UPDATE ON ANTI-POLICE BILL
Dear NEPBA Presidents & members:
As our lobbyist Steve Pangiotakos has pointed out the Bill was tabled for the second time on Friday and as a procedural motion will be taken up again this AM @ 10am (Saturday). We have been assured by numerous Senators, including Sen. Mike MOORE that it will again be tabled during this AM session for the 3rd and final time.
Which means the Bill will be taken up, in all likelihood on Monday.
Yesterday, Chris Ryan, Marty Conway, Bill Ryan and I had numerous conversations with a number of elected officials on both the Senate side, as well as a number of members of the House of Representatives where we’ve been told the House is apparently going to take up the matter early next week – at least that’s what they have been told.
Chris Ryan and I have also had numerous conversations with Secretary of Public Safety Tom Turco regarding this legislation and he has been extremely supportive on a number of issues. At his urging, I had a length and productive conversation with the Chairman of the Black and Latino Caucus and CHRIS Ryan has had a conversations with Sen. Velis and Marty Conway has addressed his concerns with a number of State Senators and State Reps.
Steve Pangiotakos and I have also had numerous conversations with other members of the House of Representatives in hopes of garnering their much needed support on the House side of this Bill, including Rep. Colleen Garry and Rep. Tom “Tipa” Golden (D-LOWELL) who have both been huge supporters of law enforcement over the years and they continues to be.
I also know Anthony Petrone and Tom DALY have spoken to numerous legislators in the Worcester area, including Sen. Harriette Chandler and others.
We have also been assured that the issue of “Qualified Immunity” is a deal breaker for many of those who are supportive of our efforts and they believe a six-month study on the issue would be in the best interest of everyone because of conflicting legal opinions.
The other main issue we and our attorneys have maintained and continued to drive home to those we spoke with is the “Due Process” piece of this legislation, which includes the ability for arbitration, CBA agreements and civil service rights and protections.
As you are well aware, Anthony Petrone has also been a stalwart in this fight and he and I have been working together with various Senators to accomplish our objectives.
I would also like to applaud Dan GILBERT for your efforts in Springfield with the coalition and to assure all our members that the NEPBA has been working diligently with the coalition, other labor groups, including the PFFM, to defeat this Anti-Police legislation.
We have all worked extremely hard to defeat this anti-police legislation and it is beginning to resonate with many Senators and Representatives as to how destructive and divisive this Bill truly is – but we need to continue to call EVERY SENATOR AND EVERY STATE REP & Drive this message home, because Massachusetts is NOT MINNESOTA and the best trained and the most highly educated police officers are those of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Keep up the fight!
Jerry Flynn, Executive Director
New England Police Benevolent Association
7 Technology Drive, Suite 102
Chelmsford, MA 01863
Office: 978-453-2500
Fax: 978-453-2555
Cell: 978-771-7001
Email: gjflynn@nepba.org
Website: www.nepba.org
“Representing New England’s Finest”