The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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DEVAL L. PATRICK GOVERNOR TIMOTHY P. MURRAY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Executive Department State House  ·  Boston 02133 (617) 725-4000

December 19, 2007.

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives:

Pursuant to Part the Second, Chapter I, Section I, Article II of the Constitution of the Commonwealth, I am returning unsigned House Bill No. 4139, , “An Act Authorizing a Superannuation Retirement Allowance for Leo Senecal.”

This bill allows a member of the North Adams Retirement System to receive a pension in spite of the requirement under Chapter 32 of the General Laws that an employee forfeit his pension "after final conviction of a criminal offense involving violation of the laws applicable to his office or position" (G.L. ch. 32, §15(4)).  This legislation authorizes an unwarranted departure from the general law for a named individual, rather than addressing any legal or policy concerns posed by the law that it circumvents.  I do not believe the public is well served by making individual legislative exceptions to a rule that is meant to apply uniformly.   

For these reasons, I return House Bill No. 4139 unsigned.

Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                       DEVAL L. PATRICK,

                                                                 Governor.