In the NBA there were the “Jordan Rules.” Could there be Minogue Rules coming to Massachusetts elections?
As budget week kicks off on Beacon Hill, state Sen. Rebecca Rausch (D-Norfolk, Worcester & Middlesex) has filed a budget amendment ahead of Senate debate that would strike out a provision in Massachusetts law allowing political candidates to self-fund their campaigns without limitation.
Amendment 308, entitled “Elections Not For Sale” by Rausch, comes as Republican gubernatorial candidate and billionaire Mike Minogue has self-funded his own campaign with over $13 million, recently being called out indirectly by Gov. Maura Healey’s reelection campaign in an email to prospective donors.
“SECTION X: Section 7 of chapter 55 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 13-17, inclusive, the words “A candidate may make expenditures without limitation for the purposes of his own campaign and may make campaign contributions without limitation for the benefit of the non-elected political committee,” Rausch’s amendment reads.
The amendment comes after Healey campaign also admitted that they are “at a disadvantage,” as the governor’s current $4,816,058 in cash on-hand sits far behind Minogue’s $10,091,961, according to the latest OCPF filings.
Rausch also filed Amendment 248, which she named “Candidate Safety,” that would remove from public record a political candidate’s home address, personal email address and home telephone number.
MA federal delegation votes against House resolution honoring law enforcement during National Police Week
All House members of the Massachusetts federal delegation were part of a group of 173 Democrats that voted against a House resolution Wednesday that honors law enforcement during National Police Week.
The resolution supports the nation’s men and women in law enforcement while also condemning policies that undermine public safety and put officers at greater risk. It was led by Republican Iowa Rep. Zach Nunn, passing the House 243-173.
“It shouldn’t be controversial to stand with the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe,” said Nunn. “But from the ‘defund the police’ radicalism to sanctuary city policies that prevent cooperation with federal law enforcement, too many politicians have put ideology ahead of public safety — and Americans are paying the price.”
The resolution also condemns sanctuary policies limiting cooperation between local and federal law enforcement, citing Center for Immigration Studies numbers identifying 13 states and over 225 localities as sanctuary jurisdictions.
Honoring a UMass spirit
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym received his UMass Amherst degree and a citation for his “life and legacy” posthumously. Both are sweet and sad because the young intern will never collect them. He was cut down in the crossfire in a Washington, D.C., gunfight in another example of the innocent being caught in the hate.
“After seeing what happened in Cambridge this week, I relived the horror of what happened to my son in a similar situation, but with three monsters and three automatic rifles,” Eric’s mom, Tamara Tarpinian Jachym, told the Herald this week.
She will never hold her boy again, and gun violence just brings back all that pain. That’s a reality she prays those in charge — from the judges to the Parole Board — consider before other Erics are killed.
