The fight is not over to pass legislation that would make it easier for courts and police to detain suspects deemed dangerous, Gov. Charlie Baker said three days after a legislative committee killed one of his priority bills.
The Judiciary Committee on Friday sent Baker’s bill to study, effectively killing it. On Monday, Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito gathered in the State House with survivors of sexual and domestic violence who have been sharing their personal stories to push for passing the legislation as an amendment to another bill.
One woman who recounted dealing with the legal system after her fiancé abused her, saying she had to "beg and beg for protection," said the committee's decision is "shameful, it's insulting and it's disrespectful to all of us."
"When I was told the Judiciary Committee killed this legislation and put it to study, I assure you that I felt like I was punched in the face," she said.
Among other measures, Baker’s bill sought to expand the list of offenses that can trigger a dangerousness hearing, allow previous criminal history to be considered at those hearings and make it easier for suspects who violate the terms of their release to be taken back into custody.
Baker has filed versions of the bill in each of the last two legislative sessions, and each time the committee has sent it to a dead-end study. Since filing the latest iteration last December, Baker has been holding roundtable discussions with survivors in hopes that direct accounts from victims would sway lawmakers.
"We talk a lot about why this legislation is important for those who have the courage to come forward," Baker said. "The thing I keep wondering about is how many people don't come forward because we don't have these protections in place — how many people suffer in silence, choose to run, who knows where, because they're afraid the commonwealth won't be on their side, because we haven't been on the side of others who have chosen to come forward."
The Democrats who chair the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Mike Day of Stoneham and Sen. Jamie Eldridge of Acton, each said they'd heard concerns from civil rights advocates on previous versions of the bill, and the new bill did not resolve those concerns.
"This legislation does far more than the narrow issue that was the subject of the Administration's well-crafted public relations tour," Day said in a statement.
Among Eldridge's concerns was that the bill could "significantly expand" the list of crimes for which a person could be held pretrial. He said he believes there are other ways to directly support survivors, including better training for police, a more responsive court system and improved social safety net services.
“I do think there is sort of a fundamental difference of opinion between a Republican governor and a more and more progressive Legislature over giving more and more power to prosecutors,” Eldridge said.
Baker said he believes there are “many people in the Legislature, many, who like many elements of this bill.”
The Judiciary Committee’s decision means that Baker’s bill, as a standalone piece of legislation, will not make it to the House or Senate floor for a full vote.
Sunday is the last day of formal legislative sessions for the term. With many major bills moving through the final stages of the legislative process, Baker said backers will “do the best we can to make sure lawmakers get another look at this.”
Republicans Sen. Bruce Tarr, Sen. Patrick O’Connor, Rep. Alyson Sullivan and Rep. Mathew Muratore joined Baker and Polito for Monday’s event. After the event, O’Connor pointed to a judiciary infrastructure bond bill as one possible vehicle for an attempt to resurrect Baker’s dangerousness bill. The bond bill still needs a vote in the Senate, and House Democrats added language onto it responding to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gun licensing.
“I’m saying that if that policy is considered within the scope of that bill, I think the dangerousness bill should be also attached as an amendment and be part of this,” O’Connor said.
Democrats have supermajorities in both the House and the Senate and there’s no indication that legislative leaders would support adding language from Baker’s bill onto other legislation. Republicans could, however, force their colleagues to be recorded voting for or against the policies.
Like Baker, survivors who have advocated for the bill said they plan to keep fighting for it.
"I think there's still hope, and that's how I try to live my life," said a man who said he was raped at 11 years old. "A little bit of hope today that tomorrow's going to be a better day and hopefully that we can do a better job of protecting our most vulnerable citizens.”
