Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Legislation filed in aftermath of John Burbine arrest aims to fix weaknesses in the state's sex offender registry system.
Local lawmakers and Wakefield’s chief of police were among those calling for changes to the state’s sex offender laws during a Tuesday hearing at the State House. State Sen. Katherine Clark, who represents Winchester, chaired the Joint Committee on the Judiciary hearing, focused on a bill she and State Rep. Paul Brodeur (D-Melrose) are sponsoring. The legislation aims to address weaknesses in the sex offender registry system that were brought to light by the John Burbine child sex abuse case. Burbine allegedly sexually abused children in the Winchester region. Wakefield Police Chief Rick Smith testified at the hearing and was quoted in a Boston Herald report talking about how last summer a parent came to the station asking for information …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Mostly pro-gun control experts weighed in at the discussion, part of the senator's "Policy Forum Series."
Numerous experts from throughout the commonwealth weighed in on gun control issues during a forum held in Malden by State Sen. Katherine Clark Wednesday night. The panel mostly spoke of the benefits of increased gun control, and the challenges faced by policymakers at the state and federal level. The panel also accepted questions from the audience during a question-and-answer session. "This is a topic brought to the forefront (here) by continued acts of violence, both on the news and right here in our community," Malden Mayor Gary Christenson said. Panelists included Christenson, State Rep. David Linsky, Malden Police Chief Kevin Molis, Harvard professor David Hemenway, "Stop Handgun Violence" founder John Rosenthal, as well as Dawn …
Friday, February 15, 2013
Sen. Katherine Clark announced Friday to her supporters that she will be running for Congress.
In a letter emailed to her supporters on Friday afternoon, state Sen. Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) announced that she will be running for Congress. U.S. Representative Ed Markey (D-Malden), who represents Winchester in the House, is currently running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by newly appointed Secretary of State John Kerry. If Markey wins that Senate seat, it would leave open the Fifth Congressional District seat in the House, which Clark would run for. If he loses his bid, he would retain his current House seat. Two other Massachusetts legislators have also announced their intentions to run for Markey's seat, if he wins the Senate seat: state Rep. Carl Sciortino (D-Medford) and state Sen. Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont). Winchester's…
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Association of Developmental Disabilities honors Sen. Katherine Clark for legislative work on behalf of disabled.
The Association of Developmental Disabilities has named State Senator Katherine Clark its Legislator of the Year. The Melrose Democrat, whose district also includes Winchester, received the honor on Tuesday at a luncheon at the State House. Clark chairs the Joint Committee on Revenue and has worked to ensure sufficient transportation funding for community disability programs. Clark has also brought a focus in her work to assisting those with developmental disabilities, said the organization in a press statement. “Sen. Clark has been a tireless worker behind the scenes to make sure that people living with developmental disabilities and their families have the access they need to services and supports so they can fully enjoy independent …
Thursday, January 24, 2013
In wake of the John Burbine case, local lawmakers announce a comprehensive proposal to reform state sex offender reporting policies.
Local lawmakers told the Boston-area media Wednesday morning that they have filed comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the ways information about sex offenders is shared between law enforcement, state agencies, and the public. The legislation was motivated by the charges against John and Marian Burbine, both of Wakefield. John Burbine is facing nearly 100 charges involving the sexual abuse of young children from the Melrose area, while his wife is charged with multiple counts stemming from the illegal day care she operated. John Burbine was classified as a level 1 sex offender after a 1989 case involving several young children - and with that classification level was able to avoid detection even when a local mother tried to check …
Anthony G
2:25 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
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