Description: Carmen Fields reports that the Ballot Commission must determine whether several dozen signatures included in the nominating papers of Bill Owens are valid. If the signatures are invalidated, Owens' name will not appear on the primary ballot for the second Suffolk County seat, the only district ever to be held by an African American. Interview with Owens about his nomination papers and about the election. Owens attends a hearing of the Ballot Commission. Owens's main rival for the seat, Royal Bolling, Sr., will not appear on the ballot, because Bolling did not file nominating papers on time. Interview with Bolling, Sr. about his failure to file nomination papers on time. Fields notes the ongoing political competition between the Owens and Bolling families, although both candidates deny that the rivalry between the families is serious. Fields' report includes footage of Owens and Bolling, Sr. at a campaign debate in 1986 and footage of Bolling, Sr. at a legislative hearing. Fields' report also includes footage of Shirley Owens Hicks (sister of Bill Owens) at a Boston School Committee meeting and footage of Royal Bolling, Jr. at a press conference with Byron Rushing (State Representative) and Andrew Jones (community activist). Sounds cuts out at the end of the video. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: Hope Kelly interviews Barbara Arnwine about housing desegregation in Boston
1:00:04: Visual: Footage of officials at a Ballot Commission Hearing on June 20, 1988. One official challenges the validity of signatures on a petition. Officials argue over whether the signatures should be counted. Carmen Fields reports that the Ballot Commission must decide on the validity of several dozen signatures included in the nominating papers of Bill Owens (candidate for State Senator). Fields notes that Owens's name will not appear on the primary ballot if the signatures are found to be invalid. V: Footage of Owens discussing the case with an African American woman. Owens says that 24 signatures are being challenged; that 18 or 19 signatures must be ruled invalid in order for his name to be kept off the ballot. Fields reports that Owens is running for the second Suffolk County seat in the State Senate; that the seat in question is the only seat ever held by an African American. V: Shots of traffic on a street in an African American neighborhood of Boston. An African American family crosses the street. Fields reports that the district includes Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan, the South End, parts of Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain. Fields reports that Owens held the seat for four terms beginning in 1974; that Owens's main rival for the seat is Royal Bolling, Sr. (State Senator). V: Shots of signatures on a nominating petition; of Owens and Bolling at a campaign debate in October of 1986. Footage of Owens at the Ballot Commission Hearing. Owens says that he has won the seat twice; that Bolling has won the seat twice. Owens notes that Bolling failed to file his nominating papers for the seat. Fields reports that Bolling's name will not appear on the primary ballot because he failed to file his qualifying signature petitions. V: Footage of Bolling being interviewed by Fields. Bolling says that he forgot to file his petition on time because he was too involved in other issues. Shot of Bolling addressing a legislative hearing at the State House. Fields reports that Bolling plans to run a sticker campaign in both the Republican and Democratic state primary elections. V: Footage of Bolling saying that voters will have to support him through the sticker campaign. Fields reports that Owens was defeated by Bolling in 1982 after Owens switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. V: Footage of Owens at the Ballot Commission Hearing, being interviewed by Fields. Owens says that Bolling is trying to manipulate voters in the Republican Party into voting for him; that Bolling will return to the Democratic Party if he is elected. Owens says that he switched to the Republican Party because of his differences with the leadership of the Democratic Party. Owens says that he tried unsuccessfully to build a liberal wing of the Republican Party. Fields notes that Shirley Owens Hicks (sister of Bill Owens) defeated Royal Bolling, Jr. in a race for a seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. V: Shots of Owens Hicks at a Boston School Committee meeting; of Royal Bolling, Jr. outside of the Massachusetts State House with Byron Rushing (State Representative) and Andrew Jones (African American activist and journalist). Fields say that both candidates deny that there is a serious rivalry between the two families. V: Footage of Bolling saying that there is no feud between the two families; that both families are involved in the political process.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 06/21/1988
Description: Sharon Felzer reports that four groups filed suit against the 1987 redistricting plan for the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Felzer notes that the plaintiffs complain that the plan violates the one-person, one-vote clause of the Constitution and that it does not provide fair minority representation. Felzer adds that the 1987 plan was designed by James Brett (State Representative). Felzer's report includes footage of Brett defending his latest plan in the chambers of the House of Representatives. Felzer interviews Alan Jay Rom (attorney, who criticizes Brett's latest plan. Felzer reports that Rom has drafted his own redistricting plan. Felzer compares the redistricting plans of Brett and Rom. Felzer's report includes footage of African Americans at a polling station and footage of George Keverian (Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives) in the House chambers.
1:00:12: Visual: Footage of James Brett (State Representative) in the chambers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Brett says that the plan was not put together to please incumbents; that the plan was put together to please the US Federal District Court. Shot of House leadership including George Keverian (Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives) in the House chambers. Maps of the districts are displayed at the front of the House chambers. Sharon Felzer reports that four groups filed suit against last year's House redistricting plan. Felzer reports that the groups complained that the plan violated the one-person, one-vote requirement of the Consitution; that the plan did not provide fair minority representation. Felzer notes that Brett's latest redistricting plan was recently unveiled. V: Shot of an African American man at a polling station; of an African American female poll worker. Footage of Alan Jay Rom (attorney) saying that Brett ignored the principles of the US Constitution when drafting his latest redistricting plan. Felzer reports that the groups who filed the suit want one-third of Boston's seventeen House districts open to minority representation. V: Shots of African Americans walking on a street in Roxbury; of an African American woman waiting for a bus. Felzer reports that Rom has drafted his own redistricting plan for Boston's House districts. Felzer reports that Rom's plan cuts minority representation in the Roxbury district to 80%; that Brett's plan leaves minority representation in the Roxbury district at 96%. V: Shot of a Rom's map of Boston House districts. On-screen text compares details of Rom's proposal with details of Brett's proposal. Footage of Rom saying that Brett's plan violates the Voting Rights Act and the one-person, one-vote principle. Footage of Brett saying that his plan does not disregard minority representation in Boston. Shot of Keverian and House leadership at the front of the House chambers. Felzer reports that five of the state's 160 districts would be either over-represented or under-represented in Brett's plan. Felzer notes that Republicans oppose Brett's plan because it violates the one-peson, one-vote clause. V: Footage of Steven Pierce (State Representative) saying that the federal court will impose a new plan if the House does not draft its own new plan. Shot of Keverian. Felzer stands outside of the House chambers. Felzer reports that Republicans are concerned about the court-imposed injuction on the distribution of nominating papers for House seats; that challengers will not have enough time to circulate their nominating papers before the election deadlines. Felzer reports that the House defeated a Republican amendment to extend the filing of nomination papers. V: Footage of William Galvin (State Representative) saying that signatures are easily obtained for nomination papers. Shots of Keverian at the front of the House chambers; of the roll call board in the House chambers. Felzer reports that the bill now goes to the State Senate; that Rom will request approval of the bill at a court hearing tomorrow. V: Shot of Rom and Felzer looking at Rom's redistricting plan for Boston.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 03/14/1988
Description: Christy George reports on the final redistricting plan for legislative districts of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. State Rep. James Brett drew up an original plan that was challenged by the Massachusetts Republican Party and by the Black Political Task Force. Both groups are fighting for more representation in the legislature. Interviews with State Rep. Byron Rushing and Lloyd King of the Black Political Task Force. Rushing claims a victory for the Black Political Task Force. George discusses whether the new redistricting plan will result in a greater number of Republican and African American representatives. George reports that the Republican Party is worried that Republican challengers will not have enough time to plot campaigns in new districts. Interview with State House Minority Leader Stephen Pierce. Interview with Rep. Brett, who talks about the redistricting plan. Footage from House chambers, including Brett explaining the new plan to his colleagues and Speaker of the House George Keverian, who addresses the House and says, "The law is an ass."
1:00:21: Visual: Shots of traffic on a city street; of scuba divers on a beach. Christy George reports that the population of Boston has been shrinking; that the suburbs south of the city have an increasing population. George reports that James Brett (State Representative) was in charge of a redistricting plan for the Massachusetts House of Representatives; that Dorchester lost a representative while Cape Cod gained one. V: Shots of Brett standing in front of a map detailing the new districts; of a street in Dorchester; of Carver Square in Carver, MA; of a ship passing through the Cape Cod Canal. George reports that Brett's redistricting plan won 159 of 160 votes in the House of Representatives; that all of the African American and Republican representatives voted for the plan. V: Shot of a roll call board of the members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Shot of Brett entering the chambers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. George reports that the Republican State Committee and the Black Political Task Force each wanted more seats for their constituents. George notes that both groups had called Brett's original plan unconstitutional because the districts were of uneven size. George adds that Brett's new plan passed easily. V: Shot of African American teenagers standing at the entrance to a building. Shot of Brett in his office, rolling up a map of the new districts. Footage of Byron Rushing (State Representative) saying that the Black Political Task Force scored a major victory; that race should be factored into redistricting plans. George reports from the Massachusetts State House. George speculates as to whether the redistricting plan will result in a greater number of African American and Republican representatives. V: Footage of George Keverian (Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives) saying that the redistricting process is political. Shot of Brett and another lawmaker examining the maps of the new districts. George reports that the original plan protected incumbents and gave Republicans a good chance at winning two new seats. George reports that the new plan still allows Republicans a good chance in those two districts. George notes that the Republican Party is worried that Republican challengers will not have enough time to plot campaigns in the new districts. V: Shot of representatives at the entrance to the House Chambers. Footage of Steven Pierce (Minority Leader, Massachusetts House of Representatives) saying that the redistricting process is working to the advantage of incumbents; that Republican challengers are at a disadvantage. Footage of Lloyd King (Black Political Task Force) saying that he would have liked to have seen the creation of two additional districts for people of color; that he is happy that the redistricting has created one district for people of color. George reports that the redistricting plan divides some communities. George reports that Brett says that the new plan leaves some communities underrepresented. V: Footage of Brett saying that the court did not take into account the number of communities in the state. Brett says that the court ruled that the districts must be equal, according to the number of inhabitants in the state. Footage of Keverian in the House Chambers. Keverian says that "the law is an ass." George reports that the redistricting plan had been tying up legislation in the House; that the House is likely to vote on the transportation bond issue next.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 03/31/1988