By Senator Katherine Clark
The Massachusetts Senate has passed a state budget for fiscal year 2014 that invests in our shared priorities: education, support for our cities and towns, public safety, and vital human service initiatives.
Support for Cities and Towns
… [more]The Senate’s budget focuses on directing new funds to the programs that have the biggest impact on our communities.
Tag Archives: public safety
Budget Invests in Commonwealth’s Priorities
CLARK: Senate Adopts Amendment to Reform Sex Offender Registry Laws
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 23, 2013
CONTACT: Jessica Leitz, 617-722-1206
BOSTON, MA—Senator Katherine Clark (D-Melrose), Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, today announced that the Massachusetts Senate has unanimously adopted her amendment to the Fiscal Year 2014 budget that provides parents with important tools for protecting children from sex offenders.
Senator Clark, who sponsored the amendment, said “I am proud that the State Senate acted on this matter today.… [more]
Senator Clark Chairs Hearing on Bill to Protect our Communities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2013
CONTACT: Jessica Leitz, 617-722-1206
BOSTON, MA—Today the Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing, chaired by Senator Katherine Clark (D-Melrose), to consider a series of important public safety bills. The Committee took up legislation to strengthen our system of oversight of convicted sex offenders and ensure that citizens, local law enforcement and relevant state agencies have the information they need to protect our children and communities.
An Act to protect our communities, sponsored by Senator Clark (S.656) and Representative Paul Brodeur (H.1232), has the bipartisan co-sponsorship of 27 members of the legislature and the strong support of Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
Families, advocates and law enforcement officials testified in support of the bill, including Wakefield Chief of Police Rick Smith, whose own community was stunned when John Burbine, of Wakefield, was charged with 100 counts of child abuse and sexual assault involving very young children. The deeply disturbing case highlighted the need to strengthen the Commonwealth’s laws and regulations to help prevent these horrific crimes in the future. This legislation does so fairly and judiciously.… [more]
Time for some common sense budgeting
By Senator Katherine Clark
As Massachusetts begins its annual budget process, automatic, across-the-board federal budget cuts (so-called sequestration) are starting to hit funding for programs our families depend on, including college financial aid, work-study jobs, Head Start, services for the poor, public health efforts, law enforcement, and programs for our seniors.
The gridlock and fiscal uncertainty in Washington puts even more pressure on state and local governments to fund and provide vital services, and to do so efficiently and effectively with limited resources.
To do just that, we are moving forward with a common sense funding plan for the Commonwealth.… [more]
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