Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Killing of Woburn Police officer Jack Maguire helped gain support for Melissa's Bill, which limits parole eligibility for convicted violent repeat offenders.
With the fate of Melissa's Bill solely in Gov. Deval Patrick's hands Tuesday, the governor made a decision at 2:30 p.m. this afternoon. "I will sign this bill," he said. Melissa's Bill, named for Melissa Gosule who was killed by a violent repeat offender who was out on parole, has been in the works for years. But it was the killing of Woburn Police officer Jack Maguire on Dec. 26, 2010 that spurred more support for the bill. Officer Maguire responded to an armed robbery at Kohl's in the middle of a blizzard. When he stopped the suspect, a paroled repeat offender with several convictions for robbery and violence against police officers, gunfire was exchanged. Officer Maguire was killed, as was the suspect. Chuck Maguire, officer Maguire's …
After Tuesday, the House and Senate will not have an opportunity to override any veto.
Although the legislative session ends Tuesday at midnight, Gov. Deval Patrick has 10 days to sign any bills that land on his desk. But anything he vetoes cannot be overridden since the legislature will have adjourned. Perhaps the most-watched bill in this scenario is the mandatory sentencing bill, also called the "three-strikes" law or "Melissa's Bill," over which the governor and legislature have locked horns. The bill eliminates parole for someone convicted three times of one of 40 or so violent crimes, with at least one conviction having carried a minimum three-year prison term. Although it passed with overwhelming support in both chambers last week, Patrick sent it back on Saturday, asking for an amendment that increases judicial …
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The bill both aims to ensure violent criminals stay behind bars while easing prison overcrowding by reducing drug-offense penalties.
A new bill that toughens sentences for violent repeat-offenders passed in both the House and Senate by large margins last week. The so-called "three-strikes" law eliminates parole for someone convicted three times of one of 40 or so violent crimes, with at least one conviction having carried a minimum three-year prison term. It passed the House with a vote of 139-14. In the Senate, it passed 31-7. All three of Peabody's delegates on Beacon Hill (Sen. Fred Berry and Reps. Ted Speliotis and Joyce Spiliotis) voted in favor of the bill. The movement to pass the law was fueled, in part, by outrage over two crimes. In one, Woburn police officer Jack Maguire was murdered by a felon in 2010. In the other crime more associated with the law, …
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Peabody Municipal Light Plant customers will soon have some of their electricity provided by clean wind power.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
On Thursday, Peabody Municipal Light Plant Commissioner Tom Paras, PMLP Manager Bill Waters, PMLP Assistant Manager Glen Trueira, and PMLP Commissioner Bob Wheatley attended the dedication of the Berkshire Wind Project atop Brodie Mountain in Hancock, Massachusetts. They joined Governor Deval Patrick and other public officials and members of the Berkshire Wind Power Cooperative in dedicating this public power project, the largest wind generation facility in Massachusetts. Members of the Cooperative include 14 Massachusetts municipal utilities, including PLMP, which is also the largest participant, and the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company. Located in Hancock and Lanesborough, Berkshire Wind turbines were installed in 2009 …
42.53258
-70.937469
Peabody Municipal Light Plant
201 Warren Street Ext, Peabody, MA
/articles/plmp-officials-onhand-for-berkshire-wind-project-dedication
775190
/locations/4272287
Brian Shea
7:58 am on Tuesday, July 24, 2012
There's only one right answer for Gov. Patrick -- he needs to sign the law. Why it's "Three Strikes" and not "two," or even "one," is beyond me. It is still galling to remember the death of Officer Maguire and the interviews with Speaker DeLeo, where Mr. DeLeo could not answer the question, "how many life sentences does it take in Massachusetts to earn a life sentence?" Everybody complains about … more ›