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Massachusetts

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Auditor Report Finds Sex Offenders at Registered Child Care Facilities

State audit finds 119 Level 2 and 3 sex offenders living at addresses registered as child care providers. Also, background checks not being done in some cases.

A new report from State Auditor Suzanne Bump suggests that a surprisingly large number of sex offenders statewide may be living in properties also used as childcare facilities. According to the report, the recent audit found 119 Level 2 and 3 sex offenders living at addresses that were also registered with the state as child care providers. The audit took place over 15 months from July, 2010 through September, 2011. “While we recognize that all 119 may not pose a problem because some of the information in the sex offender registry may be outdated, we believe that routinely conducting this match will serve to better ensure the safety of children in (Department of Early Education and Care’s) programs,” stated the report. Meanwhile, the …

Friday, January 4, 2013

Are Old Laws Funny or Dangerous?

Massachusetts has some old, sometimes funny morality laws about cursing and other no-nos. But sometimes those laws play havoc with modern-day living. Is it time to clear the books?

Massachusetts is famous for its out-of-date laws. The Boston Globe cites a few, like a cursing ban at sporting events. But there are other laws, passed over 100 years ago, which could complicate present-day political and legal dilemmas. But these old laws sometimes have a major effect on modern day issues. Representative Byron Rushing, D-South End, reminded the Globe that Governor Mitt Romney used a 1913 law about residency rules to prevent out-of-state gay couples from marrying in Massachusetts. That old law was scrubbed from the books in 2008, five years after it was cited by Romney. The 19th-century anti-abortion laws are a particularly thorny issue, according to the Globe. They may be relics of a time past, but that didn't stop the …

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Roger Lincoln

12:59 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013

From http://blog.chron.com/hoofbeats/2008/03/more-strange-horse-laws "Pennsylvania law states: “Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass. If the horses appear skittish, the motorist must take his car apart, piece by piece, and hide it under the nearest …   more ›

Monday, October 1, 2012

Brown, Warren to Debate Tonight

The debate will be moderated by “Meet the Press” anchor David Gregory and will begin at 7 p.m. on Monday.

The second debate between U.S. Senate incumbent Scott Brown and Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren is slated for tonight and the meetup promises to be a showdown.  A Week of Back and Forth Since the first debate between the two candidates a week ago, Brown's campaign has been pressing Warren on her claim to Native American ancestry. “Professor Warren claimed she was a Native American, a person of color — and as you can see, she is not,” Brown said at the debate, inferring Warren got special treatment from her employers because of her heritage.  ”I didn’t get an advantage because of my background,” Warren said. However, Scott's campaign may have pressed the issue too far. A video surfaced this week that reportedly shows Brown staffers …

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Transcript: Live chat with Gov. Deval Patrick

The governor will take your questions Thursday at 1:30 p.m..

Governor Deval Patrick will answer your questions during our live chat at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. To join the chat, enter your name and question in the widget above. We will try to get to as many questions as we can within the allotted 45 minutes, but can't guarantee every question will make it into the chat. 

Frampton

7:11 am on Friday, September 28, 2012

Dis anyone ask him to leave?   more ›

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

What Would You Ask Gov. Patrick?

Governor Deval Patrick speaks with Patch readers live at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. What questions do you want him to answer?

If you could ask Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick one question, what would it be? Patrick will join Patch Thursday at 1:30 p.m. for a live chat with readers. Now's your chance to ask the executive of the commonwealth your question about casinos, the Jamaica Plain crime lab, the economy, elections or whatever else you want to know. Can't make it to the live chat? Leave your questions for Patrick in the comments to have them considered for the live Q&A session. We'll be sure to ask about the most popular topics when we chat Thursday. To join our chat, head on over to our homepage from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. on Thursday.

Tim

8:35 pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012

I would ask him 2 question why are all the roads in this state in such terrible shape? The other question would be when is he going to go away?   more ›

Chat LIVE with Gov. Patrick This Thursday

Ask Governor Deval Patrick about any topic you like during our live chat at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

Governor Deval Patrick will take your questions live on Patch this Thursday. The governor will spend 45 minutes fielding your questions as they come.  Head on over to our homepage from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. on Thursday to join our chat. You'll simply have to provide your name, and you'll be able to ask your questions immediately. If you can't make the live chat, leave your questions as comments to this article, and we'll do our best to add them to the queue. We will publish the live chat transcript immediately and a recap first thing on Friday morning.  Questions submitted will be subject to moderator approval. No vulgar or libelous comments will be allowed. Because we expect a high volume of questions for the chat session, we will keep the …

Friday, September 21, 2012

Who Won the Brown-Warren Debate?

Incumbent Sen. Scott Brown and challenger Elizabeth Warren squared off in their first debate Thursday night.

Republican Sen. Scott Brown faced off against Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren Thursday night in a debate televised by WBZ-TV. The Thursday debate was the first of four planned tilts between the candidates, and it saw disagreement between the two on just about every topic. Polls have seesawed over the last week, with Brown and Warren swapping small leads, as they have throughout the campaign. The debates may provide one or the other an opportunity to change voter minds and swing the election his or her way. Central to Thursday's debate was the focus on taxes, jobs and the economy. "He has said he will defend the top 2 percent and the top 3 percent ... and will hold the other 98 percent of families hostage," Warren said, referencing …

P.P. Longstocking

9:36 pm on Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Scott Brown thanked the Tea Party for his win two years ago. That should be enough to get every moderate in Massachusetts at the polls.   more ›

U.S. Senate Debate: Warren Attacks Brown's Record, Brown Touts Bipartisanship

The two candidates for the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts faced off in their first live debate on Thursday night.

Stark differences came out early and often between U.S. Senate candidates Elizabeth Warren and Scott Brown in their first debate, with disagreements on everything from tax policy, to job creation to women's rights.  Over and over during the Thursday debate, Warren chose to bring up Sen. Brown's voting record, and Brown chose to point out that Warren's plan would raise taxes on everyone and stifle job creation.  "He has said he will defend the top 2 percent and the top 3 percent...and will hold the other 98 percent of families hostage," Warren said, referencing Brown's position against extending the Bush-era tax cuts unless it also contained cuts for the country's top earners.  Brown countered by noting that Warren's policies would raise …

carolo

9:19 am on Friday, September 21, 2012

Warren has fought for YEARS for fairness for consumers. Fought credit card companies for excessive fees and unfair practices. I'm not sure why Brown kept tooting she would raise taxes when he's Wall Streets darling and his campaign money come from the Big Banks. It's all on record and he can't hide from it.   more ›

Thursday, September 20, 2012

In Latest Poll, Brown Favored over Warren

With three polls showing Democrat Elizabeth Warren in the lead but the latest showing Republican Sen. Scott Brown ahead, it's safe to say the U.S. Senate race in Massachusetts is a close one.

The U.S. Senate race is very close, according to a spate of recent polls. Three polls show that Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren is in the lead among likely voters in November, but the latest poll, conducted this week, predicts a Brown victory by several points.  Neither candidate has established a large enough lead so far as to pull ahead of the polls' margins of error, meaning the highly competitive Massachusetts race will likely stay close until election day in November.  The latest poll is by the University of Massachusetts Lowell/Boston Herald, which was released on Wednesday night. Out of 524 voters surveyed from Sept. 13 to 17, 49 percent said they would vote for Brown versus 45 percent who said they would support Warren. The …

Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren to Debate Thursday Night on WBZ

The two candidates for the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts will square off for the first time in a live televised debate at WBZ studios in Boston.

U.S. Senate candidates Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren will go head to head on Thursday night in a live televised debate at WBZ studios in Boston.  The debate, the first in a series of four, will take place on Sept. 20th from 7 to 8 p.m. on WBZ-TV, WBZ Newsradio 1030 and CBS Boston.com.  Jon Keller, WBZ-TV News’ Political Analyst will serve as moderator of the debate.  “Debates are an opportunity to get beyond the sound bites and find out where the candidates really stand,” said Senator Brown in a statement. “... I am pleased to accept this TV debate offer so that Massachusetts voters will be able to see these differences for themselves.” Warren told CBS Boston she plans to “Talk about what I’ve been talking about all around the …

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