Ruthzee Louijeune

Boston City Council votes to accept federal grants for planting trees, housing migrants and upgrading three Roxbury streets, except for Councilor Flynn, who played Dr. No

By adamg - 11/21/24 - 2:06 pm

The Boston City Council yesterday voted to accept millions of dollars in federal grants for projects across the city, including $20 million to upgrade Melnea Cass Boulevard, Malcolm X Boulevard and Warren Street in Roxbury, $11.4 million to plant hundreds of new trees and bolster an urban-forestry work training program and $2.3 million in two separate grants to help upgrade, expand and staff a Boston Rescue Mission program downtown that houses and train immigrants released from federal detention. Read more.

State, City Council to investigate Election Day screwups in Boston, from running out of ballots to one polling place going without lights

By adamg - 11/6/24 - 3:13 pm

Louijeune calling for a hearing and soon.

Both Secretary of State William Galvin and the Boston City Council decided today to investigate how precincts across the city ran out of ballots and numerous other ways voters had obstacles placed in the way of casting their ballots, from one polling place not having any working lights to voters with disabilities being refused access to handicap parking spaces at another. Read more.

Councilors propose using birth control to combat rats, rather than poison that can kill raptors, pets and even small children

By adamg - 7/10/24 - 4:39 pm

The Boston City Council today agreed to look at using rodent birth-control pellets to try to control the city's burgeoning supply of rats, by building on a pilot started in Jamaica Plain last year that one councilor said had meant an 80% reduction in the gnawing, long-tailed vermin. Read more.

Boston councilors seek shakeup in how city officials are elected, but no, not by moving the elections to even-numbered years

By adamg - 6/10/24 - 1:47 pm

Boston City Councilors Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia and Henry Santana (all at large) this week will formally propose changing the way Bostonians elect municipal officials to a more Cambridge-like system in which voters would rank candidates in order of preference. Read more.

Boston is the bee's knees, councilors declare

By adamg - 3/6/24 - 1:36 pm

Louijeune pulls an Oprah and puts a jar of honey under every other councilor's desk

Louijeune pulls an Oprah, tells all the councilors to look under their desks for some honey.

The Boston City Council today unanimously approved a measure that will make it easier for residents to raise bees.

Boston council approves $13.3-million federal security grant after councilor warns of impending disaster in Chelsea and Quincy

By adamg - 1/31/24 - 3:46 pm

Ed Flynn, worrying about Boston's neighboring cities.

The Boston City Council today approved a $13.3-million federal homeland-security grant without the normally required hearing after Councilor Ed Flynn (South Boston, South End, Chinatown, downtown) warned there was no time left, that surrounding communities that would share the grant need the money now. Read more.

Louijeune takes over as City Council president

By adamg - 1/2/24 - 12:46 pm

The State House News Service reports on at-large Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune's plans for the office in which she replaces Councilor Ed Flynn.

Boston City Council rejects $13.3-million grant from Homeland Security

By adamg - 12/13/23 - 1:42 pm

Louijeune speaks against Homeland Security grant

Louijeune explains her votes.

The City Council today rejected an anti-terrorism grant from the federal Department of Homeland Security when it deadlocked, 6-6, on accepting the grant. Read more.

Which at-large candidates topped the ballot in each precinct

By adamg - 11/22/23 - 9:45 am

Stanley Staco posts the map. Incumbents Ruthzee Louijeune, who got the most votes citywide and Erin Murphy, who came in second, won precincts across the city. Read more.

Boston City Council to try to redraw district maps by May 30

By adamg - 5/10/23 - 3:59 pm

The City Council today agreed to try to redraw lines for the nine district councilors by May 30, the last day city lawyers say the city can use new maps in time to hold preliminary elections on Sept. 12 and final elections on Nov. 7, in a process that, as has become typical, showed a continued fault line between the council majority and its four most conservative members. Read more.

Now he brings it up: Councilor worries ordinance requiring info on police surveillance technologies could mean release of 'classified' information year after he voted for it

By adamg - 11/21/22 - 3:16 pm

ACLU's Crockford makes point at council hearing.

City Council President Ed Flynn (South Boston, South End, Chinatown, Downtown), who last year joined all his other colleagues in passing an ordinance requiring Boston Police and seven other departments to detail their use of cameras, cell-phone interceptors and other surveillance technologies, today voiced concern that forcing BPD to actually comply could result in the release of information that would help bad guys. Read more.

Police, who could only fill 65% of road-work flagging jobs over the past year, don't want to give up their monopoly

By adamg - 11/8/22 - 3:09 pm

The Bay State Banner reports on a contentious City Council hearing on the idea of letting civilians get part of the construction detail game, in which the police union president went over his allotted five-minute talk time and so city councilors Kenzie Bok, Kendra Lara and Ruthzee Louijeune walked out until he was done.

City Council could be buzzing on Wednesday

By adamg - 10/3/22 - 3:31 pm

The City Council on Wednesday will hear a proposal to make it easier for residents to raise honeybees. Read more.

Two councilors say part of the answer to Mass and Cass might be locking people up for treatment whether they want it or not

By adamg - 9/1/22 - 2:20 pm

City Councilors Erin Murphy and Frank Baker, both of whom have had close relatives deal with drug problems, say one solution to the resurgence of drug problems at Mass and Cass could be to force people into locked treatment facilities. Read more.

Man who was arrested while charging the mayor in Dorchester is blocked from trying to charge a city councilor in Hyde Park

By adamg - 6/24/22 - 1:10 pm

Row of cops keeps Nelson from getting in Louijeune's face at Hyde Park playground.

With most people there to get some free potted plants or Munchkins and to chat with Mayor Wu, the usual gang of Covid screamers also descended on Iacono Playground in Readville this morning - this time with a large contingent of uniformed cops between them and the mayor. Read more.

Boston City Council unanimously votes to apologize for city's past support of slavery

By adamg - 6/15/22 - 2:07 pm

The City Council today approved a resolution to "acknowledge, condemn and apologize for the role played by the city of Boston in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the ongoing detrimental impacts experienced by the Black people of Boston." Read more.

Councilors to look at seeking four liquor licenses for Nubian Square's Bolling Building

By adamg - 3/30/22 - 2:14 pm

The City Council will consider a proposal to seek permission from the state legislature to give Boston four new liquor licenses that would be restricted to use in the Bolling Building in Nubian Square, as a way to help stimulate economic activity there and help ease the historic disparity between wealthy Boston Proper areas and the city's Black and Brown neighborhoods when it comes to liquor licenses. Read more.

Election roundup: Pressley makes council endorsements

By adamg - 9/27/21 - 11:25 am

Ayanna Pressley has endorsed Julia Mejia (incumbent), David Halbert, Ruthzee Louijeune and Carla Monteiro for the four at-large council seats and Kendra Hicks in District 6 (Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Mission Hill). Didn't say if she'll be endorsing somebody for mayor. Read more.

Election roundup: Barros would require shots for city workers; more endorsements announced for city council

By adamg - 7/28/21 - 8:56 am

John Barros said yesterday it's time for the city to require its employees to either get vaccinated against Covid-19 or submit to weekly tests.

With delta surging, he said: Read more.

Election roundup: Santiago, Edwards in a budget spat; JP/West Roxbury council candidate leaves race

By adamg - 6/28/21 - 9:59 am

Jon Santiago took note last week of the way the city council and the acting mayor are duking it out over a city budget that's due before July 1 and told the council to be good little boys and girls and knock it off: Read more.

Ruthzee Louijeune

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