Latest news with #Governor'sCouncil
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
When will recount happen in Taunton state rep race with 17-vote margin of victory?
Republican Larry Quintal has collected enough signatures for a districtwide recount in his race against Democrat Lisa Field, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Secretary of State's office said Wednesday. Field beat Quintal in the race for state representative in the 3rd Bristol District by 17 votes, according to official election results. Now, Quintal is seeking a recount. The spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said the election results must be certified by the Massachusetts governor and the Governor's Council before a district wide recount can proceed. The governor and the Governor's Council are expected to certify the election results on Wednesday, June 25, the spokesperson said. The districtwide recount would thus be expected to occur after June 25. The spokesperson said that Easton and Taunton are expected to schedule recounts on different days or different times so that the two municipalities do not hold their recounts simultaneously. Here's what we know. To seek a districtwide recount, Quintal needed to obtain at least 38 signatures of registered voters, a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said. Quintal appears to have obtained 125 signatures in support of a recount, the spokesperson said. A districtwide recount has a requirement that the margin of victory between the candidates must be "less than 0.5% of the votes cast in that race," a spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said. According to official election results, Field beat Quintal by 17 votes, which puts Field's margin of victory within the margin required for a district wide recount to occur. The spokesperson added that Quintal's "petitions are in apparent conformity with the law" and that the secretary of state's office is moving forward with the process to hold a recount. On election night, Tuesday, June 10, Field declared victory but said Quintal was 'within his rights to ask for a recount.' On election night, Quintal initially called Field to concede the election. He then rescinded his concession and has since indicated he will be seeking a recount. Mark Pacheco, the elections director for the city of Taunton, told the Gazette in an email that "recounts do cost money, of course" and that costs include "a police detail cost, election worker cost, other labor cost, and supply cost." He estimated that a recount would cost "under $5,000 for the City of Taunton." According to the official results from Easton, Field won Easton with 1,033 votes to Quintal's 961 votes. According to the official results from Taunton, Quintal won Taunton with 1,597 votes to Field's 1,542 votes. In total, Field won the election by 17 votes, garnering 2,575 votes to Quintal's 2,558, according to the official election votes from both municipalities. The 3rd Bristol District consists of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton: Easton: Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 Taunton: Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 Lisa Field, a Taunton Democrat, comes from a family of union activists and workers, she told the Gazette. She works as associate director for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). Her role involves advocating for legislation for the MNA on beacon hill. Her position as a lobbyist, she said, gives her insight into how the State House works. Field told the Gazette she had been encouraged by her friend, Carol Doherty, to enter state politics, and, upon Doherty's death, wanted to "continue her legacy." "I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field told the Gazette. Her campaign priorities included increasing government transparency, reviewing state education funding, examining the Department of Public Health's enforcement powers, and addressing potential impacts of federal cuts on veterans services. Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton city councilor and co-owner/funeral director at Silva Funeral Home on Broadway in Taunton. Quintal won his first term on City Council in November 2021 and his second term in November 2023. He told the Gazette during his state rep campaign he believes his profession prepared him for politics. 'Caring for and putting people first,' and 'listening to people' come naturally to him, he said. With reporting by Daniel Schemer. This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton, Easton election: When is recount in state rep race?
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
75 years later, Malcolm X's pardon request resurfaced in Massachusetts. What should the state do with it?
Malcolm X pardon file. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Nearly 75 years later, the pardon file for the future civil rights leader surfaced amid a routine renovation of a state government building. The documents provide a snapshot of the budding activist during a formative time. By the time of the report, he had converted to Islam in prison and begun advocating about racial issues. The discovery of the documents also provides an opportunity, according to the Governor's Council member whose staff found them, for the state to take a small step to acknowledge a historic wrong. Related : Advertisement Terrence Kennedy, the council member and a longtime defense attorney, said Governor Maura Healey's office should grant the pardon request posthumously for Malcolm X. The sentencing, Kennedy said, was unduly severe. 'It was excessive, and I cant believe that race wasn't a factor,' he told the Globe. Healey's office did not comment. Members of Malcolm X's family, who still live in Roxbury, said the documents bring an interesting opportunity for a teaching moment. Advertisement 'It was an exorbitantly harsh punishment,' said Malcolm X's grandnephew Arjun Collins. Still, a pardon just for pardon's sake would feel like an empty gesture, he said: 'Too little, too late.' But there's a way of doing this right, he said. The state could use this as an occasion to take a broader look at mass incarceration rather than just one man. Examine how Black people were by the criminal justice system treated before, and how disparities remain. 'In the end, words don't mean anything,' Collins said. 'Only action means something.' Malcolm X speaks to reporters in Washington, D.C., May 16, 1963. Uncredited/Associated Press Malcolm X's pardon request, filed Dec. 4, 1950, contains a small amount of biographical information in what appears to be his own hand. He wrote his name as Malcolm X. Little, adding that he was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 19, 1925. The file also contains reports created by state bureaucrats detailing Malcolm X's personal and criminal histories to analyze whether he should be granted a pardon. He grew up in Michigan until his teenage years when, in 1940, he came to live with his half-sister Ella Collins in Roxbury. He started taking odd jobs, according to reports and his autobiography: a busboy, a shoe shiner, and a soda jerk. He also began doing drugs and gambling. In 1945, according to the pardon file, he began burglarizing homes, a step up from the petty crimes he had been picked up for previously. The pardon board wrote that the 20-year-old Malcolm X, along with with two other men and three women, 'made a practice of driving around, spotting darkened houses that looked like good prospects to rifle, breaking in, and carrying off house furnishings, jewelry, and clothing.' Advertisement The reports in the pardon file lists breaks in Belmont, Milton, Arlington, Brookline, Newton, and Walpole, from November 1945 to January 1946, when he was arrested and admitted to the break-ins. He was arraigned in Quincy District Court that Jan. 16. Over the next several months he was sentenced in three different counties, in effect resulting in a sentence of eight to 10 years in prison. He appealed some of the sentences, the report says, and was denied. Malcolm X filed his sparse pardon request in December 1950. It doesn't appear to make much of an argument, other than citing his half-sister, Ella Collins, as someone who would vouch for him. Another piece of paper lists the name of a political science professor in Texas, but the purpose of that paper isn't clear. Pardon-board staff compiled a report of his personal and criminal history. The report, which is part of the file, says he would be eligible for parole a few months later, in June 1951, though his sentence could run through February 1956. That report ended with a recommendation that the governor deny his request. The application passed through the district attorney's and attorney general's offices. They, too, recommended denial. 'The members of the board have reviewed all the facts in connection with this case, but can find no extenuating circumstances which would warrant executive clemency,' the board wrote in a letter to Dever, the governor, on Jan. 30, 1951. The pardon file does not have any documentation of the governor's decision, though it's clear in retrospect that Malcolm X was not pardoned because he was paroled out in August 1952. Advertisement Over the 14 years after his release, Malcolm X's public persona would rise meteorically as the civil rights movement gained steam. He worked to found the Nation of Islam's No. 11 Mosque in Roxbury, and rose through the ranks of the Black nationalist organization. Related : But after he split with Elijah Muhammad, the Nation's leader, he was assassinated in 1965 at age 39. Three men who were members of the group were charged and convicted, though two of the men have won motions to have their convictions vacated in recent years. The firebrand activist gained fame with a more militant approach to the push for civil rights than his contemporary the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Sixty years after his death, Boston hasn't forgotten the man who lived here, who stole here, who found a purpose here, who preached here. A large street cutting through the middle of Roxbury bears his name, and so does the park near the Dale Street home where he and his sister lived. That home has been The fact that someone in Kennedy's office bothered to recognize the old document and potentially do something with it, Rodnell Collins said, means that people are interested in learning from the past and continuing to seek ways to improve. 'This is what my family and uncle were about,' Rodnell Collins said, clad in a florescent yellow work vest as he labored on the house. 'Teaching, and learning.' Advertisement Sean Cotter can be reached at
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Taunton official election results: Field holds onto 17-vote lead — Quintal says it's not over
Democrat Lisa Field has beaten Republican Larry Quintal in the race for state representative in the 3rd Bristol District by 17 votes, according to official election results. It's a lower margin of victory compared to the Tuesday night unofficial results from Easton and Taunton, which showed Field winning by 21 votes. But it's not over. Quintal has indicated on Facebook that he will be seeking a recount. On election night, Tuesday, June 10, Field declared victory but said Quintal was 'within his rights to ask for a recount.' The 3rd Bristol is made up of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton. Field and Quintal faced off in a special election on Tuesday, June 10, to fill the seat left vacant by the death of incumbent Carol Doherty in February. Here's what we know about the results and about how a recount would work. On election night on Tuesday, June 10, Quintal initially called Field to concede the election. He then rescinded his concession and has since indicated he will be seeking a recount. A spokesperson for the secretary of state's office said that there are a couple of different types of recounts a campaign could request: A districtwide recount that would recount votes from the entire district; or a ward/precinct recount that would recount votes from specific wards or precincts in Easton or Taunton. To petition for a recount, a campaign would need to obtain some number of signatures of registered voters. The number of signatures would depend on what type of recount is being sought. "A districtwide recount has a lower signature threshold (38 signatures from anywhere in the district), but it takes longer, because the recount cannot be ordered until the Governor and Governor's Council have certified the election results," the spokesperson said. A districtwide recount also has the requirement that the margin of victory between the candidates is "less than 0.5% of the votes cast in that race," the spokesperson added. Field's margin of victory is 17 votes out of a total of 5,163 votes cast, a margin of victory of .3% — which meets the requirement for a districtwide recount. "A ward/precinct-level recount can be conducted no matter the margin, and before final results are certified," the spokesperson said. "For that type of recount, they would need to gather at least 10 signatures in each precinct (for Easton) or ward (for Taunton) that they want recounted. With this type of recount, the candidate may choose to petition for a recount in every ward and precinct in the district, or only in certain wards or precincts." The spokesperson said that when a recount would occur would depend on the type of recount sought. "We will have a better idea of the timeline of the recount after one or both campaigns has submitted recount petitions to the local election officials," the spokesperson said. Quintal wrote on Facebook, "I believe this is definitely the right decision on my part to have a recount." He indicated that he would be seeking signatures for a recall petition at a later date. "I will keep all of you posted when it is time for signatures," Quintal wrote. Mark Pacheco, the elections director for the city of Taunton, told the Gazette in an email that "recounts do cost money, of course" and that costs include "a police detail cost, election worker cost, other labor cost, and supply cost." He estimated that a recount would cost "under $5,000 for the City of Taunton." According to the official results from Easton, Field won Easton with 1,033 votes to Quintal's 961 votes. According to the official results from Taunton, Quintal won Taunton with 1,597 votes to Field's 1,542 votes. In total, Field won the election by 17 votes, garnering 2,575 votes to Quintal's 2,558, according to the official election votes from both municipalities. The 3rd Bristol District consists of parts of Taunton and parts of Easton: Easton: Precincts 4A, 5, and 6 Taunton: Ward 1 Precincts A, B, Ward 2, Ward 5, Ward 7 and Ward 8 Lisa Field, a Taunton Democrat, comes from a family of union activists and workers, she told the Gazette. She works as associate director for the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). Her role involves advocating for legislation for the MNA on beacon hill. Her position as a lobbyist, she said, gives her insight into how the State House works. Field told the Gazette she had been encouraged by her friend, Carol Doherty, to enter state politics, and, upon Doherty's death, wanted to "continue her legacy." "I know what families in Taunton and Easton are going through because I've lived it: family and friends struggling with substance use, and the crushing weight of rising costs of living — even losing my home," Field told the Gazette. Her campaign priorities included increasing government transparency, reviewing state education funding, examining the Department of Public Health's enforcement powers, and addressing potential impacts of federal cuts on veterans services. Quintal, a Republican, is a Taunton city councilor and co-owner/funeral director at Silva Funeral Home on Broadway in Taunton. Quintal won his first term on City Council in November 2021 and his second term in November 2023. He told the Gazette during his state rep campaign he believes his profession prepared him for politics. 'Caring for and putting people first,' and 'listening to people' come naturally to him, he said. With reporting by Daniel Schemer. This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Taunton official election results: Field wins by 17 votes. Is it over?
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Shorthanded council forces Healey to bail out new rep
BOSTON (SHNS) – It's a good thing for Rep. Hannah Bowen that Gov. Maura Healey had an open schedule Wednesday. Not only was the governor needed to administer the oath of office for the newest member of the House, but she was also pressed into action to chair the Governor's Council so that Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll could cast the decisive vote to make Bowen's election official. Only four of the eight members of the Governor's Council were present for its assembly Wednesday: Councilors Terry Kennedy, Paul DePalo, Tara Jacobs and Mara Dolan. Under the Constitution, five members must be present for the council to act. The assembly was scheduled for 12 p.m., but did not start until 12:30 p.m. The lieutenant governor chairs most meetings of the council, but can sit as a de facto ninth member of the council if the governor presides over the meeting instead. That happened a few times under Gov. Charlie Baker, when Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito's vote was required to break ties among the eight councilors. So shortly after calling Wednesday's delayed council meeting to order and going through introductions, Driscoll announced that Healey would take over the duties of the chair 'to certify votes cast in the May 13 special election, and I will take my seat as a member of the council while she does that.' Healey, whose had no public events on her schedule Wednesday, assumed the council gavel, asked for and got a motion and second to certify the Democrat Bowen as the winner of the special election in the Sixth Essex District, and was then told by Kennedy that the vote should be taken by voice, not by roll call. With Driscoll sitting alongside the four elected councilors present, Healey called the vote and declared 'the ayes have it' before stepping into the next room over to administer the oath of office to Bowen, of Beverly. Taking the oath at 12:38 p.m., Bowen was installed as a rep with enough time to allow her to vote Wednesday afternoon as the House considers a $530 million supplemental spending bill. Bowen fills the House seat left vacant by former Rep. Jerald Parisella, who won reelection in November but was nominated and confirmed to a District Court judgeship before the new term began Jan. 1. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Healey pardons would forgive four for crimes in Massachusetts
BOSTON (SHNS) – Gov. Maura Healey sent four newly proposed pardons to the Governor's Council, recommending official forgiveness for crimes including juvenile delinquency, operating under the influence, and attempted extortion. Final approval rests with the elected Governor's Council, which Healey's office said has already confirmed 21 individual pardons recommended by the Democrat governor. Healey has also pardoned all misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions in Massachusetts. 'The power to pardon is one I've taken seriously throughout my time in office because it makes our criminal justice system fairer and lowers barriers for people to access jobs, housing, education and more,' Healey said in a statement on Wednesday. 'I'm grateful for the hard work and thoughtful guidance of the Advisory Board of Pardons and appreciate the Governor's Council careful review of these recommendations.' Healey said she is recommending a pardon for Joseph Donisi, an Arlington firefighter for the last 17 years. Donisi was adjudicated delinquent in Middlesex Juvenile Court in 1996 on charges stemming from throwing a beer bottle and trespassing at the age of 16. After being sentenced to approximately one year in custody of the Department of Youth Services (suspended for one year) he went on to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. 'He is seeking a pardon so that he can coach his daughters' youth sports teams. His criminal record prevented him from stepping in to coach the youth team of his best friend's son after that friend passed away,' the governor's office said of Donisi. The governor also proposed a pardon for Paul Cacchiotti, convicted of attempted extortion, larceny over $250, tax evasion and filing false tax returns in 1998. Before his conviction, Cacchiotti had served in the Army National Guard, graduated from Suffolk Law School, had been a judge advocate general and worked as a solo practitioner. He has since been reinstated to the bar and has worked as a self-employed attorney since 2014, the governor's office said. In the case of Frank Albert, Healey is seeking a pardon for an operating under the influence of liquor conviction in 1997. Healey's office said Albert has been employed at a car dealership for 18 years as a salesman, and is a licensed realtor, a notary and a member of his New Hampshire town's zoning board. Healey is also seeking a pardon for Yolanda Rodriguez, who was convicted of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon after being involved in a fight in 1979. She completed her sentence of two years of probation without incident, the governor's office said, but was later convicted of operating under the influence of liquor in 1985 and 1986. The 68-year-old most recently worked at Choi's World Tae Kwon Do in Springfield, but in 2021 'was informed that she could no longer work at Choi's World because of her prior conviction,' Healey's office said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
