Will writes: Last night the Senate gave preliminary approval to legislation authorizing the borrowing of $1 billion for expansion of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in South Boston. I came to feel comfortable with the bill and did vote for it, although I share a number of common concerns about this kind of legislation, including the following:
Economy
casinos, consumer issues, convention center, development strategy, housing, industry regulation, inequality, intellectual property, net neutrality, non-competition agreements, olympics, poverty and assistance, turnpike air rights development, work
Minimum Wage/UI Compromise
Will writes: Last night, the Senate approved a compromise bill raising the minimum wage and stabilizing unemployment insurance rates in Massachusetts. The bill was the product of lengthy negotiations between House and Senate conferees. Here are the minimum wage highlights:
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center Expansion
Tomorrow, the Senate will vote on S2188, An Act relative to the expansion of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. A similar bill passed the house 131-19. There has been quite a bit of news coverage about this bill, which I have compiled below along with other resources and reports. What do you think? Is …
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Boston Rental Inspections
The Boston city council has passed and recently upheld an ordinance that requires rental properties in the city to be inspected every few years whether or not a complaint has been made about the property. This seems to me like a gross invasion of privacy for tenants and an unwarranted increase in the size of …
Add Winery Direct Shipping to Budget
As an adult voter in Massachusetts, I urge you to ADD A WINERY DIRECT SHIPPING AMENDMENT to the Senate’s version of the budget which mirrors the House’s budget amendment. If passed, this will allow wine lovers like me to purchase a limited amount of wine directly from wineries licensed by our state to ship. The …
Non-competition Updates
There appears to be some movement on the effort to cut back on the use of non-competition agreements in Massachusetts. This has been a long-term priority of mine. These agreements restrict employee mobility, hampering new venture formation and contributing to unemployment. They are bad for the innovation climate. At the same time, employers feel them …