Legislators ask Patrick to reinstate DMR chief

A large contingent of House lawmakers, led by a top lieutenant to House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, is demanding that Governor Deval Patrick reinstate the commissioner of the Department of Mental Retardation.

The dismissal of the popular official has sparked a backlash in the Legislature and added to rising tensions between lawmakers and the Democratic governor.

In an unusually tough public rebuttal, the governor's senior staff accused the legislators of trying to "micromanage" Patrick's attempts to build his own executive team and gain control of a state bureaucracy that has been in Republican hands for 16 years.

State Representative Angelo Scaccia, who leads the House Rules Committee, circulated copies of a letter yesterday pressuring Patrick to back off his decision to fire Gerald Morrissey, who forged close ties to the Legislature during his 10 years on the job. Lawmakers said last night that more than 100 House members had agreed to sign the letter and send a copy to Patrick.

"We are writing to seek injunctive relief from your administration's stunning decision to dismiss Gerald Morrissey from public service and respectfully request your reconsideration and reinstatement," the letter states.

Scaccia, a Boston Democrat who has focused on mental retardation during a long legislative career, worked aggressively to gather support for his letter yesterday and Monday on the House floor, as members debated the state's $27 billion budget plan, according to legislators who did not want to be identified. He approached his colleagues, sometimes twice, with a checklist of House members, keeping a score of who was signing his letter, they said.

DiMasi has steered clear of what several members say are Scaccia's strong-arm tactics to get signatures for the letter. His press secretary, David Guarino, said the speaker has not signed the letter and has taken no position on Morrissey's firing. Still, Scaccia handed copies of the letter out at the House leadership meeting on Monday as DiMasi and his lieutenants prepared for the budget debate this week, a move that many representatives said was a signal of the speaker's tacit support.

Several members who felt the pressure to sign the letter pointed out that Scaccia, who wields significant influence in the speaker's inner circle, was pressing his case just as legislators were looking at DiMasi's decision on their proposed amendments to the budget. "You don't say no to Angelo," said one lawmaker. Scaccia did not return calls to his office yesterday.

In a statement, the governor's office objected to what it sees as the Legislature's infringement on the administration's authority to appoint its own team to run state agencies.

"While we respect the ability of these legislators to voice their opinion, we do not feel it is appropriate for them to attempt to micromanage the governor's appointment of his leadership team," said Kyle Sullivan, Patrick's press secretary. "That may have been necessary with prior administrations, but we now have a Democratic governor who is fully prepared to do the job that he was elected to do."

He added: "We appreciate Commissioner Morrissey's years of public service, and the decision to bring a fresh perspective to the position is in no way meant to detract from his long and distinguished service."

The statement reflects some of the senior staff's frustration with the House, particularly DiMasi, who the administration feels has undercut Patrick and some of his major initiatives. For example, the speaker all but sank Patrick's proposal to close $500 million in so-called corporate tax loopholes and his plan to allow communities to impose local taxes to relieve their property tax burden. He also downsized Patrick's much-touted proposals for all-day kindergarten and extended school days.

In an interview on New England Cable News, DiMasi stung the governor and his staff when he spoke of Patrick's inexperience, which he said had led him to make mistakes. Savvy lawmakers know not to drive "flashy" cars, he said, a reference to Patrick's controversial lease of a Cadillac. He also referred to Patrick's decision to spend $27,000 to refurbish his office, money he later agreed to reimburse.

"We don't buy curtains," DiMasi told interviewer Jim Braude. "My office has the same curtains there for about 25 years. My furniture, my floor is a mess, but I haven't changed anything, because I know there's criticism coming. He didn't know that. That's the problem."

Morrissey's firing hit Beacon Hill like a thunder clap. Few in the human services field expected that Morrissey would be removed, due to his strong political ties.

As a 30-year state employee, he often helped lawmakers who had constituents seeking help from the Department of Mental Retardation. Several lawmakers said they were torn between a loyalty to Morrissey and their belief that Patrick has a right to choose his own agency heads.

Morrissey also had strong ties to the House leadership. His brother, Sean Morrissey, served as chief of staff to former speaker Thomas M . Finneran.