Government

OP-ED: Criminal Justice Reforms About Lifting People Up, Not Locking Them Up

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(The following piece was submitted by State Sen. Will Brownsberger, who represents Watertown)

Last week, the legislature sent a broad reform of the criminal justice system to the Governor with a unanimous vote in the Senate and a near-unanimous vote in the House. The bill is about lightening up on the little guy – the person who has made some mistakes but wants to turn a corner and live right. If possible, we want to lift that person up instead of locking them up. And we want to cut away the web of bureaucratic entanglements that makes it hard for them to get back on their feet. For the most dangerous offenders though, the focus has to be on public protection and the bill also gives police and prosecutors a number of useful new tools.

Government

Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform Legislation Moves Forward in State House

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger, from Belmont who represents Watertown, announced that House and Senate have released legislation that would reform the criminal justice system in Massachusetts. Brownsberger included a detailed summary of the legislation on his website. Some of the changes would be:

Strengthen mandatory minimum penalties for opiate trafficking offenses
Reducing minimum mandatory penalties for non-opiate drug offenses
Creating alternatives to prosecution or incarceration for minor offenses
Decriminalizing some minor offenses
Strengthen protections for public safety, including penalties for some types of crime, including corporate manslaughter, homicide by motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a credit card scanner, and high number of repeat OUIs. Improving prisons, and reducing the use of solitary confinement

(Read the entire summary on Brownsberger’s website by clicking here)

Below is the press release from legislators who worked on the legislation:
House and Senate legislators filed their final criminal justice reform conference report with the Senate Clerk on Friday. The consensus legislation is a comprehensive review of the Commonwealth’s criminal justice system.

Government

LETTER: Resident Responds to State Senator’s Op-ed on Automated Traffic Enforcement

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{The following is a response to an Op-ed written by State Sen. Will Brownsberger that was published on Watertown News on March 19, 2018. Read the Op-ed here.}
As someone who works with technology on a daily basis, I appreciate Brownsberger’s effort to convince us that cameras and computer programs can help us. But his message confuses me. He hints that municipalities would use this tool transparently and conservatively, yet also tells us that this method will be a lucrative way of securing revenue from citizenry; the machines will “easily pay for themselves”. He further perplexes us when in one line he says the barriers are “not technological” but then admits “no currently [sic] mechanism” that can ascertain the actual perpetrator.

Letters

OP-ED: Are We Ready for Automated Traffic Enforcement?

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The following was submitted by State Sen. Will Brownsberger

Automated enforcement of speed limits and red lights could substantially reduce accidents. So far, we have not been willing to use the new technology in Massachusetts. To improve safety, I hope we can build support to experiment with automated enforcement in a thoughtful and transparent way. The technology to recognize license plates is now quite reliable. The barriers to using plate readers for enforcement of basic traffic laws are not technological.

Government

OP-ED: School Funding Formula Not Fair to Communities Like Watertown

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Submitted by State Sen. Will Brownsberger, whose district includes Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston. Overall, state aid to schools is inadequate and, although the current distribution formula works out well for Belmont and Boston, it is unfair to many communities, including Watertown. I hope we can pass the “millionaire’s tax” this November and use the proceeds to increase school aid under a simpler, more rational formula. The state distributes approximately $5 billion annually in unrestricted aid for local schools, known as “Chapter 70” aid, covering on average roughly 1/3 of total local school costs. Aside from MassHealth, unrestricted local school aid is the single largest item in the state budget — roughly 20% of state tax revenue.

Government

State Sen. Brownsberger Hosting Series of Town Halls, Including in Watertown

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State Senator Will Brownsberger – whose district includes Watertown – will host a series of town halls throughout his district in February, his office announced. These events are free and open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend to share their thoughts on current events and legislative priorities.Allston/Brighton: Thursday, February 8 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Presentation School, New Balance Community Room | 640 Washington Street, Brighton

Watertown: Saturday, February 10 from 12 – 2 p.m.
Watertown Free Public Library, Savings Bank Room | 123 Main Street, Watertown

Belmont: Saturday, February 10 from 3 – 5 p.m.
Beech Street Center | 266 Beech Street, Belmont

Fenway: Sunday, February 11 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Fenway Community Center | 1282 Boylston Street, Boston

West Fens/Northeastern: Sunday, February 11 from 5 – 7 p.m.
Emerald Necklace Conservancy | 125 Fenway, Boston

Back Bay: Monday, February 12 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
First Church Boston | 66 Marlborough Street, Boston

Allston/Brighton: Tuesday, February 13 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
All-Bright Community Center | 1285-B Commonwealth Avenue, Boston

Environment

OP-ED: Sen. Brownsberger Looks at Local Flooding Risks From Climate Change

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As a legislator, I’ve been concerned to reduce our contributions to climate change.  Over the last few weeks, I’ve been trying to better understand the local flooding risks caused by the climate changes we seem unable to prevent. It’s hard to know how much the seas are going to rise. First, no one knows how much the people of the world will be able to reduce carbon emissions. Second, even within a given emissions scenario, the uncertainties are considerable.  For example, if we just assume continually growing emissions, the estimates of probable local sea level rise vary by a factor of two from 3.2 feet to 7.4 feet by 2100. Much of Boston lies quite low, so these uncertainties matter.

Transportation

Seniors Invited to Apply for MBTA CharlieCards at Local Event

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger announced he will sponsor a Senior CharlieCard Day on Monday, June 26 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Beech Street Center, located at 266 Beech Street in Belmont. Seniors age 65 or older can save a trip to the MBTA offices in Downtown Boston and apply for a Senior CharlieCard at this event. Staff from the Office of Senator Brownsberger will be on hand to take photos and process applications, which will be provided. Seniors will just need to bring a valid, state-issued photo ID that includes date of birth. No advance sign-up required.