July 16, 2015 BOSTON – Next Wednesday, the state’s public records law will be one step closer to being a real law with real penalties, after forty years of being merely a suggestion for public officials to turn over public documents when requested. MGL Ch. 66 mandates that public agencies turn over public documents within ten […]
By: Bharani Padmanabhan – June, 2015 This month, Valley Patriot Publisher Tom Duggan was front and center in this state’s media environment for a couple of days. Most media people referred to him by name except for Dan Kennedy who refused to do so while using Tom’s testimony to support the new public records bill. Tom had […]
By: State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell June, 2015 Massachusetts gets an F grade for access to public records according to some very respected public interest groups. A number of bills have been filed to change this including legislation filed by Senator Ives and co-sponsored by both Representative DiZoglio and myself. As a member of the […]
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Massachusetts Legislators, members of the media and 1st amendment advocates testified last month before a joint House and Senate committee on Beacon Hill, asking legislators to add penalties to the state’s fake public records law. The law, MGL Ch. 66, states that the keeper of records in any municipality or public agency must turn over public […]
NEIL HARRINGTON IS THE POSTER BOY When I started this journey to reform our state’s public records law five years ago I had no idea that the Town of Salisbury would feature so prominently in my motivations to add stiff penalties for officials who refuse to turn over public documents. Yet, here we are. […]
By: State Senator Katy Ives – June, 2015 Last week, I testified on a bill I filed, S.1700, An Act Relative to Obtaining Information, before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. This bill promotes access to information, available to all, within a reasonable time frame and for residents to have recourse in […]
Listen to or Download Hour 1: Methuen Mayor Steve Zanni talks about running for reelection, the new turf at Nicholson Stadium, and more. Listen to or Download Hour 2: State Senator Katy Ives talks about her transparency bill, S-1700 which will penalize public officials who refuse to comply with the state’s public records law. Ives also […]
AUDIO: Tom Duggan on Afternoon LIVE discusses the state’s impotent Public Records law and how it affects you. (VIDEO of Duggan’s testimony below at 41 MIN mark) Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan testified before a sub committee of the Massachusetts State Legislature in favor of a bill he wrote S1700 that would finally put teeth into […]
By: Tom Duggan – April, 2015 Embattled Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington has been ordered by Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office (right)to turn over public documents he has been concealing from the taxpayers for months. Harrington was requested by Salisbury residents Joyce and Gracemarie Tomaselli, to turn over a certified copy of the vote […]
By Senator Katy Ives – February, 2015 As I begin my second term as State Senator and a new two-year legislative session, I have filed a cross section of bills that will directly benefit constituents, municipalities and small businesses in my district. I filed 33 bills in total and also co-sponsored a number of important […]
By: Kathleen O’Connor Ives – January, 2015 In my first legislative session we passed a number of significant laws, including requiring nursing homes, rest homes, or other long term care facilities to first obtain informed, written consent if psychotropic medications are to be administered, along with a description of the side effects. We also passed […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL Four years ago our impotent Attorney General Martha Coakley prosecuted State Treasurer Tim Cahill for running state lottery commercials with our tax money while he was running for governor. State law prohibits elected officials from using tax dollars for advertising 60 days before an election if their name appears on the ballot. […]
Paying Attention is hosted by Tom Duggan, Co-host Paul Murano and is produced by Chris Poublon. Paying Attention and airs on 980WCAP in Lowell. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HOUR 1 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HOUR 2 In the first hour Tom and Paul talked about how Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington is concealing public documents as […]
Paying Attention is hosted by Tom Duggan, Co-host Paul Murano and is produced by Chris Poublon. Paying Attention and airs on 980WCAP in Lowell. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HOUR 1 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HOUR 2 Today Tom and Paul talked with State Rep. Candidate Phil DeCologero in the studio. Other topics: Christians and Jews United for […]