Baker-Polito Administration Announces 2022 Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program Awards

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57,000 employees from 210 municipalities and public school districts will receive cybersecurity awareness training to better detect and avoid cyber threats

The Baker-Polito Administration announced the 2022 Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program award recipients. Administered by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS) and its Office of Municipal and School Technology (OMST), this program will provide over 57,000 employees from 210 municipalities and public school districts across the Commonwealth with critical cybersecurity training to better detect and avoid cyber threats.

The 2022 Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program, which is funded by $250,000 in capital IT authorizations from the 2020 General Governmental Bond Bill, is designed to support local government efforts to improve overall cybersecurity posture through comprehensive online end-user training, evaluation and threat simulation. Awarded communities will receive licenses for end-user training, assessment and phishing simulation procured by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security. Demonstrated buy-in from the Chief Executive in the community is a requirement of all program participants.

At an event hosted by the City of Haverhill, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito joined Secretary of Technology Services and Security Curt Wood, legislators and municipal officials from across the Commonwealth to announce this year’s award recipients. The City of Haverhill and the Haverhill Public School District are first-time participants in the program and have been awarded a grant that will see 1,900 city employees receive end-user cybersecurity training.

“Today’s announcement is a good step forward in the Commonwealth’s ability to resist cyber threats,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our administration applauds the local leaders throughout the Commonwealth for participating in this year’s program and ensuring their workforce is equipped with the knowledge for robust cyber defense.”

“Cybersecurity is a growing issue that should not be ignored,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “The Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program is an important resource for the Commonwealth’s local governments and public schools to address this issue head-on while increasing their cyber threat resiliency.”

“I thank Governor Baker for his leadership on cybersecurity, as executive buy-in is critical to making this issue a ‘kitchen table’ topic,” said Secretary of Technology Services and Security Curt Wood. “I am thrilled at the response to this year’s grant program, with executives from across the Commonwealth’s cities and towns stepping up and making cybersecurity a priority.”

“Congratulations to all the municipalities and school districts who pursued a Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant,” said Senator Barry Finegold, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet, and Cybersecurity. “In an increasingly digitalized world, ensuring that our online platforms are safe and secure is crucial. That is why I’m grateful for programs like this that ensure our partners in local government have the tools and resources to best protect themselves from disruptive cyber-attacks. Thank you to the Baker-Polito Administration for continuing to invest in the Commonwealth’s cyber preparedness.”

“Local governments and school systems here in Massachusetts are experiencing an increasing number of cyber attacks and their best defense is an educated workforce,” said Representative Linda Dean Campbell, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet, and Cybersecurity. “The Legislature and the Governor are partnering to address this challenge through increased training, a new Legislative Committee, funding for needed technology upgrades and collaboration with the private sector.  Most important, however, is workforce training as provided for through these grants.”

“The city of Haverhill takes its job to protect the privacy of our residents and the general public very seriously and we are committed to improving our cyber security defenses,” said Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini. “Although we already provide cyber security training to our employees, this funding will allow us to do more and make our defenses and safeguards even stronger. We very much appreciate this grant from the Baker-Polito Administration and we also appreciate their interest in coming to Haverhill to make this important announcement benefiting 210 Massachusetts municipalities and school districts.”

“Employee training programs are an important component of a comprehensive security program and the establishment of a culture of cybersecurity,” said Stephanie Helm, Director, MassCyberCenter at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. “Congratulations to all the communities who were selected for this program. These new grants will help each of you meet the goals of the Minimum Baseline of Cybersecurity for Municipalities.”

“Today’s announcement is welcome news to communities, and demonstrates that the state is deeply committed to working with local governments to create resilient and cyber-secure cities and towns in every corner of Massachusetts,” said Massachusetts Municipal Association Executive Director Geoff Beckwith. “Local leaders know that protecting our public IT infrastructure and sensitive data from sophisticated cyberattacks requires a powerful state-local partnership, and we are grateful to the Baker-Polito Administration and the Massachusetts Legislature for providing critical support, resources and assets through the Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program, which is a model for the rest of the nation.” 

To see the full list of awardees, click here.

For more on the Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program, visit: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-the-municipal-cybersecurity-awareness-grant-program.

For more information on the full list of municipal cybersecurity and IT program offerings from EOTSS’ Office of Municipal and School Technology (OMST), visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/all-office-of-municipal-and-school-technology-omst-programs.

Record Gas Prices Spur Calls For Tax Relief

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State House News Service

Author: Matt Murphy

 

AAA: Average Price Of Gallon Of Gas Soars To $4.16

The cost of gas in Massachusetts set a record Monday as the average price per gallon soared to $4.16, with drivers on the Cape and islands paying the most at the pump, according to AAA Northeast.

The average cost per gallon is the highest ever recorded by the auto club, and promoted calls from one candidate for governor for Beacon Hill to take action and temporarily suspend the state’s tax on gasoline.

“We need relief from the skyrocketing prices across the board, and the state has a clear way to help by putting a holiday on the gas tax during this current crisis. This would provide an instant savings to our families trying to make ends meet,” said Chris Doughty, one of two Republicans running for governor.

Doughty called for the state’s 24-cent gas tax to be suspended until prices drop below $3.70 per gallon on average, and he said the state should implement a trigger to suspend the gas tax in the future any time the average price tops $4.

Gasoline prices have been surging since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over a week ago, and have added to inflationary forces driving up the price of groceries and other goods. Just one week ago the average price recorded by AAA Northeast was $3.62 per gallon.

The state budgeted for $792.9 million in motor fuel tax revenue in fiscal 2022, and through January the Department of Revenue has reported collecting $372.3 million in gasoline taxes, up from $333.9 million over the same seven-month period in fiscal year 2021.

Baker last week hinted that he might be looking at the gas tax when asked about what the state could do to ease the impact of inflation on residents. The governor mentioned his $700 million tax cut package, but then said, “We’ve also started to have conversations in the administration about some other things we might be able to do, which we’ll certainly take it up with the Legislature as we develop those proposals.”

Asked in the short-term if that might include gas tax relief, Baker said, “If we were to do something short term, that would probably be the place we would go.”

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance also called for temporary suspension of the gas tax on Monday, but one former state transportation official said there was another way to provide “quick relief from spiking gas prices.”

“Provide emergency funding to the T to run more frequent service all day long. Make every bus in the state free. Enable mode shift at an unprecedented scale,” tweeted former Transportation Secretary Jim Aloisi.

Gas prices in the last week alone have risen by 54 cents a gallon, on average, and are up 72 cents a gallon compared to a month ago ($3.44), and $1.48 higher than March 7, 2021 ($2.68), according to AAA.

Biden’s Russian Oil Move Raises Stakes On Energy

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Debate Racing On Sources, Prices, Tax Relief Proposals

President Joe Biden banned the import of Russian oil, natural gas and coal Tuesday, an action that is likely to further raise the sky-high price of gasoline in the short-term but one that environment-minded advocates hope will lead to a long-term separation from fossil fuels.

Biden said the ban is intended to “inflict further pain on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, but there will be costs as well here in the United States.” The further costs that Biden’s ban will have in the United States are most likely to be felt at the gas pumps, where the average price of a gallon of gasoline hit a new record high of just above $4.24 in Massachusetts on Tuesday, according to AAA.

As inflationary forces have driven up the price for groceries and many other household goods in recent months, global events have done the same for energy prices. The average price of gas in Massachusetts is up 61 cents over the last week, 78 cents over the last month and $1.55 in the last year, AAA said, and the price of gas has become a topic of national conversation.

Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. average gas price has climbed 75 cents since Putin began his build-up of Russian military forces ahead of his invasion of Ukraine.

“I’m going to do everything I can to minimize Putin’s price hike here at home,” Biden said in an attempt to place blame for the rising prices at the feet of the Russian president. U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan used the same language in her statement supporting the Biden administration’s suspension of Russian energy imports Tuesday.

“[F]urther insulating Americans from Putin’s price hike is absolutely necessary,” the Westford Democrat said.

In 2021, the United States imported almost 700,000 barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products per day from Russia and the president’s executive order banning those imports “will deprive Russia of billions of dollars in revenues,” the White House said. Biden outlined a number of near-term steps he said he will take to ease the pain of gas prices, but he and others Tuesday also said the United States should use this as an opportunity to boost domestic energy generation, especially renewable energy.

“This crisis is a stark reminder: to protect our economy over the long-term, we need to become energy independent,” the president said. “It should motivate us to accelerate a transition to clean energy.”

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey used the president’s action Tuesday to call on Congress to take up and pass $555 billion worth of climate and clean energy provisions that were formerly part of the president’s Build Back Better plan.

“This moment is a clarion call for the urgent need to transition to domestic clean energy so that we are never again complicit in fossil-fueled conflict,” Markey said.

Beacon Hill Policy Considerations

Like consumers, the Massachusetts state government has almost no recourse when it comes to surging gas prices. On Monday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Doughty and the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance called on Bay State lawmakers to suspend the state’s 24-cent-per-gallon gas tax as a way to provide relief to drivers.

Former Rep. Geoff Diehl, a Republican gubernatorial candidate who made a name for himself in 2014 when he led the successful effort to eliminate automatic inflation-based increases in the state gas tax, said he is also in favor of a suspension.

“We’ve seen how much money we saved taxpayers in recent years by rejecting those annual increases; can you even imagine what those increases would be with current inflation rates?” Diehl said in a statement. “Tax relief isn’t the answer to all of our problems and it won’t erase all fuel price increases, but particularly where our state has surplus tax revenue on-hand, it would go a long way toward making Massachusetts a more affordable place to live.”

Asked about rising gas prices on Feb. 28 (when gas in Massachusetts averaged $3.62 per gallon), Senate President Karen Spilka said the issue was “definitely” a concern and suggested that the broad climate bill she has said the Senate intends to consider in the coming months would move Massachusetts further away from fossil fuels.

“It does certainly emphasize the need for us to go electric and take off our reliance on gas and that’s something that I know in the Senate we’re planning on looking at anyway,” she said. “So this really emphasizes the need for electric public transportation and personal transportation.”

The House last week passed an offshore wind bill that Rep. Jeff Roy said would help Massachusetts become more energy independent and less vulnerable to energy price spikes.

The Baker administration has already stated the Bay State’s shift away from gas-powered internal combustion engines and towards electric vehicles as a means to achieve the state’s greenhouse gas emissions commitments.

To hit the state’s 2030 target, about 1 million of the 5.5 million passenger vehicles projected to be registered in Massachusetts will have to be electric vehicles and mid-century commitments will require that all new cars and passenger trucks sold in Massachusetts be zero-emission vehicles starting in 2035, the administration has said.

For Secretary of State William Galvin, the sky-high price of gas signals a need to take a closer look at the prices being charged by middlemen and whether any distributors are taking advantage of consumers in Massachusetts.

“Right now here in Massachusetts, we should be scrutinizing the prices of wholesalers, we should be looking at the price of home heating oil,” Galvin said Tuesday morning on WBZ-TV. “How did you get that price? You are entitled to a fair profit, you’re not entitled to gouge, you’re not entitled to take advantage of an international situation.”

Like the price for gasoline, the price for home heating oil has soared in recent weeks. As of Monday, the average per-gallon retail price of home heating oil was $5.02 in Massachusetts with some prices reaching as high as $6 per gallon, according to the Department of Energy Resources. In the last week, as the heating season has begun to wind down, the average price has jumped more than 25 percent from $4 per gallon as of Feb. 28 and over the last year has spiked 75 percent — from an average price of $2.87 per gallon this week a year ago.

Echoes of the Summer of 2008

About 14 years ago, Massachusetts saw similarly high prices at the pump in the midst of the 2008 presidential election. Gasoline prices hit a then-record $4.08 per gallon on July 7, 2008 — which would be equal to $5.21 per gallon in 2022 dollars, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Much of the public discussion around the price of gas now echoes the debate that took place in 2008.

“We’re going to change how often we drive and where we drive. We’re going to have to think more seriously about telecommuting,” then-Gov. Deval Patrick said in Salem on July 9, 2008. “We’re going to have to carpool more often.”

Hillary Clinton, then locked into a tough Democratic primary contest with Barack Obama, and eventual Republican nominee John McCain both proposed a suspension of the federal gas tax during the peak summer driving months between Memorial Day and Labor Day to ease the pain of the soaring gas prices.

Obama opposed the idea as a political stunt — he told voters in North Carolina that the three-month suspension “would save you on average half a tank of gas,” Reuters reported — and many economists called it a bad idea that would complicate the problem by fueling greater demand for gas.

Though most of the elements at play were out of Beacon Hill’s collective hands, the Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight convened a hearing in June 2008 (about a month before gas prices hit their high point for the year) to scrutinize the impacts of rising energy costs on consumers and the state’s efforts to address the problem.

“It is also imperative that we explore what state level action we can take to try to tackle this crisis, because quite frankly, we’re running on empty,” Sen. Marc Pacheco, who chaired the committee, said at the hearing.

Afterward, the committee reported that the pain at the pump was likely just a preview of the financial distress that was in store when home heating season rolled around and that the state would need to roughly triple what it had been providing for low-income fuel assistance.

This time around, the state’s financial picture is much brighter. The high gas prices of the summer of 2008 coincided with plummeting home values and gave way in the fall to the Great Recession. This year, the Department of Revenue is already sitting on about $1.7 billion in above-expectations tax revenue after having collected about $5 billion more than expected last budget year.

Workforce Dropouts Add Variable To Economy

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State House News Service

Author: Chris Lisinski

State Elevating, Bulking Up Economic Research Team

Nearly two years after COVID-19 upended the world and sent unemployment claims skyrocketing, Massachusetts officials are still working to decipher the seismic shifts to the labor market.

Employers around the state — and much of the country — continue to tell their elected representatives about struggles attracting qualified workers, and those challenges are difficult to attribute to a single prevailing factor, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta told lawmakers on Tuesday.

“What we are seeing right now, and I know that you are all hearing, is all employers calling you saying they can’t find enough people and certainly can’t find enough trained people. I get the calls, you get the calls, I get the calls from you telling us that there’s not enough folks,” Acosta said at a Ways and Means Committee budget hearing. “Why does our labor force look different now than it did before? There are so many different reasons for that.”

On both the public health and economic fronts, the pandemic wrought disproportionate consequences, hitting lower-income areas and communities of color harder than wealthier, whiter areas.

Working mothers in particular faced significant strain, leaving jobs in droves as child care became inaccessible or unaffordable. While Acosta agreed with lawmakers that child care played a role in the reshaping of the labor force over the past two years, she said the data paint a more complicated picture.

“When I look, for example, at women in the labor force and how women have dropped out of the labor force, curiously enough, women from the age of 45 to 54 have dropped off significantly compared to 2019,” Acosta said. “You could say that could certainly be child care, but it could also be burnout. We know that our health care providers have worked really hard and been incredible heroes over these last two years. We see retirements in there, we see people just needing a break.”

Immigration is down, too, further shrinking the pool of available workers and muddying the outlook for businesses ready to hire. Acosta said the administration estimates Massachusetts has “about 33,000 fewer people in the commonwealth this year than in the past,” though it was not clear if she specifically meant 33,000 fewer new immigrants.

Some workers might also worry that wages are not keeping up with inflation or have found that their priorities changed during the crisis.

Acosta said some employees today are no longer interested in jobs that require a physical, in-office presence and only want to pursue remote work.

“These are all influences in that tight labor shortage that we’re feeling,” Acosta said.

Unemployment surged to record levels in Massachusetts early in the crisis, jumping from 2.7 percent in March 2020 to 16.4 percent a month later before embarking on a gradual decline.

By December 2021, the statewide joblessness rate had fallen to 3.9 percent. And while employers added 537,000 jobs between April 2020 and December 2021, those gains clawed back only a bit more than 80 percent of the jobs lost in the emergency’s early months, leaving total employment below pre-pandemic levels.

The administration plans to launch a survey to try and “find some of these folks that have dropped out of the workforce that are still fairly young and not retiring,” Acosta said, hoping to get a better sense of why swaths of employees chose not to work any longer and whether they intend to return.

Another area of focus will be to connect workers with training and certification programs to help them fill slots in high-demand industries.

About 35 percent of the state’s job openings are in professional services, Acosta said, while many claims for unemployment insurance over the past two years came from workers in industries such as retail, hospitality and food service.

A “future of work” report the Baker administration sought estimated the state needs to retrain 30,000 to 40,000 employees per year to keep up with evolving demand and needs, according to Acosta.

One program aimed at closing that gap is the Career Technical Initiative, which seeks to connect thousands of workers to hands-on vocational and technical education using a combination of daytime classes for students, afternoon programming for students enrolled in traditional high school, and after-dark options for adults seeking retraining or career changes.

Gov. Charlie Baker proposed $17.9 million in funding for the initiative in his FY23 state budget. Another $25 million in American Rescue Plan Act federal aid will support the program, which Acosta said aims to retrain more than 15,000 adult workers for sought-after technical and vocational jobs over the next several years.

As elected leaders grapple with the constantly shifting economic landscape, the Baker administration is also placing new trust in a formerly “very quiet” state office to help chart a path forward.

The Department of Economic Research, a smaller division within the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, faced a surge of new requests for analysis and insight during the pandemic on topics ranging from unemployment insurance trust fund modeling to statewide economic comparisons.

Acosta said she sought a “complete transformation” of the economic research team in response to its new popularity, elevating it from under the Department of Unemployment Assistance umbrella to report to her directly and hiring a director and chief economist.

“It’s actually always been there, but it’s been very quiet,” Acosta said.

Baker’s $45.8 billion FY23 budget for the first time includes a line item for the Department of Economic Research, proposing $600,000 in dedicated funding.

“Our hope is that we’ll be able to add value to all of you as well as all of our academic institutions and our workforce partners to make sure we’re making very sound and solid decisions as we all get used to this new economy that we’re all working in,” Acosta said.

Economic Forecast Survey

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The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented wave of disruption to our local and global economies which many are predicting will permanently alter how we make things, buy things and even where we work. This Economic Forecast survey will assist in analyzing the business climate and potential future trends in our economy.
Please take a moment to complete the survey. The survey is estimated to take between five to ten minutes to complete. All information will be reported in general terms and individual business information will remain confidential.
Please feel free to contact the Chamber at 978.353.7600 or via email with any questions or concerns.
Thank you in advance for your participation.

North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce Welcomes Tracy Gagnon to its Professional Staff

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Gagnon brings entrepreneurial spirit, experience in variety of industries to serve Chamber members

The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the appointment of Tracy Gagnon as Manager of Membership Recruitment and Engagement. In this position, she will be responsible for managing marketing and outreach to prospective members while also providing superior service and support for current members.

Gagnon comes to the Chamber with years of experience serving in various roles in sales, hospitality and education. Most recently, she served as the COVID-19 Coordinator for the Town of Lancaster Board of Health. She also worked at the University of New Hampshire on its Keene and Durham campuses where she served in a variety of administrative roles. Earlier in her career, she served as Membership Director at the Dover New Hampshire Chamber of Commerce.

“As the child of entrepreneurs and an entrepreneur herself, Tracy has the unique ability to understand the needs of our members,” said Roy M. Nascimento, President & CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. “Her energy, experience and passion for the work of the Chamber and our affiliates made a positive impression during the selection process. She will play an important role in our efforts to engage business leaders in North Central Massachusetts.”

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Daniel Webster College and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership/Counseling from Plymouth State University, where she also obtained certification for K-12 School Counseling.

In addition to her work at the Chamber, she and her husband own and operate several rental properties that they manage. She is also active in the Wachusett Area Rotary Club and the West Boylston Board of Health.

Current members or businesses interested in learning more about the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce can reach out to Tracy Gagnon at 978.353.7600 ext. 239 or via email at .

Baker-Polito Administration Launches New $75 Million Small Business Relief Program

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New program directs $50 million toward businesses reaching underserved markets, minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses, and $25 million for businesses that did not qualify for prior MGCC aid

Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced the launch of a new $75 million grant program to support Massachusetts small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new program is part of the plan to spend $4 billion in American Rescue Plan funding that was signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker in December 2021. The new program is modeled after Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation’s (MGCC) successful COVID-19 small business relief program. Under that effort, which became the biggest state-sponsored business relief program in the nation, MGCC oversaw the distribution of approximately $705 million to over 15,000 small businesses across Massachusetts. Today’s announcement was made at Luanda Restaurant and Lounge in Brockton, a family-owned business that received financial support through MGCC’s prior COVID relief grant program.

“We have been proud to support small businesses in every corner of the Commonwealth through the MGCC small business program during the pandemic, but we know that some challenges remain for many businesses,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “With the launch of this new effort, we can build on MGCC’s successful work and direct important federal funding to those businesses with the greatest need quickly and effectively.”

“Restaurants like Luanda are fundamental to the character of our neighborhoods, main streets and downtowns in every city and town in Massachusetts,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “This new initiative will ensure that businesses that need help the most will be able to take advantage of additional opportunities.”

The $75 million will be focused on small businesses that employ between two and 50 people, with $25 million directed toward businesses that did not qualify for previous MGCC grants because of a lack of revenue loss in 2020; and $50 million directed to businesses that reach underserved markets and historically underrepresented groups, or are minority-, women-, or veteran-owned businesses, or are owned by individuals with disabilities or who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Under both categories, grants will range from $10,000 to $75,000, and will be capped at the lesser of $75,000 or three months of operating expenses. Grant funding can be used for employee and benefit costs, mortgage interest, rent, utilities, and interest on debt.

“The challenges faced by Massachusetts’ small businesses during COVID have been enormous, but in my district and across the state I have seen so many entrepreneurs and innovators respond with incredible perseverance and grace. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they deserve our support,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka. “Today’s grants represent a choice by the Legislature to center small businesses in our effort for an equitable recovery. I am grateful to the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation for their work to distribute these funds to so many deserving businesses and I am thankful to all of the small businesses who have done so much for Massachusetts.”

“I am pleased to hear that the small business grant program, created through the Legislature’s ARPA bill, is now accepting applications, and will soon be distributing these funds to our small businesses,” said Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano. “Delivering on the Legislature’s intent to pass a bill truly focused on equity, a significant portion of the funds from the small business program will specifically target minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned small businesses, as well as small businesses that didn’t receive previous grants during the pandemic. Small businesses are oftentimes the backbone of our communities and local economies, and I look forward to seeing these investments remain a priority for the House of Representatives moving forward.”

“When help was needed the most during the pandemic, the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation scaled up a nation-leading program to support our small businesses and the families and entrepreneurs behind them,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “I’m grateful to the MGCC team for once again stepping up to direct vital funding to the neighborhoods and communities that continue to face challenges created by this unprecedented public health crisis.”

“MGCC is pleased to be an instrument of recovery for the smallest of businesses throughout Massachusetts most affected by COVID-19 with these two new grants programs,” said Lawrence Andrews, CEO and President of MGCC. “The Baker-Polito Administration and the Legislature recognize that certain communities have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and the goal of this funding will bring relief and stability to additional businesses throughout the Commonwealth.”

In addition to prioritizing applications from businesses that did not qualify for prior aid and businesses owned by individuals from historically underserved populations or operate in underserved markets, eligible businesses must currently be in operation and based in Massachusetts. Applicants must also demonstrate that business revenues for 2020 were between $40,000 and $2.5 million.

Learn more at EmpoweringSmallBusiness.org.

Baker Signs $101 Million COVID Bill

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State House News Service

Author: Chris Lisinski

 

Addresses Primary Date, UI Overpayments, Pandemic Policies

Massachusetts will steer another $101 million toward its COVID-19 response under a spending bill Gov. Charlie Baker signed over the weekend that also shifts the statewide primary election date up to Sept. 6.

Baker on Saturday approved all of the spending on COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave, rapid tests, high-quality masks and vaccine access that lawmakers included in the supplemental budget (H 4430). He vetoed two outside policy sections and returned another two, including an attempt by the Legislature to codify a vaccine equity plan, with amendments.

The new law calls for $76 million in direct state spending aimed at boosting access to masks, COVID-19 vaccines and rapid tests, particularly for schools, congregate care facilities and homeless shelters. It also allots another $25 million in available federal funds to the state’s COVID emergency paid sick leave program.

Baker struck down two outside sections that he said together would have required the state Department of Public Health to “issue and post guidance on mask usage and testing, quarantining, and isolation periods related to COVID-19 within 30 days.”

The department already works to publish up-to-date guidance, Baker said, arguing the additional language in the bill would “serve no purpose if signed into law.”

One section Baker returned to lawmakers with an amendment called for the secretary of health and human services to craft and implement a COVID-19 vaccination equity plan with a goal of eliminating disparities in vaccination rates within 120 days.

Baker’s amendment strikes the 120-day target, a change that he said would “reflect the continuing challenge faced by nearly every country in the world and every state in the country of achieving total vaccine equity.”

The Republican governor defended his administration’s work to make vaccines are available and accessible across Massachusetts, recounting steps the administration took such as prioritizing 20 hard-hit cities and towns — in which 12 have rates of residents with one vaccine dose above the national average, according to Baker — and steering additional funding to community organizations.

“Our administration is committed to continuing our efforts to reduce disparities in vaccination rates in Massachusetts,” Baker wrote. “But the challenge of eliminating disparities in vaccination rates altogether is a project that will require us all to work beyond the 120 day deadline envisioned by the language of this section.”

Baker added that he plans to comply with other language in the bill requiring the administration to file a vaccination equity plan within 30 days and regular progress reports every 60 days.

The other amendment Baker offered deals with public employees who come out of retirement to resume working for their former employer. Lawmakers proposed extending a pandemic-era waiver on earnings and hours caps for those workers through the rest of the year, and Baker instead suggested linking the extension to the public health emergency so it is “tied to a specific time period where a heightened response may be necessary.”

Lawmakers can choose to override Baker’s vetoes with a two-thirds vote in either chamber, where Democrats hold supermajorities.

In addition to his vetoes and amendments, Baker wrote that he “disapprove(s) language” requiring masks, testing and vaccines to be made available by Feb. 28. He called it “simply unrealistic” to expect to hit those deadlines in two and a half weeks.

The mid-year spending bill also officially sets the statewide primary election for Sept. 6, two weeks earlier than the default date under existing state law.

Changing the primary date has evolved into a biennial tradition in Massachusetts, and Secretary of State William Galvin had warned that the original Sept. 20 date for this cycle would not provide him enough time to make ballots ready for military and overseas voters.

Galvin announced on Sunday that nomination papers would become available to candidates starting at 10 a.m. Monday, a day ahead of the codified deadline he faces.

Depending on the office sought, candidates must collect between 150 and 10,000 signatures from registered voters.

Those running for district and county offices have until May 3 to submit signatures to local registrars for certification, then until May 31 to submit certified signatures to Galvin’s Elections Division. Party candidates seeking statewide office or Congress must file signatures locally by May 10 and with Galvin by June 7, while non-party statewide and congressional candidates have until Aug. 2 to provide signatures to local officials and until Aug. 30 to hand them to the secretary’s office.

The new law also extends several pandemic-era policies — including remote open meeting law flexibility, remote notarization authorization, flexibility for municipalities to lower town meeting quorums and allowance of remote reverse mortgage counseling — until July 15.

Assisted living facilities could waive certain staffing and training requirements until that date. The bill would also temporarily revive through the end of February liability protection measures for health care workers in situations where patient care may have been impacted by COVID-19.

Other sections would revive an early education and care review commission and give it a March 1 deadline and extend the deadline for a state seal and motto commission to finish its work from July 31 to Dec. 31. 2022.

The legislation also includes language regarding overpayments made by the state unemployment insurance system during the pandemic upheaval. It would require the Department of Unemployment Assistance to submit a detailed report by March 1 estimating how many people received overpayments and how much the department paid in excess.

Under the law, DUA could also reconsider determinations or redeterminations that resulted in overpayments one year after the date of the original decision. The department would need to launch a $1 million public awareness campaign to inform recipients of overpaid benefits that they have more time to appeal their cases.

The Massachusetts Medical Society applauded Baker’s signature of the supplemental budget, praising in particular “the focus on health equity throughout the law.”

“Citing the pivotal role of education in children’s mental, physical and emotional development, the Medical Society has long advocated for safe in-person learning, and we are incredibly pleased that funding is allocated for high-quality masks for school children and increased access to COVID-19 testing, especially in early education and childcare settings,” said Mass. Medical Society President Dr. Carole Allen. “The Massachusetts Medical Society is grateful for the inclusion of liability protections that protect providers and patients alike when care is rendered under unusual and extreme circumstances. These protections are crucial as physicians and health care teams remain resolute in their commitment to help our patients safely through the pandemic to what we all hope will be healthier times.”

Baker still has not acted on two other local land bills affecting Savoy and Northampton nor on legislation allowing emergency medical personnel to treat and transport police dogs injured in the line of duty (S 2573).

The governor said last week he intends to approve that bill, referred to by supporters as “Nero’s Law,” and convene a formal signing ceremony.

North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation approves financing to Pawsitive Identity K9 Services

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Funding to support specialty business started during pandemic

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC), the economic development arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce recently approved a $15,000 loan to Pawsitive Identity K9 Services in Hubbardston. Owned by Thomas and Nina Welch, Pawsitive Identity K9 Services works directly with hotels and apartment complexes to identify bedbugs and collaborates with pest control companies for remediation. The loan will support the purchase, certification and training of dogs to detect bedbugs and support local pest control companies.

Tom Welch was a K9 officer for 21 years with the Worcester County Sheriff Department, where he trained and worked with several dogs during his career. When Tom retired from his K9 duties, a local pest control company recruited him to work with the company-owned dog that specialized in detecting bedbugs. At the onset of the pandemic, the company eliminated the bedbug detecting part of the business but offered Tom the company dog. Soon thereafter, Tom started his own business during the pandemic with the help of his wife, Nina, and together, they have steadily expanded their customer base.

“Nina and I started Pawsitive Identity K9 Services during the pandemic and this loan facilitated the purchase of a new dog, Charlie, to complement the work of current K9 Kirby,” said Tom Welch. “Kirby is getting older, and Charlie was recently acquired with the loan funds, which will also be used to train and certify Charlie and allow us to prepare for Kirby’s eventual retirement.”

“Thanks to the financial assistance and support from the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, we have fulfilled a dream to open our own business and deliver an important service to our local community,” Welch said.   For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/pawsitiveidentityK9.

As a microloan lender, NCMDC can provide loans to small businesses up to $250,000 for working capital, real estate, equipment, inventory, expansion and working with our banking partners to provide gap financing for the final piece of a project.

For more information about the NCMDC loan programs, please call 978.353.7607 or visit NorthCentralMass.com or ChooseNorthCentral.com.

North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation approves financing to The Break Bike Shop

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Funding to support opening of bike repair and service shop in Fitchburg

The North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation (NCMDC), the economic development arm of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, recently approved a $20,000 loan to Josh Merchant, owner of The Break Bike Shop, located at 872 Main Street, Fitchburg. The loan, which was referred by NewVue Communities, will support the bike shop’s start-up costs and the creation of one full-time and one part-time job opportunity in the community.

The shop provides full-service and repairs for all makes and models of bicycles, including high-end, specialty, gravel and fat bicycles, led by Merchant’s more than 20 years of experience. Bicycle accessories and parts are also available for purchase at the shop.

“The Break Bike Shop provides quality service and expert repairs for beginners and bicycling enthusiasts alike,” said Merchant. “With the financial assistance and support from the North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation, I was able to realize a dream to open a bicycle shop right in downtown Fitchburg on the same street where Art Longsjo likely trained for his many races.”

Merchant plans to be involved with the Twin Cities Rail Trail and in keeping the legacy of the Longsjo Classic bicycle races alive.   For more information visit www.thebreakbikeshop.com.

As a microloan lender, NCMDC can provide loans to small businesses up to $250,000 for working capital, real estate, equipment, inventory, expansion and working with our banking partners to provide gap financing for the final piece of a project.

For more information about the NCMDC loan programs, please call 978.353.7607 or visit NorthCentralMass.com or ChooseNorthCentral.com.