A spat from final time period spilled over into the primary Boston City Council committee listening to of the 12 months, with the brand new president Ruthzee Louijeune and former president Ed Flynn sparring over his renewed push for a home violence committee she helped to kill in November.
Flynn introduced up the “critically important” want for a standalone committee devoted to tackling home violence Monday throughout a Strong Women, Families and Communities Committee listening to that centered on a federal violence in opposition to ladies grant, prompting Louijeune to primarily inform her predecessor to again off.
“I’m glad this is in your committee where it should be,” Flynn instructed Strong Women Committee chair Erin Murphy, referring to the grant, “but I also think there should be a standalone domestic violence committee on the Boston City Council, something I have advocated in the past, something I’m going to continue to advocate for because this is an important issue.”
Flynn mentioned home violence is a matter that impacts “so many people,” together with metropolis residents, neighbors and the immigrant group. It’s a “distinct issue” that deserves its personal committee, he mentioned whereas pledging to proceed making an attempt to garner help from his council colleagues for its creation.
Louijeune put a pin within the concept, nonetheless, saying that the Strong Women, Families and Communities Committee was created by former Councilor and now U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley with the said intention of addressing home violence points.
Also addressing the committee chair Murphy, Louijeune mentioned that when the home violence grant got here earlier than the City Council final Wednesday, she deliberately selected to refer it to Strong Women, Families and Communities.
“It was previously in Public Health,” Louijeune mentioned, referring to Murphy’s request that she transfer it from that committee, which she initially referred the grant to, to the one Murphy chairs.
“I moved it to this committee because I know how much you champion it and also because this was the vision of Councilor Pressley in creating this committee,” Louijeune mentioned, including that intimate associate violence is on the root of gun and a variety of different violence that happens within the U.S., “And it’s important that we get this right.”
An undeterred Flynn introduced up his intention to push for a standalone home violence committee once more later within the listening to, saying that it’s a “critically important issue” that’s “impacting every neighborhood.”
“If we agree that it is an important position, let’s try to come together and create a standalone domestic violence committee,” Flynn mentioned.
The debate, whereas not a lot heated because it was pointed, hearkens again to what occurred on the finish of Flynn’s Council president time period in November, at which level Louijeune had already said she had the votes to succeed him in that function. Council guidelines restrict the presidency to a two-year time period.
Louijeune was among the many two councilors to vote in opposition to Flynn’s proposal to alter the Council guidelines to create a Committee on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, which wanted two-thirds approval from the 13-member physique however garnered simply 5 votes, with three councilors voting current and three others leaving the room earlier than a vote was taken.
Prior to the vote, Louijeune joined those that said that there have been a number of different committees that would conceivably cowl the subject of home violence: Public Health, Homelessness and Recovery; Strong Women, Families and Communities; and Public Safety and Criminal Justice.
Flynn mentioned, nonetheless, that the Council had not held a listening to on home violence in “a long time,” and {that a} standalone committee could be aimed toward elevating the problem — which drew a variety of curiosity from councilors on Monday.
The listening to was held regardless of what Murphy described as “pushback” from Mayor Michelle Wu’s intergovernmental relations division.
Murphy mentioned intergovernmental relations had prompt that relatively than have the Council maintain a listening to on an annual grant the physique tends to move, the administration may present a “one-pager” doc with info on what the federal funding could be used for.
“But as you can see, this is very important,” Murphy mentioned, remarks that Councilor Julia Mejia described as “a little shade coming into intergovernmental.”
Addressing these remarks, a Wu spokesperson mentioned, “We offered materials and were happy to attend the hearing.”
Murphy mentioned that whereas the grant quantity of $146,089 was comparatively low, it was essential to carry a listening to to keep away from the notion of the Council performing as a “rubber stamp” for the Wu administration.
Mejia replied, nonetheless, by stating that the physique already introduced that notion upon itself final week, nonetheless, when it selected to approve a $13 million federal counter-terrorism grant with out a listening to, which she had pushed for.
The Violence Against Women STOP grant administered by the U.S. Department of Justice would fund a civilian home violence advocate who offers companies for Jamaica Plain, East Boston and Charlestown, in addition to time beyond regulation for all advocates citywide, in keeping with a communication from the mayor.
There are six different advocates all through town, 4 of whom are funded by means of town funds and two who’re funded by a state Department of Public Health grant, Jenna Savage, deputy director of the Boston Police Department’s Office of Research and Development instructed the Council.
Councilor John FitzGerald pushed for a future advocate within the South End, significantly at and round Mass and Cass to focus on the home violence that takes place among the many homeless.
Savage agreed with the necessity, citing the human trafficking that happens there.
Murphy plans to name for a vote on the grant on the Wednesday Council assembly.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”