Thursday, 4:30 PM
Patrick meets with GOP leaders, vows to work with remaining Republicans
(Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)
Governor-elect Deval Patrick speaks to the media after emerging from a closed-door meeting with Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei (left) and House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (right).
By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff
Continuing his vow to reach across partisan lines, governor-elect Deval L. Patrick met for an hour this morning with the Republican legislative leadership, saying he planned to stay in close touch with the GOP lawmakers.
"This was a part of our beginning to build a working relationship," Patrick told reporters as he emerged from House Minority Leader Brad Jones' legislative office.
He met with Jones and Senator Richard Tisei, a Republican from Wakefield. The GOP have only five senators in the 40-member senate and 19 representatives in the 160 member House.
"We want to be about putting problem solving above partisanship and today is the first step on that path," Patrick said. He said the three did not get details over policy differences.
But the governor elect did say he was anxious to see what if any action the Massachusetts Turnpike Board takes today on Governor Mitt Romney's proposal to make the turnpike toll free from Weston to the New York border.
Patrick reiterated his opposition to any quick move to adopt the proposal without considering other transportation revenue issues. He is expected to use his gubernatorial powers to try to block any move by the board to implement the policy.
