My exquisite padlet by Lili Flores

The beginning of the Massachusetts' colony

floreslili47_ — 2023-11-21 21:36:31 UTC

The Massachusetts Bay colony, established in 1628, was the second colony of the US and was founded by Puritans who were escaping persecution. They were religious reformers that desired to 'purify' the Anglican Church because they were against its rules and rituals.

This colony was also the most successful New England colony. Some reasons for this were: robust governance under Governor Winthrop, its economic expansion via trade and agriculture, its clean drinking water supply, and its diversity of crops.

(Sources: World History Encyclopedia "Massachusetts Bay Colony"

https://www.worldhistory.org/massachusetts-bay-colony/

https://historyofmassachusetts.org/historyof-the-massachusetts-bay-colony/ and NCCJBoston "The Success of The Massachusetts Bay Colony"

www.nccjboston.org/what-made-the-massachusetts-bay-colony-successful)

Compare Massachusetts structure to the U. S. Congress structure

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-03 05:37:20 UTC

Both Massachusetts legislature and U. S. congress have a bicameral structural. The Massachusetts senate is made up of 40 members and their state's house of representatives includes 160 members. These members may serve for only two terms.

In the U.S. Congress the senate has 100 members, two serve from each state. The U.S. House of Representatives have a significantly higher number of members than Massachusetts, 435 compared to Massachusetts number. This number may vary based upon each state's population. These members may serve for six years, comparably longer than Massachusetts senate and house of representative members.

(Source: Study.com "Structure of the Massachusetts Legislative Branch" https://study.com/academy/lesson/structure-of-the-massachusetts-legislative-branch.html)

Leadership

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-03 06:12:17 UTC

In terms of leadership roles, the Massachusetts senate is led by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house leads in the house of representatives.

In contrast, in the U.S. Congress, the president of the senate is led by the vice president. In the case of a tie this leader may have the right to vote. The house of representatives is presided over by the speaker of the house.

(Source: Ma Legislature "Rules"

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/Rules/House)

Jurisdiction

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-03 06:15:42 UTC

In terms of Jurisdiction, Massachusetts legislature handles state matters while the U.S. congress is involved with federal, and national concerns and issues. One example of Massachusetts jurisdiction is education: The governance and financing of k-12 education in the state of Massachusetts are under the control of the state government. While immigration would be an example U.S. federal government jurisdiction as the admission, naturalization of immigrants, and enforcement of immigration laws all fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government. Federal duties can also include border security-national defense.

(Source: Study.com "Federal, State & Local Laws | Overview, Differences, & Examples" https://study.com/academy/lesson/local-state-federal-ordinances-definitions-and-differences.html#:~:text=State%20laws%20include%20both%20civil,possession%20of%20a%20controlled%20substance.)

Responsibilities

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-03 06:22:47 UTC

Making and passing state laws is the responsibility of the Massachusetts legislature along with assigning and raising state funds. In contrast, the U.S. congress is responsible for making federal laws, having jurisdiction over the federal budget, declaring war, and provides guidance and authorization on presidential appointments.

(Source: Mass.gov "The Legislative Process"

https://www.mass.gov/doc/the-legislative-process-0/download)

How much land in Massachusetts is owned by the US?

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 03:13:02 UTC

There are 5,034,880 acres of land in Massachusetts and the federal government owns 81,692 acres or 1.62 percent of the state. Interesting to note, Massachusetts is the eighth state that has the least owned government land. As Massachusetts is an important state in our country's founding, the government owns a plethora of historical buildings and areas like the Minute Man National Historical Park where the first battle of the American Revolutionary War took place.

(Source: WWLP "Massachusetts is the 8th state with the least land owned by the federal government"

https://www.wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/massachusetts-is-the-8-state-with-the-least-land-owned-by-the-federal-government/)

Massachusetts declaring independence from Britain

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 03:52:20 UTC

Britain needed to raise money because of its debt following the Seven Years' War. As a result, they began raising taxes on the colonies in New England, which only exacerbated tensions between them and the colonists. To name some key events...The British Parliament attempted to pay off their war debt from the French and Indian War, so the Stamp Act of 1765 came to be. It mandated that any and all printed materials in the colonies be produced on paper bearing an official revenue stamp. This would generate revenue for the British Parliament but stirred up a lot of anger and discontentment with the colonists as they felt that the act's involuntary taxation of them as English citizens was a violation of their rights. "No taxation without representation". Not only was there the stamp act but also the sugar act, the quartering act, the declaratory act and the Townshend acts that added to the buildup of their deep hatred and despise towards the British. On March 5, 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts, there was a violent incident known as the Boston Massacre. A lone British soldier and American colonist got into a verbal fight on the street. As things started to get heated the fight became physical and the soldier hit the colonist on the side of his head with his musket. This fight gathered attention and more colonists joined in and the lone soldier had gotten some backup when raging colonists started throwing objects like rocks. Quickly the situation turned into a chaotic and brutal massacre. This was a pivotal moment in history that would set the stage for the American Revolution. As tensions grew even stronger, the British once again introduced another act called the tea act. This was an effort to help save the British east India tea company from a financial crisis. Even though this act brought taxes on tea down, it did however hurt tea suppliers within the colonies. In retaliation of this act, colonists stopped purchasing from the British tea company and instead smuggled tea from other sources. They were making a blatant statement that could not be ignored. A group of patriot revolutionaries, who called themselves the Sons of Liberty, strategized plans to sabotage the British's efforts to control the colonies. On the night of December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty dressed up as Native Americans and climbed into the British ships that were sitting in a port in Boston, filled with tea that was supposed to be unloaded. The members dumped barrels of tea overboard for hours and destroyed the supply. the British parliament and king George iii were infuriated and in turn enacted the coercive acts (the intolerable acts). This suffocated the colonists even more so than ever before. The Boston port was closed off from trade and supplies until the damage of the tea was repaid, people had to house British soldiers and town meeting were restricted. Colonists had enough, so all across the American colonies people were dumping British tea into the harbors and only a few years later The American Revolutionary war would begin.

(Sources: National Park Service "Britain Begins Taxing the Colonies: The Sugar & Stamp Acts"

Britain Begins Taxing the Colonies: The Sugar & Stamp Acts (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov )

Thoughtco. "The History of British Taxation in the American Colonies"

Why Britain Attempted to Tax the American Colonies (thoughtco.com )

HISTORY "Stamp Act"

What Was the Stamp Act? - History of Massachusetts Blog

Stamp Act - Fact, Reaction & Legacy | HISTORY

Pursuit of History "The Boston Massacre | Road to the Revolution"

The Boston Massacre | Road to the Revolution - YouTube

Pursuit of History "The Boston Tea Party | Road to the Revolution"

The Boston Tea Party | Road to the Revolution - YouTube)

How much federal money does Massachusetts receive?

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 04:03:51 UTC

The federal government has allocated to Massachusetts around $20 billion for this fiscal year. This amount of money will make up around 33% of the state's spending budget. It was estimated that $16,945 was distributed per capita, which is 21% higher than in 2020. With this increase, it makes Massachusetts the second state to receive the highest federal funds.

(Sources: Wise Voter "Federal aid by state"

https://wisevoter.com/state-rankings/federal-aid-by-state/#massachusetts and World Population Review "Federal Aid by State 2023"

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/federal-aid-by-state)

Examples of conflict or cooperation

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 04:26:14 UTC

Earlier last month, Massachusetts was awarded by federal grants around $118 million for public safety. The DOJ is prioritizing nationwide safety investments with these grants that will focus in promoting safety and strengthening trust within communities, improving the fairness of the juvenile justice system, accelerating justice reforms, providing further assistance to victims, and advancing science and technology regarding investigations.

Massachusetts will use this grant as well to reduce crimes in areas of high-risk and recidivism, plus to ensure the transition from prison to release is easy as possible. In addition, the awarded grant will be used to further train police officers and public workers like therapists and behavioral specialists so they can efficiently work together to create safer and more trusting relationships with citizens.

(Source: United States Attorney's Office District of Massachusetts "Massachusetts Awarded Over $118 Million in Federal Grants to Support Community Safety"

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/massachusetts-awarded-over-118-million-federal-grants-support-community-safety)

Major Political News Story: 10/16/23

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 05:20:07 UTC

In this year alone, the US has seen a wave of migrants like never before. However, Massachusetts was one of the states hit the hardest as many come via Cape Cod. Massachusetts already struggles with housing the homeless so, the governor warns new migrants to not come to Massachusetts as there are quite literally no more shelters to house them plus the 23,000+ current occupants. The governor also urges for more aid hoping to alleviate the current crisis which probably explains why they received so much federal funding this year.

(Source: Politico "Massachusetts governor warns state is running out of room to house migrants"

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/16/massachusetts-governor-migrants-healey-00121756)

Major Political News Story: 11/08/23

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 05:34:38 UTC

Two Massachusettsans named Han Lee and Junmyung Lee with a Californian named James Lee were the main operators of a high-end brothel in Massachusetts and D.C. The operation was incredibly undercover as there were many contracts required to have been signed by both buyers and prostitutes to protect each other's identity. The Justice Department found that many of the customers were politicians, doctors, military officers, wealthy tech and pharmaceutical executives, government contractors, lawyers, scientists, accountants, and even professors.

(Source: Politico "Feds charge 3 with running high-end brothels allegedly frequented by politicians"

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/08/feds-brothel-investigation-politicians-00126153)

Major Political News Story: 12/01/23

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 05:47:05 UTC

The governor of Massachusetts recently signed a bill making phone calls free for inmates across their 14 prisons and jailhouses in the state. The Massachusetts Department of Corrections understands the importance of those phone calls and how vital they are for their inmates so they worked tirelessly for this to happen and it has been in effective since December 1st. The DOC is also working on figuring out how calls can be made via tablets to add to their various opportunities for inmates to stay in contact with their loved ones besides in-person visits, writing letters, and messaging electronically.

(Source: Politico "Prison phone calls are now free in Mass."

https://www.masslive.com/politics/2023/12/prison-phone-calls-are-now-free-in-mass.html)

Massachusetts and the US Constitution

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 05:48:45 UTC

Before there was the US Constitution, the state of Massachusetts issued their own constitution, which was the 1780 Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It would later become a model for the formation of the constitution of the United States and was drafted by John Adams who would also become a significant writer for the US Constitution. In 1777, the legislature of Massachusetts publicized that a constitution for the US would be drafted and then would be sent on to voters for their approval, but the draft ended up being rejected in 1778. The following year, the Massachusetts legislature released an announcement calling on only male inhabitants in all towns to elect representatives in order to create a Convention that would efficiently fulfill the purpose for forming a new constitution. Massachusetts had then invented the Constitutional Convention, and for the very first time had formed and clearly defined the line between a regular piece of legislation and the foundational law that is essential in a constitution which can only be made and changed by "the people". Massachusetts had sent four delegates to the constitutional conventions, two of which had not signed the constitution. Those being, Elbridge Gerry and Caleb Strong. The other two delegates who did sign the constitution were Nathaniel Gorham and Rufus King. Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the US constitution on February 6, 1788.

(Sources: U.S. Constitution "Massachusetts Ratification"

Massachusetts's Ratification - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net and

Mass.gov "John Adams & the Massachusetts Constitution"

John Adams & the Massachusetts Constitution | Mass.gov

Meet the Framers of the Constitution | National Archives)

Major media outlets in Massachusetts

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 06:04:08 UTC

There are three main media outlets in Massachusetts: The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and the Salem News. The Salem News reaches around 63,000 people and is located in Danvers, MA. Boston Herald's audience is 108,548 people and is located in Boston. This news has been awarded two Pulitzer Prizes for Feature Photography and Editorial Writing. Last but certainly not least, is the highly acclaimed The Boston Globe. It is the state's main news source which is why it reaches around 330,286 citizens. It has been awarded with three Pulitzers for: Public Service (3x), Breaking News Reporting, and National Reporting. As well as a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Newspaper Overall Coverage.

(Sources: Muck Rack "Top 30 newspapers in Massachusetts" https://muckrack.com/rankings/top-30-Massachusetts-newspapers

The Pulitzer Prizes "The Boston Herald" https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/boston-herald

The Pulitzer Prizes "The Boston Globe" https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/boston-globe-0

Wikipedia "GLAAD Media Award" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLAAD_Media_Award)

The role of the Massachusetts Governor

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 22:22:51 UTC

Being the governor of Massachusetts means that you are the chief executive officer of their government, the head of their state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. The governor holds the power to veto and performs ceremonial duties and upholds political responsibilities like signing bills into laws.

(Source: National Governors Association "Powers and Authority"

https://www.nga.org/governors/powers-and-authority/

Wikipedia "Governor of Massachusetts"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Massachusetts)

Massachusetts governor vs. the US president

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-04 22:23:42 UTC

Both the president and the Massachusetts governor have the power to veto, but the president does have more authority over a multitude of aspects that the Mass. governor does not. For example, the president has the right to appoint supreme court justices and federal judges. The governor of Massachusetts does not have this jurisdiction nor the jurisdiction to issue executive orders unlike the president.

(Source: National Governors Association "Powers and Authority"

https://www.nga.org/governors/powers-and-authority/

Wikipedia "Governor of Massachusetts"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Massachusetts

Wikipedia "Powers of the president of the United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers_of_the_president_of_the_United_States)

Goodridge v. The Department of Public Health

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 03:53:55 UTC

In 2003, seven same-sex couples filed a case against the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, who refused to give them marriage licenses. The plaintiffs argued that the rejection of marriage licenses to same-sex couples breaches the constitution of Massachusetts. The ruling decision was in favor of the plaintiffs and legalized the marriage for same-sex couples. This was a very important step towards broadening the rights of lesbian and gay people, and for also Massachusetts by playing a role in advancing marriage rights to be more inclusive.

(Source: Legal Dictionary "Goodridge V. Department of Public Health" https://legaldictionary.net/goodridge-v-department-public-health/)

Graham v. District Attorney of Hampen County

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 04:44:29 UTC

Of April 2021, the ACLU of Massachusetts, the national ACLU, the Committee for Public Cousel Services and the law firm Goulston and Storrs filed a lawsuit against the Hampden County Attorney's District Office (HCDAO) for not properly disclosing evidence from the Springfield Police Department (SPD). Because of the improper practices performed by the SPD, several people and groups were affected by this crime. So, a goal in the lawsuit was to make certain that from then on, the HCDAO has to rightly disclose misconduct as exculpatory evidence in criminal cases. The plaintiffs asked that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court demand an investigation into the violence and misconduct by the Springfield Police Department. (Source: ACLU "Graham v. District Attorney for Hampden County" Graham v. District Attorney for Hampden County | American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org ))

Jacobson v. Massachusetts

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 04:46:54 UTC

On February 20, 1905, a pastor in Cambridge, Massachusetts would not get the mandatory smallpox vaccination. He claimed that he and his son had experienced poor reactions to previous vaccinations and that being forced to get this vaccination violated his religious liberty rights. The courts ultimately ruled in favor of Massachusetts, since it was seen that Massachusetts had the right to mandate the smallpox vaccination in the purpose of protecting the health and safety of the public. The restriction of individual liberty in this case was constitutionally fair and Massachusetts reasonably acted within its police power. (Source: Free Speech Center "Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905)" Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905) - The Free Speech Center (mtsu.edu ))

Does Massachusetts protect certain liberties more than the federal law requires?

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 05:22:46 UTC

Massachusetts is one of the fifty states to be known for taking quick action when it comes to protecting civil liberties. Sometimes they even provided more extensive protections than what is required of them by federal law. For example, the states of Florida and Texas have been clearly against LGBTQ+ rights and have signed a series of bills that target to restrict/discriminate against people in this community from having certain rights. However, unlike these two states, Massachusetts has a long history of being at the forefront of issues like LGBTQ+ rights and access to healthcare. The ACLU of Massachusetts, a non-profit organization, constantly works towards forwarding progress and preserving civil rights and liberties of the Massachusetts people. It has made significant efforts in fighting for the rights of women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community. These just name a few groups that they help protect. Since January 5, 2023, Maura Healey, became Massachusetts very first woman and openly lesbian governor.

(Sources: ADVOCATE "7 Florida Bills That Threaten LGBTQ+ Rights Right Now"

7 Florida Bills That Threaten LGBTQ+ Rights Right Now (advocate.com )

KXAN Austin "From bathroom bills to trans health care, how Texas lawmakers shifted LGBTQ+ focus since 2015"

From bathroom bills to trans health care, how Texas lawmakers shifted LGBTQ+ focus since 2015 | KXAN Austin

Massachusetts Public Health Association "2023-2024 Policy Priorities"

2023 – 2024 Policy Priorities | Massachusetts Public Health Association (mapublichealth.org )

Health Action Massachusetts "2023/2024 Bills"

2023/2024 BILLS – Health Action Massachusetts

Patient Engagement Hit "Mass. Law Expand Nurses Scope of Practice, Patient Access to Care"

Mass. Law Expands Nurse Scope of Practice, Patient Access to Care (patientengagementhit.com )

ACLU "Civil Liberties"

Civil Liberties | American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org )

NPR "Maura Healey claims historic victory, elected first woman governor in Massachusetts"

Maura Healey is the first woman governor to lead Massachusetts : NPR)

Partisan makeup of the Massachusetts population

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 22:25:02 UTC

Currently, there are three different parties in Massachusetts. Those being, the Democratic Party, the Republican Party and the Libertarian Party. As of Pew Research Center, 56% of Mass. residents identify as Democrats and 27% of residents identify as Republicans. The percentage of libertarians in Massachusetts is unknown.

(Sources: Pew Research Center "Party affiliation among adults in Massachusetts" Party affiliation among adults in Massachusetts - Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics | Pew Research Center

Libertarian Association of Massachusetts "About" Libertarian Association of Massachusetts (lpmass.org )

Which party controls the state government?

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 22:26:46 UTC

The Democratic party has an overwhelming amount of control over the Massachusetts government. It's senate, house and governor are all under democratic control.

(Source: Ballotpedia "Party control of Massachusetts state government" Party control of Massachusetts state government - Ballotpedia)

How has the party makeup and control changed in recent years?

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 22:27:34 UTC

Democrats had taken up the house and senate since 92', but as for the governor position, the pattern has been republicans for the most part dominating that position also since 92'. Things have taken a turn and now after a long run of republicans taking the title as governor, a democrat, Maura Healey, holds that position. She's the first democrat to obtain that position since the years 2007-2014.

(Sources: Ballotpedia "Party control of Massachusetts state government" Party control of Massachusetts state government - Ballotpedia

World Population Review "Most Libertarian States 2023" https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/most-libertarian-states)

Immigration

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 23:10:09 UTC

According to Mike Damiano from The Boston Globe, he remarked how attempts to cross the US border has hit a new record in the past two years. It's overwhelming and the nation is feeling it all around, including in Massachusetts. So much so, the government had to house new migrants in hotels because all shelters are filled to the brim. Massachusettans have mixed feelings, some see immigrants as a positive, but many feel the squeeze in their towns from the floods of immigrants. The majority of Massachusettans align with the views of majority of Americans because 41% of US citizens want to see a tighter border control and decrease in immigration.

(Sources: The Boston Globe "Influx of migrants in Massachusetts continues to overwhelm state resources-- and more may be on the way"

https://www.boston.com/news/the-boston-globe/2023/05/10/migrants-massachusetts-overwhelm-state-resources/ and Gallup "Immigration" https://news.gallup.com/poll/1660/immigration.aspx#:~:text=Americans'%20views%20on%20the%20level,and%2026%25%20want%20it%20increased.

Inflation

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 23:10:15 UTC

It was estimated that around 89% of Massachusettans worried about their daily finances because of inflation. As the year progress and everyone become more acclimated to the rising prices, the fear slightly subsided, but the vast majority still worry. In regard to politics, 22% of registered voters claim the issues of the economy will strongly impact who they vote for, and the other 57% will consider it when voting. Overall, inflation and the economy weighs heavily in the minds of residents across Massachusetts. A poll created by the Financial Times discovered that 76% of Americans believe that the economy is in a bad standing and another poll states that 74% of Americans worried greatly about the rising food prices.

(Sources: Mass Live "Inflation worries Mass. residents, but recession fears fade: MassMutual survey" https://www.masslive.com/business/2023/09/inflation-worries-mass-residents-but-recession-fears-fade-massmutual-survey.html and The Harvard Gazette "Economists explain why Americans feel inflation, economy are much, much worse than they actually are" https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/11/why-americans-feel-inflation-economy-are-much-worse-than-they-are/)

Abortion

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 23:10:20 UTC

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022, there was a loud uproar from millions across the nation and even the world. Some states adopted stricter laws making an abortion a federal crime while some keeping it legal well into 20 weeks. Massachusetts falls into the latter with its open laws regarding abortion procedures since 74% believe abortion should be accessible for all/most cases which is also what the majority of Americans believe as well. Pew Research Center found that 61% think that abortion should be legal in all or majority of cases.

(Sources: Pew Research Center "Views about abortion among adults in Massachusetts" https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/religious-landscape-study/state/massachusetts/views-about-abortion/

Pew Research Center "About six-in-ten Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases" https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/06/13/about-six-in-ten-americans-say-abortion-should-be-legal-in-all-or-most-cases-2/)

Gun Control

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-05 23:10:27 UTC

Massachusetts has the sixth strictest gun laws in the nation. One of the laws, "red flag orders" allows officers and/or family members to prevent someone from obtaining a weapon they know they might use to hurt themselves or others. With that being said, 51% of Massachusettans believe they do not need more gun control, but rather more education and training on how to properly use and store weapons. Also, educating the masses on laws already in place as it was found many were not even aware of the "red flag order." The majority believe if everyone is aware of the established laws, there will be not a lot of fear for safety and laws will not need to become even stricter. The other 49% admire the want to spread awareness, but does not see it being feasible and effective as new and stricter laws would be. According to Pew Research Center, they gathered that 58% of Americans support stricter gun control laws which is the opposite findings in Massachusetts.

(Sources: The Boston Globe "'Let's fix the problem': Readers weigh in on Mass. gun laws"

https://www.boston.com/community/readers-say/readers-weigh-in-on-mass-gun-laws/ and Pew Research Center "Key facts about Americans and guns" https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/13/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/#:~:text=About%20six%2Din%2Dten%20U.S.,favor%20less%20strict%20gun%20laws.)

Judicial Selection

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 01:36:41 UTC

Federal judges are appointed for life by the president of the United States and are confirmed by congress, while Massachusetts state judges are appointed by the governor and are approved of by the Governor's Council.

(Source: Massachusetts Court Records Public Access "Massachusetts Court Records" https://massachusettscourtrecords.us/criminal-court-records/federal-and-state/)

Jurisdiction

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 01:59:30 UTC

Federal courts handle cases that involve inter-state relations, which demand more in depth investigations/resources than state or local governments have access to. Federal courts deal with cases that violate federal laws. Agencies in charge of investigations in federal court cases are the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Some examples of federal crimes are hacking and e-mail fraud, drug trafficking, counterfeiting, identity theft, and money laundering. Massachusetts courts have authority over misdemeanors and felonies that go against the Massachusetts Criminal Code. The Massachusetts state police are in charge of investigating intra-state crimes. Some examples of crimes the Massachusetts state courts attend to are homicide and murder, kidnapping, arson, theft/burglary, and simple/aggravated assault.

(Source: Massachusetts Court Records Public Access "Massachusetts Court Records" https://massachusettscourtrecords.us/criminal-court-records/federal-and-state/)

Massachusetts Courts Structure

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 02:19:08 UTC

Massachusetts state courts have three tiers. Massachusetts Supreme Court is the highest appellate court which means it is the court used as a last resort. This tier has the final decision. The second tier is the Court of Appeals which functions as an intermediate appellate court that is responsible for assessing cases allotted to them by the Supreme Court. The third tier of courts are called trial level courts. They have both unique and overlapping jurisdiction over various case types. The Massachusetts Probation Service provides rehabilitation tools to offenders on probation and the Office of Jury Commissioner supply pools of jurors that are randomly selected to each state court.

(Source: Massachusetts Court Records Public Access "Massachusetts Court Records" https://massachusettscourtrecords.us/criminal-court-records/federal-and-state/)

Campaign Finance Reform

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 03:13:56 UTC

This campaign finance reform was signed into law by Charlie Baker on November 26, 2019. Although signed on in late 2019, it didn't take affect until 2020. The main change of how campaigns were previously financed is that House, Senate, and mayoral candidates in smaller cities must now file campaign finance reports in the depository bank reporting system. In place of 4-5 reports filed throughout a two year election cycle, reports will be filed monthly by candidates' banks and the candidates themselves will also file deposit reports. The OCPF (Office of Campaign and Political Finance) will then combine the two reports using specialized software. A depository system requires candidates to file reports that identity contributors, whereas banks must file reports that itemize expenditures and give a summary of receipts for the month. The OPCF has been given the task of establishing regulations regarding the use of social media by appointed public employees. The OPCF supported these reforms because they feel "it is the best system for frequent and accurate campaign finance disclosure" as it's a third party bank that verifies candidates' campaign finance activity (Sullivan). Massachusetts became the first US state to require independent, third party reporting of campaign finance activity by candidates!

(Source: Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance "Legislative, mayoral candidates will file in depository system" chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ocpf2.blob.core.windows.net/pdf/newsletters/2019newlegislation.pdf)

Voting/Election Reform

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 03:41:13 UTC

On June 22, 2022 former Governor Charlie Baker signed an election reform bill into law. This reform bill made several pandemic related election revisions permanent. Some of these changes are lengthening the voter registration deadline from 20 days before the election to just 10 days. The bill unfortunately did not include same day voter registration. This bill also implemented mail-in ballots for presidential, state, and municipal elections. However, municipalities are permitted to opt-out of mail-ins as long as the election date does not occur on the same day as a state or federal election. On March 3, 2023 Governor Baker sing the "VOTES ACT," aka "an act fostering voting opportunities, trust, equity, and security" into law. This act is said to be "the largest expansion of voting access in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in years" (Common Cause Massachusetts). The VOTES ACT allows voters to vote by mail without having to provide a specific reason, expands early voting options, ensures that incarcerated but eligible voters are able to request a mail ballot to vote, and adds Massachusetts to the Electronic Registration Information Center in order to maintain up to date registration rolls. (Sources: Massachusetts Municipal Association "Governor signs voting and election reform bill" https://www.mma.org/gov-baker-signs-voting-and-election-law/) Common Cause Massachusetts "VOTES ACT Becomes Law in Massachusetts" https://www.commoncause.org/massachusetts/democracy-wire/votes-act-becomes-law-in-massachusetts/)

Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard; Students for Fair Admissions v. UNC

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 03:45:34 UTC

Affirmative action critic Edward Blum, leader of the Students for Fair Admissions sued both Harvard and UNC and requested that the Supreme court overrule its prior decisions of the considerations of race as part of a college admissions process in order to achieve a diverse student body violates the Equal Protection Clause.

Ruling:

In Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard the supreme court rulings restricting race as a factor for creating diversity within the student body and overturning almost fifty years of tradition that allowed for the minimal assessment of race in that context. By facilitating integration on college campuses, reducing stereotypes, and enhancing the participation of all students of all races in the academic community, the consideration of race in college admissions advances the ideals of equal protection.

(Source: ACLU "Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard; Students for Fair Admissions v. UNC" https://www.aclu.org/cases/students-for-fair-admissions-v-harvard-students-for-fair-admissions-v-unc)

Best Funded Agencies

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 04:16:05 UTC

1) MassHealth- $18.56 billion

2) The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education- just above $5 billion

3) Department of Higher Education- $937.7 million

4) Department of Public Health- $651,290,860

5) Massachusetts Department of Transportation- $616,647,824

(Sources: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education "Finance and Funding" https://www.doe.mass.edu/financefunding.html#:~:text=The%20Department%20of%20Elementary%20and,aid%2C%20and%20special%20education%20reimbursements)

The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts "Senate Ways and Mean Budget" https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2023/SenateWaysMeansBudget/Executive_Summary#:~:text=The%20Committee%E2%80%99s%20budget%20funds%20MassHealth,to%20comprehensive%20health%20care%20coverage)

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education "Governor Baker Signs Final FY23 Budget" https://www.mass.edu/bhe/budget_final.asp#:~:text=The%20DHE%2C%20community%20colleges%2C%20and,%25)%20increase%20from%20FY22%20GAA)

Massachusetts Summary Budget "Massachusetts Department of Transportation" https://budget.digital.mass.gov/summary/fy20/enacted/transportation/?tab=budget-summary)

Massachusetts Governor's Budget "Department of Public Health" https://budget.digital.mass.gov/govbudget/fy20/appropriations/health-and-human-services/public-health/

Does Massachusetts protect certain civil rights more than the federal law requires?

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 04:22:07 UTC

When Roe v. Wade was overturned last summer, it sent palpable shock waves across the nation that even transcended around the world. The reactions on tv varied to some rejoicing while others literally on their knees sobbing. The same extremities can be found in the abortion policy across the nation, some states either completely banned or implemented strict laws or others keep it legal. Massachusetts falls into the latter category and only bans around 24 weeks into the pregnancy with some circumstances still keeping it legal afterwards. Because of how open the abortion laws are, many citizens travel miles to have their procedure done in Massachusetts to avoid getting arrested. It was reported after the landmark case was overturned that the state saw a 37.5% increase from out of state travelers which is twice as much as the government expected. To accommodate their own residents plus the travelers, for the fiscal budget of 2023 local lawmakers reserved around $2 million solely for clinics and reproductive care.

(Sources: The New York Times "Tracking Abortion Bans Across the Country" https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html#:~:text=Twenty%2Done%20states%20ban%20abortion,overturned%20the%20decision%20last%20year.

Planned Parenthood "Abortion Care" https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-massachusetts/campaigns/abortion-care

Harvard T.H. CHAN | School of Public Health "More people traveling to Massachusetts for abortion care" https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/more-people-traveling-to-massachusetts-for-abortion-care/

Mass Live "Abortion: Massachusetts Senate proposes $17.5 million funding boost for reproductive health care, family planning" https://www.masslive.com/politics/2022/07/abortion-massachusetts-senate-proposes-175-million-funding-boost-for-reproductive-health-care-family-planning.html#:~:text=Massachusetts%20is%20a%20state%20that,Wade.)

Mass. Bureaucracy vs. U.S. Government Bureaucracy

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 04:32:10 UTC

A difference between Massachusetts and U.S. bureaucracy is...

Funding:

U.S.- The federal government is able to levy taxes and give money to the states according to different plans and formulae.

Massachusetts- To pay for its operations and services, the state government depends on taxes and other state-level income.

Sources:

CRS Reports "Introduction to the Federal Budget Process"- https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46240#:~:text=Under%20the%20U.S.%20Constitution%2C%20Congress,under%20Article%20I%2C%20Section%208.

Fiscal Data.treasurey.gov " How much has the U.S. government spent this year?"- https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/federal-spending/#:~:text=Visit%20the%20national%20deficit%20explainer,construction%2C%20research%2C%20and%20education.

NASRA "State and Local Revenue"- https://www.nasra.org/revenue#:~:text=State%20and%20local%20governments%20collect,%2C%20sales%2C%20and%20property%20taxes.

Major Industry In Massachusetts

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 04:35:18 UTC

One major industry in Massachusetts is the medical field. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Vertical Pharmaceutical are both major employers in Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Hospital is also a significant employer in the state. A market research company notes that the drug industry is the leading revenue contributor in Massachusetts.

(Source: LinkedIn "What are the Major Industries in Massachusetts" https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-main-industries-massachusetts-get-hired-by-linkedin-news)

How the Medical Industry is Regulated

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 04:45:44 UTC

The Board of Registration and Medicine is in charge of licensing, regulation, and discipline of Massachusetts physicians. This agency makes sure that only qualified and competent individuals that provide high standards of care are able to serve the citizens of Massachusetts.

(Source: Mass.gov "Board of Registration in Medicine" https://www.mass.gov/orgs/board-of-registration-in-medicine#:~:text=The%20Board%20of%20Registration%20in,of%20Massachusetts%20physicians%20and%20acupuncturists.

Gordon v. Johnson and Castañeda v. Souza

floreslili47_ — 2023-12-06 04:46:20 UTC

Immigrants have protected civil rights in the US, even if they are not always upheld like they should be. This specific case is about protecting immigrants from such obstructions of justice. There were immigrants in Massachusetts that were immediately detained without individual bond hearings. The ACLU fought for the 150 detainees to remain with their families while they awaited for their hearings. The judgment from the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ended up ruling in favor of the ACLU and granted those detainees their freedom from the "mandatory" detention.

(Source: ACLU "Gordon v. Johnson and Castañeda v. Souza" https://www.aclu.org/cases/gordon-v-johnson-and-castaneda-v-souza)