Week Ending June 3, 2011
Redistricting Committee Will Release First Draft of New Districts in the Fall
Earlier this year the Massachusetts Legislature created the Joint Committee on Redistricting, which is charged with redrawing the state’s US Congressional districts. As a result of the 2010 Census, the state is losing one congressional district, shrinking the number of districts from ten to nine. According to the Senate co-chair of the committee, Senator Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst), testimony that the Committee has received has come mostly from parties interested in preserving the status quo, even though, as Sen. Rosenberg acknowledged, that is impossible since the state is losing a seat. There is a push by Western Massachusetts leaders (where Sen. Rosenberg is from) to keep both of the current Western Congressional districts in place (currently held by Congs. Neal and Olver) – districts that already comprise a large area of the state but that have been losing population. The Legislative Committee on Redistricting is currently holding public hearings to determine how new districts will be drawn. Hearings will continue through July, with a first draft of the redrawn districts expected to be released in the fall.
Rep. Tom Conroy (D-Wayland) announces his candidacy for U.S. Senate
State Representative Thomas Conroy, who is currently serving his third term in the Massachusetts House, announced his intention to run against Sen. Scott Brown in the 2012 election. Rep. Conroy becomes the fourth Democrat to join the race to run against Brown. He joins Newton Mayor Setti Warren, City Year co-founder Alan Khazei (who lost in the Democratic primary for the United States Senate to Attorney General Martha Coakley last year), and 1994 Lt. Governor candidate Robert Massie. Each announced candidate is expected to address the 3,000 plus delegates at the State Democratic Convention in Lowell this weekend. Most recent polls have shown Brown with a significant lead over potential Democratic opponents for the 2012 election. In a Suffolk/7NEWS poll from April, 55% of voters believe Brown deserves to be re-elected. Brown presently has $8.3 million in his campaign account. The Democratic primary is scheduled for September 18, 2012.
Government Reform Bill to be Voted on in Senate
On Thursday, the Senate adopted an order calling for SB 1900, the government reform bill filed by Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth), to be taken up for a vote next week. SB 1900 would transition Massachusetts from maintenance budgeting to performance budgeting. Under current law, state agencies and programs receive level funding; Murray would like to move to a zero-based budget under which departments build their budgets from scratch each year. The bill would also implement sunset provisions for agencies and authorities and expand electronic reporting by state agencies and make more stringent financial reporting requirements. Under SB1900, the state’s debt limit would be increased to $1.7 billion at the start of the next fiscal year and local aid to cities and towns would be paid in monthly allotments, as opposed to the quarterly payments currently in place. The bill has received bipartisan support as well as backing by the state’s major business organizations. Amendments to the bill are due by 12pm on Tuesday.
Budget Conference Committee Named
The House and Senate named the six-member FY12 state budget conference committee this week. The conference committee is tasked with forging consensus and producing a compromise budget bill which then goes to the House and Senate for up or down votes. The conference committee includes both Senate and House Ways and Means Chairs, Sen. Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) and Rep. Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill). From the Senate side, the conference committee also includes Senators Steven Baddour (D-Methuen) and Republican Michael Knapik (R-Westfield). On the House side, Rep. Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington) and Rep. Viriato deMacedo (R-Plymouth) were named. The new fiscal year begins July 1st, giving the committee a tight schedule to finalize the budget.
John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
Executive Director, AIA MA
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)
MA Chapter of American Institute of Architects
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org
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