THE HOUSE AND SENATE
Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of Dec. 21-25.
POLICE CHANGES (S 2963)
House 107-50, Senate 31-9, approved and sent to Gov. Charlie Baker a new version of a bill making major changes in the state’s policing system. The House and Senate adopted some of Gov. Baker’s amendments including scaling back a moratorium on the use of facial recognition software by law enforcement and limiting the influence of a civilian-led commission over police training.
A key provision creates an independent, civilian-led commission with the power to investigate police misconduct and to certify, restrict, revoke or suspend certification for police officers and maintain a publicly available database of decertified officers. Other provisions include banning the use of chokeholds; limiting the use of deadly force; requiring police officers who witness another officer using force beyond what is necessary or rea
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that federal documents loaned to state agencies cannot be shielded from Massachusetts public records laws.
The ruling was part of a larger decision handed down by the state s highest court Thursday in response to a 2017 lawsuit filed by Rahima Rahim, the mother of Usaamah Rahim, who was killed by law enforcement while being investigated for alleged ties to a terrorist organization.
While state officials did release some documents to the Rahim family regarding the investigation into Usaamah Rahim s death, his mother, Rahima, filed a public records request and eventually sued state officials to obtain more information.
Insurance Journal’s Most Noteworthy Topics of 2020: East Region
From questions over business interruption policy coverage spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic to property damage due to civil unrest, as well as significant court cases and state regulatory actions, it was a busy year for East region insurers.
Here’s a look back on the most noteworthy topics covered in Insurance Journal’s East region this year:
Business Interruption Insurance
As the COVID-19 pandemic claimed much of East region readers’ attention this year, a perhaps lesser known type of insurance moved into the spotlight, becoming familiar to many: business interruption (BI) insurance.
My Turn: It ain’t over ’til it’s over AP PHOTO/J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE AP PHOTO/J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE
Published: 12/23/2020 3:08:24 PM
It might seem like Trump’s efforts to overturn the election have finally reached their conclusion. The Supreme Court unanimously rejected the Texas lawsuit challenging the vote, the Electoral College officially voted for Biden, and even loyalist Mitch McConnell has said that Biden is the president-elect.
But wait.
A little-known U.S. law creates another opportunity on Jan. 6th for Republicans to dispute the vote in Congress. On that day, this 1887 Electoral Count Act gives every senator and representative the explicit right to object to the certification of the vote.
Why One Massachusetts Town Banned Every Single Arcade Game
Why One Massachusetts Town Banned Every Single Arcade Game Shutterstock
By Xavier Piedra/Dec. 23, 2020 9:14 am EDT
Although it doesn t happen very often, the banning of video games isn t an entirely new concept. Games that depict extreme violence or are overly controversial have faced legal consequences when developers of said titles were brought to court. Titles such as
The Guy Game and
Thrill Kill were banned in the United States and have become perfect examples of what not to include in a video game. Franchises like
Killer Instinct have also pushed the envelope as to how much adult content video games could get away with but managed to slip by in the end.