Politics

News, Politics

City Council defends Chuck Turner ouster But lawyer sees no grounds

/

City Council defends Chuck Turner ousterBut lawyer sees no grounds IN CHARGE: Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, left, congratulates new City Council President Stephen Murphy after he was voted in yesterday.By O’Ryan Johnson  |   Tuesday, January 4, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local PoliticsPhoto by Ted Fitzgerald Boston city councilors yesterday defended their ouster of Boston City Councilor Charles Turner in the face of his federal court challenge, saying they moved deliberately and were given “excellent advice.” “We were given excellent advice by corporate counsel,” said City Councilor Michael Ross, who presided over the vote. “I was very reluctant to move too quickly throughout the entire process,” Ross said. “We were pressured to move forward two years ago. I had an opportunity to do so then. . . . We were very cautious and deliberate in our actions,” Ross added. Turner, recently convicted of a felony, filed an injunction in U.S. District Court in Boston late last week that seeks to immediately reinstall him on the board. Turner’s lawyer, Chester Darling of Andover, said councilors had no authority under the city charter to make the vote, but relied on a court decision from 1874, Peabody v. Boston School Committee, that allowed the committee to ban a woman from the board. “It’s not in the Boston Charter. . . . They don’t have the jurisdiction to do it,” Darling said. “They’re relying on a hundred-year-old court decision that barred a woman from the school committee because she was a woman. She was elected, but she wasn’t seated because they didn’t want a woman on the committee.” Turner was convicted in October of taking a $1,000 bribe from an FBI informant. He is due to be sentenced at the end of this month. U.S. District Court Chief Justice Mark Wolf will hear Turner’s injunction, but no court date has been set. Darling said if Turner is jailed, then there are legal functions to remove him from the City Council, but simply being convicted of a felony is not enough with existing law. City Council President Stephen Murphy said the council will abide by whatever decision the court makes. He said if necessary, that includes stopping a special election process that is already under way. “I would not be in a position to debate whether Chester Darling is correct. . . . I think we were comfortable with the level of legal expertise advising us,” Murphy said. “At the time, being with Ross in the room with city attorneys, they were very, very forceful that we had the authority.” Murphy was unanimously elected president of the City Council yesterday morning in a ceremony that was attended by Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo. Murphy replaces Ross, who served two years as president. Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1307193

News, Politics

Governor Deval Patrick Swearing in & Inauguration Schedule Thurs. Jan 6th

/

Inauguration DayTHURSDAYJanuary 6th, 2011 11:00 a.m.Swearing-In of Governor Patrick and Lt. Governor Murray (Free & Open to Public)House Chamber – State House Governor Patrick and Lt. Governor Murray will formally mark the start of their second term with a swearing-in ceremony inside the House Chamber of the State House. Though space in the Chamber is limited, members of the public are invited to watch from various areas within the State House that will be equipped with closed-circuit TV monitors. 1:30 p.m.State House Open House (Free & Open to Public)Grand Staircase – State House Governor Patrick and Lt. Governor Murray are welcoming all members of the public to attend an open house at the State House directly following their swearing-in ceremony. Join them at the Grand Staircase under the golden dome for a meet and greet with entertainment and light refreshments. This event is free and open to the public. Please enter through the State House steps. 7:00 p.m.Celebrate Massachusetts – Tickets Required – Purchase tickets here:http://www.project351.com/inauguration.html  (buy tickets $50 in right column)Boston Public Library – Copley Sq. Boston Join Governor Patrick and Lt. Governor Murray on Inauguration night at an historic landmark in downtown Boston. Enjoy exceptional food and entertainment, admire the storied architecture of the Boston Public Library, and mingle with fellow residents as they come together to Celebrate Massachusetts.

News, Politics

Murphy elected president of Boston City Council

/

Murphy elected president of Boston City Council Posted by Martin Finucane January 3, 2011 10:36 AMBy Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff The Boston City Council elected Stephen J. Murphy its president this morning at its first meeting of the new year. Murphy, an at-large councilor from Hyde Park, was elected on a 12-0 vote. He takes the mantle from Michael P. Ross, who had to step down after two years because of term limits. First elected in 1997, Murphy has been the long-time chairman of the Public Safety Committee. FULL STORY HEREhttp://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2011/01/murphy_poised_t.html

Features, Politics

Black/Latino Elected Officials

/

Governor Deval Patrick Deval Patrick has made History as the First Black Man Elected Governor of Massachusetts and only the 2nd Black Governor in US History since Gov. Douglas Wilder (VA). After re-election in 2010 he is currently serving in his 2nd term as Governor. Deval Patrick.com Massachusetts Governor Office  Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus Second Division Chair Byron Rushing Democrat, Boston (South End)  State House Room 121 Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             617-722-2006 Fax: 617-722-2238 Email: Byron.Rushing@mahouse.gov http://www.malegislature.gov/people/profile/b_r1 Representative Gloria L. Fox Democrat, Roxbury  State House Room 167 Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             617-722-2810 Fax: 617-722-2846 Email: Gloria.Fox@mahouse.gov http://www.malegislature.gov/people/profile/glf1 Representative Benjamin Swan Democrat, Springfield  State House Room 127 Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             617-722-2680 Fax: 617-722-2846 Email:Benjamin.Swan@mahouse.gov http://www.malegislature.gov/people/profile/b_s1 District Office: 815 State Street Springfield, MA 01109 Phone:             413-739-8547       Fax: 413-739-8572 Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz Democrat, Boston  State House Room 413-C Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             617-722-1673 Email: Sonia.Chang-Diaz@masenate.gov http://www.malegislature.gov/people/profile/scd0 Representative Linda Dorcena Forry Democrat, Dorchester  State House Room 26 Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             617- 722-2080 Email: Linda.DorcenaForry@mahouse.gov http://www.malegislature.gov/people/profile/ldf1 Representative Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera Democrat, Springfield  State House Room 39 Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             617-722-2014 Fax: 617-722-2215 Email: Cheryl.Coakley-Rivera@mahouse.gov http://www.malegislature.gov/people/profile/car1 District Office: 15 Wilcox Street Springfield, MA 01105 Phone:             413-739-1503       Fax: 413-737-6616 Representative Jeffrey Sanchez Democrat, Jamaica Plain  State House Room 130 Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             617-722-2130 Email: Jeffrey.sanchez@mahouse.gov http://www.malegislature.gov/people/profile/j_s1 Representative Russell Holmes Democrat, Boston  State House Room 254 Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             617-722-2220 Fax: 617-626-0205 Email: russell.holmes@mahouse.gov http://www.malegislature.gov/people/profile/reh1 Representative Carlos Henriquez Democrat, Dorchester  State House Room 33 Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             617-722-2060 Email: carlos.henriquez@mahouse.gov http://www.malegislature.gov/people/profile/cth1 Representative Marcos A. Devers Democrat, Lawrence  State House Room 146 Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             617-722-2011 Fax: 617-727-2238 Email:Marcos.Devers@mahouse.gov http://www.malegislature.gov/People/Profile/MAD1 Marvin L. Venay Executive Director  State House Room 460 Boston, MA 02133 Phone:             (617) 722-2688 Fax: (617) 626-0476 Email: Marvin.Venay@mahouse.gov CITY OF BOSTON LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS Ayanna Pressley At-Large, elected in 2009 1 City Hall Square, Suite 550 Boston, MA 02201-2043 Telephone: 617.635.4217 Facsimile: 617.635.4203 Website: http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/councillors/pressley.asp E-mail: Ayanna.Pressley@cityofboston.gov Felix G. Arroyo At-Large, elected in 2009 1 City Hall Square, Suite 550 Boston, MA 02201-2043 Telephone: 617.635.4205 Facsimile: 617.635.4203 Website: http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/councillors/arroyo.asp E-mail: Felix.Arroyo@cityofboston.gov   Charles C. Yancey District 4, elected in 1983 1 City Hall Square, Suite 550Boston, MA 02201-2043 Telephone: 617.635.3131 Facsimile: 617.635.4203 Website: http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/councillors/yancey.asp E-mail: Charles.Yancey@cityofboston.gov   Tito Jackson District 7, elected in 2011 1 City Hall Square, Suite 550Boston, MA 02201-2043 Telephone: 617.635.3510 Facsimile: 617.635.4203 Website: http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/councillors/jackson.asp E-mail: Tito.Jackson@cityofboston.gov  

News, Politics

Chuck Turner: Put me back on City Council

/

Chuck Turner: Put me back on City Council By Dave Wedge  |   Friday, December 31, 2010  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local PoliticsPhoto by Herald file Embattled ex-City Councilor Chuck Turner, who is awaiting sentencing on a federal bribery rap, says he was wrongly booted from the council and wants a judge to reinstate him. “We want him to serve out the balance of his term,” Turner’s attorney, Chester Darling, told the Herald last night. “They had no authority to (remove him).” Darling has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court seeking a temporary restraining order of the council’s order removing Turner from office. The motion also seeks to halt a planned February election to fill the vacancy left by Turner’s removal. If granted by a federal judge, Turner would be returned to office. The complaint alleges the council did not have authority to boot Turner and alleges his colleagues relied on a flawed reading of city law. Darling said the city has no rules in its official charter that allow for the board to bounce a member for a felony conviction. He argued the council should have filed a home-rule petition and received approval from the state Legislature before ousting Turner. “It was a disgrace what happened up there,” said Darling, an 81-year-old former city attorney who came out of retirement to represent Turner. Turner is slated to be sentenced later this month for taking a $1,000 bribe as part of a federal sting targeting corrupt politicians. Once he’s sent to prison, he will automatically lose his seat as state law permits the removal of elected officials sent to jail for a felony. Turner, who was elected to the council in 1999, was re-elected in 2009 to a two-year term slated to expire Dec. 31, 2011. The council voted 11 to 1 on Dec. 1 to remove Turner from office with only Councilor Charles Yancey opposing. The court filing also seeks declaratory judgment for Turner for his alleged wrongful removal. The documents list a dozen of Turner’s constituents as plaintiffs who are also seeking declaratory judgment for alleged violations of their rights. Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1306378

News, Politics

Dianne Wilkerson’s son mulls council run

/

Dianne Wilkerson’s son mulls council run By Christine McConville  |   Wednesday, December 29, 2010  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Politics Photo by Angela RowlingsThe son of disgraced state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson — who’s mulling a run for convicted felon Chuck Turner’s open City Council seat — is already creating buzz in the Hub, and he hasn’t even officially thrown his hat into the ring. Cornell D. Mills has said little about his plans, but he told that Herald last week he’s pulled papers for the Feb. 15 preliminary election to fill Turner’s former seat. The 70-year-old Turner is awaiting sentencing on a federal bribery conviction, as is Mills’ mother, the longtime Roxbury senator. “I’m excited to see (Mills) emerge as a candidate and I think he’ll do very well,” said incoming state Rep. Carlos Henriquez. “He understands the political landscape in Boston and District 7.” Added retired state Sen. Bill Owens: “I have met him several times, and he seems to be educated, articulate, and seems to have good common sense. He should be given an opportunity to earn his place in history.” Mills, 36, spent his Christmas holiday assembling a campaign staff, gathering voter signatures and seeking endorsements, according to two neighborhood activists who requested anonymity. District 7 spans parts of Roxbury, Dorchester, the South End and the Fenway. Mills’ candidacy won’t be official until tomorrow, when candidates must submit their nomination papers, including signatures from 191 registered voters. The final two-person runoff is March 15. Mills is a licensed real estate broker who attended Boston College High School and ran a Jones Hill cafe with his cousin. In 2005, Mills made his own headlines when he landed a job as a civilian investigator with the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office homicide division despite his lengthy arrest record. The Boston Globe reported in 2005 that Mills was busted four times between 1991 and 2000 on an array of charges, from assaulting a police officer to possessing marijuana. All the charges were ultimately dismissed. Wilkerson decried the Globe article as a smear based on inaccurate information. At least 15 people, including Mills, have pulled papers for the seat. Turner has named Tito Jackson, an aide to Gov. Deval Patrick, as his preferred successor. Jamarhl Crawford, editor of the neighborhood political Web site Blackstonian.com, believes the race will come down to Jackson and Mills “because they have the highest level of name recognition.” One veteran City Hall observer said Mills just might have the edge. “The district may feel sorry for him,” said Joseph Slavet, former head of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau. “Sometimes voters, when they feel sorry for somebody, they might say, ‘Well, why don’t we give him a chance?’ ” Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1305962

Economy & Business, News, Politics

Liquor, beer, wine sales tax to end Jan. 1

/

Liquor, beer, wine sales tax to end Jan. 1 Associated Press / December 27, 2010 Shoppers in Massachusetts will soon no longer have to pay the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax on alcohol sold in stores. Voters approved a ballot question in November eliminating the levy, and it is set to disappear Jan. 1. Alcohol was exempt until 2009, when lawmakers expanded the sales tax to include beer and wine sold in stores and to use the extra revenue to help pay for substance-abuse programs. The package store industry and beer distributors launched an advertising campaign in support of a ballot question to repeal the tax, ultimately outspending supporters of the tax by a 10-to-1 ratio. Store owners argued that the tax hurt sales, especially for stores on the border with New Hampshire, which has no sales tax.

News, Politics

For Web-ready council, paper is so last century

/

For Web-ready council, paper is so last centuryBy Andrew RyanGlobe Staff / December 27, 2010 Here’s a holiday gift for the government gadfly who just can’t get enough consent agendas, hearing orders, and nonbinding resolutions: The Boston City Council is going paperless. It means that all the council’s work — every committee report, every 17F request for city data, every “whereas’’ — will be instantly available on the Internet. But wait, there’s more. FULL STORY HEREhttp://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/12/27/for_web_ready_boston_city_council_paper_is_so_last_century/

News, Politics

Cornell Mills running for District 7 Council seat

/

BLACKSTONIAN EXCLUSIVE: Cornell Mills has officially entered the race for the District 7 seat vacated after the ouster of Chuck Turner.  Mills, a longtime Bostonian has deep ties with the Roxbury section of Boston. Mills has been hounded by reporters since his name circulated as a potential candidate and is expected to face media scrutiny and controversy as the son of former Senator Dianne Wilkerson.  Mills has told the Blackstonian that his focus is on the District and providing leadership for the community while navigating the political circles he has been organizing in for the last decade and a half. The field of candidates thus far has grown to 12. The preliminary election is to be  held February 15th which will narrow the field to the final 2 candidates. The final election will be held March 15th. Boston Globe Story Field of candidates vying for Turner’s City Council seat keeps growingDecember 26, 2010 The race to succeed Chuck Turner on the Boston City Council has gotten off to a curious start.It sort of began in early November, when Turner was in limbo, still a member of the council but also freshly convicted of pocketing a $1,000 bribe. FULL STORY HERE:http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/12/26/field_of_candidates_vying_for_turners_city_council_seat_keeps_growing/?p1=Local_Links

News, Politics

Pre-sentencing hearing set for Dianne Wilkerson

/

Pre-sentencing hearing set for Dianne Wilkerson By Associated Press  |   Wednesday, December 22, 2010  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Politics BOSTON (– A federal judge is set to hear more testimony before selecting a final sentencing date for former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson on corruption charges. Wilkerson’s sentencing was originally scheduled for Wednesday. But U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Woodlock is now expected to take testimony that morning from a developer who claims Wilkerson solicited bribes from her. Wilkerson was not charged over those alleged payments, and her lawyer has said she did not solicit the money. Woodlock is expected to set Wilkerson’s sentencing date after hearing the developer’s testimony. Wilkerson pleaded guilty in June to eight counts of attempted extortion after she was captured on video stuffing bribe money into her bra. She was accused of taking $23,500 in bribes to help get a liquor license for a nightclub and an undercover agent posing as a businessman. Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1304807

Scroll to Top