Latest news with #Fattman
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fuel rates, mandates, tariffs add punch to energy price stew
BOSTON (WWLP) – As Massachusetts Democrats predict price shocks from President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs on Canadian oil and gas, a Republican senator on Tuesday blamed ballooning ratepayer costs on the state's clean energy mandates. During a virtual press conference with New England Republican lawmakers and conservative think tanks, Sen. Ryan Fattman of Sutton proudly noted he voted against the 2021 climate law directing Massachusetts to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. 'We have to build out tremendous new infrastructure that's going to cost billions of dollars in order to transition to alternatives and away from clean-emission energy, like natural gas,' Fattman said. Paul Craney, executive director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, leaned into April Fools' Day as he urged ratepayers, 'Do not be fooled by what you hear from your State House politicians.' 'The reason why your bills are getting jacked up right now is not because of tariffs, not because of natural gas, not because of who occupies the White House,' Craney said. 'But it's because of these mandates, these green renewable mandates, these alternative energy mandates, which are driving up costs because we are funding the transition and it will continue to get worse.' Rising natural gas prices have stung Massachusetts ratepayers in recent winters. Regional grid operator ISO-New England last week reported that the average real-time wholesale electricity price was $126.40 per megawatt-hour in February 2025, up 301% compared to February 2024. After energy bills soared this winter, Gov. Maura Healey vowed to file a bill to rein in costs. Her administration's 'energy affordability agenda' also outlines strategies to expand discount programs for moderate-income customers, redirect clean energy infrastructure funding, and stabilize local energy supplies. The governor on Tuesday praised ISO-New England's first competitive solicitation for transmission investments, which her office said 'will address long-standing constraints on the New England power system and integrate new, affordable, onshore wind resources in the coming years.' Healey said the procurement 'will unlock affordable electricity for Massachusetts residents and businesses at a critical time.' Meanwhile, Healey has warned Trump's plan to impose a 10% tariff on petroleum and natural gas imports from Canada would cost Massachusetts $370 million annually. Trump is expected to announce his tariff plan Wednesday on so-called 'Liberation Day.' 'If the Republicans want to lower energy costs – the first thing they should do is oppose Donald Trump's tariffs on energy from Canada,' MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan said in a statement Tuesday. 'Donald Trump's tariffs will raise the costs of gas and oil by 20 cents per gallon, and cost Massachusetts ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The Republicans will never oppose these tariffs because the Republican Party is loyal to Donald Trump, not the people of Massachusetts.' Fattman, asked whether he supports Trump's planned tariffs, said, 'I'm not a big fan of tariffs in general.' He stressed he's focused on state-level climate policies that lawmakers can control. Fattman also criticized looming state regulations that will require manufacturers to sell lower-emissions engines, based on California's vehicle emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. 'I don't like tying my future to the state of California, which the commonwealth did,' Fattman said. 'Our Legislature did that. They have no ability to change tariffs. They have a big ability to change our standards for vehicles — for advanced clean technology in vehicles and heavy-duty operating.' In response to Tuesday's presser, the Acadia Center said high natural gas costs this winter stem from the New England region's 'untenable overreliance on fossil fuels, with rising energy burdens driven by natural gas infrastructure, generous utility profits, and the region's continued fossil fuel investments.' 'Right now, the region has almost all its eggs in the fossil fuel basket, and this offers only the false promise of fool's gold in protecting the region's consumers from rising energy bills,' the Acadia Center said. 'The region must double down on its climate and clean energy goals to make the broader northeast region energy independent from fossil fuels, reduce consumer price spikes, and mitigate the economic harms of worsening climate change.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Blue state leader sounds alarm about ‘perfect storm' of Dem immigration policies decimating public safety
Massachusetts state Sen. Ryan Fattman, a Republican, is sounding the alarm about the impact of a "perfect storm" of Democratic policies he says are decimating public safety while simultaneously driving up the cost of living. One policy – instituted by the 2017 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling Lunn vs. Commonwealth – bars local and state law enforcement agencies from assisting with immigration enforcement. Under the ruling, law enforcement are also not allowed to honor ICE "detainer" requests, often forcing police departments and sheriffs' offices to release dangerous criminal illegals onto the streets without notifying ICE. This has led to ICE having to re-arrest several criminal illegals charged with such crimes as child rape and fentanyl trafficking after they were released by Massachusetts law enforcement agencies for bail as low as $500 or no bail at all. Fattman told Fox News Digital that these cases are not isolated but rather "are happening across the commonwealth." Boston Police Commissioner Doubles Down On Ice Resistance: 'We Don't Enforce' Detainers Read On The Fox News App He also pointed to a Massachusetts "Right to Shelter" law, which has led to the creation of a vast network of migrant shelters that has cost the state upwards of $3 billion in taxpayer dollars since 2021. Whistleblowers have also called attention to "rampant abuse" of the shelter system by migrants, including instances of drug trafficking and a father repeatedly raping and even impregnating his teenage daughter. A public records request by the Boston Globe resulted in an over 3,000-page document detailing cases of rape, domestic violence, assault and other crimes being perpetuated by illegals living in the state-funded shelter system. "You have a perfect storm that's happening in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," said Fattman. "We have 3,000 pages of public safety incidents, 3 billion plus dollars spent on the taxpayers' dime, and cities and towns across the commonwealth that are literally going broke." 'Rampant' Abuse In Blue State Migrant Shelter System, Says Former Director: 'Colossal Mess' He placed the onus for the state of the crisis on Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, as well as the Democratic majority legislature. "Ninety-nine percent of political asylum cases in our immigration courts get rejected," he said. "So, the premise that these individuals will come to the commonwealth, and many of whom are good people, and that they might be able to work here, make lives here, it's not true. So, we have spent $3 billion on 99% of people who are never going to be legal residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We have lit the money on fire, and that is wrong." Click Here For More Immigration Coverage "This is insanity, and it must change," he continued. "People are tired of this. They want safety for their children and their families. They want to be able to walk down the street and know that there's nothing bad that's going to happen to them, that they can work hard and get ahead. And that is not happening in the commonwealth." In efforts to curb the insanity, Fattman introduced a bill called the "Shield Act" that would essentially overturn the Lunn decision by authorizing local and state law enforcement agencies to work with ICE to ensure criminal illegal immigrants are kept off the streets. Democrat Mayor Blasted For Vowing To Make Major City 'Safe Haven' For Illegal Immigrants Though Massachusetts is a solid blue state, Fattman is optimistic that citizens are going to demand change from their leaders one way or another. "This is, I think, a situation that has become untenable politically for many people," he said, adding that the Lunn decision specifically says that the "legislature needs to create a law in order for this law to exist, that no law exists so, therefore, the ICE detainers don't have to be honored and the remedy is the legislature acting." "Massachusetts is viewed as a blue state, but there are large, large swaths of purple and red parts of the state and those places are just fed up," he went on. "They're fed up as individuals watching the headlines, seeing that their neighbors being assaulted, pregnant women are being injured at the hands of people who are not lawfully present in our state or country." "To add insult to injury, we have said, come here, we'll pay for you, for your food, for your education, for your healthcare, and for your shelter, and it's cost billions of dollars," he added. "We're getting to a critical mass where the pressure points are about at explosion."Original article source: Blue state leader sounds alarm about 'perfect storm' of Dem immigration policies decimating public safety
Fox News
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Blue state leader sounds alarm about ‘perfect storm' of Dem immigration policies decimating public safety
Massachusetts state Sen. Ryan Fattman, a Republican, is sounding the alarm about the impact of a "perfect storm" of Democratic policies he says are decimating public safety while simultaneously driving up the cost of living. One policy – instituted by the 2017 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling Lunn vs. Commonwealth – bars local and state law enforcement agencies from assisting with immigration enforcement. Under the ruling, law enforcement are also not allowed to honor ICE "detainer" requests, often forcing police departments and sheriffs' offices to release dangerous criminal illegals onto the streets without notifying ICE. This has led to ICE having to re-arrest several criminal illegals charged with such crimes as child rape and fentanyl trafficking after they were released by Massachusetts law enforcement agencies for bail as low as $500 or no bail at all. Fattman told Fox News Digital that these cases are not isolated but rather "are happening across the commonwealth." He also pointed to a Massachusetts "Right to Shelter" law, which has led to the creation of a vast network of migrant shelters that has cost the state upwards of $3 billion in taxpayer dollars since 2021. Whistleblowers have also called attention to "rampant abuse" of the shelter system by migrants, including instances of drug trafficking and a father repeatedly raping and even impregnating his teenage daughter. A public records request by the Boston Globe resulted in an over 3,000-page document detailing cases of rape, domestic violence, assault and other crimes being perpetuated by illegals living in the state-funded shelter system. "You have a perfect storm that's happening in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," said Fattman. "We have 3,000 pages of public safety incidents, 3 billion plus dollars spent on the taxpayers' dime, and cities and towns across the commonwealth that are literally going broke." He placed the onus for the state of the crisis on Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, as well as the Democratic majority legislature. "Ninety-nine percent of political asylum cases in our immigration courts get rejected," he said. "So, the premise that these individuals will come to the commonwealth, and many of whom are good people, and that they might be able to work here, make lives here, it's not true. So, we have spent $3 billion on 99% of people who are never going to be legal residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We have lit the money on fire, and that is wrong." "This is insanity, and it must change," he continued. "People are tired of this. They want safety for their children and their families. They want to be able to walk down the street and know that there's nothing bad that's going to happen to them, that they can work hard and get ahead. And that is not happening in the commonwealth." In efforts to curb the insanity, Fattman introduced a bill called the "Shield Act" that would essentially overturn the Lunn decision by authorizing local and state law enforcement agencies to work with ICE to ensure criminal illegal immigrants are kept off the streets. Though Massachusetts is a solid blue state, Fattman is optimistic that citizens are going to demand change from their leaders one way or another. "This is, I think, a situation that has become untenable politically for many people," he said, adding that the Lunn decision specifically says that the "legislature needs to create a law in order for this law to exist, that no law exists so, therefore, the ICE detainers don't have to be honored and the remedy is the legislature acting." "Massachusetts is viewed as a blue state, but there are large, large swaths of purple and red parts of the state and those places are just fed up," he went on. "They're fed up as individuals watching the headlines, seeing that their neighbors being assaulted, pregnant women are being injured at the hands of people who are not lawfully present in our state or country." "To add insult to injury, we have said, come here, we'll pay for you, for your food, for your education, for your healthcare, and for your shelter, and it's cost billions of dollars," he added. "We're getting to a critical mass where the pressure points are about at explosion."
