Update: At 12:00 noon on Saturday, I was notified by constable that our recount request of the original paper ballots has been accepted by the city and is happening this coming Thursday morning November 18th at 9:30am in the city councilor’s chambers of Somerville City Hall!

Win, lose or draw, I just want to ensure that the people of Somerville get to have their voices heard in a fair and clean election.

Billy Continue reading Somerville Residents Speak Out, Initiates Recount →

By Bob Katzen

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on legislation that would prohibit discrimination in child custody cases against adults with disabilities. The measure would require courts to make written findings as to whether a parent’s disability causes actual harm to his or her child and is a factor in determining custody. Continue reading PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION IN CHILD CUSTODY AGAINST ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES →

By Bob Katzen

The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on legislation that supporters say would change Massachusetts law so that that both parents who are going through a divorce have every right to continue to parent their children even after legal separation from their spouse. The measure replaces the word ‘visitation’ in state’s custody laws with ‘parenting time.’ Continue reading PARENTING TIME BILL (H 1547) →

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 38-0, approved legislation that would require EMS personnel to provide emergency treatment to a police dog and use an ambulance to transport the dog injured in the line of duty to a veterinary clinic or veterinary hospital if there are not people requiring emergency medical treatment or transport at that time. Continue reading ALLOW AMBULANCES TO BE USED FOR INJURED POLICE DOGS – NERO’S LAW →

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 37-0, approved an amendment that would expand eligibility for the Medal of Liberty to include families of service members who died during training exercises. Current law awards the medal to Massachusetts service men and women who have been killed in action or who died in service while in a designated combat area in the line of duty or who died from wounds received in action.

Continue reading GIVE MEDAL OF LIBERTY TO PEOPLE WHO DIE DURING TRAINING EXERCISES →

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 37-0, approved an amendment that would provide $5 million for grants to public higher education institutions to address student behavioral and mental health needs. Continue reading $5 MILLION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS’ BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS →

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 3-34, rejected an amendment providing $210 million for a two-week sales tax holiday in 2022 allowing consumers to buy most products that cost under $2,500 during a two-week sales tax holiday without paying the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax. State law currently calls for a two-day sales tax holiday every year. Continue reading MASSACHUSETTS TWO-WEEK SALES TAX HOLIDAY →

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 5-32, rejected an amendment that would increase from $500 million to $1 billion the amount of money that the bill would place in the state’s Unemployment Trust Fund which pays out unemployment benefits to jobless residents.

Continue reading STATE’S UNEMPLOYMENT TRUST FUND →

By Bob Katzen

All of the decisions on which senators’ amendments are included or not included in the relief and recovery package are made “behind closed doors in person” or in the COVID-19 era, “behind closed Zoom doors.” Many of the more than 700 amendments proposed were on local projects for cities and towns in individual senators’ districts. Some amendments were considered individually but many were consolidated into “Yes” or “No” bundles, created by the Democratic leadership, and were approved or rejected on a voice vote all at once without debate and without a roll call vote.
Continue reading A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE $3.82 BILLION FOR COVID RELIEF AND RECOVERY PACKAGE →

On November 9, 2021, I, Officer Tim Van Nostrand, was on duty and assigned to uniform patrol in marked cruiser 181. At approximately 5:40pm while traveling on Artisan Way, I observed a black Acura RSX parked, running, obstructing the crosswalk adjacent to Kay Jewelers located at 360 Artisan Way. I know this location to be a common place for a getaway vehicle to wait when committing a theft in one of the adjacent stores.
Continue reading Real Life Somerville Police Stories: Julien VASQUEZ (LARCENY OVER $1200, RESISTING ARREST, A&B ON POLICE OFFICER, ATTACHING WRONG MOTOR VEHICLE PLATES, UNREGISTERED MOTOR VEHICLE) →

By Richard Scirocco

For far too long we have become complacent in an acceptance of elected officials and their actions to represent the publics best interests. Our trust in the process has been betrayed.  The elections we have participated in with the enthusiastic action and hope of a successful choice have been tainted. Frustration has filled the hearts of many old school long term residents that were raised in the city. It has also disappointed the honest newcomers looking for a new home to raise their families. Continue reading IN SOMERVILLE WE CHOOSE TO FIGHT! →