News & Press

When Burlington High School students head back to class September 1, they’ll be hitting the books—and the laptops—in a school outfitted with some new technology.

For the first time, the high school will have total wireless internet access, and students will also be using new computers in some classes and a new network to save and access work. 

The wireless access is part of a $1.5 million town initiative to make Burlington wireless, said Burlington High principal Patrick Larkin.  The high school is the first building to get the treatment.  

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The Burlington Public Library provides a wide variety of free educational, historical, cultural and recreational events and programs.

But many people may not be familiar with the organization behind these offerings to the Burlington community: The Friends of the Burlington Public Library.

According to Library Director Lori Hodgson, the library is able to offer numerous programs, such as passes to the Boston Children’s Museum and adult evening programs like the upcoming “Van Gogh’s Starry Night,” a hands-on workshop on Aug. 19 which will teach registered participants how to pastel paint expressively.

“For just a minimal investment ($12 for families, less for seniors and individuals) they help to make this all possible,” said Hodgson, referring to the Friends’ membership fees.

Don Roberts, the former director of the Burlington Recreation Department, was recently named vice president of the Friends and has been a member for many years.

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Eyeball to eyeball, conferee to conferee, the slack gone from the rope, down to the final 13 days open for formal sessions, a fortnight so pregnant with zero-sum tonicity the capitol halls sizzle with it.

If the gambling bill doesn’t reach Gov. Deval Patrick’s desk by next Tuesday, and perhaps even if it does, due to the terms and conditions of the legislative calendar the governor will have the option of vetoing features he does not wish to become law or perhaps even nixing the whole shebang, with near-complete assurance the Legislature has no recourse in the form of overrides. This law of legislative physics strengthens Patrick’s already uncommonly strong hand in the negotiations over the bill. Patrick and Senate President Therese Murray do not want slot machines at the state’s racetracks, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and the legions of state reps who stuck their election-year necks out for him in flipping their votes do, and the rest of us are along for the ride.

Asked Friday whether he expects to receive a bill that would enable him to exercise his line item veto, Patrick said, “I don’t know what to expect at this point. I hope I get a bill I don’t have to veto.”

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Burlington consumers can rest assured they are paying fair, accurate prices for their gas, now that the town’s contract with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Standards for weights and measures services has officially begun.

Shell Gas Station, 140 Cambridge St., was one of the first to be inspected on June 29. Using state of the art equipment and infrared technology worth $25,000, the compliance inspector measured the octane levels in each gas pump and tested all the meters and seals in each pump to make sure they are accurate.

 

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Over 1,000 spectators turned out for this year’s action-packed Fourth of July parade in Burlington organized by the Burlington Breakfast Rotary Club.

Parade Chairman Kevin McKelvey organized four divisions, each with approximately 15 units. His committee began planning the festivities in January which included many new additions such as the 80-piece champion Fox Vanguard Lutheran High School Marching Band from Appleton, Wisconsin, the Afro Brazil Percussion Group, the Lynn English High School Marine Corps Junior ROTC Drill Team, and the Baltimore City Police Department Marching Revels who all received excited reactions from the crowd of spectators lining Cambridge, Bedford and Center Streets.

“It’s bigger, it’s longer, it’s logistically more challenging, more diverse and has the largest number of bands ever offered to the community,” said McKelvey, adding that his experience volunteering for the Wakefield Independence Day Committee helped him tremendously.

 

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Residents are invited to Burlington’s annual Independence Day parade and celebration set to take place today, July 4, rain or shine. The parade, which kicks off at 10 a.m., will proceed from the high school to the town common. It feature 53 entries, including four marching bands, a Marine Corps Junior ROTC drill team from Lynn English High School, the Bedford Minutemen Fife and Drum Unit, a float with service dogs, and a variety of floats entered by scouting groups and other local organizations. There will also be antique cars, the Aleppo Temple Mounted Unit, the Middlesex Sheriff’s office’s tactical command unit, and honor guards. Because of the large number of units, organizers say the best vantage point is along Cambridge Street between the high school and the common. 

 

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Burlington’s Planning Board Thursday approved a proposed expansion of Northeastern University’s Burlington campus.  The addition of the 60,000- to 70,000 square foot graduate-level engineering research center to the campus, which is off South Bedford Street, will nearly double the square footage of the campus buildings.

The project had the endorsement of the Board of Selectmen and the town administrator.

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State Rep. Charles A. Murphy joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in passing legislation to join an interstate compact that would ensure that the candidate who wins the national popular vote is elected President of the United States.

“Passage of this bill by the House of Representatives brings us one step closer to ensuring that each and every voter in Massachusetts has their vote counted,” said Murphy, a chief co-sponsor of the bill. “In every election except that for President of the United States, the person with the most votes wins, and this legislation seeks to modernize an outdated and undemocratic system of choosing our top leader.

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MASHANTUCKET, CONNECTICUT, JUNE 4, 2010…….Wednesday's tortured, tortuous, amateurish quasi-release of the Senate gambling proposal ultimately contained few surprises - regional lines for three facilities, including one tribal, no provisions for slot machines, lots of talk about government oversight.

A casual or even close observer could be forgiven for wondering what the fiddle is going on with the Senate. Just as the House convulsed upon itself in reversing its anti-casino vote two years ago, and its anti-slots vote two years before that, the Senate, or at least its leaders, flipped wildly on racinos. In 2005, the Senate went for slots, 26-9, at a sum of 2,000-per track, prompting some on-the-rostrum fist jukes from then-Senate President Robert Travaglini. Chatter about starkly different economic times aside, if the Senate is to shoot down the inevitable proposed slots amendment, many members would have to reverse pro-slots positions - including the Upper Chamber's most powerful figures.

This, after last week's jaw-dropping swipe at illegal immigrants that had even senators who voted for it this week acknowledging they were surprised Senate President Therese Murray allowed the matter to come the floor, and almost as surprised the amendment - requiring legal residency screening before access to public benefits, outlawing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, establishing a tip line for suspicions of illegal immigrant hiring - sailed. Supporters, who were just as surprised as opponents, said they saw nothing wrong with encoding into statute some of what the state says it's already doing.

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STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, MAY 28, 2010…….Well, that should pretty well shelve for a while any debate over the utility of newspapers.

The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team said hello Sunday, lighting up the state’s probation department as a workforce whose best opportunities for entrée and advancement lie not in what you know but whom. The exhaustive, 5,000-word piece held varying degrees of trouble for Independent Treasurer Timothy Cahill, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Speaker Pro Tempore Thomas Petrolati, and it induced instant results, the state’s top judges suspending Commissioner John O’Brien. After some red-faced shuffling, changes passed the Senate side Wednesday in the form of an emasculation of the commissioner’s office, with the potential for a complete gutting punted until October.

The probation mess and attendant fallout and rear-covering owned the first half of the week – perp walks Monday for DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray – but not the second half, which belonged to social issues.

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Burlington will have new bylaws regulating affordable housing and solicitation — and new gym bleachers at the high school — as Town Meeting Monday approved several zoning changes and a few capital projects. Voters also defeated a zoning bylaw to regulate biotechnology.

In the third and final session of the annual Town Meeting, members approved a bylaw that would require new multi-family housing projects to dedicate one of every 10 units to affordable housing.  The bylaw will help the town meet the state’s requirement that 10 percent of housing be affordable, said Selectman Daniel DiTucci.

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THE STATE HOUSE — And so the defining image, so far, of this campaign has been sketched, and it is not Charles Baker tiptoeing discreetly into a ladies’ room or Tim Cahill selecting pricey swatches of art deco wallpaper for the Lottery suites. It’s Gov. Deval Patrick emerging, phoenix-like, from the mucky, Cadillac-littered and briskly taxed floor of the Charles River, triumphantly gripping a jagged piece of steel clamping.

The vision, of course, is dependent on the accuracy of those Rasmussen Reports polls, the most recent of which, released Wednesday, showed Patrick with a laser-show performance relative to his previous showings: 45 percent. Republican Charles Baker also moved up, to 31 percent, while Independent Treasurer Timothy Cahill hemorrhaged from the brutal Republican Governors Association ads that have depicted him as a pay-to-play specialist, drain-circling to 14 percent in, at least in this snapshot, fulfillment of the Mihosian prophecy that the unenrolled are the woebegone in this commonwealth.

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Seven area companies will be able to enhance the skills of their employees through training funds recently awarded by the state.

The firms, which include locations in Burlington, Billerica, and Wilmington, were among 18 statewide that will receive a combined $1.3 million under the state’s Workforce Training Fund program, which helps companies pay for worker training as a way of making them more competitive.

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The answer to every Massachusetts taxpayer's favorite question, "What are my tax dollars paying for?" may be coming soon thanks in part to one local legislator.

An amendment from state Rep. Jennifer Callahan, D-Sutton, will bolster a bill that would require the state to develop a comprehensive budget transparency website was adopted in the House of Representatives' 2011 fiscal budget proposal.

The site will provide checkbook-level spending details of taxpayers' money.

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Burlington may join other local communities in regulating door-to-door salesmen and other solicitors if Town Meeting members approve a solicitation bylaw. 

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Gambling was not the only thing being discussed on Beacon Hill yesterday, House leaders were also laying out their plans for a $27.8 billion budget, a proposal that means cuts for local towns and cities, but avoids an increase in taxes or dipping into the state's dwindling rainy-day fund.

Rep. Charlie Murphy, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, recently joined the FOX25 Morning News to talk more about the plan.

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House Speaker Robert DeLeo is trying to convince dozens of Massachusetts lawmakers who voted against a casino bill two years ago to support his bill to license two casinos and up to 3,000 slot machines at the state's four race tracks.

DeLeo has at least one convert already -- himself. He was among the House members who in 2008 overwhelmingly rejected a bill by Gov. Deval Patrick to allow three resort-style casinos.

At the time, the House was led by then-Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, a fellow Democrat and fierce opponent of casinos. DeLeo was serving then as DiMasi's Ways and Means chairman. Patrick's bill died after the House voted 106-48 to send it to a study committee.

Now House leaders are working not just to pass DeLeo's bill but pass it by a two-thirds majority that could withstand a veto by Patrick, who opposes allowing slot machines at race tracks. Patrick says the so-called "racinos" don't guarantee the state the long-term jobs or benefit packages offered by expanded gambling at destination resort casinos. Two of the race tracks are in DeLeo's district.

Debate on DeLeo's bill is scheduled for Tuesday.

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STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, APRIL 2, 2010

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Envision a scenario, quite likely, in which DeLeo still needs Senate and executive cooperation to get some form of his bill through by the time the session ends in July. Patrick needs to usher the slots-hatin’ liberal base into the barn for the fall and is still seeking criminal records changes and caps on health care provider charges, Murray wants some components of her health care payment reform and economic development bureaucracy packages passed, and candidates for office high and low are reminding voters that the pesky fundamental reform to the state’s pension system is still sitting out there. At that point, all hell breaks loose and you’ll need a squeegee to cleanse the sausage parts from the capitol walls. When gambling bill auteur Brian Dempsey said Thursday of the legislation, “It’s all very interconnected,” he may have been previewing the balance of the legislative agenda.

To borrow a line from the governor himself: Everything is on the table.

STORY OF THE WEEK: The House is going to learn the casino business.

LATE: President Barack Obama declared a “major disaster” in Massachusetts Monday, about two-and-a-half months after the rest of his party had reached the same conclusion. As the flood waters receded, 44 arrived Thursday to kick a little fundraising butt, defending the new health care law and mocking its critics as ill-informed and impatient.

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Representative Charley Murphy was recognized for his work on behalf of Massachusetts children during the sixth annual Step Up for Prevention campaign sponsored by the Children’s Trust Fund on April 1^st at the State House.

 

The ceremony, highlighted by a Governor’s proclamation designating April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Massachusetts, also featured a display of 700 pairs of new children’s shoes donated by the Boston Bruins Foundation for families in need across the state.  Each pair of shoes represents the average number of children experts say are abused or neglected every week in Massachusetts.

 

“The Children’s Trust Fund continues to be a wonderful partner with the legislature in promoting the need and responsibility to protect children from abuse and neglect,” said Rep. Murphy, who chairs the House Committee on Ways and Means.  “It was a privilege to take part in this event and to be recognized among so many who do so much on behalf of families in the Commonwealth.”

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Otto von Bismarck, Germany’s first chancellor, once suggested that the two things you don’t ever want to see being made are sausage and laws. The other day, up on Beacon Hill, they put some legislation through a sausage grinder, and it actually came out OK.

There seems to be a growing consensus that Massachusetts lacks the laws needed to combat bullying, which with the rise of Internet and text messaging has become something far more pernicious and omnipresent than the days when bullies prowled the playground with a clenched fist but without a cellphone or a Facebook account.

And when all was said and done on Thursday, every single member of the House of Representatives who voted got behind a measure that would put Massachusetts at the forefront of getting schools to change their cultures when it comes to confronting bullies and protecting the bullied.

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In a ceremony Friday morning, the Massachusetts School Building Authority presented Burlington town officials with a check for more than $14 million that will go toward the construction of the new Memorial Elementary School.

”This is a momentous occasion for the town of Burlington,” Town Administrator Robert Mercier said to the group of about 25 people gathered in front of the current Memorial School, which overlooks the new school construction.

Superintendent Eric Conti thanked the MSBA for working with the town on the new school, which has a cost estimate of a little more than $25 million. This is Burlington’s first new school since the high school was built in the early 1970s.

The current elementary school was dedicated almost 56 years ago, said Memorial principal Karen Rickershauser. Since then, 20,000 students have been educated in the building, she added, including the current group of 275 students.

Some former students had a role in the new school project. “We all remember where we were when JFK was shot,” School Committee Chairman Thomas F. Murphy Jr., said. “I was in the room right there,” he added, pointing across the patio to a classroom window.

State Rep. Charles Murphy, a Burlington Democrat and Thomas Murphy’s brother, was joined at the ceremony by his daughter, a second grader at Memorial.

“The state budget is not terribly uplifting,” said Murphy, who is the chairman of the House Ways and Means committee. “So it’s nice to come out here on a beautiful morning to talk about something positive for the community and the kids.”

To open the ceremony, Memorial music teacher Beth Mosier led two classes of fourth graders in singing “I Have a Dream” and “Like a Mighty Stream.”

While the fourth graders will have moved on to middle school when the new Memorial School opens in September 2011, they may still be enjoying a new school building. Town officials and members mentioned the possibility of rebuilding Marshall Simonds Middle School, which is across Winn St. from Memorial.

Katherine Craven, executive director of the MSBA, confirmed the possibility. “Within a year, you’re probably going to have two brand new schools on these sites,” she said.

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The Massachusetts House approved a $35 million rescue plan yesterday to save the struggling city of Lawrence from financial collapse.

Supporters said the bill - which passed, 101 to 56, after several hours of bitter debate - will prevent one of the state’s poorest cities from running out of money this spring, threatening its critical police, fire, and municipal services.

“This is the soul of the Democratic Party, to help people who need help,’’ said Representative Angelo M. Scaccia, a Democrat from Hyde Park.

The bill, which authorizes Lawrence to borrow up to $35 million under state supervision, must also be approved by the Senate, which has not set a timetable for debate on the measure.

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The federal government gave Massachusetts an unanticipated $132.7 million boost yesterday, which will help significantly in closing any budget gaps during the remaining four months of the fiscal year and could put the state on better financial footing heading into next year.

The funds, which come through the federal stimulus bill and were announced late yesterday afternoon by the Obama administration, are meant to relieve strains on state coffers by offsetting the cost of Medicare prescription drug coverage. Nationwide, it will provide $4.3 billion in financial relief, which translates to $132.7 million in Massachusetts.

“This is not money that we accounted for,’’ JudyAnn Bigby, the state’s secretary of health and human services, said last night. “It is an additional source of revenue for the state.’’ Bigby said that Massachusetts and other states had been lobbying for the enhanced reimbursements but that it was unclear until late yesterday whether the money would be freed up.

“This is an additional amount that we were hoping we would get, but we weren’t sure,’’ Bigby said.  Massachusetts officials have not yet identified how the money will be used. Any appropriations would have to be approved by the Legislature and, while the funds will come through health care reimbursements, it could free up spending in other areas of the state budget.

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I recently visited the area known as Northwest Park and Northwest Park at Network Drive. This sector has been designated as one of 16 growth districts in Massachusetts under the state’s Growth Districts Initiative. Executives from two thriving companies, Palomar and Avid Technologies, offered high praise to the town and the state for fostering a business-friendly environment conducive to growth, job creation and job retention. 

Similar companies across Massachusetts have also leveraged key incentives offered at the local and state level. When a recovery picks up steam, many of these businesses will be poised for robust growth.  This will help stimulate a prolonged period of job creation worthy of our vaunted Massachusetts workforce. 

I can also report that the legislature’s agenda for the remainder of this legislative session will focus on job creation and economic development. 

First, as chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, I look forward to presenting a fiscal year 2011 budget proposal that contains no tax increases. Our spending priorities as a commonwealth should reflect those of so many residents who are struggling to meet their obligations and stay afloat financially.

Next, to maximize the return on our investment in vocational technical high schools like Shawsheen Valley Regional, community colleges like Middlesex, and the entire higher education system in Massachusetts, we are working to tie these institutions more directly to specific industries like biotechnology, health care, and emerging fields such as renewable energy and green technology.

In addition, the House intends to provide full funding of workforce development programs in the next fiscal year to follow up the more than $175 million in grants already awarded to train almost a quarter-million workers through the Workforce Training Fund.

Finally, as we remain open to every idea to generate revenue and jobs, the House looks forward to a vigorous debate over the future of destination gaming in Massachusetts. While suffering a slow-down like other sectors, our tourism industry is already the envy of the region and continues to help drive our economy. Destination gaming could prove yet another premium attraction to those already drawn to Massachusetts’ unique history, and its many cultural and entertainment offerings. 

In addition to providing much needed revenue for the state, destination gaming proponents tout the potential for thousands of good-paying, permanent jobs in construction, lodging, transportation, and food service, among other industries. Particularly in the hardest hit regions of the commonwealth, destination gaming holds out the potential for both short and long term economic opportunity.

Even with these bold initiatives, we face another year of difficult decisions with adverse consequences for many. In order to see our state emerge stronger from these trying times, the legislature will continue to demonstrate the same resolve and determination displayed each day by those for whom we serve. I am committed to doing my part and I welcome your thoughts, observations and ideas.
– State Rep. Charles A. Murphy, D-Burlington, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

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BOSTON --The federal government bailed out banks and automakers, and now Bay State lawmakers may have to bail out an entire city.

NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported that the city of Lawrence needs $35 million to help balance its books. Lawmakers are set to vote on that funding -- but there could be a catch. The new mayor is also Lawrence's state representative.

"Do you think a city in trouble should have as its leader someone who is also a state representative?" Wu asked.

"Well, that's a decision that individual has to make. Personally? No. I think running a city, the size of Lawrence, requires 80 hours a week," Rep. Charlie Murphy said.

Murphy's opinion matters because t a public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday on Mayor William Lantigua's bill to allow Lawrence to borrow $35 million.

"If when the time comes, they can not pay it back? Who's on the hook? I suspect the state is," Murphy said.

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BOSTON -- The Massachusetts House of Representatives has passed an education overhaul bill that legislators say will address the achievement gap between schools in richer and poorer communities.

The bill passed early Thursday morning strengthens the state's application for $250 million in federal funding, makes it easier for the state to step in and help underperforming districts and lifts the cap on charter schools in the lowest performing districts. House Speaker Robert DeLeo says the bill will "eliminate our unacceptable achievement." The bill also establishes strict guidelines regulating the recruitment and retention of students at charter schools. The bill now goes before a joint House-Senate committee. Gov. Deval Patrick has said he supports the changes. Read more »

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts House is moving forward on a plan to overhaul the state's education system.

House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Murphy released a revised version of the overhaul plan late Tuesday. It could be filed as early as Wednesday, allowing a debate as soon as lawmakers return to formal session next week. The bill would allow an expansion of charter schools and strengthen the hands of superintendents in firing decisions at underperforming schools. Gov. Deval Patrick had faulted House leaders for ending their formal session last month without taking final action on the bill, which has passed the Senate. House Speaker Robert DeLeo pledged to pass the bill before a Jan. 19 deadline so the state can apply for extra funding under the federal "Race to the Top" program.Read more »

Burlington - Rep. Charley Murphy, D-Burlington, announced that Burlington was awarded a substantial grant of $2,392 from the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) Program.

SAFE is a state program designed to put trained educators in the classroom to conduct fire safety education programs in grades K-12. Their primary mission is to enable students to recognize the dangers of fire and more specifically, the fire hazards that products of tobacco pose. The legislature's longstanding commitment to the program has lead to a 66 percent decrease in the number of children who die in fires in the Commonwealth each year. While funding was reduced this year due to the ongoing economic recession, the legislature was able to maintain some funding to keep this valuable program in place.Read more »

The war of words between the governor and some legislative leaders grew decidedly more forceful yesterday. Deval Patrick exhorted lawmakers to remain in session to address unresolved reforms and budget shortfalls, though as he spoke, most members were already gone for the remainder of 2009.
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Burlington - With passage of legislation giving the town the ability to lease property last week, Burlington officials are ready to move forward with a request for proposals (RFP) for designs of a new public safety complex in the area of Middlesex Turnpike as early as next month.

Assistant town Manager Thomas Hickey said officials initially considered a new building for the Fire Department's Terrace Hall Avenue substation, but the plan evolved into a complex housing substations for the fire and police departments.

"We have recognized the need for upgrading our fire protection services in that area of town," said Hickey. "But after we looked at it a second time, with continued development at that end of Burlington, we need better and faster police responses. It became part of a public safety initiative. The request was sent to state Rep. Charles Murphy's office with hopes of making progress during the current legislative season, Hickey said. The town's efforts paid off when Murphy announced the bill, H 4056, was passed by the state Legislature and signed into law last week.

 

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Burlington - It's out with the old and in with the new as Beacon Village steps into the 21st century with an environmentally-friendly renovation.

To celebrate the complex's new look, Brickpoint Properties, Inc. of Malden, hosted a luncheon Thursday, Sept. 10, for town officials and residents to explain their efforts and the future of the renovation project.

"We're trying to make the building green," said Dianne Wiroll, marketing director with Brickpoint Properties. "We're not there yet, but heading into that direction."

Deb McWade, Brickpoint's office and maintenance manager, said the company recognized there is a lot of new construction in the area and realized renovations were due. Wiroll said it was important to give residents a "nice face on the building they live in" and Brickpoint is also working on the interiors of the building as well. "Renovations are always ongoing," said McWade.

 

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This summer, more building has been done outside the renovated Bedford High School.

The original projected budget of $50.9 million was introduced at a time when the state's pledged funding programs for school projects was in transition. Although no one doubted there would be funding available at some point, approving the project meant grappling with uncertainty over the amount and the timing of any payments that might come.

Property owners held their collective breath as everyone waited for the state to sort out the new Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) that was coming into being in 2006 just as construction was set to begin at Bedford High. The new authority would decide not only how much it would reimburse towns that took on building projects, but also when it would award any money.

Now, thanks to the diligence of State Rep. Charlie Murphy and Sen. Susan Fargo, and the help of MSBA Executive Director Katherine Craven, the board chair, and Treasurer Tim Cahill, Bedford has been approved for reimbursement of project costs at a rate of 47.79 percent. What's really impressive about this is that the reimbursements were granted sooner than expected, which has meant a substantial savings on interest already, and will mean continued savings into the future.

 

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Town of Bedford officials recently announced the approval of Bedford High School's budget and scope by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

The Massachusetts School Building Authority Board of Directors voted to execute the project funding agreement of approved, eligible costs, up to a maximum total grant of $22,662,684. With the total approved project cost of $47,421,394, the reimbursement rate is 47.79 percent.

Bedford High School's funding agreement represents one of the first and largest projects the MSBA has approved since lifting the moratorium on school construction and the issuance of their new regulations went into effect. The total approved reimbursement rate of 47.79 percent is almost eight percent higher than the Town of Bedford originally projected. A portion of this higher reimbursement rate is aimed to take into effect the impact of students attending the school from Hanscom Air Force Base as requested by the Bedford Strategic Communications Task Force. 

 

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"This change will promote a more efficient, consistent and transparent budgeting system to reform the costly and unpredictable county system that's currently in place," said Governor Patrick. "I thank the sheriffs and the legislature for their work on this bill."

"This reform takes away the current operational guessing game that county sheriffs go through every year when developing their budgets," Senate President Therese Murray said. "It's an important functional change that will simplify and stabilize the process and end up saving taxpayers millions of dollars."

"This bill will bring consistency and efficiency to the sheriffs' system in Massachusetts while reducing the burden on taxpayers in local communities," said Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo. "In these difficult fiscal times, I am proud that the legislature has found substantial savings for our Commonwealth."

 

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Bedford, Mass. -

Town of Bedford officials announced a major funding success for the Bedford schools.  

Earlier this week Bedford received the next partial payment of $8 million from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) as a down payment on the Commonwealth's reimbursement for the renovations to Bedford High School that were completed last year. This comes on top of an earlier $10 million payment received from MSBA last year.  

As a result of receiving the next MSBA $8 million payment, in conjunction with the beneficial interest rate secured by Bedford due to its AAA Bond rating, it is estimated that Bedford taxpayers will save more than $961,000 in reduced short term interest costs from the original projections made by the Town during the planning stages of the project. The early MSBA payment effectuated $400,000 of this reduced interest costs. The interest savings and MSBA payment convert to a savings of approximately $79.65 in FY2011 for a typical $500,000 single-family residence.  

 

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BOSTON -- Deteriorating state tax collections are impeding talk of overriding Gov. Deval Patrick's budget vetoes.

House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Murphy said Wednesday the House and Senate "can override until the cows come home," but it won't matter if Massachusetts doesn't have the revenue to restore the $147 million in cuts.

Among them is a $4 million cut for the Franklin Park and Stone zoos that prompted talk of euthanizing animals. Earlier this week, House Speaker Robert DeLeo said he expected members to override that veto, but members have been reluctant to do so.

Murphy says the same reasoning applies to $70 million Patrick is seeking to provide health care to legal immigrants.

The Burlington Democrat says administration officials "don't have a plan" despite asking for the money. Read more »

State revenues took yet another plunge last month, ending the financial year $180 million below even the dourest projections and forcing leaders to choose between draining the state's reserve account and making further cuts in a budget approved just last week.

June's dismal returns, which top state lawmakers were briefed on this week, are the latest sign that Massachusetts has yet to turn the corner on the recession.

It offers a coda to a disastrous year, which saw revenue drop $3.2 billion below initial expectations and change so rapidly that revised estimates never caught up with reality.

"It's just getting worse,'' said Representative Charles A. Murphy, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. "We're certainly not done yet. We haven't bottomed out, unfortunately.''

Administration officials have yet to finalize the June revenue figures and are still examining different scenarios for making up the shortfall.
 

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The Legislature will likely move quickly to scrub some of Gov. Deval Patrick's budget vetoes from the books, House Ways and Means chair Charley Murphy said today.

Noting Gov. Deval Patrick has filed budget amendments and a supplemental spending bill with his $147 million in overrides, Murphy told the News Service, "We're going to take probably the next couple of weeks to really get our arms around it. There's a lot to it."

Murphy said the Legislature will likely continue to resist Patrick's push for a gas tax increase, while acknowledging that the $275 million dedicated annually to transportation spending from the newly escalated sales tax will not solve the full depth of the state's transportation funding gap.

"Is that going to help us for 10 years moving forward? Probably not. Is it going to help us for a couple years? Probably," Murphy said. He added: "A gas tax is not going to pass in the near future, in the House or the Senate. We've been very clear on that front."

 

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Governor Deval Patrick today signed a budget for next year that cuts aid to cities and towns, pares back programs throughout state government, and imposes $1 billion in additional taxes on Massachusetts residents, shoppers, and visitors.

In signing the $27 billion budget, which is $400 million less than the proposal approved this month by House and Senate lawmakers, Patrick issued vetoes that cut funding in a number of areas. The budget takes effect Wednesday, the first day of the next fiscal year.

 

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House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Murphy (D-Burlington) was honored Monday, June 15, by Mass Home Care during its annual meeting held at the Burlington Marriott. Murphy was scheduled to attend the event, but notified Mass Home Care representatives early Monday that he was unable to attend because of budget issues and conference committees.

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Murphy received a 'No Care Like Home Care' award from Mass Home Care for his work protecting community home care during the recession. "His work protected our protective services program, and restored most of the funding for home care," said Butler, adding that Murphy also proposed $2.5 million for a pre-admission counseling program that would help divert people.  "We've been impressed with Rep Murphy's commitment to keeping elders living at home," said Al Norman, executive director of Mass Home Care. "He clearly understands that this honors the preference of seniors, and saves the commonwealth millions of dollars every year." According to Norman, usage of nursing homes in Massachusetts has dropped 20 percent since the year 2000, saving taxpayers more than $440 million annually.

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State lawmakers agreed today to end some of the most egregious pension abuses that have plagued the Massachusetts state retirement system for decades, cutting a deal to eliminate sweetheart provisions, tighten the rules, and -- they hope -- repair some of the damage inflicted on Beacon Hill by a series of pension controversies.

The House and Senate are expected to vote Thursday on the provisions, and the governor vowed to quickly sign the bill. The moves followed a recent series of Globe stories that revealed how public officials had enriched themselves by exploiting special provisions in state pension law. Passage of pension reform will repair part of a major rift that has opened between Governor Deval Patrick and his Democratic colleagues in the Legislature. Patrick has threatened to veto a state sales tax increase that will be part of next year's budget unless lawmakers first appease an angry public by passing major reforms on pensions, ethics, and transportation.

 

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Throughout the course of American history, courageous men and women have taken up arms to secure, defend, and maintain our core principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, upon which our nation's freedoms depend. Memorial Day is a very important day within the veteran community. It is also a very personal day for many family members and non-veterans alike. Burlington's Memorial Day ceremony was a success because of the many volunteers who assisted and participated in the ceremony.

The Office of Burlington Veterans Services wishes to thank all the veterans and their families and all Burlington residents who attended and participate in this year's Memorial Day services. It is difficult to just list all those who deserve thanks for their participation, because each part, each volunteer, each honor guard and each individual made the whole day work so well.

 

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A six-member House-Senate conference committee stuck with modern-day tradition and voted Friday morning to close talks to the public. The meeting was the first formal gathering aimed at bridging a wide gulf between the House and Senate versions of fiscal 2010 budget plans, as well as deciding which taxes to raise. To guarantee a budget will be in place by the July 1 start of the 2010 fiscal year - which Treasurer Tim Cahill has said is critical to maintaining the state's favorable bond rating - lawmakers must resolve their differences by June 21, giving Gov. Deval Patrick his statutory 10 days to review the proposal before signing it, offering amendments and issuing vetoes.

 

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The Senate put the finishing touches late last night on a $27.35 billion budget, bolstered by $633 million from a sales tax hike, hundreds of millions of dollars from the state’s rainy day reserves and reliant on a heavy dose of federal stimulus dollars.Read more »

The state Senate last night voted to hike the sales tax and to lift the state sales tax exemption on alcohol, brushing aside criticism that higher taxes would hurt Massachusetts businesses by driving consumers over the border, particularly to tax-free New Hampshire.

The measures, which were passed by the House in April, would push the sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent and generate $633 million, according to the Senate. Lifting the sales tax exemption on alcohol sold at package stores would raise $80 million, senators said. They said the money would be used to help offset deep cuts in services for the poor elderly and disabled.Read more »

House budget chief Charley Murphy called the Senate Ways and Means fiscal 2010 plan “realistic” this morning, while declining to say whether the House would downsize its version, which allocates $1.3 billion more than the $26.7 billion document unveiled yesterday. During a brief interview outside the capitol, Murphy said the budget conference committee would start work soon after the full Senate approves the budget, expected to pass next week. Murphy, who met informally with counterpart Sen. Steven Panagiotakos last night, noted that the Senate draft reflected the continued deterioration in state tax collections.Read more »

When the going gets tough in Massachusetts, things tend to start costing more. The House Commission on Municipal Relief last week released a list of recommendations that could bring $409 million in savings to cities and towns across the commonwealth, including Medford.Read more »

House lawmakers last night approved a $28 billion state budget after a week in which it added some $600 million to its bottom line.

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Faced with an outcry from municipalities and social programs over proposed budget cuts, the chairman of a key House committee yesterday defended his decisions, including not seeking tax increases to bolster aid to cities and towns.

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Wilmington - Those looking for an inside glimpse into the workings of state government will have a new resource beginning this month as State Rep. Charley Murphy, D-Burlington, debuts "Capitol Matters," a half hour interview program featuring top officials from Beacon Hill and beyond.Read more »

Boston - Immediately prior to the meeting of the Electoral College, supporters of a National Popular Vote held a press conference to call for implementation of a new method of selecting a President.Read more »