Article Source: State House News Service
Article By: Matt Murphy

Out with the Old, In with the Older

JAN. 8, 2021…..All-nighters aren’t just for college kids anymore.

Despite everyone’s most fervent wishes, simply watching the ball drop on New Year’s Eve Thursday didn’t end the madness of 2020. And midnight wound up looking like an early bedtime for the week that was about to unfold.

The first full week of 2021 started innocently enough.

On Sunday night, MassGOP Chairman Jim Lyons eked out a victory by three votes over Rep. Shawn Dooley to maintain control of the state party, and legislative negotiators announced they had struck a deal on a climate change bill to set a statewide target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and to authorize even more offshore wind.

But by the end of the week, democracy was under attack, 12 more days of the Trump administration was being talked about like too great a risk to take, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was checking Amtrak schedules to D.C., and the promise of the COVID-19 vaccine was getting showered by the cold reality of continued viral spread.

Welcome to 2021.

The Legislature came to work Monday and passed the climate bill, set a special election date to replace former Speaker Robert DeLeo on March 30 and went home around dinner time to prepare for the last day of session.

It was always going to be a long night on Tuesday, with major economic development and transportation financing legislation still up in the air. But it’s unlikely anyone had 4:34 a.m. in their virtual office pool as the time the final gavel would fall.

Not even five extra months to finish their work could help lawmakers save themselves from the last-minute rush, and though they went home tired, they also went home having accomplished most of the big ticket items on their to-do list.

The House and Senate managed to send to Gov. Charlie Baker a $16.5 billion transportation bond bill that the governor said was needed to access federal funding and get ready for the spring construction season. They also agreed to a $626 million jobs bill full of grant and loan programs to help small businesses, restaurants, artists and other industries crushed by the pandemic.

The notable piece missing from the economic development bill was a House-backed plan to legalize sports betting in Massachusetts.

Gov. Baker supports the idea. He even filed his own bill this session. But Speaker Ron Mariano said he didn’t have a dance partner in the Senate, where leaders would not entertain the idea of tacking the gambling expansion onto the jobs bill, or debate it separately.

“If we could, we’d have a deal,” Mariano told Bloomberg radio Tuesday evening. Mariano said he wants to come back to the issue early this year.

By the time everyone’s head hit the pillow, the Legislature had also passed campus sexual assault prevention and craft beer distribution bills, approved of a commission to examine changing the state seal and sent Baker a bill intended to reduce racial inequities in maternal health.

The one piece that pulled up lame before it got to the finish line was a cap on unemployment insurance rate increases in 2021, but there’s still time for the Legislature to do that before first quarter bills come due. In fact, it might just give the new Legislature something to vote on to start the new session.

The hardest thing to do Wednesday should have been getting out of bed. But on a day when new and returning lawmakers took their oaths to start a new session on Beacon Hill and Senate President Karen Spilka and Mariano were reelected to their leadership posts, riots stoked by the president of the United States on Twitter erupted on Capitol Hill.

A mob, fueled by unproven claims of election fraud repeated by the president and his allies, broke into the Capitol. They were intent on disrupting the certification by Congress of the Electoral College vote that would give President-elect Joe Biden the victory.

But Congress returned to work that night and certified the Electoral College vote at around 3:45 a.m.

The fact that Congress fulfilled its Constitutional obligation despite the chaos of the day was the one bright spot, according to Gov. Baker, who the next day said he was sickened by what he watched on TV.

Baker, a Republican, joined the chorus of Democrats, including every member of Congress from Massachusetts, in calling for Trump to be removed from office. No more waiting until Jan. 20 for President-elect Joe Biden to be inaugurated. Let Vice President Mike Pence oversee the transition, the governor said.

Trump’s future hangs in the balance, but as he prepares to leave Washington, Mayor Walsh is ready to move in.

People around City Hall and the mayor have been downplaying the Walsh-to-Washington speculation for weeks, insisting that the mayor was gearing up for reelection and maybe not even interested in a Biden administration post.

Maybe that’s exactly what people tell reporters to throw them off the scent. Or maybe they didn’t think it would happen, at the end of the day. But it did.

Biden officially introduced Walsh as his nominee for labor secretary on Friday, after joking a day earlier amid reports that Walsh had been chosen that he was still looking for an Irishman to round out his Cabinet.

Needless to say, Walsh’s decision to trade the Charles for the Potomac has completely upended the race for mayor. City Council President Kim Janey is now preparing to become the first Black woman mayor in the city’s history, and Councilors Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell – who were already running for mayor – are preparing for company on the trail.

Janey will be watched closely for signals that she might get in the race, while Councilor Annissa Essaibi George is now taking a look. The off-cycle municipal election also means that State House denizens could have a free run at the seat if they want it, and the North End’s Aaron Michlewitz, who chaired the House Ways and Means Committee last session, is kicking the tires, according to sources.

Reports also suggest that the South End’s Rep. Jon Santiago and others are also thinking about it.

While it will take some time for the mayoral chess game to play out, COVID-19 is still here. Right now.

Gov. Baker this week announced that business restrictions put in place on Dec. 26, including 25 percent capacity limits in many businesses, would be extended at least two weeks until Jan. 24, and new pool testing would be made available to K-12 school students and personnel.

The administration is also ready to give hospitals facing capacity constraints leeway from nurse staffing-level mandates in ICUs to free up more beds. Hospitalizations are up 145 percent since Thanksgiving.

Vaccines already deployed in hospitals and nursing homes will become available to first responders beginning Monday, when another week begins.

But until then, in the words of Speaker Mariano, who was caught on a hot mic as he gaveled the first session of the 192nd General Court to a close, let’s “get the hell outta here.”

Stay tuned! The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce is launching a new podcast series this winter season.  The podcast series will feature conversations from the Chamber’s ongoing live web chat series with community and business leaders, plus additional content that is relevant to our members and communities.

“We want to be seen as a resource for crucial information pertaining to our members and the communities of North Central Massachusetts,” said Roy Nascimento, President & CEO of the Chamber. “The way the public consumes information is constantly changing, and we are excited to utilize the skills of our team members to break into this medium.”

“We recognize that our members are often very busy, and while we wish they could attend every event we host, we know that isn’t always feasible,” said Kathleen Deal, Events & Programs Manager at the Chamber, “This will give members the flexibility to keep up to date with issues that impact them while juggling their day to day responsibilities.”

Kat Deal and Travis Condon, Public Affairs Manager at the Chamber and a former radio host, will produce the podcasts. For more information on the podcast and to listen to episodes, head to: Inside North Central Massachusetts Podcast

Wa, Wa, Wachusett

Who doesn’t know the catchy jingle by now? 

It’s that time of year when the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton opens for the season. In fact, this year, Wachusett was the first mountain to open for skiing in the Northeast, a milestone Wachusett President Jeff Crowley attributes to his all-star snowmaking team.  

Crowley, whose family operates the ski area, said he knows customers are extra excited to hit the slopes this year as recreational activities are limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“It’s so rewarding to hear people thank you,’’ Crowley said. “They are so appreciative of the fact that we’re open. We went the extra mile to open early.’’ 

In a typical year, the property is more than a ski area hosting festivals, weddings, corporate events and more. And while the ski area may be going back to the basics this year by focusing on what it does best, the experience will undoubtedly be different.  

“The ski business is not for the faint of heart — insurance, power, weather — and now you put the pandemic on top of that it’s that much more complicated,’’ Crowley said. 

As an outdoor sport, Crowley knows there will be high demand for skiing and boarding this year. But they have to balance that demand with safety protocols to keep staff and customers safe. 

Among the changes: new signage, capacity limits, booting up at vehicles, outside food service, base lodge use limits, and the addition of outdoor heaters and seating. 

“It’s incumbent on all of us here, rangers, lift employees, ski patrol, to keep a watchful eye so everyone stays at a safe distance,’’ Crowley said. “People are just looking for recreation. The good thing is with our year of experience and our ability to deal with crowds, we feel confident.’’ 

Crowley said he and his brother, David, and sister, Carolyn, are carrying out the vision their father, Ralph Sr. had for the ski area. As kids, Crowley said his dad would take them skiing in northern New England, but it was a hike and not practical on a regular basis. 

“He realized this is a jewel of Massachusetts,’’ he said. “His goal was to create high-quality recreation close to the metropolitan area.’’ 

Thanks to the advancement in grooming and snowmaking and investment in high-speed lifts, Wachusett now provides top-notch snow surface close to home. In fact, Wachusett ranked 9th in Ski magazine’s reader survey for Best Resorts in the East 2021. 

In addition to providing a unique local ski and boarding experience, Crowley said his family’s passion and commitment to providing quality customer service, resonates with the public. 

“The neat thing is that little Wachusett just cracked the top 10 ski areas in the East,’’ he said. “We were able to beat a lot of the big boys up north.’’ 

Wachusett Mountain Ski Area is located at 499 Mountain Road in Princeton. The ski area can be reached at 978.464.2300 and www.wachusett.com. 

Article Source: State House News Service
Article By: Matt Murphy

Housing Production Measure Included in Bill

 

JAN. 6, 2021…..With many businesses on the brink after months of scraping by through the pandemic, the Legislature struck a late-night deal Wednesday to inject hundreds of millions of dollars into the economy in an effort to spur job growth and keep businesses afloat.

The $626.5 million economic development bill (H 5250) came together in the closing hours of the two-year legislative session after more than five months of private negotiations between House and Senate leaders.

While the compromise bill scrapped a House-backed plan to have Massachusetts join other New England states in legalizing sports betting, it did include a version of Gov. Charlie Baker’s long-stalled housing production proposal to lower the threshold for local boards to approve zoning bylaw changes to a simple majority.

Baker has pushed for years for the change as one that is essential to meet his goal of creating 135,000 new units of housing by 2025 to ease the housing crunch, especially around Greater Boston.

The bill also included $50 million in funding for transit-oriented housing, $30 million for a loan program similar to the federal Paycheck Protection Program for businesses hurt by COVID-19, and funding for job training, tourism, technology and advance manufacturing.

“I think it’s a great bill. It covers a lot of ground, will help the commonwealth with job creation over the next few months and years,” Senate President Karen Spilka said, adding that it also prioritizes racial, geographic and economic equity where possible.

The bill passed the House 143-4 at 4 a.m and cleared the Senate 40-0 at 4:15 a.m.

The bottom-line on the bill grew from the roughly $450 million legislators were eyeing back in July.

Sen. Eric Lesser, a Longmeadow Democrat, said the bill would help Massachusetts “chart a path out of the recession were are in” and address the “explosion” of social and economic injustice that has been exposed in some communities by the pandemic by prioritizing funds for those communities business owners.

The bill includes $35 million in loan funding for community development lending institutions to extend capital to small businesses, with a focus on minority- and women-owned businesses that have historically had trouble accessing financing and have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

It would also seal no-fault eviction records, Lesser said.

There is $52 million set aside for science and technology research, $20 million for economic development in small, rural communities, $14 million for tourism, and $6 million to support artists and local museums.

And if signed by Baker, the low-income housing tax credit program would double to $40 million.

The talks were led by House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz and Lesser, the Senate chair of the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. They were joined on the conference committee by Reps. Ann-Margaret Ferrante and Donald Wong and Sens. Michael Rodrigues and Patrick O’Connor.

Massachusetts had the highest unemployment rate in the country at 16.1 percent in July when the House and Senate debated and passed competing versions of the bill that was finalized Tuesday night.

But while the job market has rebounded and the state’s 6.7 percent unemployment rate now matches the national average, economists remain uncertain about the strength of that recovery and whether the ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections could spark public officials to revert to tight restrictions on businesses.

To prepare for what’s to come after the pandemic, the bill would create a “Future of Work” commission to study how to promote sustainable jobs with fair benefits and workplace safety standards across industries.

There are also commissions that would be created to study the negative impact of changes in media on local journalism and how to help the arts community recover from the pandemic.

And lawmakers also agreed on a “student loan bill of rights,” which is an issue Lesser has been pushing for multiple sessions. The bill would make sure borrowers are educated about their responsibilities and borrowing rights and student loan servicers that take advantage of students could be fined and forced to repay student borrowers.

The infusion of money for economic development and job creation comes on top of a new round of federal stimulus and a $668 million small business recovery fund Gov. Baker launched last month to help small employers hurt by COVID-19 restrictions cover rent, payroll, debt and other expenses.

Late Tuesday afternoon, new Speaker Ron Mariano called it “a shame” the two branches couldn’t reach a deal to legalize betting on sports.

Baker filed a proposal to legalize betting on professional sports back in January 2019, and had hoped to sign a law before the start of the NFL season late that summer. The House included college sports in its bill that would have allowed for betting through mobile apps.

Mariano pointed the finger at the Senate for not wanting to negotiate the issue, but said he hopes to return to the topic early in the new session to make sure a home-grown company like DraftKings doesn’t uproot and take jobs somewhere else, like New Hampshire, where sports betting is legal.

“If I could, we’d have a deal,” Mariano told Bloomberg radio.

The House had proposed to use nearly a third of the $50 million in revenue it projected from legalized sport betting to create a new fund for distressed restaurants, with qualifying restaurants eligible to receive up to $15,000 in relief.

Restaurants have been some of the hardest hit small employers in the state by the pandemic, and have been lobbying to limit the delivery charges as more customers are choosing to stay home.

The final compromise bill capped the fees third-party delivery services can charge restaurants for their services at 15 percent of the price of the online order for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. The cap also only applies to restaurants with fewer than 25 locations.

Here’s what is in the new stimulus bill

On Monday, December 21, 2020, the Senate approved a massive emergency economic relief package, government funding, and tax cuts designed to counter the effects of the pandemic and stimulate economic growth. The legislation, introduced as a 5,593-page bill, was passed with a 92 to 6 vote following weeks of intense negotiations.

Efforts to pass economic relief measures in the weeks leading to the presidential election had failed despite numerous attempts. But after the election, a bipartisan group of lawmakers teamed up and successfully negotiated for action to spur economic activity by helping businesses and consumers.

Why was the 5,593-page bill passed?

The spike in COVID cases across the country and strong concern that the economy is weakening informed the need for the federal government to intervene — cushioning households and jump-starting the economy. Nearly a year after the first case of Coronavirus was reported, government-mandated restrictions are still in place across the country. Congress is upbeat that the stimulus bill will protect jobs, businesses, households, and livelihoods.

Just hours after the bill was sent to the White House, the President asked Congress to amend the current bill to afford a greater distribution to qualified Americans.

What is inside the $900 billion stimulus package?

As of now, the $900 billion economic relief stimulus includes:

• $600 direct payments for qualifying adults and children
• Economic assistance for struggling small businesses, including more than $284 billion for forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans and $15 billion for theaters, cultural institutions, and other venues
• $300 per week for enhanced Unemployment Insurance benefits
• $25 billion for rental assistance and an eviction moratorium extension
• $82 billion for schools and colleges
• $10 billion to help with childcare assistance
• $13 billion in increased food assistance and child nutrition benefits
• $7 billion to bolster broadband access across the country
• Support for coronavirus vaccine distribution, testing and contract tracing efforts
• A tax credit “to support employers offering paid sick leave”

The bill extends aid to millions of households and businesses hammered by COVID. The aid is given through stimulus checks, enhanced federal unemployment benefits, and money for small businesses, childcare, and schools. It also covers the funding for free vaccination that will be distributed across states. Additionally, the package will repurpose $429 billion in unused funding provided by the Cares Act for Emergency lending programs run by the Federal Reserve.

Let’s look at the key details of the bill:

Stimulus check

• The legislation provides a $600 stimulus check for each qualifying American, including children and adults.
• The size of payment reduces for persons who earned above $75,000 in the 2019 tax year. Anybody who earned above $99,000 in the 2019 tax year will not receive a stimulus check.

Jobless benefits

The legislation extends unemployment benefits of up to $300 per week.

• The benefits could begin from December 27 and run until March 14.
• The bill also extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance targeting part-time and gig workers who were left out of the state unemployment insurance benefits. However, applicants are now required to provide documentation that proves employment or self-employment within 21 days of applying for the benefits. Anybody extending their benefits before January 31 have 90 days to provide the documentation.

Relief for business

• The bill provides over 284 billion for the first and second forgivable paycheck protection program loans. It also expands the PPP eligibility for non-profit organizations and news outlets
• The bill provides $15 billion for the entertainment industry, including music clubs, cultural institutions, movie theatres, and entertainment venues
• The package includes $20 billion targeted grants through the Economic Injury Disaster programs
• The legislation provides a tax break for corporate meal expense

School funding

• The bill extends aid to colleges and schools, which will receive $82 billion. A $22.7 billion will go to colleges and universities and $54.3 billion for elementary and secondary education.
• The deal also provides a $10 billion package for childcare assistance.

Transportation

• The bill provides $45 billion for transportation, including $16 billion for an extra round of airline employee and contractor payroll support.
• Others are $14 billion for transit, $10 billion for highways, $2 billion for airports, and $1 billion for Amtrak.

This story is still developing as it has not been signed by the President, and Congress may vote on an amended bill as soon as Christmas Eve.