November 8, 1995 - Announces plans to authorize the Department of Revenue to suspend driver's licenses for non-custodial parents accused of non-payment of child support. Present law already prevents such people from renewing their driving licenses.

March 1, 1996 - Proposes legislation for mandatory 14-day jail sentences for non-custodial fathers found in contempt of court for non-payment of child support.

July 10, 1996 - Announces creation of Advisory Commission on Father Absence and Family Support. The commission does not regard forced fatherlessness as a critical issue, and will only be addressing intentional abandonment. Board seats are reserved for representatives from the domestic violence commission and DOR Child Support Enforcement Division, including notorious feminists and fatherhood foes Mitchell Adams, Marilyn Ray Smith, Marie Kenny, and later, Susan Brotchie. No father advocates are invited to the commission, and those that formally requested inclusion are completely ignored.

September 24, 1996 - Unveils his "Fatherhood can be child's play" campaign, urging fathers to become more involved with their children. In Massachusetts, being a father is anything but child's play, for fathers who face an antagonistic ex-spouse.

January 16, 1997 - In his annual state-of-the-state speech, labels fatherlessness "the single biggest social problem" in the commonwealth, then outlines his proposals for solving the problem, all of which involve separating men from their children, and criminalizing and/or jailing fathers.

February 13, 1997 - Submits legislation allowing judges to end a father's custody rights subject to a mere allegation of domestic abuse. Submits legislation to make subsequent violations of a restraining order a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. According to present law, violations of no-contact restraining orders make no distinction between intentional or accidental contact-or even when contact is contrived by the victim.

February 14, 1997 - Proposes exempting domestic violence victims from strict welfare overhaul regulations (Click here).

March 6, 1997 - Proposes legislation to add gender to the hate crimes statutes. The proposed legislation creates a mandatory minimum sentence of six months in jail and a maximum of ten years for hate-motivated assault and battery, and a 30-day jail term for hate-motivated vandalism. Lt. Governor Cellucci adds, "Protecting women against hate crimes is a matter of simple justice, fairness and common sense."

March 9, 1997 - Begins warehousing state prisoners in Texas jails. Videotaped evidence of serious physical abuse of prisoners in these jails has been publicized. How many innocent fathers are being jailed as a result of the state's due-process-be-damned domestic violence policies and 'let them eat cake' child support awards?

April 9, 1997 - Asks the Judiciary Committee to remove probation from the purview of the courts and into the domain of his Executive Office of Public Safety. When the proposal was first revealed in Weld's budget, Chief Administrator of the Trial Court Justice John Irwin said "Someone could lose their liberty without any intervention by the judiciary. I cannot support that kind of bill."

June 24, 1997 - Files legislation to tighten up the sex-offender registry including a provision to abolish the present classification system which distinguishes between minor and serious infractions. Another provision makes failure to register an arrestable offense. Remember that prank you pulled with your frat buddies on rush night 11 years ago...?

July 23, 1997 - Calls for the elimination of the $25 fee paid to bail magistrates each time a criminal defendant is able to post bail. Weld describes the practice as "a powerful incentive to release potentially dangerous defendants back to society." He notes that the arrest of Red Sox player Wilfredo Cordero spotlights "lapses in logic" that put victims of domestic violence at risk. When we last looked, Cordero's "victim" was fighting with him against the state prosecutors.

Governor Cellucci continues the tradition

August 1, 1997 - Issues executive order allowing state workers who are battered to take up to 15 paid days off for medical appointments, court dates and other emergencies, and up to six months off without pay. The order gives supervisors the authority to discipline a worker when a court has found probable cause of battery; including the authority to fire the worker. What's next, floating battery days?

August 2, 1997 - Announces he will file a constitutional amendment stripping prison inmates of the right to vote.