NEXT COMMISSION MEETING MAY 19 AT 3:00 pm
The next meeting of the Access to Justice Commission will take place at 3:00 on May 19 at the John Adams Courthouse. Planning for a 100% access project will probably be the primary topic on the agenda, with prospects for funding pilot projects through which we might learn more about ways to pursue the aspirational goal of access to effective assistance for every person with an essential legal problem
MICROSOFT OPENS A MILLION DOLLAR PORTAL
A central concept in developing a blueprint for a 100% access system that will provide every self-representing litigant with effective assistance in resolving their legal situation in a just fashion. This afternoon according to Richard Zorza’s Access to Justice Blog, Microsoft and LSC are announcing at a White House Forum on Access to Justice that Microsoft is providing LSC with a million dollars for technology pilot projects.designed to make a universal portal available..
MLAC MOBILIZES ITS SUPPORTERS, SEEJKS A BUDGET INCREASE IN THE HOUSE
The House Ways and Means Committee budget gives MLAC a $1 million increase to $17 million for FY 2017, far short of the $11 million increase MLAC seeks..Seeking to amend the budget, Acting on behalf of the EJC, Deb Silva of the Equal Justice Coalition has distributed the following information:
“There currently are 64 Representatives who have co-sponsored the Rep. Balser amendment to provide $27 million in funding for civil legal aid in the FY17 budget. You can find the list of co-sponsors here: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/House/H4200/Amendment/House/847/OriginalText. However, since there are 160 House members, 81 is the magic number that we’d like to hit so we need to keep advocating! If you’re Rep hasn’t signed on yet, please click here to use our action alert to contact them and ask them to co-sponsor amendment #847!
Below is a list of Reps who signed on last year, but have NOT yet signed on this year. If your Representative is on this list, it is especially important that you contact them TODAY and urge them to co-sponsor again this year.
| FY16 | FY17 | |||
| Representative | Brian | Ashe | Yes | No |
| Representative | Thomas | Calter | Yes | No |
| Representative | Nick | Collins | Yes | No |
| Representative | Brendan | Crighton | Yes | No |
| Representative | Marcos | Devers | Yes | No |
| Representative | James | Dwyer | Yes | No |
| Representative | Gloria | Fox | Yes | No |
| Representative | William | Galvin | Yes | No |
| Representative | Sean | Garballey | Yes | No |
| Representative | Russell | Holmes | Yes | No |
| Representative | Kevin | Honan | Yes | No |
| Representative | Daniel | Hunt | Yes | No |
| Representative | Louis | Kafka | Yes | No |
| Representative | Peter | Kocot | Yes | No |
| Representative | John | Mahoney | Yes | No |
| Representative | Paul | Mark | Yes | No |
| Representative | Joseph | McGonagle | Yes | No |
| Representative | Michael | Moran | Yes | No |
| Representative | James | Murphy | Yes | No |
| Representative | Harold | Naughton | Yes | No |
| Representative | Shaunna | O’Connell | Yes | No |
| Representative | Jerry | Parisella | Yes | No |
| Representative | Alice | Peisch | Yes | No |
| Representative | Angelo | Puppolo | Yes | No |
| Representative | Jeffrey | Sanchez | Yes | No |
| Representative | John | Scibak | Yes | No |
| Representative | Theodore | Speliotis | Yes | No |
| Representative | William | Straus | Yes | No |
| Representative | Walter | Timilty | Yes | No |
| Representative | Paul | Tucker | Yes | No |
| Representative | Steven | Ultrino | Yes | No |
| Representative | John | Velis | Yes | No |
MLAC supportersfg , which suppoa beat33the Rep. Balser amendment to provide $27 million in funding for civil legal aid in the FY17 budget. You can find the list of co-sponsors here: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/House/H4200/Amendment/House/847/OriginalText. However, since there are 160 House members, 81 is the magic number that we’d like to hit so we need to keep advocating! If you’re Rep hasn’t signed on yet, please click here to use our action alert to contact them and ask them to co-sponsor amendment #847!
Below iGs a list of Reps who signed on last year, but haven NOT yet signed on this year. If your Representative is on this list, it is especially important that you contact them TODAY and urge them to co-sponsor again this year. I’ve attached the MLAC budget amendment fact sheet with all the information you should need, but feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. Once you’ve contacted your Rep, let me know how it went!
Finally, if you’re Rep has already signed on, you’re not off the hook yet! Please contact them and thank them for their support and ask them to make the MLAC amendment (#847) one of their top 3 priorities and to communicate that to Speaker DeLeo and Chairman Dempsey.
Thanks for all of your advocacy!
Deb
| FY16 | FY17 | |||
| Representative | Brian | Ashe | Yes | No |
| Representative | Thomas | Calter | Yes | No |
| Representative | Nick | Collins | Yes | No |
| Representative | Brendan | Crighton | Yes | No |
| Representative | Marcos | Devers | Yes | No |
| Representative | James | Dwyer | Yes | No |
| Representative | Gloria | Fox | Yes | No |
| Representative | William | Galvin | Yes | No |
| Representative | Sean | Garballey | Yes | No |
| Representative | Russell | Holmes | Yes | No |
| Representative | Kevin | Honan | Yes | No |
| Representative | Daniel | Hunt | Yes | No |
| Representative | Louis | Kafka | Yes | No |
| Representative | Peter | Kocot | Yes | No |
| Representative | John | Mahoney | Yes | No |
| Representative | Paul | Mark | Yes | No |
| Representative | Joseph | McGonagle | Yes | No |
| Representative | Michael | Moran | Yes | No |
| Representative | James | Murphy | Yes | No |
| Representative | Harold | Naughton | Yes | No |
| Representative | Shaunna | O’Connell | Yes | No |
| Representative | Jerry | Parisella | Yes | No |
| Representative | Alice | Peisch | Yes | No |
| Representative | Angelo | Puppolo | Yes | No |
| Representative | Jeffrey | Sanchez | Yes | No |
| Representative | John | Scibak | Yes | No |
| Representative | Theodore | Speliotis | Yes | No |
| Representative | William | Straus | Yes | No |
| Representative | Walter | Timilty | Yes | No |
| Representative | Paul | Tucker | Yes | No |
| Representative | Steven | Ultrino | Yes | No |
| Representative | John | Velis | Yes | No |
Please note the new address and land line.