XIARHOS CALLS FOR LEGISLATURE TO REMAIN IN EXTENDED SESSION
Says delaying the end of formal sessions until August 21 would enable important legislative business to be accomplished thoughtfully

July 13, 2020

BARNSTABLE – Steve Xiarhos, Republican candidate for State Representative in the Fifth Barnstable District, called today for the Massachusetts Legislature to remain in session on an extended basis this summer to address pending legislative needs.

Specifically, Xiarhos called on legislators to suspend the General Court’s Joint Rule 12A and remain in formal sessions until Friday, August 21.

“We are living in unprecedented times as our Commonwealth continues to fight and attempt to recover from the springtime Coronavirus surge,” said Xiarhos. “As a result of the pandemic, our state went through several months of disruption and we still face extreme uncertainty, particularly regarding the state of our economy and reopening of our schools and businesses. Numerous important legislative proposals, including a budget for next fiscal year, remain pending. Legislators are scurrying to finish work on these bills in advance of an artificial deadline of July 31. There is no good reason for this rush, which risks making hasty decisions with imperfect information about the state of our economy, education, and public health systems going forward. I believe a modest extension of time would allow for more thoughtful deliberation of these measures for the best interest of Massachusetts residents and taxpayers.”

Xiarhos pointed to consideration of the so-called Police Reform Bill (S. 2800) in the Massachusetts Senate this week as one of many reasons for an extension of legislative formal sessions. “This bill was brought forward hastily, without a public hearing. As a result, a number of stakeholders have argued they were not given a seat at the table as this bill was crafted, and they are worried it will be passed without sufficient input from all viewpoints. This process is necessary for the sanctity of our democratic process. I say, let’s take the time the Legislature needs to consider this and other bills in due course, so that our elected officials can make the right decisions without feeling rushed because of self-imposed legislative deadlines.”

Under the joint rules governing the work of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate, all formal legislative business must be concluded by the end of July this year. Traditionally, this deadline has allowed legislators to return home to their districts during the remainder of summer months and heading into fall elections.

“I think legislators can delay their summer vacations and put aside their political futures for a few weeks so they can finish doing their job on Beacon Hill,” said Xiarhos. “If elected State Representative, I pledge to be a full-time representative for the constituents I represent, and I intend to work hard on their behalf. The entire Legislature should work under the same attitude. By staying in session through August 21, legislators would benefit from having three additional weeks to consider important business before the end of formal sessions, while also maintaining accountability by concluding business before early voting for the state primary begins.”

Suspension of the joint rules can be accomplished by the Legislature at any time by way of a concurrent vote of two-thirds of the members of each branch present and voting thereon.

About Steven Xiarhos

Steven Xiarhos is a resident of Barnstable and a Republican candidate for state representative in the Fifth Barnstable District (Sandwich, Barnstable Pcts. 11 & 12, Bourne Pcts. 1, 2 & 7, and Plymouth Pct. 9).

Steve spent forty years serving the people of Cape Cod as a member of the Yarmouth Police Department, retiring in late 2019 from the position of Deputy Chief of Police. Throughout his career, Steve attended numerous specialized training courses and is a graduate of the Babson College Command Training Course and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. He is the recipient of 22 various police department awards and decorations including Officer of the Year, Yarmouth Area Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year, Rotary Club of Yarmouth Vocational Service Award, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Officer of the Year, and the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission Rosenthal Award.

Steve also remains active in many charitable and civic causes. This includes, but is not limited to, the Nicholas G. Xiarhos Memorial Fund (which was created in memory of Steve’s son, Nick, who was a Marine killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2009). Currently, Steve serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Heroes Memorial Fund and the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation; as well as a Volunteer for Wounded Warrior Project Cape Cod Soldier Ride.

Endorsements

Steve Xiarhos is proud to have his candidacy for State Representative endorsed publicly by:

  • State Representative Randy Hunt (R – 5th Barnstable District)
  • State Representative David Vieira (R – 3rd Barnstable District)
  • Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings
  • Jeff Perry (former State Representative and Cape Cod Republican activist)
  • Barnstable Town Councilor Matthew Levesque
  • The Massachusetts Coalition of Police
  • The Massachusetts Police Association
  • Bob Avila, Sandwich Resident and Owner of Captain John Boats

For more information about Steve Xiarhos and his campaign, please visit his Website, www.Xiarhosforrep.com.

About the Fifth Barnstable District

The Fifth Barnstable District in the Massachusetts Houses of Representatives consists of the entire town of Sandwich, plus precincts 11 and 12 in Barnstable, precincts 1, 2, and 7 in Bourne, and precinct 9 in Plymouth.

The Republican primary is Tuesday, September 1. The general election is on November 3.

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