If a bill sponsored by 51 Massachusetts state legislators becomes law, aborting babies past 24 weeks and up to birth will be much easier, girls under 18 wouldn’t need permission from parents or a judge, Massachusetts taxes would fund more abortions, doctors would have less red tape to perform abortions and the definition of abortion would be redefined.

Currently, it is illegal to get an abortion past 24 weeks in Massachusetts unless “a continuation of her pregnancy will impose on her a substantial risk of grave impairment of her physical or mental health.” Here is what the new bill would allow:

“A physician, acting within their lawful scope of practice, may perform an abortion when, according to the physician’s best medical judgment based on the facts of the patient’s case, the patient is beyond twenty-four weeks from the commencement of pregnancy and the abortion is necessary to protect the patient’s life or physical or mental health, or in cases of lethal fetal anomalies, or where the fetus is incompatible with sustained life outside the uterus.”

Massachusetts state law currently requires girls 17 or younger to get permission from her parents/guardians or a superior court judge before getting an abortion. This would not be required if this new bill passes.

Here’s an in-depth review of the current law and the bill being considered.

Here’s a look at the current bill:

SD109

Mayor Mitchell will hold neighborhood office hours for the month of January on Tuesday, January 29 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Me & Ed’s Restaurant, 30 Brock Avenue.

Mayor Mitchell announced he would set aside time each month to hold office hours in city neighborhoods so that residents could meet with him outside of normal business hours and in their own neighborhood.

In his State of the City last year, the Mayor announced that a new format of office hours would be established, inviting residents to join him at local restaurants in different neighborhoods of the city. Food will be available at the office hours.

City residents are invited to attend the neighborhood office hours to meet with Mayor Mitchell directly and share their concerns and ideas, as well as a bite to eat. The sessions are open to all New Bedford residents, no advance appointments are required and meetings with the Mayor will be done on a first come, first served.

Six Democrat lawmakers are pushing to allow 16 and 17-year citizens in Massachusetts to vote in elections. Harriette L. Chandler (First Worcester) is presenting a bill co-sponsored by Andres Vargas (3rd Essex), Dylan Fernandes (Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket), Julian Cyr (Cape and Islands), Jason Lewis (Fifth Middlesex) and Rebecca Rausch (Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex).

Here is the current Massachusetts General Law (Section 51 – Section 1):

Section 1. Every citizen eighteen years of age or older, not being a person under guardianship or incarcerated in a correctional facility due to a felony conviction, and not being temporarily or permanently disqualified by law because of corrupt practices in respect to elections, who is a resident in the city or town where he claims the right to vote at the time he registers, and who has complied with the requirements of this chapter, may have his name entered on the list of voters in such city or town, and may vote therein in any such election, or except insofar as restricted in any town in which a representative town meeting form of government has been established, in any meeting held for the transaction of town affairs. Notwithstanding any special law to the contrary, every such citizen who resides within the boundaries of any district, as defined in section one A of chapter forty-one, may vote for district officers and in any district meeting thereof, and no other person may so vote. A person otherwise qualified to vote for national or state officers shall not, by reason of a change of residence within the commonwealth, be disqualified from voting for such national or state officers in the city or town from which he has removed his residence until the expiration of 6 months from such removal.

You can read the full bill here which would change the voting age from 18 to 16:

SD1949

The City of New Bedford collected approximately $10,000 in problem property fines in 2018. Per a letter sent to New Bedford City Council President Linda Morad, the money is available for fiscal year 2019 and will be used in a revolving fund for police to deal with problem properties.

Communication-Order-Problem_Properites_Revolving_Fund-$10_000

New Bedford’s problem property ordinance was established in 2015. It takes 8 valid complaints within a 12 month period to be considered a problem property in New Bedford. After the valid complaints, a certified letter is mailed to a property.

The full ordinance can be read here:

Problem-Properties-Ordinance

New Bedford City Councilor Joe Lopes is filing a motion this Thursday to explore Mayor Mitchell “Establish a non-regulatory Board or Commission of licensed Recreational Cannabis shop owners located in New Bedford.”

WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Lopes, requesting, that the Administration establish a non-regulatory Board or Commission of licensed Recreational Cannabis shop owners located in New Bedford, said Board or Commission would provide insight as to where they see the industry going in New Bedford, regionally, statewide and nationally.

According to New Bedford Fire Department records, firefighters responded to 602 overdoses in New Bedford in 2018 – up 10% over 2017. In 2017, firefighters responded to 548 overdoses and 689 drug overdoses in 2016.

New Bedford Guide has a request in with the New Bedford Police Department for their official overdose numbers.

The Do Not Call registry operated by the U.S. government to help prevent unsolicited phone calls is down due to the partial U.S. government shutdown.

Visitors to the website (https://www.donotcall.gov/) get the following message:

Due to the government shutdown, we are unable to offer this website service at this time. Information about unwanted calls can be found on the FTC’s website at: National Do Not Call Registry | Consumer Information

Nosotros reanudaremos el funcionamiento normal cuando el gobierno este financiado.

Currently, 25% of the U.S. government is shut down due to negotiations between President Trump and Democrats in Congress.

The following is a press release from U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein office on Jan 09, 2019:

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) led a group of senators in introducing the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019, an updated bill to ban the sale, transfer, manufacture and importation of military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

In addition to Feinstein, Murphy and Blumenthal, cosponsors of the bill include Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.).

“Last year we saw tens of thousands of students nationwide take to the streets to demand action to stop mass shootings and stem the epidemic of gun violence that plagues our communities. Our youngest generation has grown up with active-shooter drills, hiding under their desks—and now they’re saying enough is enough,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein. “Americans across the nation are asking Congress to reinstate the federal ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. If we’re going to put a stop to mass shootings and protect our children, we need to get these weapons of war off our streets.”

“Military-style assault rifles are the weapons of choice for mass murderers. There’s just no reason why these guns, which were designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible, are sold to the public,” said Senator Chris Murphy. “This past year, we’ve seen Americans rise up and demand Congress change our gun laws. Banning assault weapons would save lives, and I’m proud to join Senator Feinstein in introducing this bill.”

“Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are deadly and dangerous weapons of war that belong on battlefields—not our streets. They have no purpose for self-defense or hunting, and no business being in our schools, churches, and malls,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal. “By passing this legislation, Congress can honor the memory of the beautiful lives cut short by military-style assault weapons in Newtown, Parkland, Las Vegas, San Bernardino, and far too many other American cities. This is the year for my colleagues to turn our rhetoric into reality and finally end America’s gun violence epidemic.”

Key provisions:

– Bans the sale, manufacture, transfer, and importation of 205 military-style assault weapons by name. Owners may keep existing weapons.
– Bans any assault weapon that accepts a detachable ammunition magazine and has one or more military characteristics including a pistol grip, a forward grip, a barrel shroud, a threaded barrel or a folding or telescoping stock. Owners may keep existing weapons.
– Bans magazines and other ammunition feeding devices that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition, which allow shooters to quickly fire many rounds without needing to reload. Owners may keep existing magazines.

Exemptions to the bill:

– The bill exempts by name more than 2,200 guns for hunting, household defense or recreational purposes.
– The bill includes a grandfather clause that exempts all weapons lawfully possessed at the date of enactment.

Other provisions:

– Requires a background check on any future sale, trade or gifting of an assault weapon covered by the bill.
– Requires that grandfathered assault weapons are stored using a secure gun storage or safety device like a trigger lock.
– Prohibits the transfer of high-capacity ammunition magazines.
– Bans bump-fire stocks and other devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire at fully automatic rates.

Updates to Assault Weapons Ban of 2017:

– Bans stocks that are “otherwise foldable or adjustable in a manner that operates to reduce the length, size, or any other dimension, or otherwise enhances the concealability of a firearm.”
– Bans assault pistols that weigh 50 or more ounces when unloaded, a policy included in the original 1994 ban.
– Bans assault pistol stabilizing braces that transform assault pistols into assault rifles by allowing the shooter to shoulder the weapon and fire more accurately.
– Bans Thordsen-type grips and stocks that are designed to evade a ban on assault weapons.

Mass shootings that took place last year using military-style assault rifles:

– Las Vegas, Nev. (October 2018): In the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, a gunman opened fire on concertgoers in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and injuring 422 others. The gunman used multiple AR-15 style assault rifles fitted with bump-fire stocks.
– Sutherland Springs, Texas (October 2018): A gunman entered a church killing 26 parishioners and injuring 20 others. His weapon was an AR-15 style assault rifle.
– Parkland, Fla. (February 2018): A student at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School opened fire on his classmates and teachers, killing 17 and injuring 17 more.

New Bedford judges have been on a “no bail” roll in the past week.

On Friday, Jan. 4, 37-year-old Elizabeth Pina was arrested for seven outstanding warrants. Clearly, she is someone who doesn’t care much about authority or court decisions. She was released by the judge anyway. A few days later, on Jan 8, she was arrested for shoplifting, allegedly stealing $125 worth of items from Rite-Aid Pharmacy on 824 Purchase St. Yet again, she was released by the judge without bail despite a request by the assistant district attorney that she be held on the three open charges. Here’s someone with a long history of failing to show for court, with 18 defaults on her record, released by the judge.

23-year old Adrian Lablue, a homeless man, allegedly broke into four businesses between Dec. 18 and Jan. 5, but was released by the judge. Within hours of being released without bail by Judge Edward Sharkansky, New Bedford police report that the suspect broke into yet another business on Jan. 7.

But wait, it gets better.

On Jan. 2, New Bedford District Court Judge James McGovern found 26-year old Catherine Murphy to be a danger to public safety after her involvement in a violent kidnapping but released her anyway with an ankle bracelet and some conditions (don’t go to Wareham and avoid the victim). She is accused of helping to kidnap, beat and tie up someone for a $180 drug debt in New Bedford. The judge found her to be dangerous and knowing her partner in crime was still at large, released her with an ankle bracelet.

This is just a sample of the ridiculous no bail cases in 2019. New Bedford should change its name from ‘The Whaling City’ to ‘The No Bail City’ – we don’t hunt whales anymore, but we sure do allow criminals to walk free to victimize society over and over.

The New Bedford City Council will address a motion from New Bedford’s last Committee on Licensing and Zoning to review the current zoning for cannabis in New Bedford. Three businesses trying to open a recreational marijuana facility in New Bedford have complained that the zoning has been a major barrier.

REPORT, Committee on Licensing and Zoning for Cannabis, recommending to the City Council that the Host Agreement Committee, appointed by the Administration, review the current Cannabis Zoning Ordinance to see if they are able to identify any zoning and/or other issues that may affect the marijuana business application process and that they report their findings to the Committee on Ordinances. ( To be Referred to the Committee on Ordinances.)

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