Contrary to what was anticipated and the best information that was available from the legislature, the Judiciary Committee's Criminal Justice Bill, House Bill 5004, did not reach the floor for debate yesterday. This leaves just through next Thursday for the bill to be voted on by both the House and the Senate. Please contact your state representative and ask them to talk to the leadership of the House and request that they bring H.B.5004 to vote in time for it to be voted on by the Senate also. This session of the legislature ends on Thursday, July 31. Action on this bill must be completed by then, otherwise the bill dies and has be re-filed for the next session which begins next January.

Our best information at the present time is that the House will take up consideration of the bill in its next formal session which begins at 1:00 P.M. on Tuesday. At this point it is unclear whether the Senate will schedule a vote on the bill.

Click here for a list of state representative phone numbers and email addresses. Click here if you do not know the name of your state representative.

You can reach Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi at Tel: 617-722-2500, or email him at [email protected], and Senate President Therese Murray Tel: (617) 722-1500 or email her at [email protected].

Thank you for your support in the difficult process of trying to bring about change which will start to make criminal justice humane, effective and healing.

Joel Pentlarge
Interim Executive Director
Criminal Justice Policy Coalition