In today’s (Thur) Globe (front of Business section) there is piece about removing the archaic restrictions where brewers are essentially held hostage by distributors. There is a bill before the Senate to reform that.The head of the Beer Distributors of Mass, Bill Kelley, whines on about how this change would hurt working families. Cry me …
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Zoning Reform — how it went in the Senate
The final vote was relatively close for a major bill with leadership support. But the volume and significance of the changes that the Senate made on the floor — and the close vote — make clear that a House-Senate consensus will not be reached before formal sessions end on July 31. I was pleased to speak for and vote for the bill. Here are some of my takeaways.
Continuing the conversation about zoning reform
Proposed zoning reforms make sense environmentally, economically and morally. They would move Massachusetts modestly towards a more regional planning approach common in other states and are fair fiscally.
Zoning reforms under discussion
Our state-wide zoning framework has not been overhauled since the early 1970s. People on all sides naturally view any changes in the rules with great suspicion. I do intend to support the comprehensive zoning reform package coming before the Senate — we need more housing. But I welcome all questions and comments — the details of the bill are still in flux.
Latest Non-Competition Agreement News
I heard on the radio that there was some movement on limiting non-competes in Massachusetts – is that still likely to happen? The description sounded like very weak sauce – restricting to “only” a year, for example. In my opinion if we want to compete with silicon valley for innovation, we should be at least …
Senate Passes Pay Equity Legislation
We share this press release from the Senate Ways and Means Committee on the Senate’s passage of bill S.2107 to “strengthen the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act to further close the wage gap between male and female workers in the Commonwealth.” The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.