# House OKs $850,000 loan for paralyzed Dartmouth officer



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

By DAVID KIBBE, Standard-Times staff writer 

BOSTON — Rep. John F. Quinn, D-Dartmouth, yesterday won his standoff with the House speaker's office over a piece of stalled legislation that would allow Dartmouth to borrow $850,000 to pay the medical expenses of a police officer who was paralyzed in the line of duty last year. 
The House approved the home rule petition on a voice vote last night after Quinn met with House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi earlier in the day. It now moves to the Senate. 
Quinn held up routine House business for three days by using a parliamentary move to block non-controversial items from being passed. He said he had to get the attention of the speaker's office after believing that a hold had been put on the bill. 
"I've been elected to get these things done, and sometimes you've got to play rough, and sometimes you've got to negotiate," Quinn said last night. "That's the nature of this business. There's no hard feelings either way. We had an extensive discussion on it. I think the response I got from other colleagues; they knew it was a unique situation with the timeliness of it." 
Dartmouth is seeking state permission to borrow $850,000 to meet its legal obligation in paying the medical expenses of Officer David Mello, who lost the use of his arms and legs when his vehicle was struck last November. 
Dartmouth's other option was to take the money out of the town budget, where it would represent 2 percent of the $55 million spending plan. By borrowing the money, the town could pay it back over time. 
Quinn filed the bill in May, and it cleared a legislative committee on June 23. Quinn said it normally would have gone to the floor of the House soon thereafter, but was being held up by the speaker's office. The formal legislative session ends July 31. 
The House counsel helped Quinn draft the bill, which was also sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Mark C.W. Montigny, D-New Bedford. 

Date of Publication: July 13, 2006 on Page A03


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## lofu (Feb 25, 2006)

I bet the members of DPD are glad to know they have an ally in the state house.


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