House Republicans Advocate for Increased Accountability Statewide

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) today announced that the House Republican Caucus will file legislation which will close an ongoing loophole in the state’s campaign finance laws.

In response to a gap in campaign finance laws which fails to address candidates at the town or city level who neglect to comply with certain reporting requirements, House Republicans have proposed extending laws which currently apply only to candidates for state office to include those running for positions at the municipal level.

  “Accountability in government is paramount at all levels,” said House Minority Leader Brad Jones. “All elected officials in Massachusetts need to be held to the highest standard; it is, after all, what the residents expect. Our intention in filing this legislation is to ensure that any candidate, regardless of the office they seek, is in full compliance with all campaign finance laws.”

Under current law, the Office of Campaign and Political Finance can only block candidates running for state or county office from appearing on a ballot should they refuse to disclose a legally required campaign finance report. Given the law’s omission of municipal elections, candidates for city or town offices with unresolved campaign finance violations legally cannot be barred from appearing on the ballot. The legislation proposed by House Republicans would remove this loophole by extending the law to all elections in the Commonwealth, including municipal elections.

House GOP Members React to “Missing” Welfare Recipients

In case you missed it, State Representatives Brad Jones (R-North Reading), Betty Poirier (North Attleboro), and Shaunna O’Connell (R-Taunton) recently weighed in on Massachusetts’ inability to locate 19,000 welfare recipients.

Representative Jones spoke with the Boston Herald, Representative Poirier was interviewed by NECN reporter Alison King, and Representative O’Connell appeared on Fox News’ show On the Record to provide insight into the recent revelation that the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is unable to account for the whereabouts of 19,000 recipients of taxpayer-funded transitional assistance.

As you may remember, this egregious misuse of taxpayer dollars came to light through a voter information effort led by the Commonwealth at a cost of $274,000. In reaching out to a reported 477,000 welfare recipients with the hope of obtaining new voter registration, 19,000 “Return to sender, address unknown” envelopes started to appear in the DTA’s mailbox.

Click here to view Representative O’Connell’s segment with Greta Van Susteren in its entirety.

Play the video below to watch Representative Poirier's interview on NECN



See below to read Representative Jones' comments to the Boston Herald in their entirety.
Governor Vows Review of Welfare Clients

Return to Sender

In case you missed it, another agency under that watch of Governor Deval Patrick has been found asleep at the wheel. This time it’s the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and their inability to account for the whereabouts of 19,000 recipients of taxpayer-funded transitional assistance.

Today’s Boston Herald reports that this egregious error was brought to light, inadvertently, through a voter information effort led by the Commonwealth at a cost of $274,000. In reaching out to a reported 477,000 welfare recipients with the hope of obtaining new voter registration, 19,000 “Return to sender, address unknown” envelopes started to appear in the DTA’s mailbox.

In a lackluster statement from the DTA, the agency says “DTA is in the process of contacting those clients for which a forwarding address was provided to verify their addresses, as a change of address might impact their eligibility.” What their response fails to address are their plans for those recipients for whom they didn’t receive forwarding address information. Whether or not they continue to receive their direct-deposit assistance checks is the million dollar question - literally.

Massachusetts’ residents have every right to question the Patrick Administration as to whether or not their tax dollars are being spent wisely. As such, the House Republican Caucus has, and will continue to, lead the charge for substantive reform to the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system in Massachusetts. However, we cannot do it alone. Democrats on Beacon Hill must start engaging Republicans in targeted measures aimed at fixing the Commonwealth’s EBT system.

Representative Brad Jones Re-Elected Minority Leader

Representative Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) was recently re-elected by his Republican colleagues to serve a sixth term as Minority Leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

“I am very grateful that my Republican colleagues have given me the opportunity to continue serving as House Minority Leader,” said Representative Jones. “This upcoming session will be extremely difficult as the Commonwealth faces a myriad of challenges, especially when it comes to the state’s finances. I look forward to joining my Republican colleagues in not only playing a significant role in helping to reform the way state government delivers services, but also in offering creative and fiscally responsible solutions.”

While Representative Jones anticipates a busy legislative agenda, he remains focused on economic recovery, fiscal responsibility, and creating an open and transparent state government.

“The Republican Caucus intends on coming out of the gate focused on getting Massachusetts moving in the right direction,” said Jones. “One way we intend on doing that will be to argue against the ongoing and increasing clamor on Beacon Hill about the need for a statewide tax increase. I strongly encourage my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to think twice about those plans, as any tax hike would only diminish the Bay State’s opportunity for any sort of substantive and sustained economic recovery.”

With the state’s unemployment rate continually hovering around 6.6%, the focus on Beacon Hill needs to be on turning around the Commonwealth’s economic climate. Representative Jones and House Republicans will once again offer an innovative approach to fostering economic growth within the Commonwealth.

“We hope the entire Legislature will join us in making returning Massachusetts’ residents and small businesses to solid ground a top priority in the upcoming session,” said the House Minority Leader. “House Democrats cannot continue to defer targeted measures at reducing unemployment until the very last minute, as was the case last session.”

Furthermore, the North Reading lawmaker says protecting local aid needs to be at the top of the priority list this legislative session.

“Local cities and towns continue to feel the trickle-down effect of a worsening economy,” said Representative Jones. “Further paralyzing them through cuts to local aid will only further aggravate the situation. The Legislature must first exhaust all options for savings at the state level before placing the Commonwealth’s budgetary problems on our local municipalities. Cutting local aid must always be a last resort.”

Jones, a North Reading native, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1994. This past November he was elected to his tenth term representing the 20th Middlesex District on Beacon Hill and continues to maintain his perfect voting record. Representative Jones has cast 5,490 consecutive roll call votes and hasn’t missed a single vote in his nearly 19 years in the Legislature.

Merry Christmas!

From all of us here at The Capitol View, we'd like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

We'd also like to extend our thoughts and prayers to all of our service men and women serving at home and abroad who will not have the opportunity to celebrate with their loved ones.

House Minority Leader’s Statement on President Obama’s Nomination of Senator John Kerry as Secretary of State

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today in response to news that President Obama will nominate Senator John Kerry to serve as Secretary of State:

“Senator John Kerry has a long record of public service on behalf of Massachusetts and its residents. Furthermore, he is a distinguished United States veteran and is an honorable individual. I thank him for his service to the Commonwealth and I wish him the best of luck as he embarks on this new chapter in his life.

With the senior-Senator from Massachusetts being tapped to serve as Secretary of State, it is my sincere hope that no further public or private consideration is given to changing the law in Massachusetts as it pertains to appointing an interim United States Senator. Senator Kerry’s nomination, and all but certain confirmation, sets in motion a law that was last changed in 2009. Regardless of the merits of the way the law was crafted, it is the law and to change it to benefit any one party or individual would be wrong.”

Tragedy in Connecticut

We are deeply saddened by today’s horrific news about the loss of life in Newtown, CT. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the all those impacted by today’s tragedy. In this time of grief for the friends of families of those who lost loved ones, we extend our sympathies and condolences.

House Republicans Weigh In On Shake-up Within the Patrick Administration

In case you missed it, Governor Patrick announced a major reconfiguration of high-ranking personnel within his administration. One of those changes included Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Health and Human Services. The departure of Dr. Bigby comes after House Republican Leadership called on Governor Patrick to request her resignation.

The complete breakdowns of the changes in the Administration are as follows:

Executive Office of Health and Human Services

OUT: Dr. JudyAnn Bigby
IN: John Polanowicz – President of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center

Executive Office of Public Safety and Security

OUT: Marybeth Heffernan
IN: Sherrif Andrea Cabral – Suffolk County Sherrif

Executive Office of Education

OUT: Paul Reville
IN: Matt Malone – Superintendent of Brockton School System

Executive Office of Administration and Finance

OUT: Jay Gonzalez
IN: Glen Shor – Executive Director of Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority

Yesterday, Representatives Betty Poirier (R-North Attleboro) and Brad Hill (R-Ipswich) weighed in on the reconfiguration within the Administration as well as Secretary Bigby’s departure.

Click on the links below to see the interviews in their entirety.

FOX-25 News - Governor Patrick Announces Cabinet Shake-Ups



WHDH-TV -

Gov. Patrick Cabinet shakeup

House Minority Leader’s Statement on Reconfiguration Within the Patrick Administration

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today in response to Governor Patrick’s announcement of the departure of four high-ranking officials within his administration:

“The changes announced by Governor Patrick are in part a normal by-product of an administration entering its seventh year in office. Longevity, coupled with the fatigue that can impact high-level and high-profile appointments, often leads to the natural desire to pursue other career opportunities.

I am extremely pleased that the Governor heeded the call of House Republican’s and is starting anew at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. New leadership at this Secretariat is critical in assessing the totality of the situation at both the Dr. William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute and the New England Compounding Center. However, coming to terms with the tremendous financial costs and human toll of these two scandals remains paramount. Today we are taking the first step in a very long and expensive process to restoring the trust and confidence that Massachusetts residents have in this administration.”

House Republican Leadership Renews Call for Secretary Bigby to Resign

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today in response to the Boston Herald’s report that Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Health and Human Services, waited 7 months before launching an investigation into drug sample tampering at the Dr. William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute:

“After reading the revelations in today’s Boston Herald, it is clear that Secretary Bigby does not possess the ability, nor inspire the confidence of the public, necessary to lead the Executive Office of Health and Human Services going forward. As a result, we are renewing our call for Governor Patrick to ask for Dr. JudyAnn Bigby’s resignation, immediately.

The fact that it took Secretary Bigby seven months to launch a full review investigation is both reckless and irresponsible. Poor management has allowed these problems to escalate, and it will take a strong and effective manager to solve them. While we recognize that Dr. Bigby holds a deep knowledge in the health care field, her delayed response time demonstrates a lack of management skills required for this daunting task.

The Patrick Administration has made it clear over the past couple of weeks that they are capable, albeit reluctantly, to ask for the resignation of individuals within their administration that have breached the public’s trust. This situation is no different.”