Page 20 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 27, 2023 New date for City of Everett’s second annual Community Bowl Everett High School alums will compete in a competitive and friendly game of flag football M ayor Carlo DeMaria is pleased to announce that the City of Everett’s second annual Community Bowl will now take place on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Everett Veterans Memorial Stadium on Cabot Street. The originally scheduled date was postponed due to the weather. As part of Mayor DeMaria’s Everett for Everyone initiative, all are welcome to watch Everett High School alums battle each other in a fun and competitive game of flag football. The goal is to bring the Everett community together to enjoy some flag football and GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https://lp.constantcontactpages. com/su/aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes from the week of October 16-20. GUN BILL (H 4135) House 120-38, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that changes some of the state’s gun laws. Provisions include limiting the carrying of guns into public places including schools, polling places, government buildings and the private residences of others, with an exemption for law enforcement; cracking down on the spread of ghost guns with new registration requirements; updating the statewide ban on assault weapons; streamlining the licensing process; and changing the state’s “red flag” law by expanding who may petition a court for an extreme risk protection order against a person who poses a risk of causing bodily injury to themselves or others beyond just household members and law enforcement to include school administrators, medical professionals and employers. “Today, as we have always done in the area of firearm safety, the House takes the lead in acting to make the commonwealth a safer place by giving law enforceBeacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen ment the tools they need to go after ghost guns, keeping battlefield weapons out of our neighborhoods and keeping our schools, homes, town halls and polling locations safe,” said chief sponsor Rep. Mike Day (D-Stoneham), House Chair of the Judiciary Committee. “While Washington is paralyzed by dysfunction that endangers Americans across the country, we in Massachusetts address our challenges directly and take the steps necessary to modernize our firearms laws to keep us safe.” “The comprehensive gun reform legislation that the House passed today will make Massachusetts residents safer and will further strengthen the commonwealth’s status as a national leader in the effort to combat gun violence,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “While the commonwealth annually ranks as one of the safest states in the entire country from gun violence, the Supreme Court’s [New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, Inc. v.] Bruen decision nullified existing components of our gun laws, threatening the safety of the commonwealth’s residents. With the passage of this legislation, the House has once again displayed an unwavering commitment to ensuring that Massachusetts remains one of the safest states in the country.” “Massachusetts already has some of the strictest firearms laws in the country, along with the lowest rate of deaths associated with gun violence,” said Rep. Steve Xiarhos (R-Barnstable). “The vast majority of gun-related crimes are committed with illegal weapons and not with legally owned firearms, and the focus of the bill should be based on listening to our Massachusetts Police Chiefs and on punishing those who break the law rather than targeting law-abiding citizens.” “Instead of focusing on the elimination of ghost guns and the link between mental health and gun ownership, this legislation attacks legal, law abiding gun owners who follow the rules,” said Rep. Tood Smola (R-Warren). “The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association unanimously opposed this legislation, yet the proponents of this bill never said a single word to address their objection. Unfortunately, we missed an opportunity to target the real issues related to gun violence in this bill.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes FIND OUT THE COST OF THE GUN BILL (H 4135) House 130-27, upheld the ruling of the chair that the debate can begin on the gun bill despite the fact that it does not include a fiscal note detailing the cost of the proposal. House GOP Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading) moved to delay action on the bill because he said that House rules require any legislation reported from the House Ways and Means Committee which has a cost attached to it exceeding $100,000 must be accompanied by a fiscal note detailing the amount of public money which will be required to be spent to carry out the provisions of the proposal. Acting House Speaker Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow) ruled that a fiscal note is not necessary. “This is not within our province to the internal workings of a particular subject matter committee and feel the order is not well taken,” said Hogan. This led to Jones’ doubting the ruling of the chair. Beacon Hill Roll Call asked the top two Democratic leaders in the House to comment on the ruling and why they voted in facatch up with old friends while making new ones. The event will have free admission for all who plan to attend. Families are invited to arrive early for a chance for kids to participate in a skills and drills session with professional women’s football team the Boston Renegades from the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA). The two competing teams will be comprised of Everett High School (EHS) graduates from different graduation years split into an “Odd Years” team and an “Even Years” team. Some participants will include players who played in the championship seasons vor of it. House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy) and Majority Leader Frank Moran (D-Lawrence) did not respond to repeated requests for a comment. “In my opinion, the lack of a fiscal note on [the bill] is a clear violation of House Rule 33,” said Jones. “There is no way that implementing the many provisions contained in this bill will not exceed a cost of $100,000. Based on my conversations with stakeholders, the provision requiring the State Police to take over the inspections of firearms dealers from local jurisdictions alone is likely to cost $1 million to $2 million per year. Before voting on such an expansive bill, House members and the public have a right to know how much its implementation is going to cost the state’s taxpayers.” (A “Yes” vote supports the ruling of the chair that debate can proceed despite the lack of a fiscal note. A “No” vote is against allowing debate to proceed and supports the requirement that a fiscal note be included before debate can begin.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICERS (H 4135) House 158-0, approved an amendment designed to clarify that the bill does not ban off-duty police officers from carrying firearms in certain restricted spaces, as long as the weapon is provided by their department. The legislation originally allowed only active, on-duty police to carry guns in those spaces. “Most, if not all of us, have heard from our law enforcement community with concerns about when and where they would be allowed to carry firearms when not on official duty,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Mark Cusack (D-Braintree). “I am offering this amendment … to clarify that off-duty active law enforcement officers would be allowed to carry their department-issued firearms in the following places: a place owned, leased 2001, 2002 and 2003, which are known as the “three-peat” years. This is the time period when EHS football won the championship three years in a row. “Sports are a great way to bring members of the community together, and that’s what our goal is with the Community Bowl,” said Mayor DeMaria. “We’re inviting EHS alums from any graduating year to participate in this event that is a great opportunity for old friends to reunite as well as make new ones while playing flag football. All are welcome to attend.” The Community Bowl championship trophy. or under the control of state, county or municipal government and used for the purpose of government administration; a location in use at the time of possession as a polling place and for the storage and tabulation of ballots; and an elementary school, secondary school, college and university, including transport used for the students, in the areas contained within.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes DANGEROUSNESS (H 4135) House 26-132, rejected an amendment that would allow the state to move, based on dangerousness, for an order of pretrial detention or release on conditions when a person has been charged with covert weapons violations or illegal possession of a firearm. Supporters said the amendment would give prosecutors the tools necessary to hold dangerous people accountable and protect victims of gun violence. Rep. Alyson Sullivan (R-Abington), the sponsor of the amendment, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call to comment on her amendment. “This amendment is actually part of a number of bills that are currently before the Judiciary Committee,” said Rep. Christine Barber (D-Somerville) who urged members to vote against the amendment. “A number of those bills would expand the pretrial detention of people. And this committee takes the issue of expanding pretrial detention very seriously. The committee is currently vetting those proposals, and rather than taking a piecemeal approach of this one piece, that committee is looking at all the related bills in a thoughtful manner. And so we’re continuing to take a full look at this issue and I look forward to those discussions.” BEACON | SEE PAGE 21
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