Massachusetts
Massachusetts Dem walks back reduced sentencing bill for organ, bone marrow donation
A Massachusetts legislator who proposed diminished sentences for inmates in the event that they turned organ and blood marrow donors is now strolling again the invoice following outrage.
The laws, helmed by Democratic State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, would have seen prisoners lose between 60 days to a 12 months off their sentences in the event that they donate organs or bone marrow.
The invoice sparked main moral considerations for the greater than 6,000 individuals incarcerated within the Bay State, main Gonzalez to take away the motivation portion of the invoice.
He informed ABC Information that the invoice was by no means supposed as a quid professional quo for inmates, as an alternative saying it was meant to make it simpler for them to donate organs to members of the family.
“It’s essential to respect prisoners’ human dignity and company by respecting their option to donate bone marrow or an organ,” Gonzalez stated in an announcement. “Inmates ought to have the identical fundamental rights each citizen has in Massachusetts.”
In its authentic kind, the invoice referred to as on the state to kind a five-member “Bone Marrow and Organ Donation Committee,” with a single seat reserved for a prisoners’ rights advocate.
The opposite members would come with representatives from the State Division of Corrections, a donation specialist and a member of a corporation advocating for bone marrow and organ donations.
Alexandra Glazier, the president and CEO of New England Donor Providers, informed ABC that she was shocked that an incentive was included within the invoice.
“There’s substantial concern that our system is freed from coercion or private acquire,” she stated. “That public belief within the system must be based mostly on individuals making a free and truthful selection.”
Elizabeth Matos, the director of Prisoners’ Authorized Providers of Massachusetts, additionally criticized the state for permitting language that would successfully be learn as prisoners buying and selling their organs for diminished sentencing.
“It’s not recognizing the facility dynamics and the way determined persons are to be reunited with their family members,” she stated in an announcement.
Matos added that her group is working with Gonzalez to enhance the invoice and tackle the well being wants of the incarcerated.
Glazier additionally stated she was open to working with the legislator to enhance the invoice, noting that inmates typically face a tough time when making anatomical presents.
She stated that inmates must first get permission from their jail and the Division of Corrections to get day without work to go to a hospital, endure screening and get the surgical procedure for the donation achieved.
Commercial
Commercial
“We assist eradicating any boundaries with frequent sense proposals,” she added.
Together with Gonzalez, the unique invoice was co-sponsored by fellow Democratic Reps. Judith Garcia, Shirley Arriaga, Bud Williams and Russell Holmes.
Gonzalez beforehand informed WHYN that he pushed for the invoice to widen the pool of donors accessible within the state to save lots of lives, including that it got here after he visited a good friend within the hospital who suffers from a failing kidney.
“I’ve put extra effort into this invoice after visiting a good friend, who I take into account a brother, within the hospital who’s required to have dialysis three to 4 instances per week whereas he awaits a kidney transplant,’ he stated.
“He’s a father of three youngsters, and he’s in his stage 4 of kidney failure. Until he can get hold of a kidney at 40 years previous, life expectancy is about 10.4 years for males and 9.1 years for girls. I like my good friend and I’m praying by means of this laws we will prolong the possibilities of life,” he added.
For her half, Garcia stated on Twitter that there is no such thing as a path for prisoners to donate organs or bone marrow even for members of the family, saying the invoice would “restore bodily autonomy to incarcerated of us.”
It’s Christmas Day! Time to open presents, be with loved ones and celebrate the beauty of giving. Even on Christmas, there are still a few places you can go for last-minute provisions. But can you go to the bank or post office or catch a bus?
Here’s what is open and closed on Dec. 25, 2024.
Government
City and town offices: Closed
State offices: Closed
Registry of Motor Vehicles: Closed
State and local courts: Closed
Federal courts: Closed
Finance
Banks: Closed. Most ATMs will remain open.
Stock market: Both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are closed.
Alcohol and recreational drugs
Liquor stores: Open
Cannabis dispensaries: Massachusetts regulators don’t identify specific holidays when cannabis dispensaries must close, according to the Cannabis Control Commission. It’s up to the respective cannabis store as to whether they choose to be open or closed on Christmas Day.
Convenience stores and gas stations
Gas stations are allowed to be open on holidays, according to Massachusetts labor laws.
The following gas stations and adjoining convenience stores should be open on Christmas:
- BP
- Citgo
- Circle K
- Cumberland Farms
- Exxon Mobil
- Gulf
- Irving Oil
- Neon Marketplace
- Season’s Corner Market
- Sunoco
- Shell
- Speedway
- 7-Eleven
Shopping
Auburn Mall: Closed
Holyoke Mall: Closed
Hampshire Mall: Closed
Eastfield Mall: Closed
Natick Mall: Closed
Big Y: Closed
Stop & Shop: Closed
Market Basket: Closed
Price Rite: Closed
Star Market: Closed
Walmart: Closed
Target: Closed
Wegmans: Closed
Safeway: Open
Costco: Closed
CVS: Open
Walgreens: Closed
Aldi: Closed
Whole Foods: Closed
Trader Joe’s: Closed
Parcel services
Post offices: Closed
FedEx: Closed
UPS: Closed
Transportation
Lowell RTA: Lowell RTA will be closed
MBTA: Subway, bus and The RIDE will run on a Sunday schedule. Meanwhile, the Commuter Rail will run on a weekend schedule.
Merrimack Valley RTA: Buses won’t be running
MetroWest RTA: Buses won’t be running
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority: Buses won’t be running
Worcester RTA: Buses won’t be running
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ‘belligerent’ woman allegedly assaults off-duty police officer in road rage incident
An off-duty police sergeant was allegedly assaulted by a “belligerent” woman during a road rage incident in the days before Christmas, police said.
Randolph woman Vashiyra Mason, 20, was arrested and charged by Stoughton Police after allegedly striking the off-duty cop’s vehicle and assaulting him.
Stoughton police officers responded to the area of 278 Washington St. for a report of a disturbance on Sunday at about 1:06 p.m.
An off-duty Stoughton police sergeant had called the station and reported that he was following a vehicle that side-swiped his car and left the scene.
Mason had allegedly driven into the oncoming traffic lane and around the off-duty officer’s vehicle on Pine Street, and side-swiped the front of his car. Mason later stopped in a parking lot, where the off-duty officer followed her.
“In the parking lot, the off-duty officer identified himself multiple times as a Stoughton Police sergeant in an attempt to de-escalate the situation,” police wrote about the incident. “Mason became belligerent, using slurs and hitting the off-duty officer in the upper body, neck, and face area.”
The off-duty officer then reportedly restrained Mason to prevent her from injuring him or herself.
The passenger of Mason’s car, a 19-year-old Brockton woman, then allegedly hit the off-duty officer in the back of his head and neck. The passenger also began to attack a woman who was with the off-duty officer.
Officers arrived shortly after, and saw Mason hitting the woman who was with the off-duty officer. Mason allegedly grabbed the woman by her hair, and punched her in the back of the head multiple times.
Mason was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
Mason’s passenger will be issued a summons to appear in Stoughton District Court on charges of assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery, and resisting arrest. Because the suspect is being summonsed and the court has not issued a criminal complaint, her identity cannot be released.
No utility rate increases until wildfire lawsuits resolved, Oregon lawmakers propose
Ticket sold in Pennsylvania worth $1M as Mega Millions swells to $1.15B for post-Christmas draw
Newport crews extinguish house fire | ABC6
Transcript: Exclusive interview with former South Carolina AD Eric Hyman
There was ‘no room at the inn’ for this dog, but a St. Paul rescue helped save her (and her puppies)
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Marjorie Taylor Greene wants death penalty for migrant who allegedly set woman on fire on subway: 'Finish him'
Who is Europe's top investor in space in 2023?
American Airlines lifts ground stop that froze Christmas Eve travelers
It's official: Biden signs new law, designates bald eagle as 'national bird'
Passenger plane crashes in Kazakhstan: Emergencies ministry
-
Business1 week agoFreddie Freeman's World Series walk-off grand slam baseball sells at auction for $1.56 million
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951353/STK043_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_3_Meta.jpg "Meta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age")
Technology1 week agoMeta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24924653/236780_Google_AntiTrust_Trial_Custom_Art_CVirginia__0003_1.png "Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps")
Technology4 days agoGoogle’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps
-
News5 days agoNovo Nordisk shares tumble as weight-loss drug trial data disappoints
-
Politics5 days agoIllegal immigrant sexually abused child in the U.S. after being removed from the country five times
-
Entertainment6 days ago'It's a little holiday gift': Inside the Weeknd's free Santa Monica show for his biggest fans
-
Lifestyle6 days agoThink you can't dance? Get up and try these tips in our comic. We dare you!
-
Technology7 days agoFox News AI Newsletter: OpenAI responds to Elon Musk's lawsuit