Richard J. Ross

Richard J. Ross is the Massachusetts State Senator for the Norfolk, Bristol, and Middlesex districts, which includes parts of Attleboro, Franklin, Natick, and Wellesley, and all of North Attleboro, Ross's home town of Wrentham, Plainville, Norfolk, Millis, Sherborn, Wayland, and Needham.^[1] He is a Republican who has served since May 2010, when he won a special election to succeed Scott Brown. This was the third time Ross was elected to a political office to succeed Brown.^[2] From 2005 to 2010 he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the 9th Norfolk district.^[1] Ross currently serves as the Senate Minority Whip.

Background

Ross grew up in Wrentham, Massachusetts. He attended American University where he received a degree in Government. He then returned to Massachusetts with an intention to study at Harvard University, but apparently was not accepted and instead graduated from a now-defunct undertaker's school, the New England Institute of Anatomy, Science & Embalming, in 1975. Prior to serving in the Massachusetts legislature, he served on the Wrentham Board of Health and the Wrentham Board of Selectmen.^[1][2] He currently still resides in his hometown with his wife and three children. Ross is also the owner of R.J. Ross Funeral Home in Wrentham.^[3]

S787 Controversy

In 2013 state senator Ross filed S787^[4] which restricts the dating and sex lives of people going through a divorce if they have children:

In divorce, separation, or 209A proceedings involving children and a marital home, the party remaining in the home shall not conduct a dating or sexual relationship within the home until a divorce is final and all financial and custody issues are resolved, unless the express permission is granted by the courts.^[5]

In Massachusetts, divorces are not finalized until 120 days after the final paperwork is signed.^[6] On March 24, 2014 State senator Ross defended his submission of the bill in a Facebook post:

This was a free petition that I filed at the request of a constituent. I am not the sponsor of this legislation, nor have I ever endorsed or spoken in favor of it. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Administration and Finance defines a ‘free petition’ as: ‘In Massachusetts all citizens have the right to petition the state legislature. This procedure is called the right of free petition. A citizen drafts and files a Petition and accompanying Bill. A legislator sponsors the Bill in the General Court. If a legislator disagrees with the contents of the Bill, he/she may indicate this by placing the phrase “By request” after his/her name.’ ^[7][8]

The text of S787 ^[4] specifies that it was filed by "Richard J. Ross, (BY REQUEST)"

Committees

•Joint Committee on Rules

•Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies

•Joint Committee on Education

•Joint Committee on Higher Education

•Joint Committee on the Judiciary

•Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse

•Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

•Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

•Joint Committee on Ways and Means

•Senate Committee on Ethics and Rules

•Senate Committee on Ways and Means

References