Lt. Gov Murray to Tour Hanscom Today

Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray will be in Bedford Tuesday for a tour of the new Massachusetts National Guard Headquarters at Hanscom Air Force Base.

Following the tour, Murray will offer comments on the efforts of the Commonwealth’s Military Asset and Security Task Force.

The task force was announced by Murray in February to protect and promote the state's military bases in the face of a $500 billion cut in federal defense spending by the U.S. Department of Defense. Murray and other officials last The visit also included a roundtable discussion at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, a defense company located near the base in Lexington.

Reduced funding for Hanscom could have several effects on the Bedford community, from a loss of contracts for employees from the surrounding area to a decrease of enrollment at Bedford High School. Bedford High educates older students living on base, while the Lincoln Public Schools operate on-base elementary schools. The other towns surrounding the base, Concord and Lexington, are also sizing up impacts of reduced support for the base or even a possible closure.

Earlier in the day, Lt. Gov Murray will chair a meeting of the Governor’s Council to address sexual and domestic Violence at the Bedford Veteran's Administration Medical Center.

The meeting of the Governor's Council will take place at 1 p.m. in Room 127 of Building 61 at the VA Medical Center.