A federal judge sentenced former Massachusetts state Rep. David Nangle to 15 months in prison on Wednesday after the Lowell Democrat pleaded guilty earlier this.
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Shortly before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Massachusetts House scheduled its long-awaited rules vote to begin at 1 p.m. the next day.
Lawmakers had until a 5 p.m. deadline Tuesday to review the 115 pages of legislation â much of it was recycled from previous years â and file amendments. A day later, on Wednesday, the House rejected amendments that would have reinstated term limits for the speaker of the House, publicized committee votes and required bills to be released at least 48 hours before a vote.
Advocates have spent months calling for the House to make its legislative process easier for constituents and rank-and-file lawmakers to navigate, and they see the way the past two days unfolded as a case in point for the cause. Rules that allow for quick turnarounds between the release of a bill and a vote, they say, have denied constituents sufficient opportunity to engage with their elected officials before decisions are made on key issues, such as police reform and curbing c
Massachusetts Democrats Defeat Term Limits for Speaker [OPINION]
Massachusetts Democrats have solidified their grip on power at the State House by beating back an attempt to impose term limits for the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Quincy Democrat Ronald Mariano will likely serve in that powerful position until he retires or is voted out of office by his constituents, neither of which is likely to happen anytime soon.
The 74-year-old Mariano, who was elected speaker by his House colleagues in December when then-Speaker Robert DeLeo resigned, was first elected to the Massachusetts House in a special election in 1991. He was appointed House majority leader in 2011 and was a powerful player in the DeLeo leadership team.
Majority Leader Claire Cronin's Exit To Be Irish Ambassador Raises House Diversity Issues wgbh.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wgbh.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.