Pelletier Family Gives Powerful Testimony in Support of Justina’s Law

Pelletier Family Gives Powerful Testimony in Support of Justina’s Law

By: Bharani Padmanabhan – July 3, 2015 Valley Patriot readers may be familiar with the 17 month long ordeal suffered by young Justina Pelletier at the hands of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the huge effort it took from 100,000 ordinary people from across this great land who came together to […]

Fighting to Change Massachusetts’ Fake Public Records Law

Fighting to Change Massachusetts’ Fake Public Records Law

  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 […]

Joint Committee Supports Reforming State Public Records Law, Add Penalties for Officials Who Refuse to Release Public Records

March 16, 2014 The days of public officials refusing to comply with the state’s public records law are almost over. So says State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives (D), Newburyport who told the Valley Patriot on Wednesday that a Massachusetts joint House and Senate Committee on Public Administration has given a favorable recommendation to House Bill H2846, an […]

Riley Increases Central Office Salaries by More Than $6MIL, Spending in Failing School System Climbs to $160MIL Under State Receivership

Riley Increases Central Office Salaries by More Than $6MIL, Spending in Failing School System Climbs to $160MIL Under State Receivership

“The help we give to Lawrence will not be an infusion of capital it will be getting at some management changes.” Deval Patrick January, 2010 “My goal is to decentralize” Jeff Riley 2011   By: Tom Duggan – April 16, 2013 When State Receiver Jeff Riley took over the failing Lawrence Public Schools more than two years ago, he promised to decrease the […]

Rep. Lyons Demands Immediate Appeal of Killer’s Sex Change

Rep. Lyons Demands Immediate Appeal of Killer’s Sex Change

Says Deval Patrick Should Have No Hesitation in Appealing Court Ruling   “This is an insult to the taxpayers of Massachusetts,” said Representative Jim Lyons of Andover. He represents neighborhoods in Dracut, Andover, North Andover and Tewksbury. Lyons was referring to the federal court decision that forces state taxpayers to fund the sex change of a […]

State Rep Jim Lyons Demands Answers

Governor Patrick Administration Refuses to Say How Much is Spent on Illegals By: Tom Duggan – November 2012 State Representative Jim Lyons (D) Andover, has turned Beacon Hill on it’s dome by demanding to know how much money the state is spending for health care on illegal aliens. Last monthLyons made the Patrick Administration and […]

Rep. Lyons Demand to Know How Much State Money is Spent on Illegal Aliens

Rep. Lyons Demand to Know How Much State Money is Spent on Illegal Aliens

LYONS’ AMENDMENT CLEARS THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   October 5, 2011    BOSTON – State Representative Jim Lyons (R-Andover), joined by his Republican House colleagues, introduced a “transparency in spending” amendment to the state supplemental budget that passed the House of Representatives. Titled “An amendment to account for budget expenditures,” the Lyons-authored amendment directs the […]