Ryan Fattman

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Ryan Fattman
Ryan Fattman.jpg
Member of the
Massachusetts State Senate
Worcester and Norfolk district
Assumed office
January 7, 2015
Preceded byRichard T. Moore
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 18th Worcester district
In office
January 5, 2011 – January 7, 2015
Preceded byJennifer Callahan
Succeeded byJoseph D. McKenna
Member of the
Sutton, Massachusetts
Board of Selectmen
In office
2006–2011
Personal details
Born (1984-07-01) July 1, 1984 (age 37)
Worcester, Massachusetts U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Stephanie K. Fattman[1]
ResidenceWebster, Massachusetts
EducationSuffolk University (BA)
Tufts University (M.A.)
OccupationState Senate
Website[1]

Ryan C. Fattman (born July 1, 1984) is an American state legislator currently serving in the Massachusetts State Senate. Prior to being elected to the Massachusetts Senate, Fattman represented the 18th Worcester district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a Republican. Before serving as a state representative, he attended Suffolk University and Tufts University and served on the Sutton Board of Selectmen from 2006 to 2011.[2]

Personal life[]

Ryan was born on July 1, 1984 in Sutton.[3] Ryan graduated from Sutton High School. Ryan's mother is a small business owner, running her own preschool in Worcester called Kids Kount Nursery School. Ryan's father is a long-time businessman.[4][5]

Fattman graduated from Sutton High School in 2003, and went on to study at Suffolk University for his bachelor's degree. For his master's degree, Fattman went on to Tufts University, where he was selected for the Harvard University Kennedy School Rappaport Public Policy Fellowship, class of 2008.[4]

Fattman met his wife at a high school dance, and proposed at the same location nine years later to the day they met.[6] Ryan and his wife Stephanie, the current Worcester County Register of Probate, reside in the town of Webster since their marriage in May 2013.

Political career[]

Board of Selectmen[]

In 2006, Ryan announced his candidacy for the Sutton Board of Selectmen. On May 23, 2006, Ryan earned 70% of the vote, defeating two long-term incumbents.[4][6] At 21 years old, this made him the youngest Selectman in the history of Sutton, and one of the youngest in MA history.[7] He was re-elected in 2009 for a second term.

During his five-year tenure, Fattman is largely credited with the restoration of Marion's Camp,[8] helping expand Sutton's commercial tax base on Rt 146, senior citizen property tax relief,[9] and working with fellow board members to create a Capital Stabilization Fund for capital purchases. He also placed an emphasis on increasing cell phone coverage in Sutton with the construction of a cell tower in West Sutton.[4][10]

Fattman joined a subcommittee on Tax Increment Financing for Business Development with fellow Selectman Michael Chizy. They negotiated with small businesses to alleviate the 90% residential tax burden, reducing it from above $12 to below $11.50, at a time when most other towns were increasing their residential tax rate.[4]

State Representative[]

In April 2010, Fattman announced his candidacy for State Representative. Down early in the polls by 32 points, Fattman knocked on nearly 8,000 doors throughout the campaign and won all five towns in the district.[11][12] Fattman was outspent by a margin of two-to-one, yet defeated eight-year incumbent Jennifer Callahan, 53-47%.[13] The surprising upset received attention from statewide media outlets. The Worcester Telegram and Gazette described Fattman's win as the "most surprising upset" in Central Massachusetts.[14] Boston Globe Columnist Yvonne Abraham said "the new standard-bearer for beleaguered Massachusetts Republicans is a cherubic 26-year-old."[15] Fattman had a perfect 100% voting attendance record for 2011.[16]

State Senator[]

Ryan Fattman was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate on November 4, 2014 after serving two terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He is the first Republican to win an election to the Worcester-Norfolk Senate seat since 1938, when Dr. Wilfred Bazinet was elected from Webster.[1] Fattman defeated the twenty-year incumbent and President Pro Tempore (since 2013) Richard T. Moore. He currently has a 100% attendance record in the State Senate.[1]

Policy issues[]

Fattman co-sponsored a House Republican Budget Amendment #483, which increased UGGA Local Aid funds by $65 Million in FY12, including $369,546 to his new legislative district.[5]

Fattman has continued his campaign on ethical reform for public officials. House Bill H03236, which Fattman sponsored, calls to eliminate the per-diem that legislators are paid for driving to work.

Fattman is currently working with the Ellsessar family of Sutton on legislation requiring public schools to have a medical emergency response plan for medical incidents.[17] Michael Ellsessar, a 16-year-old JV Football Player from Sutton, collapsed on the field during an away game and was not able to be resuscitated. This legislation, known as Michael's Bill, would require schools to plan responses for similar events to prevent further deaths. For example, if a school possessed an AED, the school would have a plan to move it out to the athletic fields.

In July 2020, as the Massachusetts legislature worked to develop emergency legislation[18] to respond to a swell of George Floyd protests in Massachusetts aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement, Sen. Fattman gained state-wide attention for employing procedural tactics to delay the progression and debate of a sweeping police reform and accountability bill, citing the need for public input, especially from law enforcement personnel.[19] The bill, which among other measures bans chokeholds and the use of tear gas, and requires officers to intervene when excessive force is employed by a comrade, passed the senate on July 14th, with Fattman voting "Nay".[20]

Controversies[]

Comments on undocumented victims of violent crime[]

In a June 8, 2011 article in the Telegram & Gazette in which Fattman criticized the decision by Governor Deval Patrick to not join the Department of Homeland Security's Secure Communities program, Fattman commented that he would not be concerned by the reluctance of undocumented victims of violent crime, including rape, to report crimes to police, saying "if someone is here illegally, they should be afraid to come forward."[21][22] On June 13, anti-sexual violence support and advocacy groups New Hope Rape Crisis Center of Boston, Pathways for Change, Inc, and the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center began a Change.org petition seeking an apology from Fattman and demanding that the Massachusetts State Legislature denounce Fattman's comments. Fattman was also criticized by Physicians for Human Rights Asylum Director Christy Fujio in a letter to the editor of the Telegram & Gazette, writing that Fattman's original statement "indicates a level of misogynistic racism that should be anathema to the people of his district and the entire Commonwealth".[23] On June 17, Fattman met with House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr., Assistant Minority Leader Elizabeth Poirier, and representatives of New Hope to discuss domestic and sexual violence victim rights and advocacy and to clarify his position on the subjects, and on June 21 the Telegram & Gazette published an article in which Fattman retracted his earlier comments.[24]

Campaign finance violation lawsuit and investigation[]

On March 17, 2021, Fattman and a group of individuals representing the Sutton Republican Town Committee and related campaign committees filed a lawsuit against Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) Director Michael Sullivan, in which they challenged the manner in which the OCPF was conducting investigations into potential violations of state campaign finance rules by Fattman and others' campaign committees.[25][26] A request by Fattman and the other plaintiffs to block Sullivan from providing evidence to the state attorney general's office was denied on March 30.[27] On April 8, the OCPF reported that they had found evidence that Fattman and the others' campaign committees had violated campaign finance law by using indirect contributions through the Sutton Republican Town Committee and state Republican party to skirt limits on campaign-to-campaign donations, and the matter was referred to Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey by Director Sullivan for subsequent review.[28] Fattman denied the allegations and has insisted that his campaign contributions were both legal and common practice.[29]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c https://malegislature.gov/People/Profile/RCF0
  2. ^ "Member Profile: Representative Ryan C. Fattman". Massachusetts General Court.
  3. ^ "Ryan Fattman for State Representative (official page)".
  4. ^ a b c d e "Ryan Fattman | State Representative | About". Design, Sir Web. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Member Profile - Ryan C. Fattman". 187th General Court of MA. Retrieved 5 Dec 2011.
  6. ^ a b Neal, Malik. "Meet Massachusetts' Generation Y Republican: State Representative Ryan Fattman". early RISERS. Retrieved 12 Dec 2011.
  7. ^ Goodie, Doug. "State Rep's Unique Name: 'Fattman'". MyFox Boston. Retrieved 5 Dec 2011.
  8. ^ Farnsworth, Josh. "Reviving Marion". Millbury Sutton Chronicle. Retrieved 15 Dec 2011.
  9. ^ Farnsworth, Josh. "Tax exemption awareness for seniors". The Millbury Sutton Chronicle. Retrieved 15 Dec 2011.
  10. ^ Reilly, Tom. "Selectmen back 'right to farm' bylaw at meeting". The Millbury Sutton Chronicle. Retrieved 15 Dec 2011.
  11. ^ "Sutton Selectman Ryan Fattman Running against Rep. Jennifer Callahan for the 18th Worcester District". MAelection.com. Retrieved 5 Dec 2011.
  12. ^ O'Connell, Joe. "Fattman Tops Callahan". The Milford Daily News. Retrieved 5 Dec 2011.
  13. ^ O'Connell, Joe. "Fattman Thanks the Voters". The Milford Daily News. Retrieved 5 Dec 2011.
  14. ^ "Reddish glow". Worcester Telegram. Retrieved 15 Dec 2011.
  15. ^ Abraham, Yvonne. "The GOP's Happy Few". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 15 Dec 2011.
  16. ^ Katzen, Bob. "final roll call attendance for 2011 house session". Beacon Hill Roll Call. Wicked Local. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
  17. ^ "Rep. Ryan Fattman | The Daily Northbridge". The Daily Northbridge. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  18. ^ "Bill S.2800".
  19. ^ Solis, Steph (July 9, 2020). "Massachusetts Senate's police reform bill held up due to concerns that it didn't undergo public hearing". MassLive. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  20. ^ Murphy, Matt (July 14, 2020). "Mass. Senate approves policing reform after overnight session". Boston 25 News. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  21. ^ Monahan, John J. (June 8, 2011). "Immigrant Checks Urged". Worcester Telegraph and Gazette.
  22. ^ Murphy, Tim (June 9, 2011). "Undocumented Women Should Live in Fear". Mother Jones.
  23. ^ "Physicians for Human Rights - Response to News Article Immigrant Checks Urged". Physicians for Human Rights. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  24. ^ STAFF, John J. Monahan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE. "Rep. Fattman further clarifies crime victim remark". telegram.com. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  25. ^ "Mass. Court Blocks Access To Suit Involving State Sen. Ryan Fattman And Family". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  26. ^ "Sen. Ryan Fattman: State Official Wrongly Accused Him Of Campaign Finance Violations". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  27. ^ "State Sen. Ryan Fattman Loses Court Challenge To Campaign Finance Probe". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  28. ^ "State Senator And GOP Chair May Have Violated Campaign Finance Rules, OCPF Says". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  29. ^ "DocumentCloud". www.documentcloud.org. Retrieved 2021-04-11.

External links[]

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