House Minority Leader’s Statement on Governor Patrick’s Actions Relative to the Parole Board

BOSTON—House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. issued the following statement today after hearing the actions Governor Patrick plans to take relative to the Parole Board.

I am pleased at the action the Governor announced relative to the Parole Board. He has finally come to the same conclusion many of us reached weeks ago. I am however disappointed it took this long and that the life of a police officer had to be taken in order for him to act.

Furthermore, it appears that the Governor’s planned legislation relative to habitual offenders falls short of “Melissa’s Bill.” Without having seen his legislation, it would appear that the most violent criminals would still have the possibility of being paroled. The fact is we can do better and we should do better.

Representative Howitt Talks Tax Credits for the Film Industry

Representative Steven Howitt was recently asked to share his thoughts on providing tax credits for the film industry. The Freshman member defeated a Democrat incumbent in the past election cycle.

Click here to see what Representative Howitt had to say.

House Minority Leader’s Statement on Evergreen Solar Closing its Doors in Devens

BOSTON—House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. issued the following statement today after Evergreen Solar will be closing its Devens facility and letting go of its 800 employees.

This should serve as a lesson to Governor Patrick that throwing money at companies in industries he approves of won’t necessarily translate into success. Instead of focusing on stimulating one particular industry, Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Murray should turn their attention to creating an economic climate where all businesses can succeed and thrive.

Minority Leader Checks in with Jon Keller

In case you missed it, House Minority Leader Brad Jones checked in with Jon Keller this past weekend on Keller @ Large. Representative Jones, who was just re-elected Minority Leader, discussed swearing-in day, the Governor's inauguration and the continued controversy swirling around the Parole Board.

Click here to check it out.

Assistant Minority Leader Appears on Greater Boston

Assistant Minority Leader George Peterson recently appeared on Greater Boston with Emily Rooney. The Grafton Republican discussed a number of issues, but much of the conversation was focused on the call recently made by Republican Lawmakers to pass "Melissa's Bill."

Click here to see what Representative Peterson had to say.

Representative Donald Wong Makes History

As you know, the 187th General Court was sworn in last week. What you may not have known is that two of them were making history as they took the oath of office. Representatives Donald Wong and Tackey Chan are the first two Asian-Americans ever to serve in the Massachusetts Legislature.

Representative Wong is one of the new members of the Republican Caucus. He's a Saugus Selectman and business owner, who says he's focused on the economy, jobs and taxes.

NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu put together a special piece on Wong and Chan's historical swearing-in. Click here to watch the story in its entirety.

Representative Ryan Fattman Appears on Fox 25's Morning News

Freshman Representative Ryan Fattman of Sutton appeared on the Fox 25 Morning News earlier today. Fattman talked with "VB" about his first week observations as well as his legislative priorities.

Click here to watch the segment in its entirety.

Boston Globe Gets it Right!

In case you missed it, the Boston Globe ran an editorial today calling for the repeal of the Pacheco Law, an anti-privatization law on the books and costing the state a lot of money.

The opening paragraph says it all, "The so-called Pacheco law doesn’t just keep government agencies from saving money by hiring outside contractors to perform certain services. It also sends a broad message: In Massachusetts, the demands of special-interest groups — in this case, public-employee unions — can outweigh the obligation to run government efficiently."

The editorial goes on to say, "As the chief executive of the state in a time of great fiscal distress, Governor Patrick must deliver better government in a frugal manner — and that should mean getting the Pacheco law repealed."

We couldn't agree with the writers of this piece more. Fortunately, year after year the Republican Caucus has filed measures to repeal or to raise the threshold of the Pacheco Law. With several media outlets supporting our efforts, we are hopeful this will be the year we repeal the Pacheco Law.

Congratulations and Welcome to all of the Members

As many of you know, today’ the 187th General Court was sworn in to office. Among the 159 Massachusetts House of Representatives, 31 Republicans were sworn in. It is an exciting day and one the Republican Caucus is very pleased to begin the new Legislative Session with a re-energized and reinvigorated group.

Though today is one of pomp and circumstance, we here at The Capitol View understand the magnitude of the challenges the Commonwealth of Massachusetts faces in 2011. The 31 members of the Republican Caucus will focus their efforts on creating jobs, stimulating the economy and getting the state’s finances back on the right track. We have no doubt this year will be tough but we look forward and are up to the challenge.

Congratulations and welcome to all of the new members.

Representative Bradley Jones Elected to 5th Term as Minority Leader

BOSTON—Saying he’s looking forward to having the opportunity to continue serving as the leader of the Republican Caucus in the House, Representative Brad Jones released the following statement today after being elected to his 5th term as Minority Leader.

I am humbled and honored by the overwhelming support I received today from my Republican colleagues in the House. I look forward to serving as Minority Leader and understand the magnitude of the challenges we as a legislative body face this session.

I am excited to lead the Republican Caucus and know that my members will work tirelessly on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth to make Massachusetts a better place to live, work and raise a family.