-state wineries from shipping directly to Massachusetts consumers. Under the old law, only local wineries could ship to Massachusetts residents.

 

There are specific safeguards in the Governor’s bill to discourage minors from obtaining wine through the mail. Upon delivery, recipients would be required to prove – with identification and signature – that they are over the legal drinking age of 21.

 

The proposed law also includes provisions previously approved by the Legislature that permit restaurant patrons to re-cork unfinished bottles of wine and bring them home.

 

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January 18, 2006

ROMNEY FOCUSES ON HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, JOBS

Delivers 2006 State of the Commonwealth speech, his last as Governor

 

Governor Mitt Romney in his annual State of the Commonwealth address this evening declared Massachusetts “resilient, robust, and strong.” The Governor announced a $200 million reserve fund to pay for health care reform and proposed a new plan to lower the income tax rate to 5 percent over two years.

 

“We have come a long way in a short time. Just three years ago, our budget was in crisis. We were losing thousands of jobs every month,” said Romney. “Today we are adding jobs. We are running billion dollar surpluses. And we’re making investments in our children, our schools, our health care and our communities.”

 

Balancing a $3 billion budget gap required streamlining, consolidating and eliminating every scrap of waste and cutting back on some of the “Nice-to-Haves,” he said.

 

Romney noted the year begins with the stage set for something truly historic. “We are poised to provide private, market-based health insurance to all our uninsured citizens. This isn’t government taking over health care and dictating who gets treated for what and by whom. No, it’s government helping people take over health care, to get health care working for them. Think about it: 500,000 people, all without health insurance today, will have quality preventative care, prescription benefits and hospitalization coverage,” he said.

 

Romney said his health care plan does not require any new taxes, but acknowledged that concern about the need for new revenue could end progress on enacting reform. To address those concerns, the Governor announced he will put aside in his FY07 budget $200 million in a reserve account to fund the health care initiative.

 

“The Speaker, the Senate President and I have agreed that we have a once in a generation opportunity,” Romney said. “Our citizens are counting on us. Federal funding depends on us. Let’s open the way for every Massachusetts citizen to have high quality, private health insurance.”

 

Romney hailed the successful effort to refund $250 million in capital gains taxes last year, and called on the Legislature to honor the vote of the people to lower the state income tax to 5 percent from 5.3 percent.

 

Unlike previous years, Romney proposed to lower the rate to 5 percent in two steps – first, to 5.15 percent in the budget he will file this month, and then to 5 percent in the second year.

 

Calling the tax cut an important economic stimulus, Romney said in his address the best thing that we can do to “keep jobs growing and paychecks flowing” is to unleash the power of our people, to prosper, and to invest their own time and money as they choose. “When it comes to growing our economy, what we do here on Beacon Street is no match for what our citizens do on Main Street,” he said.

 

Romney applauded Massachusetts students who placed first on the nation’s report card and promised education reform will once again be a top priority for him in 2006. He cited the successes in reforming School Building Assistance, protecting charter schools and establishing the merit-based John & Abigail Adams Scholarship Program to the top 25 percent of students. But, Romney said, the job is far from complete.

 

“Massachusetts kids rank first in the nation but unfortunately our nation ranksonly 27th in the world,” said Romney. “The jobs of tomorrow will go to those countries which are succeeding in education today.”

 

He quoted Horace Mann who said that education was the “great equalizer” and vowed to work with the Legislature to implement his proposals, which are designed to help both failing schools and raise the performance level of students and teachers.

 

Romney testified before the Legislature last week on his comprehensive education reform bill, which would cut in half the time it takes to turn around failing schools and give principals more authority to make changes; establish special bonuses for math and science teachers, Advanced Placement teachers and the top one-third of teachers in each school; provide more funding for teacher training; and equip middle and high school students with a laptop computer so they can keep pace with the world of tomorrow.

 

To help fund these programs and assist local communities in providing the best education possible to our kids, Romney announced his budget will raise state education aid to the highest level ever and that he will revise the formula to address inequities in funding.

 

But Romney acknowledged that these education reforms are only part of the equation and that parental involvement is the main ingredient for student success.

 

“One thing I have heard from our teachers needs to be said: there is no school that can overcome failure in the home,” said Romney. “Our teachers can’t do the job alone. That’s why I will propose, again, mandatory parental preparation classes for parents of kids in failing schools. Teachers need and deserve the support of involved parents.”

 

Other key priorities of the Romney agenda for 2006 include the creation of a new program that gives seniors the choice to age in their homes, higher admission standards for police candidates, reform of our state employee pension program to cut out the abuses, a long range state energy plan, meaningful work requirements for welfare recipients and funding for a witness protection program.

 

Romney also underscored the need for the Legislature to pass his economic stimulus proposal, which was filed a year ago.

 

“In the last two years, Massachusetts has added 35,000 new jobs. Unemployment is a full point lower than when I took office. Hundreds of employers have started here, moved here or expanded here. And our pipeline of new prospects has never been as full. But even as the economy has unquestionably been improving, it isn’t growing as fast as it should,” Romney warned.

 

Romney cited concerns from employers ranging from a highest-in-the-nation unemployment insurance tax, lack of a state sales force, too few incentive programs for move-ins or expanding employers and a permitting process that resembles a labyrinth.

 

In his address, Romney previewed key items in his FY2007 budget to be filed later this month. In addition to a revision of the Chapter 70 education distribution formula, the Governor said he will propose increasing non-school local aid by nearly $200 million, or 17 percent.

 

To further address the barriers a lack of housing presents to economic growth, Romney will use $30 million of the local aid increase for a Housing Incentive Program to reward municipalities that facilitate the construction of new housing, particularly in town and city centers.

 

Romney lauded the Legislature for their efforts to work with him this past year to make the Commonwealth stronger and sounded optimism about even greater success that can be achieved together in 2006.

 

Key 2005 Accomplishments the Governor mentioned in his speech include:

 

 

The Welcome Home Bill, which extended new benefits to our returning soldiers – the most generous of any other state;

The preservation of all the state’s major military bases in the federal base closing process;

For the second year in a row, awarded 14,000 students with John & Abigail Adams Scholarships that entitle them to four years, tuition free, at any Massachusetts state university or college;

The enactment of the toughest drunk driving law in the state’s history with the passage of Melanie’s Law;

The extraordinary effort to assist fellow Americans displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Seated with Mrs. Ann Romney were Reverend Jeffrey Brown and his wife DeeDee. Rev. Brown, the pastor of the Union Baptist Church in Cambridge, volunteered to serve as the honorary Mayor at Camp Edwards, the relocation center for Katrina evacuees.

 

Said Romney: “In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we showed the nation our compassion by opening our hearts, our doors, and our wallets to our brothers and sisters from the Gulf Coast. That spirit was embodied by the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the Black Ministerial Alliance, the National Guard and our honorary Mayor of Camp Edwards, Reverend Jeffrey Brown and his wife DeeDee.”

 

Romney closed his address, as he did last year, with a special tribute to all the Massachusetts men and women who have answered the call to go to war, reading aloud the names of the fallen.

 

“For over two centuries, Massachusetts men and women have preserved and defended freedom. This year, 14 of our best lay down their lives in that very same cause. For the families of the fallen, the sacrifice continues,” Romney said in honoring the soldiers’ bravery and honor.

 

Major Susan Kelly, an ordained minister with The Salvation Army, began the evening program by delivering the Invocation. Major Kelly was chosen to represent the humanitarian contributions that were made by thousands of Massachusetts citizens in 2005.

 

Siblings of Private First Class Shayne Cabino, who was killed in action on October 6, 2005 while conducting combat operations in Iraq, led the chamber in the Pledge of Allegiance as a tribute to their brother and other members of the Armed Forces who have given their lives in the defense of freedom.

 

The closing benediction was delivered by Major Larry Bazer, Chaplain of the Massachusetts National Guard.

 

 

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January 24, 2006

ROMNEY URGES TAXPAYERS TO FILE FOR NEW TAX BREAKS

 

 

CHELSEA - Governor Mitt Romney today declared 2005 a good year for taxpayers and urged everyone to file returns early to get their share of a variety of new tax breaks.

 

A greater personal exemption, expanded property tax relief for senior citizens, an energy efficiency credit and a home heating fuel deduction all add up to increased tax savings this year. The average refund is expected to grow to nearly $500 this year.

 

“Any year the government puts money back in taxpayers’ pockets is a great year,” Romney said. “Of course, next year will be even better if we can convince the Legislature to start rolling the tax rate back to 5 percent.”

 

With state revenues far exceeding projections for the second consecutive year, Romney said it is time for the Legislature to answer the call of the voters to lower the state income tax rate to 5 percent. He has proposed a phased cut – first to 5.15 percent in the budget he will file this week, and then to 5 percent the following year.

 

Romney was joined by Alan LeBovidge, Commissioner of the Department of Revenue, for today’s traditional kickoff of the tax-filing season at the Massachusetts Information Technology Center in Chelsea. DOR expects to process 3.3 million tax returns this year, with 70 percent of them resulting in refunds.

 

“We urge all taxpayers to file their returns electronically, either by phone or computer,” LeBovidge said. “We received roughly half of all returns this way last year, which reduced the mountains of paper we processed and cut the average refund turnaround time down to 3.2 days.”

 

The deadline for filing 2005 income tax returns is April 18.

 

Every taxpayer will benefit from an increase in the personal exemption, made possible by the Commonwealth’s improving economy. The exemption for an individual filer is now $3,575, $5,525 for the head of household filer, and $7,150 for joint filers.

 

Changes in the eligibility threshold for the Senior Circuit Breaker Credit will give more elderly taxpayers relief from rising property taxes. Taxpayers 65 or older who meet certain income requirements and live in homes valued at $600,000 (previously $452,000) or less can claim a break of up to $840 on their state income tax form.

 

Taxpayers who have made their homes more energy efficient can claim up to 30 percent of the cost of the improvements as a credit this year. New windows, insulation and fuel-efficient furnaces are among the projects that are eligible for the credit, which has a $600 limit.

 

Individual taxpayers who earn $50,000 or less and joint filers who earn less than $75,000 can claim a deduction of up to $800 for money spent on heating their homes. The heating fuel must have been purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2005. If a taxpayer does not use the full $800 this year, he or she can claim the balance next year for expenses incurred between January 1, 2006 and March 31, 2006.

 

Many taxpayers may benefit from this year’s update of the Internal Revenue Service Code. This change from the IRS Code of 1998 opens up a wide range of credits, exemptions and deductions previously unavailable to Massachusetts taxpayers.

 

Some taxpayers, especially those with uncomplicated finances, can still choose to file state returns using Telefile. The 8-minute phone call is the easiest way to claim a tax refund. To check eligibility requirements, call (617) 660-2005 or (413) 827-7100.

 

Taxpayers who prepare their own returns can purchase software at a retail store or visit DOR’s website at www.mass.gov/dor to get links to commercial software for filing taxes. Many Massachusetts taxpayers will qualify for a free tax filing with a number of the software makers.

 

For more information or assistance, taxpayers can visit the DOR website at www.mass.gov/dor or call DOR at (617) 887-MDOR or toll-free at (800) 392-6089.

 

 

 

 

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January 25, 2006

ROMNEY FILES $25.19 BILLION BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007

 

 

With revenues rising and reserves at record levels, Governor Mitt Romney today filed a Fiscal Year 2007 budget that proposes significant new spending in education, health care and local aid while also cutting taxes. For the fourth year in a row, the Governor’s budget is balanced and maintains the Commonwealth’s financial stability.

 

Total budgetary spending is up 5.3 percent to $25.19 billion, an increase made possible by continued strong growth in tax revenues. Revenue projections on which the 2007 budget is based are 8.4 percent ahead of original 2006 estimates. The state’s rainy day fund is projected to rise to $2.3 billion, the highest level in history.

 

“While Massachusetts regained its economic strength, we resisted new spending we could not afford and avoided tax increases that could damage our recovery,” said Romney. “Choosing fiscal discipline and reform has paid off, and we are now in a position financially to make important new investments in areas that will improve the lives of all of our citizens.”

 

Romney again proposed to reduce the personal income tax to five percent, but this time suggested it be done in two stages - from 5.3 percent to 5.15 percent effective January 1, 2007 and from 5.15 percent to five percent on January 1, 2008. The cost of the tax cut is $132 million in fiscal 2007 and $488 million in fiscal 2008. The budget also draws $60 million from the stabilization account to refund taxpayers who are owed as a result of the Peterson case.

 

Romney’s budget commits significant additional resources for education at all levels. K-12 spending grows by more than a quarter of a billion dollars - a 7.3 percent increase - while spending for higher education rises by five percent.

 

Chapter 70 education aid to communities grows by $164 million, with nearly half of this amount dedicated to increases in inflation and enrollment. The rest of the funds are tied to reforms to the Chapter 70 formula itself, which has not seen a major revision since its inception in 1993. The current formula has led to inequities in school funding. In order to distribute school aid more equitably and efficiently, the budget modifies the formula to make it more sensitive to growth, a change that is especially important for schools with rapidly rising enrollments.

 

“We have worked hard to help communities offset the costs that follow growth,” said Romney. “By reforming Chapter 70 we will make sure that growing cities and towns receive the additional assistance they need to serve their citizens.”

 

The new formula links a city or town’s required local funding contribution more closely to property values and its residents’ income levels, helping towns that are overpaying relative to their wealth and income. The current formula does not include these factors and allows communities of similar wealth to contribute widely different amounts toward their schools.

 

To help communities tackle rising school employee health care costs, the new Chapter 70 formula boosts this part of the foundation budget by five percent and provides incentives for cities and towns to establish their own group insurance commissions to design more cost effective health care plans.

 

The balance in additional K-12 funding supports the Governor’s education reform initiatives. These include: $25 million for targeted intervention in turnaround schools; $25 million for teacher performance pay; $18 million for laptop computers for students in grades six and seven; and $10 million for differential pay for math and science. Fifteen million dollars to fund extended learning time in schools is also included.

 

Following up on a pledge made in his State of the Commonwealth speech last week, Romney said his budget sets aside $200 million from the general fund in a reserve account to support health care reform in Massachusetts. The funds are not intended to supplement other health care programs if broader reforms to the system are not enacted. To defray potential one-time costs associated with reforms, the budget transfers $50 million from the Health Care Security Trust Fund to the general fund.

 

The Governor’s budget recommends $59.6 million for Prescription Advantage and redesigns the program to benefit Commonwealth seniors by filling in gaps in the new federal Medicare Part D program.

 

While Medicare Part D covers annual drug costs between $250 and $2,250, it does not pay any expenses between $2,250 and $5,100. Romney proposes to use Prescription Advantage to bridge the $2,850 coverage gap to prevent seniors from having to pay it out of their own pockets.

 

The Governor’s budget continues past support for public safety agencies and programs. An additional $10.5 million allows newly expanded correctional facilities in Middlesex, Hampden and Franklin Counties to house an additional 689 inmates. To reduce recidivism, an extra $4.4 million is included to expand parolee and inmate transition and re-entry initiatives.

 

The funding plan also dedicates a further $2.5 million to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and provides a $2.8 million boost to the State Police Crime Lab to help these departments deliver the timely forensic analysis that is critical to criminal investigations. The budget calls for $750,000 to pay for a witness protection program.

 

As promised, the Governor proposes to hike state aid to cities and towns by $197.9 million, a 17 percent boost from last year that puts local aid above the pre-fiscal crisis level of 2001. The budget returns 100 percent of Lottery revenues to local communities and raises PILOT payments to cities and towns by $9.2 million to $25.3 million. An additional $30 million in incentives are available to communities that show improvement in the creation of new housing.

 

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey said the budget’s additional $11.6 million in substance abuse funding will create 241 new spaces for treatment and rehabilitation. Also included is $4 million for an integrated prevention curriculum to target teen pregnancy, youth violence and substance abuse.

 

“As we rebuild capacity within substance abuse programs our goal is to integrate services in a way that uses resources effectively and treats people in the most appropriate setting,” said Healey. “With a focus on prevention, we are targeting at-risk adolescents to steer them away from an addiction to drugs and alcohol.” She also said spending to support victims of domestic and sexual violence increases by nearly $2 million.

 

With more than a third of homeless individuals reporting some form of mental illness, the Romney budget takes new steps to prevent homelessness among the mentally ill. The Governor’s proposed $3.2 million investment in this area yields $16.2 million in federal money to add 180 individual spots for at-risk or chronically homeless people with mental illness.

 

Healey added: “Chronically homeless individuals often have issues with mental illness, and expanding permanent housing capacity and services will help them receive the treatment they need in a safe environment.”

 

The budget recommends an additional $5.6 million to maintain and improve state parks and recreation facilities and environmental programs. More than $1.3 million that was saved by privatizing certain Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) skating rinks will pay for the operation of five new Central Artery parks. Also included is another $1 million for DCR stormwater management plans and an extra $512,000 to enhance inspection capacity within the Office of Dam Safety.

 

The Governor’s budget proposes increased funding in a range of other areas, including:

 

 

$22.6 million to promote self sufficiency within the welfare system and bring Massachusetts into compliance with federal requirements;

$14.2 million for economic development initiatives;

$7.9 million to hire 130 new public defenders and $22.3 million to increase pay for private attorneys who provide indigent counsel;

$4.8 million to assist seniors who wish to remain in their homes; and

$1.3 million to help departing Department of Youth Services clients re-enter society.

The budget also proposes the following savings:

 

 

$102 million by freezing nursing home reimbursement rates that have grown faster than inflation even as nursing home usage has dropped;

$85 million by bringing state employee health insurance contribution rates and co-payments in line with private employers;

$8 million by reducing Lottery advertising to $2 million; and

$2.6 million by eliminating the Office of the Inspector General and transferring its functions to the Auditor’s Office.

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January 27, 2006

ROMNEY APPOINTS PANEL TO REVIEW HALEIGH POUTRE CASE

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today appointed a distinguished three-member expert panel to review the Haleigh Poutre case and make recommendations that will in the future help the Department of Social Services avoid the failures that occurred with her care.

 

The panel will be chaired by Christine Ferguson, former commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the current President and CEO of FirstFocus, a national organization to ensure our children are healthy, safe and have real opportunities to succeed.

 

From 1995 to 2001, Ferguson ran the Rhode Island Department of Human Services under then-Governor Lincoln Almond. Prior to that, she served as counsel and deputy chief of staff to the late U.S. Senator John Chafee (R-RI), where she was involved in many changes in national health care and social service programs and policies.

 

The two other individuals appointed by Governor Romney are:

 

 

 

Dr. Mary Anne Badaracco, MD, a graduate of Harvard Medical School. Chief of the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the President of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society. Dr. Badaracco is also Bullard Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

 

Dr. Jeffrey Burns, Chief of the Division of Critical Care Medicine and Co-Chair of the Ethics Committee at Children’s Hospital Boston and an Associate Professor of Anesthesia (Pediatrics) at Harvard Medical School. Board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Burns is also Director of the Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Children’s and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics.

Romney said the panel will review Haleigh’s case history to determine the timeliness and appropriateness of services that she received, as well as decisions that led DSS to seek removal of her life support through the courts. The 11-year-old Westfield girl had been hospitalized in Springfield in a comatose state since Sept. 11, 2005, but was transferred to a rehabilitation facility yesterday after she began to show signs of improvement.

 

“I am heartened by the reported improvements in Haleigh’s condition, and I want to express my appreciation to our volunteer panel of experts for their willingness to provide us not just with answers, but with changes that will result in better care and protection for children,” said Romney.

 

 

 

 

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January 30, 2006

ROMNEY ADMINISTRATION APPOINTS CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

 

 

Administration and Finance Secretary Thomas Trimarco today named Louis Gutierrez as chief information officer of the Information Technology Division (ITD), the department that oversees information technology operations and planning for executive branch agencies. The appointment is effective on February 6, 2006.

 

Gutierrez will be responsible for overseeing the final stages of implementation of the state’s new Open Document format proposal, to go into effect in January 2007.

 

“Information technology is an important tool that helps to deliver a wide range of government services both quickly and cost effectively,” said Trimarco. “Louis Gutierrez has a distinguished record in both the private and public sectors and brings a keen understanding of information technology’s mission and its potential.”

 

Bethann Pepoli, who has served as the department’s acting chief information officer, will become deputy chief information officer. Gutierrez will leave his current position as chief technology strategist at the Commonwealth Medicine Division of UMass Medical School in order to accept the appointment. While at UMass Medical, Gutierrez directed a team that provided technology support during Operation Helping Hand, the state assistance effort for Hurricane Katrina evacuees who came to Massachusetts.

 

Prior to working at UMass Medical Gutierrez was chief information officer for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (HHS), the largest state secretariat with 23,000 staff and more than $12 billion in annual spending. While at HHS Gutierrez led the development and implementation of the state’s Virtual Gateway, an online portal that integrated the web presence of 16 agencies into a user-friendly format that improved service delivery and reduced costs.

 

“The Virtual Gateway is an example of how state government computing can be transformed through the application of open standards that interoperate with many kinds of technology and vendors,” said Gutierrez. “As technology continues to evolve there remain substantial opportunities to transform services and a need to plan for the long-term future of technology-infused operations.”

 

A former principal at the Exeter Group, an IT strategy and integration services firm, Gutierrez has held a number of top IT positions, including chief information officer at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and deputy director for technology planning and standards for the Federal Reserve system. He is a former Commonwealth of Massachusetts chief information officer.

 

A graduate of Harvard College and MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Gutierrez lives in Arlington with his wife and their two daughters.

 

 

 

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February 1, 2006

ROMNEY ANNOUNCES JANUARY REVENUES TOTAL $1.924 BILLION

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today joined Revenue Commissioner Alan LeBovidge to announce that revenue collections for January totaled $1.924 billion, an increase of $238 million or 14.1 percent more than last January. Year-to-date collections totaled $10.385 billion, an increase of $877 million or 9.2 percent over last year.

 

Romney said the state is on track to collect more revenue in Fiscal Year 2006 than it ever has in history, following last year’s record-breaking collections. He said revenues are far in excess of what is necessary to support planned budgetary spending.

 

“Someone once said the law requires us all to pay taxes, but it doesn’t say anything about leaving a tip,” said Romney. “That’s certainly the case with our state’s tax collections.”

 

Romney called again for the Legislature to honor the wishes of the voters by lowering the income tax to 5 percent. In his proposed budget for the coming fiscal 2007 year, the Governor proposed lowering the income tax in two stages – from 5.3 percent to 5.15 percent the first year, then to 5 percent in the second year.

 

Receipts in January were $80 million above the monthly benchmark that was adjusted on January 17, 2006, the second upward revision. Year-to-date collections are now tracking $540 million above the year-to-date benchmark corresponding to the original fiscal 2006 estimate of $17.448 billion.

 

“January’s collections were carried by very strong estimated payments on personal income taxes and on strong corporate and business payments,” LeBovidge said. “In recent years, refunds have outpaced collections of corporate taxes in January, but not this year.”

 

Income tax collections for January totaled $1.363 billion, an increase of $188 million or 16.0 percent over last January. Withholding tax collections totaled $811 million, an increase of $46 million or 6.0 percent. Sales and use tax collections were $387 million, up $11 million or 3.0 percent from last January. Corporate and business tax collections were $28 million, a rise of $27 million from last January.

 

Year-to-date income tax collections totaled $6.017 billion, an increase of $433 million over last year. Income tax withholding for the first seven months of fiscal 2006 totaled $4.787 billion, up $246 million or 5.4 percent. Total sales and use tax collections were $2.412 billion, an increase $90 million or 3.9 percent. Year-to-date corporate and business tax collections were $932 million, an increase of $364 million or 64.1 percent.

 

 

###

February 6, 2006

ROMNEY NAMES JANICE S. TATARKA AS CONSUMER AFFAIRS DIRECTOR

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today named attorney Janice S. Tatarka as director for the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, the agency responsible for consumer protection and maintaining honest competition in the marketplace.

 

“Janice Tatarka has dedicated her career to public service and has held key positions in state agencies that directly impact our business community and the needs of our citizens,” said Romney. “Her experience means that consumers and businesses in Massachusetts will be protected and well served.”

 

Since 1997, Tatarka has served as the deputy director and chief of staff for the Department of Workforce Development. She oversaw the management of the state’s 32 One-Stop career centers and coordinated workforce training programs including the Workforce Training Fund, which administers $21 million in yearly grants to help employers train workers.

 

During Tatarka’s tenure at the Department of Workforce Development, the agency created the Unemployment Insurance Fraud unit to track and convict people who are illegally receiving unemployment insurance benefits. Since July 2005, this unit has returned more than $150,000 to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.

 

From 1986 to 1997, Tatarka was the assistant secretary of administration and finance for the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. As the chief financial officer for that agency, Tatarka oversaw the expenditure of more than $400 million in operating and capital funds in the state’s budget. Prior to her role at Environmental Affairs, she served in key budget roles in the Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee.

 

As Consumer Affairs director, Tatarka will be responsible for the operation of the following seven regulatory agencies: the Department of Telecommunications and Energy; the Division of Energy Resources; the Division of Banks; the Division of Insurance; the Division of Standards; the Division of Professional Licensure; and the State Racing Commission.

 

“Massachusetts has set high standards when it comes to consumer protections and business oversight,” said Tatarka. “Consumers and businesses rely on this office to advocate for their needs and to maintain a fair and honest marketplace. I am honored that Governor Romney has put his trust in me, and I will continue to uphold the administration’s commitment to these high standards.”

 

A Chelsea resident, Tatarka received her law degree from Suffolk University and bachelor’s degree from Brown University.

 

 

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Febuary 7, 2006

ROMNEY PROPOSES $36.5M IN FUNDING FOR PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS

 

As Massachusetts accelerates and intensifies its planning efforts to deal with an influenza pandemic, Governor Mitt Romney today announced that he is filing legislation to spend $36.5 million to prepare for and respond to a widespread disease outbreak.

 

Romney made the announcement during a summit meeting on pandemic influenza planning and response with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt and Massachusetts public health officials, business and community leaders.

 

“Of all the many hazards we face, a pandemic has the unique potential to disrupt our lives, our health care system and our economy,” Romney said. “We have to make sure Massachusetts is coordinated and equipped to effectively monitor outbreaks, slow the spread of disease, provide care to those who become sick and continue to provide critical government services.”

 

Late last year, Massachusetts received the highest ranking among all New England states for its ability to respond to a public health emergency, but Romney has pushed for even stronger action from state agencies. During today’s summit, he announced that the $36.5 million supplemental budget request he is filing would help Massachusetts meet its immediate needs for pandemic preparedness. The funds would bolster the state’s already proactive efforts to prepare for a public health emergency by:

 

• Building a network of volunteer medical providers to boost front line hospital staff;
• Enhancing hospital surge capacity;
• Upgrading state laboratories; and
• Developing stockpiles of medications, food and supplies.

 

In addition to Governor Romney and Secretary Leavitt, summit speakers included George Foresman with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Alfred DeMaria, Director of the state’s Bureau of Communicable Disease Control. State public health officials, government leaders and industry representatives also participated in a panel discussion considering approaches to cross-sector pandemic planning.

 

“Today’s summit is a perfect opportunity not only to learn what the state is doing to protect the health of its citizens but to also recognize the tremendous work that has been done at the community level by our local public health leaders and hospital partners,” said Paul J. Cote Jr., Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

 

Significant efforts have been underway in Massachusetts to prepare for public health emergencies with a major focus on preparing for an influenza pandemic. At Romney’s urging, all state agencies, health providers and hospitals have been working to develop and improve their Continuity of Operations Plans (COOPs) to ensure that critical functions and services are not interrupted in the event of a major health crisis.

 

“It is important for Massachusetts to continuously test and update its plans to respond to emergencies that might occur,” said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, who addressed summit attendees about local planning strategies. “We are grateful to Secretary Leavitt for his support of our preparedness efforts and for helping the Commonwealth coordinate with our partners across the state. These local relationships strengthen our ability to respond to pandemic flu as well as other types of crises.”

 

An influenza pandemic is a global outbreak that occurs when a new type of flu emerges for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine. It surfaces and spreads easily and rapidly from person to person, and can sweep across the country and around the world in very short time.

 

 

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February 8, 2006

ROMNEY HONORS LEGENDARY BLUES ARTIST TAJ MAHAL

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today signed legislation recognizing Springfield’s legendary blues musician Taj Mahal as the first “Official Blues Artist of the Commonwealth.” Taj Mahal, a two-time Grammy-winning musician who plays more than 20 instruments, has been playing his own distinctive brand of music all over the world for more than 40 years.

 

“Taj Mahal has brought great distinction to Massachusetts through his music and his many contributions to the community, and I am proud to honor such a well-deserving and truly talented artist,” said Romney.

 

Born Henry St. Claire Fredericks in Harlem in 1942, Taj Mahal grew up in Springfield. His local fame took hold in the early 1960s while he was a student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he played with the popular party band, The Elektras. In 1964, he moved to Los Angeles to launch his career. The years that followed presented opportunities to hear, meet, and play with such legends as Otis Redding, the Temptations, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and the Georgia Sea Island Singers.

 

“At a time when Springfield is in dire need of pride and citizenry, I can’t think of a man more deserving of this honor than Taj Mahal,” said Senator Stephen J. Buoniconti, who filed the legislation to honor the musician. “Taj Mahal has played a vital role in the preservation of traditional blues and African-American roots music, and for all his accomplishments, he still remembers Springfield. We’re very proud to call him our own.”

 

Taj Mahal has earned nine Grammy nominations during his career, which has featured a total of 46 albums and musical credits in 20 films. He received a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album for 1997's “Se–or Blues” and another for “Shoutin' in Key” in 2000, both recorded with his Phantom Blues Band. He is now touring with The Taj Mahal Trio, three musicians who have been playing together on and off for more than 30 years.

 

 

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February 13, 2006

HEALEY AWARDS $6.5 MILLION IN WORKFORCE TRAINING GRANTS

 

 

FALL RIVER – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today announced that 73 Massachusetts companies will receive Workforce Training Fund grants totaling $6.5 million to help train nearly 7,800 workers across the state.

 

“These grants provide Massachusetts employers with the tools to give their workers every competitive advantage in today’s global economy,” said Healey, who announced the grants at Prima CARE, P.C., a Fall River-based health care organization that received $90,030 to train 135 employees.

 

Healey said the Workforce Training Fund is on track to award nearly 1,670 grants totaling $117 million to upgrade the skills of over 165,000 workers statewide since its inception seven years ago. The Romney administration’s budget included $21 million to fully fund the workforce training program for the upcoming fiscal year.

 

The Workforce Training Fund, administered by the Department of Workforce Development, provides businesses and labor organizations with matching grants of up to $250,000 to finance incumbent workers training. The fund also offers grants of up to $1 million for companies that meet specific criteria set by the Commonwealth.

 

Prima CARE will use the funding to train employees in medical billing and coding procedures to help boost productivity and reduce medical billing and coding errors. With two clinics in the Fall River area, the company also plans to promote 24 employees and create new positions as a result of funding.

 

“This grant will enable Prima CARE to train new employees and retrain present staff in advances in billing and electronic medical records,” said Dr. Americo Almeida, President, Prima CARE, P.C. “Dissemination of information between doctors will save money by preventing service duplication, decreasing errors and fostering better medical care.”

 

Prima CARE has two walk-in clinics featuring laboratory, X-ray, CT Scan, MRI and state-of-the-art cardiac and nuclear diagnostic testing facilities as well as physician services. The company also offers a range of free preventive screenings to the community.

 

Jane C. Edmonds, Director of Workforce Development, noted the progress of the fund’s Express and Hiring Incentive Training Grant (HITG) programs. To date,the Expressprogram, which provides matching grants for small businesses, has awarded 655 grants totaling nearly $3 million to train nearly 4,500 workers. For companies who hire and train unemployed workers, the HITG program has awarded nearly 550 grants totaling $1.5 million to train almost 900 workers.

 

 

The following grants were awarded during this latest funding round:

 

 

14 grants in Western Massachusetts totaling $1.4 million to train 1,693 workers.

15 grants in Central Massachusetts totaling $1.1 million to train 1,267 workers.

5 grants for Northeast Massachusetts totaling $350,787 to train 270 workers.

26 grants in Greater Boston totaling $2.6 million to train 3,153 workers.

13 grants in Southeast Massachusetts totaling $970,000 to train 1,398 workers.

For a complete listing of grant awards and information on the WTF, visit www.mass.gov/wtf.

 

 

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February 14, 2006

ROMNEY SIGNS BILL PROVIDING $1 MILLION FOR 2006 NCAA WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today signed a $1 million appropriations bill to support the 2006 NCAA Women’s Final Four Division I basketball championship, to be held in Boston at the TD Banknorth Garden from April 2 through April 4, 2006. The event is expected to draw more than 30,000 visitors and pump an estimated $25 million into the local economy.

 

“One of the world’s great sports towns is about to get even better,” said Romney. “We are serious about bringing premier sporting events to Massachusetts. It’s good for business, it’s fun to watch and it will inspire young athletes throughout the region.”

 

The $1 million appropriation will be used to assist all aspects of the championship, such as promotion, event and volunteer coordination and logistical support. The 2006 championship marks the 25th Anniversary of the Women’s Final Four and the 100th Anniversary of the NCAA. Harvard University and Northeastern University are the event’s two official host institutions.

 

“The NCAA Women’s Final Four is more than two semifinal games and a national championship game; it is a celebration of the best of the best in women’s basketball and a recognition of our student-athletes,” said Joni Comstock, Chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. “The commitment and support for this event shown by Governor Romney and legislative leaders will ensure that the 2006 Women’s Final Four is an event to remember.”

 

“This event presents a singular opportunity to shine a national spotlight on Boston and it is just one of the many innovative investments the House’s economic stimulus package makes in local economies,” said Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi.

 

“It’s only fitting that the greatest event in women’s basketball comes to the most historic and storied arena for basketball,” said State Senator Steven C. Panagiotakos, one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “The state’s million dollar match has helped pave the way for tens of millions in economic activity that this event brings.”

 

“This April, Boston will be the center of the women’s basketball universe,” said Don Stirling, who serves as CEO for both the Boston Local Organizing Committee for the 2006 Women’s Final Four and the Massachusetts Sports and Entertainment Commission, which will administer the funds. “It is a privilege for all of us to be able to host the Silver Anniversary of the 2006 Women’s Final Four, and the significant financial support of the Commonwealth will help us deliver an exciting and smooth-running Championship.”

 

Events surrounding the 2006 Women’s Final Four include Hoop City, a three-day festival for fans at the Hynes Convention Center, team practices and autograph sessions at the TD Banknorth Garden, NCAA Youth Education through Sports (YES) Clinics and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association annual convention, which draws nearly 3,000 coaches of women’s basketball from throughout the country.

 

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February 15, 2006

ROMNEY NOMINATES LYNN C. ROONEY TO DEDHAM DISTRICT COURT

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today nominated Lynn C. Rooney of Concord to the position of Associate Justice for the Dedham District Court.

 

Rooney has served as Deputy First Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County for the past seven years. Prior to that, she served in various positions in Middlesex County including Chief of the Child Abuse and Family Protection Units and Deputy Chief of Child Abuse Prosecution. Rooney has also served on the Child Fatality Review Team for Middlesex County since 2000.

 

Before joining the office of the Middlesex District Attorney, Rooney practiced family law at Witmer & Thuotte from 1993 to 1994. Rooney gained legal experience as a paralegal with Ballin & Levine and Foster & Foster Attorneys, where she supported attorneys in personal injury and civil litigation.

 

Rooney graduated with her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst in 1986 and received her law degree cum laude from Boston College Law School in 1989.

 

 

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February 21, 2006

ROMNEY LAUNCHES NEW JOB CREATION INITIATIVE

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today announced a new initiative – Massachusetts Business Connect – to help companies build business relationships that will create new deals and jobs in the state.

 

“By connecting companies to the unique advantages of Massachusetts – our highly skilled workforce, leading research universities and cutting-edge industries – we can help the Commonwealth grow and add jobs,” said Romney.

 

The two Massachusetts Business Connect goals are:

 

 

Connecting major, industry-leading firms with Bay State companies and research universities to create new deals and investment opportunities; and

Connecting industry-leading firms with Massachusetts resources to solve short and long-term economic development concerns such as closing workforce skill gaps, helping companies and industry sectors expand within the state and marketing regional advantages.

“Corporate R&D funding is a major source of revenue for research universities and UMass Lowell is aggressively pursuing relationships with major corporations,” said Chancellor Dr. William T. Hogan. “Massachusetts Business Connect will help us meet companies that can use our research capabilities in areas like materials science and nanotechnology.”

 

With the flat growth in federal sources of funding for R&D, competition is growing among states to attract more private-sector R&D dollars. With its high concentration of leading companies and research universities, Massachusetts is well positioned to significantly increase its share of R&D funding coming into the state.

 

“Building stronger relationships between major corporations, our growing businesses and research universities ultimately makes the Massachusetts economy stronger and creates jobs,” said Senate President Robert E. Travaglini.

 

“By forming stronger connections between all parts of our economy, Massachusetts will see more robust statewide economic development growth,” said Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi.

 

Massachusetts Business Connect is built upon the success of a highly-customized series of meetings the Executive Office of Economic Development (EED) organized with Procter & Gamble in 2005 after the company announced it would acquire Gillette. Rather than viewing P&G’s acquisition of Gillette as a negative, EED aggressively marketed Massachusetts businesses and research universities to P&G, which has an annual research and development budget of $2 billion.

 

As a result of these meetings, P&G has identified potential new R&D partnership opportunities with several Massachusetts companies and research universities.

 

“Worcester Polytechnic Institute greatly benefited from the P&G meetings organized by the Governor’s office and we look forward to participating in the Massachusetts Business Connect initiative,” said Carol Simpson, Provost and Senior Vice President of WPI. “The goals of the initiative align well with WPI’s mission of advancing science and technology education and research to solve real world problems.”

 

“Massachusetts Business Connect will help small businesses such as Triton grow,” said George Kachen, Vice President of Business Development for Chelmsford-based Triton Systems. “The initiative with P&G is an excellent example of exposing Fortune 1000 firms to the many innovative businesses in Massachusetts that are developing cutting-edge technology in an intensive, customized and focused manner.”

 

“We can increase private-sector investment for Massachusetts businesses and universities when we help them form new business relationships,” said Ranch C. Kimball, Secretary of Economic Development. “Governor Romney and I understand the value in connecting what we have here with what the world seeks.”

 

Today’s launch of Massachusetts Business Connect is yet another effort by the Romney Administration to reform the way the state works with businesses and to help preserve and create new jobs.

 

The program follows the comprehensive economic stimulus package Romney filed a year ago to spur investment and job growth, expedite the permitting process and lower the highest-in-the-nation cost of unemployment insurance. That bill is still pending, and Romney urged the Legislature to complete work on these much-needed initiatives.

 

February 24, 2006

ROMNEY URGES TAXPAYERS TO DEDUCT HOME HEATING EXPENSES

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today joined Revenue Commissioner Alan LeBovidge to call attention to an overlooked tax deduction that allows income-eligible filers to subtract up to $800 of home heating fuel expenses from their taxable income. Fewer than 40 percent of those qualifying for the new home heating deduction have claimed it so far this filing season.

 

“High energy prices have put a strain on older homeowners and young families alike,” said Romney. “This deduction was designed to help people make it through the home heating season, and I’d like to see 100 percent of those who are eligible receive this tax break.”

 

The deduction was created by energy legislation signed into law by the Governor last fall. The fact that less than 40 percent of qualifying filers are claiming the tax break means that about 200,000 taxpayers have left unclaimed $5 million in potential refunds. If this trend continues, taxpayers will forfeit up to $35 million in refunds.

 

To help spread the word of this benefit and encourage more filers to apply, Romney visited the Brookline home of Lillian Christmas, 74, who was unaware that she was eligible for the deduction when she filed her return. She now plans on filing an amended return.

 

“It just seems like the cost of heating this house keeps going up and up,” said Christmas, a retired Polaroid secretary. “I’m glad to have the help and I plan to tell my friends and neighbors about the deduction too.”

 

Taxpayers may claim a home heating fuel deduction of up to $800 per year. Deductions may be used only for the cost of home heating oil, natural gas and propane purchased between November 1, 2005 and March 31, 2006. There is a bill pending in the Legislature that would extend the deduction to individuals who use wood and/or electricity for home heating purposes.

 

A taxpayer who qualifies for the deduction may apply the deduction in taxable year 2005 for purchases made between November 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005. Renters within the income limits may deduct 20 percent of their rent for the months of November and December in tax year 2005. If the taxpayer does not take the full $800 deduction in taxable year 2005, the taxpayer may take the remainder in taxable year 2006 for purchases made in 2006 up to March 31.

 

A single person may claim the deduction if their annual adjusted gross income is $50,000 or less. For married joint filers or heads of household, the income limit is $75,000. If a married individual files separately, no deduction is allowed.

 

“Because the Heating Energy Assistance Act was passed late in the legislative session, we suspect that some taxpayers may not be aware of the deduction,” LeBovidge said. “It’s clear to us that not everyone who is eligible is taking advantage of this benefit.”

 

 

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March 6, 2006

ROMNEY APPOINTS ROBERT C. HAAS AS SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today named Robert C. Haas as the Commonwealth’s new Secretary of Public Safety. Haas will replace Edward Flynn, who is resigning effective March 17 to become the police commissioner for the city of Springfield.

 

“Robert Haas has had a distinguished career in law enforcement and emergency management,” Romney said. “He will be a strong advocate for continued improvements within the secretariat, and his experience, professionalism and knowledge make him the right person for the job.”

 

For the past three years, Haas has served as the Undersecretary of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security, where he spearheaded many of the state’s homeland security initiatives. He oversaw development of the Commonwealth’s Homeland Security Regional Preparedness Strategy, an effort to improve how federal homeland security funds are spent to prevent and prepare for a terror attack. The program has awarded nearly $90 million in federal grants using a new risk-based approach that prioritizes areas facing the greatest threats and vulnerability.

 

Haas has also directed the development of Continuity of Operation Plans (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG) plans to ensure continued function of essential government agencies and services in the event of a terrorist attack or other catastrophic event.

 

“I am honored by the confidence Governor Romney has placed in me and I look forward to furthering the many homeland security initiatives underway, seeing the reform efforts through at the Departments of Correction and Public Safety, and implementing other reforms necessary to protect public safety,” Haas said.

 

Romney praised outgoing Secretary Edward Flynn, who has served in the Governor’s Cabinet since the start of the Administration in 2003. Under Flynn’s leadership, with Haas’ support, the agency has focused on a “Reform with Results” agenda that has resulted in a number of notable improvements. Recent highlights include:

 

 

Improving the State Police Crime Lab to solve crimes faster. A doubling of lab space and the hiring of 33 new highly-trained technicians have resulted in a 50% reduction in the case backlog.

 

Top-to-bottom reform at the Department of Correction (DOC). Changes in operations and management have cut sick time usage by DOC staff, doubled the number of inmates receiving substance abuse treatment, and reformed the inmate grievance, disciplinary and investigations systems.

 

Turnaround at the Department of Public Safety (DPS), which oversees licensing and inspections. Strict new regulatory guidelines and requirements have made carnival and amusement rides, tramways and elevators safer.

As Public Safety Secretary, Haas will manage more than 10,000 people serving a variety of public safety agencies, boards, and commissions, including the Massachusetts State Police, the Department of Correction, the National Guard, the Department of Fire Services and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

 

Haas, a career public safety professional, was Chief of Police in Westwood for 12 years and served as the President of the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council, a consortium of 39 law enforcement agencies providing regional support services to their communities. Prior to this, he served as a ranking officer in the Morris Township Police Department in Morris Township, New Jersey.

 

Haas received his bachelor’s degree from William Paterson College of New Jersey and his master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Rutgers University.

 

 

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March 6, 2006

HEALEY PUSHES FOR PASSAGE OF ANTI-GANG VIOLENCE BILL

Community activists and concerned residents kick off grassroots signature drive

 

NEW BEDFORD– Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today joined local activist, Phyllis Lopes, to launch a petition drive and build support for an anti-gang bill pending on Beacon Hill. Phyllis is the grandmother of Cecil Lopes, who was murdered by gang members on Halloween night in 2004.

 

The signature drive, led by the Cecil Lopes Foundation, is part of a public effort to pressure the Legislature to pass an anti-gang bill currently stalled on Beacon Hill. To reach citizens across the Commonwealth, the Foundation created a website – www.endgangviolence.com – where visitors can add their name to support tougher laws that crack down on gang crime.

 

“Crimes go unsolved when witnesses fear retaliation and face intimidation in their neighborhoods and the courtroom,” said Healey. “For more than a year, there has been a bi-partisan effort to protect critical witnesses and put gang members behind bars. We are taking that message to the people in order to get the bill passed.”

 

Healey filed legislation to protect witnesses of gang crimes from dangerous or life-threatening situations over a year ago and has repeatedly called on the Legislature to send a bill to the Governor’s desk.

 

In December, Healey traveled across the Commonwealth to meet with law enforcement, education and civic leaders and discuss issues of gang violence. During a meeting in New Bedford, the Lieutenant Governor was inspired by Phyllis and her determination to put end to the violence plaguing her city. According to the Cecil Lopes Foundation, less than five percent of homicides in New Bedford have been solved in the past year.

 

Determined to move the anti-gang bill forward, Healey invited Phyllis to join her at the State House where they met with members of the Legislature two months ago. Since then, Healey has visited New Bedford to hear from concerned citizens and victims who have been caught in the crossfire of violent gang activity.

 

“We’re here today to make a difference in the fight against gang violence,” Phyllis Lopes. “We need to keep working together and through the leadership of the Lieutenant Governor and concerned citizens, we will make our streets and communities safe.”

 

As a criminologist and former consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice in the 1990s, Healey extensively researched domestic and gang-related violence as well as victim and witness intimidation, identifying measures to improve practices throughout the criminal justice system.

 

 

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March 7, 2006

ROMNEY APPOINTS ARIANE VUONO TO APPEALS COURT

 

 

Governor Romney today swore in Ariane D. Vuono to the position of Associate Justice of the Appeals Court.

 

“Ariane Vuono is a seasoned prosecutor whose extensive experience in the courtroom makes her an excellent choice to serve on the Appeals Court,” said Romney.

 

Vuono has been an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts since 1995. While serving as a federal prosecutor, Vuono was the U.S. Attorney’s western regional Anti-Terrorism Task Force designate. Prior to serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, she was an Assistant District Attorney for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office from 1988 through 1995, and for the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office from 1985 to 1987. Vuono began her law career as a Judicial Clerk at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Superior Court from 1984 to 1985.

 

“I am honored to become a member of the Appeals Court and would like to thank Governor Romney for the confidence he has expressed in me. I look forward to serving the Commonwealth,” said Vuono.

 

Vuono served as an adjunct member of the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Bay Path College and the Western New England School of Law, where she has lectured on diverse subjects within the criminal justice field. Vuono earned her undergraduate degree from Yale University, a master’s degree from Middlebury College and a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. She resides in Northampton with her husband and their three children.

 

 

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March 10, 2006

DEFENDING RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, ROMNEY TO FILE BILL EXEMPTING RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS FROM GAY ADOPTION REQUIREMENT

 

Calling it an issue of “religious liberty,” Governor Mitt Romney today said he plans to file legislation to permit religious institutions to perform adoptions without violating the tenets of their faith.

 

Today, the board of Catholic Charities voted to stop doing adoptions because of state law which requires that gays be given equal consideration for the placement of children. Because of the Church’s teaching, Catholic agencies may not provide adoptions to gay parents.

 

“This is a sad day for neglected and abandoned children. In this case, it’s a mistake for our laws to put the rights of adults over the needs of children. While I respect the board’s decision to stay true to their principles, I find the current state of the law deeply disturbing and a threat to religious freedom,” said Romney.

 

“I ask the Legislature to work with me on a bill that I will file to ensure that religious institutions are able to participate in the important work of adoption in a way that always respects and never forces them to compromise their firmly held beliefs,” he said.

 

Romney’s bill would authorize religious organizations to provide adoption services consistent with their beliefs by creating an exemption from the state’s nondiscrimination laws.

 

All Massachusetts adoption agencies are licensed by the state Department of Early Education and Care (EEC).

 

In addition, since 1977, the state Department of Social Services (DSS) has contracted with Catholic Charities to provide special needs adoption services to children with severe emotional and physical needs. Currently, the waiting list for children in DSS care awaiting adoption is close to 700.

 

 

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March 15, 2006

Without Welfare Reform Romney Warns that Massachusetts Stands to Lose $56 Million in 03/15/2006

 

WITHOUT WELFARE REFORM, ROMNEY WARNS THAT MASSACHUSETTS STANDS TO LOSE $56 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS

 

Governor Mitt Romney today encouraged the Legislature to adopt changes to the state’s welfare system that would help lift people out of poverty and avert millions of dollars in sanctions by putting Massachusetts in line with stricter federal standards that take effect October 1.

 

“The prospect of $56 million in federal sanctions and the reality that the status quo dooms thousands of women and their children to a life of poverty should serve as a catalyst for change,” said Romney.

 

Massachusetts, which has approximately 47,000 families on welfare, currently has a federal participation rate of only 15 percent. New federal guidelines that will go into effect this fall require 50 percent of the total caseload and 90 percent of all two-parent families to be engaged in a work activity. The Commonwealth’s previous caseload reduction credit of 43 percent has virtually been eliminated since the new baseline for caseload reduction will be the year 2005. The welfare caseload in Massachusetts has plummeted from 103,000 when state reforms were originally passed in 1995.

 

“Work is an important and necessary part of life for all adults, and every member of our society should contribute to the level of his or her abilities,” said Romney in a letter delivered to legislative leadership today. “I believe in providing adequate supports and building in flexibility for individuals with disabilities and other barriers.”

 

Romney’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2007 calls for investments of $8.1 million in education and training, and $8.4 million in child care.

 

The administration cautioned that attempts to create state-only funded programs to avoid federal sanctions are misguided and could have unintended consequences harmful to welfare recipients.

 

“We should ask that all adults participate in work activities to their fullest ability,” said Romney. “By lowering our expectations, we are potentially dooming people to a lifetime of dependency and poverty.”

 

“We should be embracing a philosophy that focuses on innovative solutions that break the cycle of poverty rather than creative accounting mechanisms that offer little or no long-term hope for families on welfare,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Timothy Murphy. “Engaging more welfare recipients and providing the necessary supports they need to attain self-sufficiency should be the state’s goal.”

 

Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner John Wagner also implored the Legislature to bring Massachusetts’ standards in line with those of the federal government.

 

“Massachusetts was far ahead of the curve when we enacted dramatic reforms in 1995, but while operating under a federal waiver for 10 years, time has passed us by,” said Wagner. “We should seize this opportunity to help women and children who come to us for assistance. Simply giving them a welfare check is not enough.”

March 14, 2006

ROMNEY APPOINTS TWO NEW MASS MARITIME ACADEMY TRUSTEES

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today named Paul F. Kelly and Robert J. Shea Jr. to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Board of Trustees, the 11-member body that oversees the operations of the nation’s oldest maritime college.

 

The two appointees will serve five-year terms and replace Paul Tierney and Thomas Roberts, whose terms expired on March 1, 2006.

 

Kelly, of East Orleans, a Navy ROTC graduate from Brown University, received his undergraduate degree in Political Science and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1967. He served in Vietnam and was decorated for his service.

 

In 1972, Kelly received a master’s degree in Asian Studies from the University of Hawaii. Also that year, he became a Special Agent of the United States Secret Service, where he served in a variety of protective, intelligence, investigative and training assignments. He retired in 1996 as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the White House Division. Since 1996, Kelly has been a Principal at The Nauset Group, an independent security consulting firm.

 

Shea, a 1982 graduate of Mass Maritime, has 24 years of leadership and management experience in the military, government and private industry. A graduate of the U.S. Navy Flight School in Pensacola, Florida, Shea has held varied operational and staff assignments during his years of naval service. He recently served for two years as the Assistant Director of Mobilization Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Reserve Affairs at the Pentagon.

 

Shea is currently Director of the Decision Making and Implementation Faculty at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, where he received a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. He also holds a master’s in business administration from The College of William and Mary. Shea lives in Barrington, R.I.

 

 

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March 16, 2006

ROMNEY ANNOUNCES $516.5 MILLION TO SUPPORT SMART GROWTH IN MASSACHUSETTS

 

CHELSEA – Governor Mitt Romney today announced that the state will invest $516.5 million in Commonwealth Capital funds to build housing near public transit, improve water quality and sewer service and upgrade transportation and environmental infrastructure to support smart growth across Massachusetts.

 

“To generate new jobs, spark economic growth and remain competitive, we need to be smart about how we invest taxpayer dollars in growth and development in Massachusetts,” said Romney. “These grants and loans will go a long way towards ensuring a robust economy and prosperous quality of life in the Commonwealth for many years to come.”

 

Romney made the announcement in Chelsea, which will receive $3 million for various projects, including $500,000 to help transform a downtown street -- now pocked withvacant lots and closed businesses -- into a vibrant, new transit-oriented area targeted for residential and commercial use.

 

“These grants and loans make sure that capital funds are prioritized for communities that make smart growth happen,” said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey. “In doing so, cities and towns across Massachusetts are better able to revitalize neighborhoods, create jobs, and protect their water by building where infrastructure already exists.”

 

The awards – $15.5 million in grants and $501 million in low-interest loans – are part of a system initiated by Romney that distributes state funding in a targeted fashion. Cities and towns competitively apply for Commonwealth Capital funds by detailing initiatives to produce more housing or to change local zoning rules to promote smart growth principles. More than 260 cities and towns have participated in the program since its inception in 2003.

 

“The state spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year on infrastructure and Commonwealth Capital is a way to make sure that investment is in alignment with the Romney Administration’s sustainable development agenda,” said Douglas I. Foy, Secretary of the Office for Commonwealth Development, which was created by Romney to coordinate state agencies responsible for housing, transportation, environment and energy.

 

“The transformation of Chelsea’s blighted industrial and residential sites is being made possible only by the Romney Administration’s sustainable development agenda and the substantial resources that have come from it,” said Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash. “The partnership the Administration is offering is real and will certainly make the difference for these smart growth projects in Chelsea and for projects throughout the Commonwealth.”

 

In addition to Chelsea’s award, other grants include:

 

 

More than $501 million in low-interest state loans are also being awarded to 67 Massachusetts communities, wastewater districts and water suppliers for 91 infrastructure and planning improvement projects. The funds come from the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF). Financed projects include wastewater treatment facility upgrades, sewer extensions, wastewater management plans and drinking water treatment, storage and distribution projects across the Commonwealth.

 

A list of related projects can be viewed at www.mass.gov/ocd.

 

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March 21, 2006

Poutre Panel Recommends Reforms in Child Welfare System

 

The three-member Governor’s Special Panel for the Review of the Haleigh Poutre case today presented their findings and recommendations to Governor Mitt Romney. Among the recommendations for children in state custody are new levels of protection whenever there are physician decisions to withhold life sustaining treatment.

 

The report notes that this case represents a systemic failure in the child welfare, health care and mental health systems to provide the safety net that children deserve – not just at the Department of Social Services (DSS), but at all levels, public and private. Prior to the 12-year-old girl’s hospitalization, as DSS became increasingly alarmed for Haleigh’s safety, it was faced with significant opposition on the part of her health care providers to a plan that would have put her in a residential treatment program.

 

Romney thanked the review panel for its service and said he will work to implement the recommendations.

 

“As the Haleigh Poutre case demonstrates, errors in human judgment occur. What is unusual is how many people involved in Haleigh’s care – medical professionals, case workers and administrators from many disciplines – made errors. I welcome new systems and processes that will identify and guard against circumstances where human error may have severe consequences,” said Romney.

 

The Panel concluded after a thorough review of thousands of documents and interviews with key professionals involved with Haleigh’s case, and with local and national experts, that what happened to Haleigh should not have happened, and did not have to happen. The Panel found that this case represents a systemic failure on the part of the DSS, the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and the private sector health care community. The Panel has made concrete recommendations that the child welfare agencies and the health care community must embrace to protect and better care for high-risk children.

 

The Panel made its recommendations after consulting nationally prominent experts in pediatric bioethics, and experts in pediatric rehabilitation medicine and many others.

 

“Child protective services does not exist in a vacuum,” said Christine C. Ferguson, former Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner. “The system relies on both DSS, to investigate and respond to reports of abuse and neglect, and on the medical and mental health community to identify and report signs of abuse and neglect. Haleigh’s case highlights a frightening confluence of a health care system ignorant of abuse and a child protective system ignorant of medicine.”

 

Recommendations:

 

Creation of a new process for DSS in the event a physician requests the withholding or withdrawal of life sustaining treatment:

 

• DSS should require more detailed information to explicitly elicit the basis and degree of certainty of the attending physician for his or her recommendations about life sustaining treatment;
• DSS must obtain a second opinion from an additional physician from outside the institution where the patient is being treated;
• DSS must obtain an opinion from the ethics committee of the hospital in which the child is being treated;
• DSS must provide all of this information to the court, the guardian ad litem, the child’s attorney to ensure that the court has access to comprehensive information prior to making its decision.

 

Making available to DSS critical medical, psychiatric, and child abuse expertise:

 

• DSS should place on retainer panels of medical professionals in the areas of child abuse and psychiatry, including specific expertise in post-traumatic stress disorder;
• major pediatric hospitals in the state must have child abuse teams established on staff, and the Commonwealth must find a way to make it financially feasible for the hospitals to create and maintain those teams.

 

Making it a DSS priority to gain a comprehensive profile of the child:

 

• DSS should establish a new system to ensure that workers in one easy step get vital information in the possession of DSS, from both inside and outside the Department, on a child who is the subject of an abuse or neglect report;
• DSS should not screen out reports solely because of ongoing voluntary services or parental compliance and should make this policy clear in their internal policies and procedures;
• DSS should immediately adopt a risk assessment tool to help identify high risk cases;
• The Legislature should consider extending the ten day period for investigations of reports of abuse or neglect to 20 days, to ensure that the current ten day period during which DSS can obtain access to medical records is extended to 20 days;
• DSS should establish an appropriate escalation process that can be triggered by additional reports on a high risk child, repeated reports on any child, or the request of any DSS staff involved with the child who has a “bad feeling” about that child’s situation;
• DSS should conduct a thorough analysis of the statistics for each region to determine if additional resources are needed in the western part of the state.

 

Increasing access to quality mental health services in both private and public sectors:

 

• There must be a multi-year, concerted effort on the part of state government to improve the quality of mental health services for children. DSS, in consultation with the Department of Public Health, should establish quality indicators and expectations that its private providers must meet. In addition, DSS should require each of its private providers to demonstrate a process for creating a culture of continuous quality improvement;
• Access to DMH services for children with serious and persistent mental health issues who are involved with DSS or who have completed a Collaborative Assessment Program review should be expedited and automatic.

 

Embracing strategies for improving error management, borrowing from health care and other high risk industries:

 

• The Governor should establish a panel to partner with key pediatric hospitals in the state to assess which approaches to the reduction of medical errors are applicable to the child welfare setting. The panel should work with the Department of Public Health to garner expertise in this area;

 

“We did not find carelessness or a failure to make best efforts to meet Haleigh’s needs,” said Ferguson. “Instead, we found health, mental health, child welfare systems that, for a variety of reasons, were unable to penetrate the proffered explanation for Haleigh’s injuries, unable to ask the questions that could have protected her and were ill-equipped to provide her with the care and assistance any of us would want for our children.”

 

Romney appointed the panel on February 3, 2006 and named as chairman Christine C. Ferguson, member of the board on Children Youth and Families for the Institute of Medicine National Academics and former Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner. She also served as the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Human Services and as counsel and deputy chief of staff to the late U.S. Senator John Chafee (R-RI). The other members are Dr. Mary Anne Badaracco, Chief of the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the President of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society and also the Bullard Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Dr. Jeffrey Burns, Chief of the Division of Critical Care Medicine and Co-Chair of the Ethics Committee at Children’s Hospital Boston and an Associate Professor of Anesthesia (Pediatrics) at Harvard Medical School. Board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Burns is also Director of the Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Children’s and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics.

 

The panel was charged with the review of Haleigh Poutre’s case history to determine the timeliness and appropriateness of services that she received, as well as the process surrounding the court’s decision to remove her life sustaining treatment. The Westfield girl was hospitalized in Springfield in a comatose state on Sept. 11, 2005, but has since been transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Boston where she has shown signs of improvement.

March 29, 2006

ROMNEY ADMINISTRATION NAMES CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

 

 

Administration and Finance Secretary Thomas Trimarco today named John O’Leary as chief of the state Human Resources Division, the department that oversees human resources policy and administration for executive agencies. The appointment is effective on April 3, 2006.

 

“John O’ Leary has an impressive record of achievement in both private and public sector leadership positions,” said Trimarco. “He is a creative thinker whose skills will be put to good use at HRD.”

 

Since 2004, O’Leary has served as commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance, where he oversaw 670 employees and an annual budget of $75 million. He is a former chairman of the Civil Service Commission and served as Governor Romney’s designee to the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission.

 

An expert in operational efficiency, O’Leary has been a Vice President at Scudder Kemper Investments and the Director of Business Process Reengineering at Lycos. As a consulting manager with KPMG Peat Marwick, he advised governments on public sector reinvention. In 2004, O’Leary won the Pioneer Institute’s Better Government Competition for his ideas on reforming the Civil Service system in Massachusetts. He is a co-author of Revolution at the Roots: Making Our Government Smaller, Better, and Closer to Home (Free Press, September, 1995).

 

“I am honored that Governor Romney and Secretary Trimarco have chosen me to lead this important division,” said O’Leary. “I look forward to further refining and improving the processes that have made HRD a center of excellence within state government.”

 

O’Leary received his undergraduate degree in Materials Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned a master’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He and his wife, Nancy, reside in Needham with their daughter.

 

 

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March 28, 2006

HEALEY LAUNCHES STATEWIDE EFFORT TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING

New campaign urges parents to talk to their children about underage drinking

 

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today launched a statewide campaign against underage drinking at a town hall meeting that included over 200 parents, teachers, local officials and community activists. The forum, the first of over 40 that are organized across the Commonwealth, provides an important opportunity for communities to come together to learn why adolescents drink, what the risks are, and how underage drinking can be prevented.

 

“Throughout history, town halls have proven to be a valuable opportunity for Massachusetts citizens to voice their opinions and change their communities for the better,” said Healey. “We want to encourage parents to educate themselves about the problems associated with alcohol use and recognize the importance of initiating and continuing a dialogue with their children.”

 

Healey, Chairman of the Governor’s Interagency Council on Substance Abuse and Prevention, said that over the past month 48 percent of all high school students reported consuming alcohol and 27 percent indicated they had engaged in binge drinking (five or more drinks). Annually, more than 300,000 Massachusetts youths drink alcohol and last year underage drinkers consumed 15.6 percent of all alcohol sold, totaling $564 million in sales.

 

Minors who drink before they turn 15 years old are four times as likely to develop alcohol dependence as those who start drinking after age 21. Massachusetts ranks in the top five percent of states with the highest alcohol and drug abuse rates.

 

Additional facts:

 

 

Fifty eight percent of all fatal crashes among youth between the ages of 15 to 20 were alcohol related;

 

Nationally, an estimated $53 billion in social costs each year are associated with underage drinking including $19 billion in traffic crashes and $29 billion in violent crime;

 

In Massachusetts, the social costs associated with underage drinking are approximately $1.4 billion;

 

More young people drink alcohol than smoke tobacco or use all other illegal drugs combined;

 

Sixty five percent of eighth graders say it’s easy to get alcohol, and nearly half of them have tried it; and

 

Forty five percent of Massachusetts sixth graders reported that alcohol was easy to obtain with over 10 percent stating that they typically got it from home.

Research has shown that the strongest approach to prevent underage drinking is a coordinated effort by parents, teachers, law enforcement officials and the community at large. The comprehensive initiative outlined by Healey includes grassroots community meetings in addition to radio and transit ads.

 

Healey added, “Our goal is to underscore the importance of early, ongoing communication with children to help them make healthy life choices.”

 

“We want to send a wake-up call to parents that any underage drinking involves risk, not just drinking and driving or binge drinking,” said Michael Botticelli, Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “Sometimes parents are not as concerned about underage drinking as they are about other risky behaviors.”

 

Last May, Healey unveiled the state’s substance abuse prevention plan, a strategic blueprint that included efforts to boost substance abuse and prevention programs. To assist parents and communities in their prevention efforts, Healey today awarded five grants worth $150,000 to communities in Lynn, Quincy, New Bedford, Holyoke and Fitchburg. The grants fund CASASTART, an intervention program that allows schools, social service agencies and police to collaborate and intervene in the lives of at-risk children before they fall into substance use or juvenile delinquency. In total, the program will serve over 150 children between the ages of 8 to 12 and their families.

 

Mayor William Phelan of Quincy praised the new program saying, “We often deal with the problems of children too late in their lives. We congratulate Lieutenant Governor Healey for recognizing the value of early intervention and the importance of a caring community that coordinates all of its resources to ensure that children will succeed.”

 

Healey also said the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2007 budget includes an additional $11.6 million in substance abuse funding which will help combat underage drinking.

 

 

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March 30, 2006

ROMNEY SIGNS BILL TO CRACK DOWN ON GANG VIOLENCE

Law adds new crimes, stiffens penalties to protect witnesses in gang crimes

 

Governor Mitt Romney today took aim at gang violence and witness intimidation by signing into law a measure that gives prosecutors the tools they need to protect witnesses. Elected officials, religious and community leaders and law enforcement officials participated in the bipartisan signing ceremony in Dorchester.

 

“Our criminal justice and public safety professionals now have a real tool to protect those who join with us to take a stand against crime and violence in our communities,” Romney said during the ceremony at St. Peter’s School, which specializes in youth programs that have shown great success in keeping students out of gangs and connecting them to their community. “Witnesses who have the courage to come forward and testify should not have to live in fear for cooperating with prosecutors to keep their communities safe.”

 

The new law, based on legislation filed last year by Governor Romney and Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, is a major re-write and expansion of what constitutes witness intimidation and establishes a witness protection program in the state for the first time.

 

“With new laws on the books, we can help protect witnesses who live in fear and allow them to come forward and participate in the criminal justice system,” said Lieutenant Governor Healey. “Empowering witnesses will reduce the backlog of unsolved gang-related homicides that threatens the safety of our citizens.”

 

Under the new legislation, prosecutors will be able to seek punishment for those who attempt to interfere with cases by intimidating potential witnesses. Anyone who threatens or injures a witness will face up to 10 years in state prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

 

New protection services are now available for those testifying in gang-related cases. Prosecutors will have the authority to provide armed protection during or after a criminal proceeding, as well as transfer witnesses to safe housing facilities and provide public school relocations for children.

 

“Concerned citizens have worked so hard to put an end to gang violence in the City of New Bedford and I am so happy to see this day arrive,” said Phyllis Lopes, whose grandson Cecil was murdered by gang members on Halloween night in 2004. “We will never stop working together to help make our streets and communities safe and we hope this new law will restore confidence in our neighborhoods.”

 

The law also cracks down on gang members who circulate grand jury testimony with the intent to impede criminal proceedings or deter witnesses from testifying. The use of grand jury transcripts or minutes of testimony to carry out that purpose is now a crime punishable by up to five years in prison or up to a $5,000 fine.

 

“As a community leader, I am pleased to see this bill signed by our governor. It directly helps law enforcement, but also benefits those of us on the frontlines of moving our communities away from the culture of violence and the silence that feeds it,” said Reverend Jeffrey L. Brown, pastor of the Union Baptist Church in Cambridge and Co-Founder of the Boston Ten Point Coalition. “Our neighborhoods are physically, psychologically and spiritually torn apart as young people kill each other, and this law will encourage those who see shootings to report them so that those who perpetrate violence will be brought to justice.”

 

The new witness protection program, funded by a $1.5 million appropriation, will be overseen by a Witness Protection Board comprised of the Secretary of Public Safety, the Attorney General, the Auditor, a chief of police and a District Attorney.

 

“At its heart, our justice system relies on the courage of citizens who step forward and testify. Beginning today, these witnesses can speak knowing that they are not alone; that law enforcement can provide basic protections and that there are tools available to punish those who intimidate to undermine justice,” said Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley. “This smart and balanced new law is an accomplishment that the Romney-Healey administration, the Legislature, District Attorneys, mayors, police chiefs, and community and faith-based leaders should take great pride in. It is an enormous step forward for the safety of our neighborhoods and the confidence of citizens to access our criminal justice system.”

 

The legislation also creates harsher punishments for unlawful possession of a firearm and a new criminal penalty to discourage the trafficking of “community” or “block” guns, which are shared by gang members who leave them unattended in public for use by other members.

 

“Today we loosen the grip that gang violence has had on our communities,” said Senator Jarrett T. Barrios, a sponsor of the bill and Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. “With bipartisan support we created a statewide witness protection program and prevention programs for youth that get tough on gang violence and provide real tools for police and prosecutors to go after criminals.”

 

The law Romney signed also makes it easier to prove perjury by uncooperative witnesses in violent crime cases. The perjury law changes allow for the prosecution of witnesses who identify gang members and other criminals to prosecutors and police, but then recant at trial.

 

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April 13, 2006

ROMNEY HONORS FALLEN KOREAN WAR HERO

A bridge near his home will bear his name and the Medal of Honor seal

 

Governor Mitt Romney today signed legislation naming a bridge on Route 18 in East Bridgewater in memory of Army Corporal Gordon M. Craig, who gave his life to save four fellow soldiers in Korea in 1950. For his act of bravery and self sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military honor.

 

“The passage of this bill nearly 56 years after Corporal Craig’s decisive action is a tribute to his timeless heroism and shows our abiding respect for his sacrifice,” said Romney. “It is an honor to approve this remembrance for a man who gallantly served his country.”

 

Two of Corporal Craig’s first cousins, Betty Stirling and Carol Owen, joined Governor Romney and the bill’s sponsors, Representative Kathleen Teahan and Senators Brian Joyce and Robert Creedon, at the State House bill signing ceremony. Massachusetts’ two living Medal of Honor recipients, Secretary of Veterans’ Services Tom Kelley and former Veterans’ Services chief Captain Thomas Hudner, also attended.

 

“Gordon was a funny, handsome kid who loved his country,” said Betty Stirling, Corporal Craig’s first cousin. “It’s really an honor to know that he is being remembered this way so many years later.”

 

During an attack on a strategic enemy hill near Kasan on September 10, 1950, Corporal Craig and his fellow soldiers found themselves under increasing enemy fire. As the company moved forward an enemy fighter launched a grenade that landed among the advancing men. Without hesitation, 21-year-old Corporal Craig threw himself on the grenade, smothering its destructive force and saving the others in his company. He was killed instantly and his intrepid action inspired the men to mount a successful counterattack.

 

“Senator Creedon, Senator Joyce and I are happy to have been a part in achieving this much deserved recognition of Corporal Craig,” said Teahan. “We, like all who will cross over the Corporal Gordon M. Craig Bridge, will remember Corporal Craig’s ultimate sacrifice of his life to save the lives of his four comrades.”

 

“This memorial is a reminder that ordinary young men like Corporal Craig are capable of extraordinary acts of courage and love for their fellow soldiers,” said Secretary Kelley.

 

The Corporal Gordon M. Craig Bridge is located near to Corporal Craig’s childhood home in East Bridgewater and to the cemetery where he was laid to rest. The Massachusetts Highway Department, which owns and operates the bridge, will erect signs that display its new name.

 

 

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April 12, 2006

ROMNEY SIGNS LANDMARK HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM BILL

Through private market reforms, all Massachusetts citizens to be insured by 2009

 

Governor Mitt Romney signed landmark legislation today that through a private, market-based reform will make health insurance available to every resident of Massachusetts within the next three years.

 

“An achievement like this comes around once in a generation, and it proves that government can work when people of both parties reach across the aisle for the common good,” said Romney. “Today, Massachusetts is leading the way with health insurance for everyone, without a government takeover and without raising taxes.”

 

The legislation was approved by a bipartisan 154-2 margin in the House of Representatives and a 37-0 vote in the Senate. It was signed at a Faneuil Hall ceremony attended by hundreds of people.

 

“This would not have been possible without the courageous work of Senate President Travaglini, Speaker DiMasi, providers, insurers, consumer groups and all the other industry stakeholders who recognized an opportunity to do something historic,” said Romney.

 

The law requires every individual in the state to purchase health insurance by July 1, 2007. Of the approximately 500,000 uninsured, about 100,000 are eligible for Medicaid, another 200,000 making less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level, but not eligible for Medicaid will receive premium assistance on an income-based sliding scale for policies with no deductibles, and another 200,000 with incomes above 300 percent FPL will be able to purchase lower-cost policies in the private market. Premium assistance will be financed by redirecting a portion of the $1 billion currently spent by state government on the uninsured.

 

Beginning on January 1, 2008, failure by individuals to purchase health insurance will result in the loss of their state tax refund equal to 50 percent of an affordable health insurance premium. Penalties will be assessed for each month without creditable coverage.

 

The creation of an entity, the Commonwealth Care Health Insurance Connector, will allow individuals to now purchase affordable plans on a pre-tax basis. The Connector will administer premium assistance for low-income individuals and facilitate employer contributions for both full-time and part-time workers and those working at more than one company.

 

Eligible to purchase through the Connector are non-working individuals, working individuals at companies that do not offer health insurance, workers not eligible for coverage at their place of business such as part-timers, contractors and new employees, small businesses with 50 or fewer employees, and those who are self-employed.

 

The legislation also enhances the goal of greater transparency in health care cost and quality through the collection and publication of data needed by consumers to make informed decisions. The information will allow consumers to compare the quality, track record and cost of hospitals and providers.

 

The passage of the legislation moves Massachusetts closer to the implementation of a waiver that will allow the state to continue to receive $385 million in federal funding for each of the next two years. The waiver was negotiated by Governor Romney and Senator Kennedy last year, and was dependent on the state developing a “demonstration project” to reduce the rate of uninsured.

 

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services has already begun providing details of the Massachusetts plan for review by federal Medicaid officials.

 

Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson commended Governor Romney for signing what Thompson termed “groundbreaking legislation to provide health coverage to all Massachusetts families.”

 

“Massachusetts is showing us a better way, one I hope policy makers in Statehouses and Congress will follow to build a healthier and stronger America,” said Thompson, a former Republican governor of Wisconsin.

 

The Governor vetoed the creation of a new fee on businesses. The $295 per employee fee would have been assessed to employers with 11 or more full-time workers who do not offer and contribute to their employees’ health insurance. The Governor said the fee is “not necessary to implement or finance health care reform.”

 

The Governor also vetoed a provision to provide dental benefits to adult Medicaid recipients, which will cost $75 million annually. Romney said the benefits expansion is financially unsustainable and noted that it provides a service not offered by most Massachusetts employers. Sixty percent of employers in Massachusetts do not provide dental coverage to their workers.

 

 

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April 20, 2006

ROMNEY ANNOUNCES AWARD OF ABSTINENCE EDUCATION CONTRACT

Healthy Futures program will reach 9,000 middle school students over the next two years

 

Governor Mitt Romney today announced that Healthy Futures, a health program that promotes the benefits of abstinence, has been awarded the contract to manage the state’s abstinence education program for middle school students.

 

Romney made the announcement at Boston Latin School, where Healthy Futures runs a successful abstinence education program.

 

Federal funding for the contract is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is administered by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Healthy Futures will receive $300,000 for FY06 and $500,000 for FY07 to provide a voluntary program of abstinence education for participating schools. Massachusetts has been receiving federal funds for abstinence education since 1998, but this contract represents the first time the state will be applying the money to classroom-based programming.

 

The program is expected to reach 9,000 students over the next two years.

 

“In my service as Governor, I’ve never had anyone complain to me that their kids are not learning enough about sex in school. However, a number of people have asked me why it is that we do not speak more about abstinence as a safe and preventive health practice,” said Romney.

 

“Abstinence education gives young people the support they need in making the decision to postpone sexual activity until they are mature enough to handle the emotional, moral and financial responsibilities of parenthood,” he said. “This is more than teaching kids to say no – it will help them preserve self-esteem and build character.”

 

The Healthy Futures abstinence education initiative is a classroom-based program serving students in communities with high numbers of teen births. The goal of the program is to help 12 to 14 year olds avoid adolescent pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

 

“Healthy Futures is pleased to be able expand our abstinence education program in Massachusetts,” said Rebecca Ray, Program Director for Healthy Futures. “These new funds will enable us to equip more students across the state to make and sustain decisions to postpone sex and avoid the social and health consequences of early sexual activity.”

 

Healthy Futures will launch the program in May of this year and classes will run through June of 2007.

 

“We know that young people feel enormous pressure to engage in all kinds of risky behaviors and helping them avoid pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and other serious consequences of high-risk choices is, simply put, good public health policy,” said Paul Cote Jr., Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

 

The Healthy Futures program covers teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, healthy relationships, boundaries and refusal skills, and substance use and its impact on sexual choices. Students also participate in peer-to-peer education with student educators who have a thorough understanding of sexual health issues and the skills necessary to encourage abstinence among their peers. There is also a parental education component through literature and parent sessions.

 

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April 21, 2006

ROMNEY NAMES GOTTLIEB AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CHIEF

Announces former A&F Secretary Eric Kriss will serve as CDCC chairman

 

Governor Mitt Romney today named Andrew Gottlieb to lead the Office of Commonwealth Development, the cabinet-level agency that works to coordinate Massachusetts’ environmental, housing and transportation programs. Gottlieb had served as undersecretary for OCD and replaces Douglas I. Foy, who was OCD chief from 2003 until March of 2006.

 

Romney also announced that former Administration and Finance Secretary Eric Kriss will serve as the unpaid part-time chairman of the Commonwealth Development Coordinating Council, an advisory board that helps coordinate policy.

 

“Andrew Gottlieb is a dedicated public servant whose in-depth knowledge of government and the complexities of development will allow him to be immediately effective in his new role,” said Romney. “I am also glad that Eric Kriss has agreed to volunteer his time to promote a coordinated growth policy.”

 

Gottlieb said that he plans to continue the administration’s goal of directing state capital to spur redevelopment in city and town centers. He will also oversee the second round of grant awards under the $30 million transit-oriented development bond program. The Commonwealth Capital scorecard system, now in its third year, allocates state capital funds to communities seeking to revitalize their downtown areas. Nearly 280 cities and towns have participated in Commonwealth Capital, which guides the distribution of some $500 million in grants and loans annually.

 

“I’m honored to be entrusted with this important position, and to do the work that is so critically important to maintaining a high quality of life throughout this state,” Gottlieb said. “I’m looking forward to continuing to help cities and towns produce more housing, protect sensitive resources and grow in ways that are best for them.”

 

Gottlieb’s prior experience includes 17 years with the state Department of Environmental Protection, where he was Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Planning. From 1986 to 1988, Gottlieb served as executive director of the Special Legislative Commission on Water Supply.

 

Gottlieb earned a graduate degree in business from Boston University in 1996 and his undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1985. He and his wife reside in Newton with their two children.

 

 

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April 24, 2006

OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE $16 MILLION NANOTECH GRANT FOR UMASS

Amherst campus receives national award, seen as boost for economic growth

 

Governor Mitt Romney, House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and Senator Edward Kennedy today announced that Massachusetts has been awarded a $16 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant that will help to establish a state-of-the-art nanotechnology research center at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Nanotechnology is an emerging field that develops atomic level materials for a wide range of uses such as data storage, drug delivery and energy-saving technology.

 

A $5 million funding match is required, and Governor Romney said he will file legislation today requesting state funds for the project.

 

“This generous grant will help the University of Massachusetts to advance its deserved reputation as a nanotech leader and center of excellence,” said Romney. “Nanotechnology is an important part of our state’s economic future, and this center will show graduates and businesses that we are committed to this promising new field.”

 

“Nanotechnology provides yet another frontier for Massachusetts to explore and lead the way,” said Senator Kennedy. “The researchers at UMass have already begun this work and the creation of today’s center will create new economic opportunities for the Commonwealth and our nation.”

 

“This award is a victory for the Commonwealth’s flagship campus and the overall Massachusetts economy,” said Speaker DiMasi. “UMass Amherst has long been a leader in research and development and this Center will help Massachusetts lead the nation in nanotechnology.”

 

More than 50 UMass Amherst faculty members across eight departments currently conduct research in nanotechnology, and the university has attracted $54 million in research funds from government and industry sources since 1997. Massachusetts is also an industry hub for nanotechnology, with more than 175 firms involved in the field.

 

The NSF grant will allow the Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing (CHM) at UMass Amherst to begin new work in nanoscale manufacturing, bionanotechnology and nanomaterials.

 

“Nanotechnology is truly our next great frontier in science and engineering, and the Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing will address one of our greatest challenges — moving these innovations more quickly from the laboratory to manufactured components and devices,” said Michael Reischman, deputy assistant director for engineering at the NSF.

 

The CHM will develop technologies such as insulation that boosts the speed of computers and smart sensors capable of detecting minute quantities of toxic substances. Biomedical research will include the development of nanoparticles designed to target tumors in the body and new stiff gels that could serve as replacement joints.

 

“UMass is a leader in nanotechnology research and I congratulate the UMass Amherst team on this prestigious NSF award,” said Jack M. Wilson, President of the University of Massachusetts. “UMass is now participating in two NSF-funded nanotechnology centers, with our Lowell campus also receiving $5 million in 2004 to establish a high-rate nanomanufacturing center. UMass is committed to establishing the Commonwealth as a global leader in this important field.”

 

The John Adams Innovation Institute, the economic development arm of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, provided $2 million for the Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing.

 

“Massachusetts has again raised the bar for attracting federal research funding, which is critically important to growing our high tech, knowledge-based economy,” said Massachusetts Technology Collaborative Executive Director Mitchell Adams. “By making targeted investments in our university research centers, Massachusetts is making a down payment on future job growth in the innovation economy and beating out states such as California and New York in this high stakes competition for federal resources.”

 

One of only 16 Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers in the United States, the CHM will become part of a nanomanufacturing network that connects government, academic and industry nanoscience and manufacturing communities nationwide.

 

“UMass Amherst’s emergence as one of the nation’s top nanotechnology centers rests on the skills and imagination of a superb team of faculty, students and staff,” said Amherst Chancellor John V. Lombardi. “We recognize the significance of the investment from the state, the university, private citizens, business and others in the achievement of this major scientific milestone.”

 

Non-profit, industry, academic and government partners will be fundamental to the success of the new nanotech center. Collaborators include TIAX, Lucent Technologies and IBM. TIAX, a Cambridge-based technology development firm, will play a critical role in transforming the innovations that emerge from the center into market-ready products and technologies.

 

“This project is essential because it will address the nation’s innovation backlog,” said TIAX CEO and founder Kenan Sahin. “Unquestionably, the solutions for many current problems such as the treatments for illnesses and the pathways for new businesses have already been invented, but they are waiting on the sidelines. This initiative can bring all sorts of innovations to market and spur economic growth.”

 

 

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April 26, 2006

ROMNEY NOMINATES FOUR WOMEN TO JUDICIARY

 

Governor Mitt Romney announced today that he has nominated four women to serve as judges in the Massachusetts trial court system, the largest number of female candidates ever brought forward at one time.

 

Romney has made the appointment of women to the state’s courts a priority, and recently asked his Judicial Nominating Council to bring forward the names of more female and minority applicants. If these four women are all confirmed by the Governor’s Council, women will represent 36% of the appointments made by Romney for judicial office, which includes judges and clerk magistrate positions.

 

“I am pleased with the outstanding qualifications of the individuals I have nominated to the bench,” Romney said. “They have the capability, the qualifications and the experience to be fair and balanced jurists.”

 

Nominated were:

 

 

 

Tuttman has served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Essex County District Attorney’s Office since 1989. During that time, she has held various positions, including Director of the Family Crimes and Sexual Assault Unit, Superior Court Prosecutor and Lead Prosecutor for Lawrence District Court’s Domestic Violence Unit. She has also served on the Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Advisory Group for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

 

Tuttman graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University in 1974 and received her law degree from Suffolk University Law School, cum laude, in 1988.

 

Lyonshas been a sole practitioner in Boston since 2003, representing criminal and civil clients. She previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for 10 years. In this capacity, she was the Chief of the Sexual Assault Unit and a member of the Senior Trial Team Division, Major Felony Case Unit as well as the Child Abuse Unit. Prior to her years with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Lyons was an Assistant District Attorney in the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office for three years and a Victim Witness Advocate in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office from 1987 to 1990 while attending law school.

 

Lyons received her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University in 1982 and her law degree from the New England School of Law in 1990.

 

Wright has served in the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office for many years. From 1989 through 1994, she was a prosecutor in the District Court and Superior Court. After two years as a Partner with the law firm of Sable and Wright, she worked as an assistant regional counsel with the Department of Social Services before returning to the District Attorney’s office in 1998. She has served as Chief of the Family Protection Unit and most recently has worked in the Appellate Division. Wright has also taught courses related to criminal justice at Stonehill College and Quincy College.

 

Wright attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston in 1985. She received her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in 1988.

 

Hopkins is the Chief of Staff to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Prior to her two years as Chief of Staff, Hopkins was Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston and responsible for the direction of the city’s Legal Department. Hopkins was also a sole practitioner for five years with a criminal defense and civil litigation practice, and prior to that, served as a prosecutor in State District and Superior Courts with the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. Her specialization was white-collar crime and drug prosecutions. Hopkins started her career as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) specializing in racketeering investigations and personal and property crimes.

 

Hopkins completed her bachelor’s degree at Boston College in 1976 and received her law degree from Suffolk University School of Law in 1979.

 

 

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April 28, 2006

ROMNEY NAMES DEBORAH SHUFRIN AS DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today named Deborah Shufrin as the Director for the Department of Business and Technology, the state agency that works to promote economic growth in Massachusetts. Shufrin replaces Renee Fry, who stepped down in order to serve as deputy chief of staff in the Governor’s Office.

 

“When we took office, the state economy was in a tailspin. Today, jobs are being created by the thousands and our economy is stronger. Deb Shufrin has been a key member of our economic development team during that time and in her new role she will continue to help position Massachusetts for economic growth,” said Romney.

 

Since 2004, Shufrin has served as the chief of staff for the Department of Business and Technology. The department oversees the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, the Massachusetts Office of International Trade & Investment, the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance, the Massachusetts Office of Business Development and the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. As director, Shufrin will manage more than 55 people and a budget of $30 million.

 

“I am excited about the opportunity to help companies continue to grow in Massachusetts, and I’m honored that Governor Romney has placed his confidence in me,” said Shufrin. “In recent years we have helped businesses to add thousands of new jobs, made it easier for women and minority businesses to succeed and steadily increased the number of tourists visiting the Commonwealth. I look forward to continuing this record of achievement.”

 

“Deb has been instrumental in the development and execution of key policy initiatives in addition to her role overseeing these important agencies,” said Economic Development Secretary Ranch C. Kimball.

 

Prior to her state service, Shufrin spent six years as a vice president and equity analyst at MFS Investment Management, where she specialized in the Oil & Gas and Media & Entertainment sectors. She worked closely with senior management at major corporations and made recommendations to help their investments grow. Shufrin began her career as a credit analyst at Morgan Stanley in New York.

 

Shufrin received a master’s in business administration with a concentration in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated summa cum laude in economics from Brandeis University.

 

 

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May 1, 2006

IMPLEMENTATION OF HEALTH CARE LAW PROCEEDS

Romney submits plan to federal government, forms new Medicaid fraud unit

Governor Willard Mitt Romney (MA)

Implementation of Health Care Law Proceeds

Location: Boston, MA

 

Governor Mitt Romney announced today that his administration has hit the first milestone in the implementation of the new health insurance law by submitting to the federal government for approval a comprehensive plan detailing how it will substantially reduce the number of uninsured in the Commonwealth.

 

Romney also announced the formation of the MassHealth Fraud Prevention unit to insure the integrity of the $7 billion per year program, funded by $1.5 million in the health care reform bill. Until now, MassHealth had several programs in different parts of the agency addressing the issue of fraud.

 

Approval by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is required to maintain the availability of $385 million of federal Medicaid funding during each of the next two fiscal years. Last year, CMS advised Massachusetts to submit its plan by January 15, noting that a minimum of 120 days would be needed to review the proposal without jeopardizing the continuous availability of the $385 million after July 1. The state missed that deadline as health care reform was not passed by the Legislature until April.

 

“Despite the legislative delays, it is our hope that our partners in the federal government will expedite their review and approve the Commonwealth’s plan by July 1,” said Romney. “We will be aggressive in our efforts to secure the maximum level of federal funding and stand ready to provide any and all additional information that may be required.”

 

Romney said a rapid response team comprised of Health and Human Services and MassHealth staff has been assembled to assist the CMS review process.

 

Health and Human Services Secretary Tim Murphy said: “Implementation will be just as challenging as getting the legislation passed, but it is a challenge we relish. We look forward to working closely with the federal government and other stakeholders to make health care insurance available to every resident of Massachusetts.”

 

According to the plan filed today, the recently approved health insurance law accomplishes the following key goals sought by the federal government:

 

• Subsidizes the purchase of private insurance for low-income individuals to reduce the number of uninsured;
• Directs more federal and state dollars to individuals and less to institutions; and
• Improves the fiscal integrity of the MassHealth program.

 

Key milestones in the timeline submitted as part of the plan include the operationalization of the Connector Authority between May and October, the offering and enrollment of lower-income residents into premium assistance programs by October, the offering of private, non-subsidized products by January, and statewide open enrollment between March and May 2007 in anticipation of the individual insurance requirement that starts July 1, 2007.

 

Meanwhile, the Legislature and the Executive branch are redoubling efforts to ensure program integrity in MassHealth.

 

MassHealth is also planning a comprehensive effort to re-credential its providers. The effort, suggested by national program integrity experts consulted by MassHealth, will begin with an immediate targeted review of high-risk providers.

 

“We’ve created this unit to build and document a coordinated process of detecting, identifying and referring suspected fraud and abuse within both the provider and member communities,” said Massachusetts Medicaid Director Beth Waldman. “Centralization will allow MassHealth to direct resources strategically and provide an efficient way to inform providers and members that we take fraud very seriously.”

 

“We believe re-enrolling our providers will pay dividends and reduce risk to the program,” said Murphy. “And we are confident that the creation of the Fraud Prevention Unit will enhance our efforts to build an efficient and sound system for fraud and abuse identification and referral in MassHealth.”

 

Massachusetts’ full submission to CMS is available at www.mass.gov/eohhs.

May 2, 2006

AMID RECORD REVENUES, ROMNEY AND HEALEY RENEW CALL FOR TAX CUT

 

 

A day after the state set a new record for monthly tax collections, Governor Mitt Romney and Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey used the occasion of Tax Freedom Day in Massachusetts to call on the Legislature to roll the income tax rate back to 5 percent.

 

According to the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation, which computes Tax Freedom Day each year, Massachusetts residents must work a week longer than the average American to meet their overall tax burden. The National Tax Freedom Day was April 26, but Massachusetts residents’ total tax burden was not fulfilled until today.

 

The Tax Foundation estimates the average Massachusetts taxpayer must work four months and a day to pay their full tax burden of $16,427. So, on May 2, Massachusetts taxpayers stop working to pay their taxes and start working for themselves. The Foundation’s annual study includes all federal, state and local taxes.

 

“It may be Tax Freedom Day, but there’s no reason for celebration in Massachusetts,” Romney said. “Next year, I’d like to see Tax Freedom Day in Massachusetts arrive a little bit earlier and the way to make that happen is by reducing the income tax rate to 5 percent.”

 

Said Healey: “With state tax receipts continuing to exceed projections, now is the perfect time to honor the will of the voters and roll the state income tax back to 5 percent. We can afford to return more money to the people who have earned it. Let’s give a boost to family budgets across Massachusetts.”

 

“It’s been almost six years since voters across the state overwhelmingly told us to roll the income tax back to 5 percent,” said House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr. “With state tax revenues continuing to exceed expectations, there is no excuse for the Legislature to continue delaying action. The time has come for us to carry out the people’s wishes and put a plan in place to get us back to 5 percent.”

 

Yesterday, the Department of Revenue reported that tax collections in April totaled $2.215 billion, a new monthly record. Year-to-date revenues are now exceeding the original benchmark set last spring by $837 million.

 

“That money does not belong to the government,” Romney said. “That’s the taxpayers’ money and we can clearly afford to let them keep it.”

 

In 2000, voters overwhelmingly passed a referendum to reduce the income tax rate to 5 percent, but the Legislature froze the rate at 5.3 percent in the midst of a fiscal crisis. Now that the crisis is over, the Legislature should honor the will of the voters.

 

Barbara Anderson, executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, which placed the rollback on the 2000 ballot, highlighted the fact that it has been 17 years since the “temporary” income tax increase was passed to address an earlier fiscal crisis. “With record state revenues, Tax Freedom Day 2006 is a great day to demand the restoration of our traditional five percent income tax rate,” she said.

 

 

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May 3, 2006

ROMNEY GRANTS CHARTERS TO THREE NEW PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 

 

DORCHESTER - Hailing more than a decade of charter school success in the Commonwealth, Governor Mitt Romney today awarded three new public school charters and renewed the charters of eight existing schools. Including the new charters announced today, there will be 61 charter schools in operation by the fall of 2007.

 

“Charter schools are important centers for innovation, achievement and accountability in education,” said Romney. “It is especially important for parents with children in low-performing districts to have an alternative, and I will continue to fight any measure that would restrict this choice or the addition of new charters.”

 

Romney awarded the charters at the Codman Academy Charter Public School in Dorchester. One hundred percent of the students from the Academy’s 2005 graduating class were accepted at four year colleges, and the school is on track to meet this target again this year.

 

Created to promote academic achievement and increase educational choice and accountability, charter schools have faced many threats since their inception in 1995. For example, in 2004 Governor Romney vetoed a budget measure that would have banned the creation of additional charter schools. His veto was sustained and five new charters have been granted since that time.

 

“Charter schools offer parents an opportunity to make critical public school choices for their children, and have had great success in Massachusetts,” said Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll. “I am constantly amazed at what our 57 existing schools are able to accomplish, and look forward to the coming successes of the three new charters we are granting today.”

 

Romney granted new charters to the following three schools, which are scheduled to open in the fall of 2007:

 

 

Fall RiverMaritime Academy Public Charter School. This Commonwealth charter school will be located in Fall River and will serve 80 students in grades 5 through 8;

 

PioneerCharter Schoolof Science. This regional Commonwealth charter school will serve 360 students in grades 7 through 12 from Chelsea, Everett and Revere; and the

 

New BedfordGlobal Learning Charter School. Currently operating as a Horace Mann charter school, the founding group was granted a Commonwealth charter to serve 450 students in grades 5 through 12 from New Bedford.

Charter schools must have their charters renewed by the Board of Education every five years. The following eight schools had their charters renewed today:

 

 

Academy of Strategic Learning Horace Mann Charter School in Amesbury;

Codman Academy Charter Public School in Dorchester;

Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School in Cambridge;

Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School in West Tisbury;

Murdoch Middle Charter Public School in Chelmsford;

Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School in South Hadley;

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School in Somerville; and the

Seven Hills Charter Public School in Worcester.

Including the new charters announced today, there will be 61 charter schools in operation in the fall of 2007. There are currently more than 23,000 students enrolled in charter schools in Massachusetts, but more than 15,000 remain on waiting lists.

 

The Massachusetts charter school statute allows for up to 120 charter schools, including 48 Horace Mann charters and 72 Commonwealth charters. There are currently 49 Commonwealth charter schools and eight Horace Mann charter schools in operation.

 

 

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May 5, 2006

ROMNEY HONORS FALLEN NATIONAL GUARDSMAN

New law designates the Sergeant Michael Jason Kelley Memorial Bridge

 

Governor Mitt Romney today signed ceremonial legislation to rename a bridge on Route 3A in Scituate and Marshfield in honor of Massachusetts National Guard Sergeant Michael Jason Kelley, who was killed on June 8, 2005 while serving in Afghanistan. Members of Sergeant Kelley’s family and legislative sponsors joined the Governor in his office for the ceremony. The actual bill was signed on April 20.

 

“Willing and ready to protect his country in a time of threat, and having made the ultimate sacrifice by laying down his life to protect our freedoms, Sergeant Kelley represents the Massachusetts National Guard’s finest traditions of service,” said Romney.

 

Sergeant Kelley was 26 at the time of his death and joined the Massachusetts National Guard shortly after graduating from Scituate High School in 1997. Driven by a sense of duty to his fellow soldiers, he volunteered to go to Afghanistan last year after he learned that his old unit was looking for replacements.

 

“As the newly named Michael Jason Kelley Bridge connects two communities, it is my hope that this memorial to Sergeant Kelley will connect the people of this area to his legacy of dedication and sacrifice to our country,” said Senator Robert L. Hedlund, a co-sponsor of the bill.

 

“It is fitting to name this bridge after this young man who has given his life to allow us to continue to live in freedom,” said Representative Frank Hynes, a co-sponsor of the bill.

 

“This dedication will memorialize the contribution Sergeant Kelley made to his nation and to his community,” said Brigadier General Oliver Mason, the Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard.

 

A ceremony to formally dedicate the Sergeant Michael Jason Kelley Memorial Bridge will take place at the bridge on June 10.

 

 

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May 8, 2006

HEALEY CALLS ON MORE EMPLOYERS TO HIRE VETERANS

Veteran employment push part of National Military Appreciation Month in May

 

Lieutenant Governor Healey today urged more Massachusetts employers to consider hiring veterans during a statewide veterans’ employment conference hosted by the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development’s Division of Career Services.

 

“As a Commonwealth, we need to continue to be proactive to connect members of our Armed Forces to meaningful employment opportunities,” said Healey. “These courageous men and women deserve more than medals for what they have sacrificed—they deserve good jobs.”

 

Healey said the national the unemployment rate for veterans is as high as 15 percent, more than triple the current national unemployment rate of 4.7 percent.

 

Since Governor Mitt Romney designated November 2005 as “Hire-a-Veteran Month” in Massachusetts, the Departments of Veterans’ Services has contacted Massachusetts employers to encourage them to consider hiring a veteran. To date, more than 800 employers have indicated that they would consider becoming a “Veteran Friendly” employer and would emphasize hiring a veteran as part of their recruitment and hiring plans. Participating employers will be recognized at a State House ceremony next month.

 

“This conference is another example of the Commonwealth’s long history of helping its veterans,” said Secretary Tom Kelley, Department of Veterans’ Services. “The unacceptably high unemployment rate of our recently returned veterans is being addressed here today. The workforce development partners here are working toward finding opportunities for today’s veterans to be competitive in the 21st century workforce.”

 

Healey highlighted the work of the disabled veterans outreach specialists and local veterans employment representatives who provide veterans with employment and other support services at each of Massachusetts’ 32 One-Stop Career Centers.

 

The 32 One-Stop Career Centers served over 10,300 veterans in 2005 and nearly 6,300 veterans have received assistance from the state this year.

 

Director of Workforce Development Jane C. Edmonds said, “Events likes these are important to helping veteran employment specialists get the tools and information needed to improve their capacity to service veterans at One-Stop Career Centers.”

 

Edmonds noted that there has been progress made in terms of veterans who have entered into employment with higher wages. Last year, veterans entering into employment through the One-Stop Career Center system received an average hourly wage of $15.05, while the first half of this fiscal year, average hourly wages are as high as $16.58.

 

“Our service members and their families sacrifice so much for us,” said Brigadier General Oliver J. Mason, Jr., Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard. “This conference is an excellent way to make sure that, in return, we provide our veterans with the opportunity for future success.”

 

Employers wishing to post a job or recruit a veteran should contact their local One-Stop Career Center. To locate a Career Center, call toll-free 1-877-US2-JOBS or visit www.mass.gov/careercenters.

 

 

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May 9, 2006

HEALEY DELIVERS $2.3 MILLION GRANT TO SALEM FERRY PROJECT

Funding Paves the Way for Commuter Boat Service to Commence this June

 

SALEM– Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today approved a $2.325 million grant for the City of Salem to help purchase the Friendship IV, a high-speed catamaran that will begin shuttling people to and from Boston next month.

 

“The Friendship IV will help boost the local economy by improving access to all the great destinations Salem has to offer its visitors,” said Healey. “The high-speed ferry also gives North Shore commuters, who travel back and forth to Boston, a new alternative to avoiding the heavy congestion.”

 

The grant, which is funded through the Executive Office of Transportation (EOT), will help subsidize the $3.1 million purchase cost of the vessel. The remainder of the funding will come from the City of Salem. The new ferry service will be administered by the City and will operate between Blaney Street Landing in Salem and Central Wharf in downtown Boston.

 

“Lieutenant Governor Healey has made it clear that we must take a multi-modal approach to our transportation needs,” said Transportation Secretary John Cogliano. “Through her work on the state’s Seaport Advisory Council, she understands the importance of water transportation, and she quickly identified this grant as a sound transit investment.”

 

In 1998, EOT funded a demonstration ferry program along the same route between June and October. The service was viewed as a success and laid the groundwork for the grant approved today. In recent years, inclusive of the demonstration project, EOT has provided approximately $645,000 in Salem marine facilities.

 

This grant also supports the work of the Commonwealth’s Seaport Advisory Council (SAC) and the City of Salem’s prior investments in marine transportation infrastructure. In June of 2002, Salem received $3.25 million from the SAC for the nearby South River marine facilities and $300,000 for the New Salem Wharf, which will host the new commuter boat service.

 

The Friendship IV is a high-speed catamaran that will shuttle people between Salem and Boston in one hour, starting this June. The vessel is able to accommodate 149 passengers, and will make six round-trips each weekday. The service will be seasonal, and it is anticipated to be operational between May and November. City officials have indicated that the cost of the service will be approximately $15 per round trip.

 

“The new ferry provides the opportunity to connect the cultural centers of Boston and Salem via the water highway,” said Rick Armstrong, Executive Director, Seaport Advisory Council.

 

 

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May 16, 2006

ROMNEY, OFFICIALS CELEBRATE NATIONAL GUARD WEEK

Governor files "Welcome Home II" bill to help soldiers and their families

Speaker: Governor Willard Mitt Romney (MA)

Title: Romney, Officials Celebrate National Guard Week

 

Declaring it “National Guard Week” in Massachusetts, Governor Mitt Romney today filed legislation to help soldiers and their families more easily meet the demands of military service. Dubbed “Welcome Home II,” the legislation is a successor bill to the comprehensive veterans benefits package the Governor signed into law last year.

 

Romney announced the bill filing at the State House, where he was joined by military families, legislative leaders and members of the Massachusetts National Guard command staff.

 

“Our soldiers and the families that give them support make countless sacrifices every day to help keep our homeland secure,” said Romney. “It is my hope that this bill will make their lives a little easier and demonstrate the deep gratitude we feel for their dedication and commitment.”

 

The Welcome Home II bill offers a number of ways to help military families in the areas of employment, voting and tax policy. Specifically, the bill will:

 

• Allow municipalities to charge less than eight percent interest when a real estate property tax deferral is granted for active military personnel who have financial hardship due to being deployed;
• Allow a military spouse to renew a temporary certificate to teach during the period of active military duty for his or her spouse;
• Codify the case by case determination that allows military spouses to receive unemployment insurance if his or her spouse is permanently reassigned out of Massachusetts; and,
• Extend any professional license that may expire because of active military duty until 90 days after discharge from active military service and waive any associated renewal fee.

 

“It is critical that our service members be given every opportunity to stay connected to home even while they are serving abroad. Those who wear the uniform should not be penalized or cut out of the electoral process because they choose to serve,” said Representative Anthony J. Verga, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans & Federal Affairs.

 

“As a member of the National Guard, I know how important it is for the Commonwealth to adapt to the growing needs of our armed forces and activated Guard and Reserve,” said Senator Scott Brown. “This legislation will address many issues of great concern to me and my fellow Guardsmen.”

 

“While soldiers and sailors are aboard defending and expanding the right to vote, we need to take steps to ensure that our troops are guaranteed the right to vote back home,” said Rep. James Vallee, a major in the Army National Guard. “I commend Governor Romney and Secretary Galvin for working together in a bi-partisan fashion to craft this legislation.”

 

In the area of state elections law, Romney’s proposal asks the Secretary of the Commonwealth to set up a system to facilitate secure electronic voting for soldiers who are posted abroad and, in the case of emergency, to designate alternate methods for handling absentee ballots. Currently, soldiers serving abroad must submit their ballots by regular mail, often resulting in delays or missed votes.

 

“This legislation is designed to ensure that the voting rights of our citizens in uniform are protected and their votes counted while they are serving around the country and the world to protect our nation,” said Secretary William F. Galvin.

 

“I think it’s appropriate that during Massachusetts National Guard Week our citizen soldiers are answering the call supporting our communities during this state of emergency,” said Brigadier General Oliver J. Mason Jr., the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard. “This legislation is a fitting way to honor Guard members’ service to our state and nation.”

May 18, 2006

ROMNEY NAMES MARK DELANEY AS STATE POLICE COLONEL

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today named Major Mark Delaney as Colonel and Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police. Delaney replaces Colonel Thomas Robbins, who is leaving the State Police after 26 years to become chief of police at Boston University.

 

“Mark Delaney’s exemplary performance and leadership over 32 years of service in the State Police make him the ideal candidate to command the state’s largest law enforcement agency,” said Romney.

 

Appointed to lead the State Police’s Forensic Services Unit in 2002, Major Delaney implemented a strategic plan to improve forensic services across the Commonwealth. Notably, he employed a number of measures that reduced the increasing backlog of DNA samples and streamlined the processing of crime scene evidence. Under his leadership, the lab has made impressive strides in the handling of crucial DNA information, cutting processing time from 12-15 months to 6-8 months.

 

In 2003, Major Delaney was asked by Governor Romney to lead a three-member panel that investigated the events leading to the prison murder of inmate John Geoghan.

 

“I would like to thank Governor Romney and Secretary Haas for allowing me the opportunity to command an agency that I love and respect,” said Delaney. “I look forward to leading the fine men and women of the State Police as we work to ensure the safety and security of the citizens of the Commonwealth.”

 

Delaney, a career law enforcement professional, graduated from the State Police Academy in 1974 and has served in a number of leadership positions within the State Police. He has investigated white collar crime and public corruption cases, commanded the Middlesex County Narcotics Unit, directed homicide and major crimes investigation in Middlesex County and served as the commanding captain of the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Attorney General’s Office.

 

“The State Police play a preeminent role in Massachusetts’ response to law enforcement and homeland security challenges,” said Public Safety Secretary Robert C. Haas. “Mark is a true professional and has all of the skills required to lead this agency forward.”

 

Delaney received his bachelor’s degree from Boston State College and his master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Anna Maria College. He and his wife live in Burlington.

 

 

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May 23, 2006

HEALEY TO FILE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE REFORM

Plan reduces skyrocketing insurance costs and improves compensation for patient

 

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today proposed sweeping medical malpractice reform measures to tackle exorbitant insurance rates, curb the workforce crisis in critical specialties and ensure patients receive more compensation by cutting administrative costs and lawyer fees. The legislation will also include provisions to improve communication between doctors and patients.

 

“When some of our best doctors are driven out of specialty fields like neurosurgery and OB/GYN because of insurance costs, it’s a warning sign that our medical malpractice system is broken,” said Healey. “We need an improved system that is fair to both doctors and patients, that keeps high-risk specialties affordable and guarantees a higher percentage of any claims go to patients, instead of lawyers.”

 

Healey said there is an alarming need for medical malpractice reform due to escalating liability costs, which have a negative effect on the Commonwealth’s competitive position to retain and recruit physicians. Since 2001, there has been a 32 percent decline in the number of awards in the Commonwealth. Despite this reduction, the average award has increased by 41 percent leaving doctors with insurance rates that are not only extremely high, but have increased by 87 percent since 1999. Doctors are facing a significant increase of 5.9 percent for 2007.

 

The new plan aims to resolve claims prior to a trial as a quicker and less expensive alternative to litigating a malpractice claim in court. National studies have shown that the system does not adequately compensate those who have been injured with only 40 percent of the payment going to the patient. The remainder goes to administrative costs, mostly in the form of lawyers’ fees.

 

“We need to control the cost of liability insurance, so it doesn’t prevent physicians from practicing medicine and ensures patients’ access to timely care,”

 

Kenneth R. Peelle, MD, President, Massachusetts Medical Society. “In the long run, we need to design a system that fairly and quickly compensates patients who suffer avoidable injuries, and supports patient safety improvement. Lt. Governor Healey’s legislation provides both short-term and long-term solutions for the problem.”

 

To enhance communication between doctors and patients, the bill allows medical providers to disclose and, if appropriate, apologize for medical errors by making the disclosure or apology inadmissible in court. Physicians are currently discouraged from discussing medical errors with patients due to the threat of a lawsuit. At the same time, patients have a legitimate need to understand why a medical error has occurred and sometimes use the courts to force disclosure.

 

The health care plan reforms the current $500,000 cap on non-economic damages by eliminating loopholes under the current law. These loopholes have enabled plaintiff lawyers to circumvent the intent of the law and win damages well in excess of the harm caused to the patient.

 

High medical malpractice rates impact three areas of practice most acutely including, OB/GYN, neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery. Physicians who practice OB/GYN pay $105,000 or up to 40 percent of their income, neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons follow at $90,000 and $70,000 respectively. These rates are among the highest in the country and are significantly higher than those in neighboring states such as New Hampshire.

 

Such high rates have an impact on a patient’s access to care. Currently it can take up to 2 ½ years to fill a neurosurgery vacancy in Boston and fewer medical school graduates are pursuing this specialty because of the high insurance costs.

 

According to the Massachusetts Medical Society’s annual Workforce Study, almost 60 percent of doctors who practice OB/GYN reported that professional liability played a role in determining whether they would continue to practice in their specialty.

 

Orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons also reported malpractice insurance costs caused them to limit their scope of practice.

 

“Sharply escalating liability costs are threatening to erode the Commonwealth’s competitive edge in the area of medicine and are harming our ability to recruit and retain the best physicians,” added Healey.

 

Furthermore, doctors who are forced to pay high medical malpractice rates are more likely to practice defensive medicine causing them to order extra tests, occupying valuable resources and equipment that drive up health care costs.

 

To help ensure legitimate lawsuits are honored and frivolous ones are denied, the plan will tighten the state’s current tribunal system to help ensure that only meritorious medical malpractice lawsuits go to trial. The decisions of the tribunal are admissible in court to encourage settlement of lawsuits. This will help injured patients receive more compensation and avoid the often arduous and painful process of a courtroom trial.

 

The Romney/Healey Administration’s medical malpractice reform plan also:

 

 

Introduces collateral sources to a jury prior to any award;

 

Reduces lawyers fees from 25 percent for verdicts over $500,000 to 15 percent for verdicts over $600,000, and;

 

Reduces pre-judgment interest to the one-year Treasury rate.

In separate legislation, the Administration will propose $1 million in additional funding for the Commonwealth’s Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction. These funds will be used to develop best practices for certain high-risk medical procedures with the goal of reducing medical errors.

 

 

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May 24, 2006

HEALEY CALLS FOR SAFE HOLIDAY WEEKEND DRIVING

State Police launch mobile arrest processing vehicle to make roadways safer this summer

 

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey joined law enforcement officials today to unveil the latest advancement to combat drunk driving in Massachusetts, an arrest processing vehicle, known as the B.A.T. (Breath Alcohol Testing) mobile. Healey encouraged Massachusetts residents to buckle up and be sober before getting behind the wheel over the Memorial Day weekend.

 

“To prevent senseless tragedies on our roadways, Massachusetts motorists need to be particularly careful this Memorial Day weekend when there are typically higher rates of accidents,” said Healey. “State and local police are working together to ensure drunk drivers who put innocent lives in danger face the tough penalties put in place with the passage of Melanie’s Law.”

 

The B.A.T. (Breath Alcohol Testing) mobile will enable state and local police to set up more sobriety checkpoints throughout Massachusetts. This mobile police station allows law enforcement officers to process arrests at a faster rate while having additional manpower available to arrest more drunk drivers who threaten the safety of motorists.

 

The 40-foot-long B.A.T. mobile is located on the site of a sobriety checkpoint to provide command, arrest, and detention capabilities. The new tool was funded through a $378,000 Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau grant along with $80,000 in State Police funds. State and local police will hold joint sobriety checkpoints using the B.A.T. mobile primarily during You Drink & Drive. You Lose. mobilizations around the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends.

 

“This is a powerful new tool to enable the State Police and local police partners to enhance their ability to apprehend impaired drivers,” said Colonel Thomas Robbins. “With an average of 270 people being arrested each week across the Commonwealth for drunk driving, it is clear we need more resources to improve the safety of our roadways.”

 

Preliminary research shows that high-risk drivers are getting the message that the Commonwealth is cracking down on drunk drivers, particularly on repeat drunk drivers. In October 2005, Governor Mitt Romney put tough drunk driving laws on the books when he signed Melanie’s Bill into law.

 

When comparing the first six months since Melanie’s Law went into effect to a similar time period one year earlier - October 28, 2004 to April 30, 2005 and October 28, 2005 to April 30, 2006 – the number of repeat offenders arrested again for OUI declined from 5,591 to 4,550, a 19 percent drop.

 

In addition, the number of drunk driving arrests, both first-time offender arrests and repeat offenders, rose from 6,692 to 7,234, an 8.1 percent increase. Furthermore, the number of first-time offender arrests as a percentage of the total number of OUI arrests increased from 16.5 percent to 37 percent.

 

To enhance the impact of the current Click It or Ticket Mobilization that runs through June 4, the State Police will conduct an “Operation Zero Tolerance”on May 25 and 26. This effort is designed to reduce dangerous driving in the days leading up to the holiday travel period. All available State Police personnel will work in enforcement teams concentrating on major traffic corridors, taking a “Zero Tolerance” approach to dangerous driving behaviors.

 

“It’s well-proven that wearing a safety belt is your best defense against death or injury in a passenger vehicle crash, yet in Massachusetts we lag 17 percent behind the national use rate,” said Caroline Hymoff, Director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau. “Our Click It or Ticket Mobilizations are needed to get more people to buckle up.”

 

To learn more about the traffic safety initiatives of the Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau and Massachusetts State Police, go to www.mass.gov/ghsb or www.mass.gov/msp .

 

 

 

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May 25, 2006

ROMNEY ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES FLOOD AID ON ITS WAY

Financial Assistance Available for Individuals & Businesses in 3 Counties

 

Acting Governor Kerry Healey announced today that federal aid would become available to Massachusetts individuals and businesses hardest hit by the most recent flooding events. The assistance was authorized under a Major Federal Disaster Declaration issued by President George W. Bush after a review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s analysis of Governor Romney’s request for federal assistance for those most impacted by the flooding beginning on May 12, 2006 and continuing.

 

The President’s action makes Individual Assistance (IA) Programs available to affected individuals and businesses in Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk Counties.

 

The IA Programs are for individuals who have suffered damage to their homes or businesses. Assistance, coordinated by FEMA and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

 

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can initiate the application for assistance process by calling the FEMA Teleregistration numbers: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired or registering on-line at www.fema.gov. The toll-free numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice.

 

Joint FEMA-MEMA assessment teams are currently in the field collecting information in support of an application to the federal government for the Public Assistance (PA) Program. This is a program to assist communities with a 75% share of the costs to repair infrastructure damage, such as roads, bridges, dams and public buildings. Governor Romney expects to file that application as soon as the assessment is complete.

 

MEMA is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA, go to www.mass.gov/mema.

 

 

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May 31, 2006

GOVERNOR ROMNEY ASKS PRESIDENT BUSH FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE DISASTER DECLARATION

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today formally requested a Major Disaster declaration for Public Assistance from President George W. Bush in order to expedite financial aid to the local cities and towns of Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk Counties impacted by the statewide record-breaking rainfall and severe flooding, beginning on May 12, 2006.

 

“This month’s record floods forced thousands of people from nearly 20 communities to leave their homes and seek shelter in other locations,” said Romney. “While the damage was severe and local resources were stretched, communities met these challenges with courage and resourcefulness. We aim to make sure affected cities and towns receive the maximum amount of assistance possible.”

 

As the floodwaters receded, a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment was conducted by Federal Emergency Management Agency and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency teams to determine the extent of infrastructure damage in the three most impacted counties. They examined dams, bridges, public roadways and public facilities.

 

If successful, the ‘Public Assistance’ Program would reimburse communities located within the three counties with a 75 percent federal share of the costs for the repair, restoration and or reconstruction of public facilities and infrastructure, as well as flood-related overtime costs for first responders.

 

Last week, President Bush granted Governor Romney’s request for federal assistance for Massachusetts individuals and businesses hardest hit by the flooding. That assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

 

 

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June 6, 2006

ROMNEY HONORS FALLEN GUARDSMAN ROBERT ROONEY

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today signed legislation renaming a bridge spanning Brook Street in Carver in honor of Sergeant First Class Robert Rooney, who was killed on September 25, 2003 in Kuwait. A veteran of the first Gulf War, Rooney was a member of the 379th Engineer Company of the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

 

“Sergeant Rooney served his country with honor and distinction,” said Romney. “We feel tremendous gratitude for his dedication and the sacrifice he made to keep our nation secure at a time of great need.”

 

“It is a great honor that the community has not forgotten what a great guy my husband was and always will be,” said Sergeant Rooney’s widow, Diane, of Plymouth. “He was truly one of America’s heroes and I’m so glad his memory will continue to live on.”

 

Rooney was deployed to Kuwait in January, 2003 and tragically lost his life nine months later in an accident involving a forklift.

 

“A devastating loss has been suffered,” said Senator Marc Pacheco. “A devoted father, loving husband, caring friend and active member of the community has been lost. I filed this legislation to designate the bridge in his honor so that his name, his legacy as a soldier and his eternal sacrifice for our country will not be forgotten.”

 

“We owe a debt of gratitude to our military men and women who serve this country, even more to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I’m so pleased that Sergeant Rooney will forever be remembered with this bridge named in his honor and memory,” said Representative Susan Gifford. “The entire town of Carver and all who knew him should be pleased with this honor to a local fallen hero.”

 

A former resident of Plymouth and Carver, Sergeant Rooney is survived by his widow, Diane, and their three adult children. He also left a brother, Jim, of Carver and his cousin, Robert, of Carver.

 

 

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June 12, 2006

ROMNEY ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL FLOOD ASSISTANCE

Local Communities, State Agencies and Private Non-Profits to Receive Flood Aid

 

The Romney Administration today announced that President Bush has declared a Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance for Essex and Middlesex Counties. This Public Assistance Program will provide aid for damages related to the flooding on May 12 -23, 2006.

 

Under this expanded assistance program, affected local governments, state agencies and many private non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for federal funds to be reimbursed for 75% of the approved cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster, and repairing, replacing or restoring damaged public facilities, such as roads, buildings and utilities. Procedures for requesting the assistance will be explained at a series of applicant briefings for local officials at various locations to be announced by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

 

This declaration is in addition to the earlier Major Disaster Declaration for Massachusetts which provided for Individual Assistance (aid to individuals, households, and businesses) for those in Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk Counties, as well as a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (assistance to state and local governments and certain private non-profit organizations for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards) which is available for the entire Commonwealth.

 

Individuals in Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk Counties who suffered damage are continued to be encouraged to register for assistance online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) orTTY: 1-800-462-7585 for the speech or hearing impaired. The IA Programs are for individuals who have suffered damage to their homes or businesses. Assistance, coordinated by MEMA and FEMA, can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of this disaster.

 

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; or, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA and Hurricane Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov/mema.

 

 

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June 14, 2006

ROMNEY SWEARS IN MARK DELANEY AS STATE POLICE COLONEL

 

 

FRAMINGHAM - Governor Mitt Romney today swore in Mark Delaney as the new Colonel and Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police. The Governor praised Delaney for the exemplary performance and leadership he has shown over a 32-year career with the State Police.

 

“Mark Delaney is a respected leader both within and outside of the State Police,” said Romney. “The priority he places on excellence and achievement will help the State Police maintain their status as one of the finest law enforcement organizations in the nation.”

 

State law requires the Governor to select the Superintendent of State Police from within the department. All those holding the rank above lieutenant are eligible for the appointment. The Governor interviewed five final candidates for the position and named Delaney as Colonel on May 18, 2006. Delaney, 53, previously held the rank of Major. He replaces Colonel Thomas Robbins, who left the State Police after 26 years to become chief of police at Boston University.

 

“I would like to thank Governor Romney for the confidence he has shown in allowing me to lead this great organization forward,” said Delaney. “I have complete faith and trust in the men and women of the State Police, and I look forward to continuing all that we do to keep the citizens of the Commonwealth safe and secure.”

 

A 1974 State Police Academy graduate, Delaney has held a number of leadership positions within the State Police command staff. As Commander of the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and Commander of the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Attorney General’s Office, Delaney led many homicide, public corruption and white collar crime investigations.

 

In 2002, Delaney was named the Commander of Forensic Services at the State Police Crime Laboratory. Shortly after his appointment, he designed and implemented a strategic plan that dramatically improved the provision of forensic services across the Commonwealth, reducing the processing time for DNA samples from 12-15 months to 6-8 months. In 2003, he was asked by Governor Romney to lead a three member panel that investigated the events leading to the prison murder of inmate John Geoghan.

 

“Colonel Delaney’s elevation by Governor Romney is the capstone of an outstanding career of service to our Commonwealth,” said Public Safety Secretary Robert C. Haas. “This appointment is both an honor and a charge to Mark to lead this agency forward with the same energy and dedication he has always given it.”

 

Delaney received his bachelor’s degree from Boston State College and his master’s degree from Anna Maria College. He has two adult children and resides with his wife in Burlington.

 

Created in 1865, the Massachusetts State Police is the nation’s oldest statewide law enforcement agency and currently has approximately 2,400 sworn troopers.

 

 

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June 15, 2006

ROMNEY RECOGNIZES EMPLOYERS FOR HIRING VETERANS

 

Governor Mitt Romney today joined state and federal officials at a State House ceremony to thank the hundreds of employers across Massachusetts who have pledged to hire veterans.

 

“I want to salute the Massachusetts employers who have hired or plan to hire veterans this year,” said Romney. “As our troops return home, we remain mindful that the best way to honor their service is to help them to reenter the workforce.”

 

Veterans in the younger age group experience higher rates of unemployment than non-veterans and often face unique employment challenges. Many veterans in this group enlist in the military straight out of high school and need additional training before entering the Massachusetts workforce. Veterans are also more likely than non-veterans to have a disability, an additional challenge. Massachusetts is home to nearly 500,000 veterans.

 

“There is nothing more important than helping employ and train our veteran population,” said Secretary of Veterans’ Services Tom Kelley. “These employers are a key to helping reduce the high unemployment rate faced by our young veterans.”

 

“Even under the best of circumstances, returning veterans are likely to need assistance to successfully transition back into the workforce,” said Director of Workforce Development Jane C. Edmonds.

 

“I am grateful that Massachusetts employers recognize the same qualities we do in our veterans and service members,’ said retired Brigadier General Samuel Shiver, assistant adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard. “This is truly a win-win; veterans will get more opportunities and in return, Massachusetts employers will get dedicated, professional employees.”