Campaigns & Elections

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A New End

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While last year saw record numbers of hurricanes, wildfires, recessions, roller-coaster stock markets, and a defeat of a sitting president — all of which are huge stories in any given year — the coronavirus pandemic has overshadowed everything on earth for the past ten months.

By Mid-December, Massachusetts had blown past the 100,000 COVID-19 cases mark with 10% of those were confirmed just over the Christmas holiday weekend. There have been more than 11,500 confirmed fatalities in Mass since the start of the pandemic.

In an effort to ward off a public health crisis of biblical proportions, Gov. Charlie Baker has given the tourniquet another turn and asked businesses to reduce capacity to 25% and to limit public and private gatherings to 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors for the next two weeks. 

The good news is that vaccinations are underway for the front lines and the most vulnerable. More than 146,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine recently arrived in the state. Another 60,000 or so Pfizer vaccines have also been distributed. So far, more than 35,000 Massachusetts residents have been vaccinated. Although it doesn’t yet toll the death knell for the pandemic, vaccination has brought with it much needed hope. 

In other news...

Politics

GOP Gives Lyons Another Term

Jim Lyons was reelected Sunday to a second term as the state Republican Party’s chairman by a narrow margin of 39-36, against challenger Shawn Dooley. In his pitch prior to the vote (which took place in a parking lot) before the vote. His opponents, Lyons had this to say:

“I should continue to bring conservative and pro-life voices into our party, to give conservatives a seat at the table for which too often in Massachusetts Republican politics [they] have been excluded in the past.”

Lyons, a vociferous Trump supporter, vowed to “make the Massachusetts Republican Party great again.” This might be a bit challenging considering the GOP lost five seats in the Legislature in November. Republicans now hold just three seats in the 40-member Senate and zero in the house.

That being said, Lyons victory is expected to complicate a potential reelection bid by Gov. Charlie Baker who has burned some bridges with pro-Trump forces. Trump recently attacked Baker as a “RINO” (Republican in name only).

Interestingly, to facilitate social distancing, the vote was held in a parking lot in an industrial park in Littleton. Committee members tuned in a live radio broadcast to hear the candidates’ pitches. After the vote was tallied, Lyons supporters honked their horns in lieu of applause. 

The Boston Globe has a more in-depth report on Lyons’ win.

Landmark Police Bill Gets a Touchup

Facing the threat of Gov. Charlie Baker's veto, the Massachusetts Senate did some remodeling on a comprehensive policing bill. The Massachusetts House on Tuesday approved the revisions.

Should it pass, the revamped legislation would create a system for certifying police officers in Massachusetts. It also creates a new civilian-led panel that can revoke badges for misconduct. One of the main sticking points in the bill was the proposed restriction of the use of facial recognition technology by police.

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Business

More Stimulus Money on the Way

Gov. Charlie Baker last week unveiled an additional $668 million stimulus package aimed at small businesses in the Bay State. The money can be used to curtail layoffs, as well as to pay utility bills, rent, and other operational costs. 

Eligible industries include restaurants and bars, caterers, indoor recreation and entertainment establishments, fitness centers, personal services, retailers, and event-support professionals such as photographers and videographers.

More than 10,000 applicants applied for grants from the COVID-19 Small Business Program since it was launched this past fall. State officials will continue to award grants to eligible businesses who already applied but did not receive funding.

Businesses will have a two-week window to apply for grants through an online portal scheduled to come online before the new year and grants will be awarded starting in February.

More information is available at EmpoweringSmallBusinesses.org. 

On a side note, although funding for the state’s stimulus package is not dependent on federal stimulus money, the bill, which was reluctantly signed by Trump, gives the state more flexibility in dealing with the pandemic.

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Energy

In early August, three senators and three representatives were appointed to reconcile differences between climate bills passed by the Mass. Senate and House. However, with the current two-year legislative session coming to an end on Jan. 5, no compromise has been reached. 

Now, in an effort to assure prompt action, climate policy advocates are mounting an “all-out offensive" to keep the pressure on lawmakers.

If the conference committee doesn't produce a compromise bill this session, it will mean a slippery slope for the measures. In order to avoid backsliding, climate advocacy group 350Mass called on its supporters to unleash an “all-out offensive via phone, email, and Twitter, to ensure Massachusetts advances this crucial climate legislation." 

Both climate bills put forth last January call for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The bills also set deadlines for the state to impose carbon-pricing mechanisms for transportation, commercial buildings, and homes. 

The Baker administration is planning to release its 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap and the 2030 Clean Energy and Climate Plan by the end of this month.

Read all about it at NBCBoston.com.

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Transportation

Replacement of the 85-year-old Bourne and Sagamore bridges is among 65 transportation projects included in an omnibus package passed along with the $900 billion federal stimulus bill. The 5,000-plus-page bundle includes funding for bridge repairs and replacements as well as other transportation projects. In fact, transportation projects account for about $45 billion of the total relief bill.

The Cape Cod Times has more on this story.

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Real Estate

Since the eviction moratorium expired in Massachusetts, renters across the state are now finding eviction notices taped to their doors and tenant advocates fear a rise in homelessness and a continued spike in COVID-19 cases across the state. 

However, in the days before the moratorium expired, Gov. Charlie Baker announced $171 million earmarked for rental assistance and rapid rehousing programs. Baker also recently signed a budget that includes added funding for housing-related programs.

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Cannabis

Although the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has taken steps to ensure equitable opportunities within the cannabis industry for minorities, according to a report by Commonwealth Magazine, “one segment of the industry remains controlled – largely by design – by big companies, including some multi-state operators: medical marijuana.”

One reason for the lack of diversity in the medical market, says the report, is the requirement that medical marijuana dispensaries grow and manufacture all of the cannabis products they sell. This vertical integration requirement means it costs a lot more to enter the medical marijuana market than it does to break into the recreational market which has no such requirement.

Mass. CCC chairman Steven Hoffman said a reevaluation of vertical integration requirements will be a priority going forward. “We’ve made a commitment to look into that, to give it the time and study it deserves,” Hoffman said.

Read the full report at Commonwealth Magazine

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A Timely Wish List

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Two curves need some serious bending here in Massachusetts — the Covid-19 infection curve, and the state budget curve. Although there was a lot of push and pull going last week, it’s looking like the Covid Curve won’t trend downward until at least mid-January. And the state’s budget is unlikely to bend upward until mid-2022. Lawmakers wishes might come true with the news of a federal relief package coming our way, but it’s doubtful any of the funding needed will make it here in time to make a difference for the holidays.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts has lost its crown of Most Energy Efficient State in the U.S. to California. If you’re going to lose that crown to any state it might as well be the Golden State as it keeps the Bay State in good company. 

The real news, however, is that Massachusetts is and likely always will be a heavyweight contender on clean energy. Gov. Baker has been cheerleading a collection of Northeastern states to pass the Transportation and Climate Initiative — a cap-and-trade program for fuel companies in the Northeast modeled after the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. It looks like we’re close to a deal that could save billions of dollars and countless lives in the coming decades.

And speaking of good company, Lowe’s Home Improvement has agreed to purchase 250MW of renewable energy from Massachusetts-headquartered Swift Current Energy in a 12-year power purchase agreement.

All this and a bag of chips in this week’s news. 

Covid Might Not Bend Until Mid January

With civilian vaccinations still months away, an updated Covid-19 projection model out of UMass Amherst, predicts that the total number of new coronavirus infections will continue to increase well into January. The model projects more than 40,000 new cases by Jan. 2. At just over 33,000 in the first week of December, that’s an increase of about 25%. 

In terms of deaths, the model — which is actually based on an ensemble of different models — predicts mortality will surpass 500 cases per week in Mass. before January with total deaths projected to hit 13,120 by Jan. 9. 

In an attempt to stem the evil tide, Gov. Charlie Baker and some cities and towns continue to re-tighten restrictions. Amid rising COVID-19 numbers in Massachusetts, a number of cities and towns in the state announced they are reverting to more restrictive phases of reopening.

Gov. Baker announced last week that the state would turn back to Phase 3, Step 1 of its reopening plan. And officials in Boston, Arlington, Brockton, Lynn, and Somerville, and Newton have all begun to roll the pace of reopenings back to Phase 2, Sept 2 for at least three weeks.  

If the public doesn’t heed the Governor’s new holiday safety guidelines, a full shutdown could become a reality before the year’s end.

Politics

What The New Federal Relief Bill Means for Mass.

Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. now surpassing 911 deaths on a daily basis. And nearly 8 million Americans have fallen into poverty since this summer. Nonetheless, Washington lawmakers have been in a Red vs. Blue tug-o-war over a second relief bill for weeks. 

Now Congressional and Senate leaders might be close to hammering out a $900 billion COVID-19 economic relief package that would mean billions in aid to small businesses, extended federal and state unemployment benefits, direct payments to Americans, and additional funds to renters and people needing food aid. In fact, by now, the deal might be in the history books.

So what does this mean for Massachusetts?

Direct payments to individuals appeared to be off the table until Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel realized that Republicans could lose their Senate majority if Georgia voters turned against the GOP before the senate seat runoffs on Jan. 5. Currently, Dems are willing to compromise on direct payments and are asking for one-time payments of $600 — half that of the previous round of checks called for by the CARES Act.

The bad news is, the direct payments are in lieu of financial assistance to state and municipal governments. However, Senate Ed Markey said Thursday he has high hopes that President-elect Joe Biden would facilitate a third relief package before winter’s end.

A $300-per-week federal jobless benefit would run until April 2021 — half of the $600 benefits provided by the CARES Act passed back in March. A $300-per-week extension runs out on Dec. 31.

The package also calls for $300 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program which attempts to stem the tide of layoffs by offering business owners with 300 or fewer employees forgivable loans to be used to cover employees' wages. 

An eviction ban set to expire at year’s end will be extended for another month. (The Mass. eviction moratorium expired in October.) 

Also, a report by Vox claims the package will provide $13 billion for a 15 percent increase in food stamps benefits as well as other food assistance programs.

And finally, to the relief of more than 40 million Americans paying back federal student loans, the package also calls for the deferral of payments until April 2021. 

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Business

Mass. Economy Not Expected to Improve Substantially Until 2022

With the state’s fiscal health teetering on a cliff, economists are saying that things might not improve until fiscal 2022. A lot depends on how quickly vaccines can be rolled out and how effective the jabs will be at “bending the curve.” It also depends on the flow of federal stimulus money. 

At a Tuesday hearing, Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael Heffernan waxed poetic saying: “Happy holidays, here’s to the new year. We hope there’s a vaccine. We hope there’s federal money.” Okay, so it wasn’t so poetic. 

Meanwhile, Department of Revenue Commissioner Geoffrey Snyder estimated that tax revenue for Fiscal 2022 will fall between $27 billion (a 1% decline) and $30 billion (and 8.8% gain). Several estimates from NGO experts also fell within the range of or slightly higher than the Department of Revenue estimate.

More details on the Mass. 2022 revenue projections can be found at Commonwealth Magazine’s website.

Check out last week’s news to learn more about the state’s fresh-squeezed 2021 budget. 

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Energy

Mass. No Longer Most Energy Efficient State

For nine straight years, Massachusetts has held the gold medal for Most Energy-Efficient State In the Nation according to rankings provided by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The Bay State is now number two compared to California. 

"In a year dramatically impacted by a global pandemic and associated recession, efforts to advance clean energy goals struggled to maintain momentum amid the loss of 400,000 energy efficiency jobs by the summer and disruptions to countless lives. Despite these challenges, some states continued to successfully prioritize energy efficiency as an important resource to help reduce household and business energy bills, create jobs, and reduce emissions. First place goes to California, which sets the pace in saving energy on multiple fronts with adoption of net-zero energy building codes, stringent vehicle emissions standards, and industry-leading appliance standards." — ACEEE annual scorecard

Massachusetts has been in the top 10 all 14 years that the ACEEE has published its annual scorecard. However, in recent years, California has spent millions of dollars to provide incentives for high-efficiency heat pump water heaters. And a recently signed executive order calls for phasing out the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035.

Here’s a more extensive report from the Boston Globe. 

Lowe’s Taps Mass.-Based Swift Current Energy for 250MW of Solar

Massachusetts-headquartered Swift Current Energy is working on a 12-year power purchase agreement to supply Lowe’s home improvement with 250MW of renewable energy from its Black Diamond Solar park in Illinois. 

Currently under construction, the facility will house over 1 million solar panels with a total capacity of 593MW. The new installation is expected to go online by the summer of 2023.

Swift Current Energy has developed and commercialized more than 1GW of clean energy projects with more than 3GW under development.

Read more at PV-Tech.org. 

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Transportation

Northeast States Agree on Cap-and-Invest Plan for Autos

After years of negotiation, a collection of Northeastern states are expected to unveil a final agreement Monday on the Transportation and Climate Initiative. TCI, a cap-and-trade program for fuel companies in the Northeast, would set decreasing limits on carbon emissions from autos. The program is modeled after the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative being applied to power plants. 

Under the agreement, fuel suppliers would be required to buy carbon credits to cover their emissions. Proceeds from the credits — estimated to be as high as $8.5 billion annually — would be earmarked for clean infrastructure projects.

Twelve states are involved in the pact championed by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. However, governors from Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine have expressed reservations about the plan. Other states involved include Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. 

While some states may be required to adopt the program via their legislature, Massachusetts can do so through executive action.

A study by Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health claims the plan found the improvement in air quality alone would prevent up to 1,000 deaths annually and reduce emissions up to 25% by 2032.

Read all about it at EEnews.net.

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Real Estate

Blackstone is Now King of the Hill in Cambridge Biotech

Blackstone Property Partners Life Sciences is acquiring 2.3 million square feet of lab office buildings from a Brookfield Asset Management real estate fund. The deal, valued at $3.45 billion, puts Blackstone at the top of the heap of biotech space in Cambridge. The deal is expected to go down in the first quarter of 2021.

The life sciences real estate sector is booming. More than $16 billion has been raised from private investors during the first half of 2020. Cambridge is one of the fastest-growing  biotech hubs in the country. 

Learn more at GlobeSt.com. 

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Cannabis

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has appointed two new members. 

Nurys Camargo is a regional AT&T executive. Camargo previously directed youth violence prevention programs under the administration of former Governor Deval Patrick and founded a nonprofit to mentor Latinas. Camargo will assume the commission’s social justice seat for a five-year term beginning January 1.

Bruce Stebbins is a longtime Republican political operative who currently serves on the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Stebbins will also be appointed to a five-year term on the cannabis commission as of January 1. 

The new appointments to the independent commission were made jointly by the offices of Governor Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, and state Treasurer Deborah Goldberg.

MJ Biz Daily has more on this story.

More Cannabis News

More of the Latest Massachusetts News

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Two Steps Forward and Back Again

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Even when we’re making significant progress, Massachusetts seems to be experiencing setbacks in equal measure.

For instance, the Commonwealth seems to be all set in the energy department. Grid operators are saying they’ll have no problem meeting demand this winter. But shivering throngs of residents might not have a home to heat. That is if the Federal eviction moratorium expires on schedule on December 31. Even if folks can pay their rent or mortgage, they may not have enough money to pay their electric bills as unemployment balloons and relief shrivels. 

On the bright side, sarcastically speaking, trains, trolley’s and buses will be using a lot less energy this winter as ridership has plummeted and the MBTA plans stiff cuts in services. And with lawmakers in Washington squabbling over who gets what in federal assistance, things aren’t guaranteed to be getting better anytime soon. 

On a “lighter” note, one week after marijuana sales blew past the billion-dollar mark here in Mass., Maine has announced that marijuana is now it’s number one cash crop. Also this week, Congress passed the MORE Act which includes an attempt to decriminalize marijuana and remove it from the DEA’s list of Schedule I controlled substances. If these trends continue — and they will — the smart money is going to start piling into cannabis like children in a heap of autumn leaves.

Let’s unpack this week’s news: 

Politics

Mass. Reopening Turns Retrograde

Just last week, Gov. Charlie Baker had no plans to double down on COVID-19 restrictions. However, that was before we repeatedly smashed single-day coronavirus records with hospitalizations rising 44% the week after Thanksgiving. Health officials have reported 3,627 new coronavirus cases and 40 more deaths from COVID-19.

As a result, the Bay State’s reopening process has gone into retrograde. Baker announced Tuesday that he will roll back to Phase 3, Step 1 of the state’s reopening plan starting Sunday, Dec. 13, with reduced capacity for "pretty much everything." 

"The rate Massachusetts residents are getting infected and the rate at which they are needing medical care, if all continues to move at this pace, is simply not sustainable over time, and our health care system will be put at risk," Baker said. "We have to do more."

The exact details of the rollback can be found here. 

Hopefully, help is on the way. By the time you read this, trucks full of Covid-19 vaccines could be rolling into Massachusetts. 

The FDA’s advisory committee has recommended the approval of Pfizer’s vaccine for emergency use in the United States. Now we wait for the FDA to decide whether to accept the recommendation. Once this happens, doses of the vaccine could be in Massachusetts within days. Healthcare workers are expected to be among the first group eligible for the vaccine. 

According to a report at WWLP.com:

“The Baker administration plans to distribute 300,000 COVID-19 vaccines over the next three months to Massachusetts residents and workers who face the highest risks for the virus, starting its immunization rollout by focusing on health care workers, long-term care facilities, first responders and congregate care settings… The three-phase plan is scheduled to roar into action this month with the first 60,000 doses set to arrive by Dec. 15. About 300,000 doses, including both Moderna- and Pfizer-manufactured vaccines, should arrive by the end of the month.”

The general public should be able to get in line for vaccines by Mid-April. 

Details of the Governor’s plan to distribute vaccines can be found here.

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Business

Unemployment Continues to Rise

Again with the jump in jobless claims as the state rolls back its reopening plan. Nearly 34,000 Massachusetts residents filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week — up by more than 2,800 from the week prior. As the virus continued to spiral out of control, unemployment has jumped nationwide to 853,000 last week. 

Included in these figures are “gig workers” and the self-employed who qualify for aid via the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program — which expires at the end of the month.

WBUR has more on this story.

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Energy

ISO Predicts No Grid Problem This Winter

Electric grid operators ISO-New England are assuring the public that they expect no problems in meeting New England’s power demand this winter. ISO expects to be able to provide electricity “under both normal and short durations of extreme temperatures” — at least through February.

ISO-New England Vice President of System Operations & Market Administration Peter Brandien said that based on weather forecasts, “fuel inventory assessments, and decreasing peak energy usage trends, the ISO expects the region will have the electricity it needs to meet consumer demand and maintain system reliability this winter.” 

The grid operator said it expects peak demand will be greater than 20,000 megawatts under normal winter weather — a decline of 310 MW or 1.5 percent from last winter’s forecast.

More details can be found at WWLP.com.

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Transportation

MBTA Waffling On Service Cuts 

After an outcry from riders, transit advocates, and political leaders including Boston Mayor Walsh, the MBTA is trying to work out a plan to scale back planned system-wide service cuts meant to plus the budget deficit created by pandemic emergency measures.

Mayor Walsh lambasted the agency’s plan going so far as to call on state officials to solve the issue, even if it meant raising taxes. 

Emergency measures sent the ridership and revenue into a sinkhole forcing transit officials to consider cuts of more than $100 million to bus, rail, and ferry service.

Proposed cuts could eliminate 25 of 169 bus routes, consolidate another 14, and shorten five. It would also entail eliminating bus and train service after midnight and reducing the frequency of some train and bus routes. “Ferry service would be torpedoed,” as the Boston Globe cleverly put it. 

MBTA officials said they would provide details of the final draft of the proposed cuts in the coming days. A vote could come as early as next week. 

Below is more news and commentary on the MBTA woes:

Real Estate

Up To 14 Million Evictions Could Follow Expiration of Eviction Moratorium

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eviction moratorium is set to expire on December 31. And more than 14 million American households are currently at risk of receiving eviction notices with  4.9 million of them likely to be kicked out into the cold in January, alone. That is according to a report by global investment bank and advisory firm, Stout. 

Meanwhile, public health officials predicted that evictions could worsen the Covid-19 crisis resulting in a vicious cycle. 

Asked whether he would consider resuming the state’s eviction moratorium, Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker said the commonwealth should have enough resources to assist tenants and landlords who are behind on payments. 

Currently, renters in the U.S. are already burdened by an estimated $25 billion in past-due rent debt.  

Read all about it at Boston Business Journal. 

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Cannabis

Marijuana Delivery Rules Expose Rift In Mass. Cannabis Industry

Newly approved home delivery rules have caused a rift in the Massachusetts cannabis industry. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission voted to approve the revised regulations on November 30. Many dispensaries across the state are protesting the revised regulations. 

Most unhappy are the brick-and-mortar dispensaries which would be prevented from making their own deliveries until 2024. 

The CCC created two classes of adult-use marijuana delivery licenses —  marijuana couriers, and marijuana delivery operators. Third-party marijuana couriers will be permitted to pick up and deliver cannabis products to consumers from a retail dispensary. And marijuana delivery operators would be permitted to inventory products without having to operate a retail storefront essentially putting them in direct competition with local marijuana dispensaries.

The Commonwealth Dispensary Association (CDA) plans to challenge the new regulations in court. 

Check out the report at the Berkshire Edge. 

Cannabis Now Most Valuable Crop in Maine

Move over potatoes and blueberries. Cannabis is now Maine’s most valuable crop.  Medical marijuana sales in the state rose from over $100 million in 2019 to more than a quarter of a billion dollars in 2020. Potatoes bring in around $180 million, and blueberries a mere $26 million according to Maine Revenue Services.

According to state sales tax figures, medical marijuana sales added up to more than $220 million from January through October. That’s more than double the previous year, Maines cannabis industry is on pace to hit $266 million in sales for 2020. 

It has been a record-breaking year for the cannabis industry as a whole. 

Learn more at the Portland Press Herald.

More Cannabis News

More of the Latest Massachusetts News

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Public Transit Collides with COVID-19

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This week in Massachusetts news, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to ravage the state, the economy and now the MBTA. While the state insists recently proposed service cuts are necessary and temporary, most residents are in disbelief and living in fear that the axed services will never return. 

Worse yet, but not as widely discussed, the number of small businesses open in Massachusetts has plummeted by a staggering 37 percent this year as small business revenue has decreased nationwide by 44 percent since January 15, 2020. 

The hospitality industry has been especially hard hit with a 64 percent decrease in revenue for small businesses in the industry. One particularly sad sign of the decline is the unloading of the iconic Commonwealth Hotel by Xenia Hotels & Resorts just four years after the company acquired the property. The landmark hotel was sold at a cavernous loss of $23 million. 

In the good news column — at least if you’re a stakeholder in the cannabis industry — within the same week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a landmark marijuana policy reform bill while the U.N. removed cannabis from its most prohibitive controlled substances classification. The changes are bound to increase the flow of investment capital into the Green Rush.

Let’s get to work. 

Transportation

The big news in transportation these past few weeks has been the looking cuts in MBTA services. The proposed cuts, called “unnecessary” in an extensive op-ed at CommonWealth Magazine penned by Chris Lisinski, have been extremely unpopular. 

An online survey of 1,340 Massachusetts residents showed that 64 percent somewhat or strongly oppose the proposed cuts in service. Moreover, although MBTA General Manager Steven Poftak has stated that the cuts are not permanent, 54 percent said they didn’t think the eliminated services would be restored after the pandemic abates.

A laundry list of service cuts has been proposed by the MBTA in order to deal with a $579 million budget shortfall as ridership has been decimated during the pandemic. Cuts include less frequent subway and commuter trains, the elimination of 25 bus routes, and the cancellation of ferry service.

The Fiscal and Management Control Board plans to vote on the package soon.

More Transportation News

Business

The Number Of Open Small Businesses In the Bay State Falls By a Staggering 37%

The number of small businesses open in Massachusetts has declined by a staggering 37 percent since January 15, 2020, as nationwide revenue for small businesses has plummeted by an even more unbelievable figure of 44 percent. That is according to data published by a nonpartisan research organization at Harvard University. Interestingly, revenue for small businesses offering professional and business services decreased by only 4.4 percent.

Both CBS Local and the Boston Herald have more details on this story.

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Real Estate

Landmark Hotel Commonwealth Sold At $23 Million Loss

Boston’s beleaguered hotel industry is in shock after Hotel Commonwealth, a popular Kenmore Square hotel was sold at a loss. Florida-based Xenia Hotels & Resorts sold the luxury hotel to Ohana Real Estate Investors for $113 million. That’s $23 million less than Xenia paid for the property just four years ago.

The Boston Globe had this to say about the news:

“It’s a rare reversal in price for a trophy piece of Boston real estate, which for the most part has only gone up in value over the last decade. But it has been an unusual nine months in the real estate market, especially for hotels, whose bookings have evaporated amid a pandemic that has largely shut down both business and leisure travel.”

According to a report by hotel consulting firm Pinnacle Advisory Group, Boston has suffered the sharpest drop in business of any of the 25 largest hotel markets in the country. 

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Politics

Kimberly Budd sworn in as chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court

Kimberly Budd has been sworn in as Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice. Budd served on the SJC since 2016, where she has co-authored more than 85 decisions and has served on several judicial committees. Budd was unanimously confirmed by the Governor’s Council to lead the high court last month. 

Councilor Marilyn Devaney said during the Governor’s Council hearing last month:

“[Justice Budd] has all the attributes. She is compassionate. She has empathy. She has all the qualifications, and she has the demeanor and temperament that we need in that position.”

Budd replaces her mentor, the late chief justice Ralph Gants. She is the first Black woman to lead the high court. 

Read more at MassLive.com.

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Energy

Offshore Wind “Lynchpin” of Mass. Clean Energy Transition

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, the Baker administration’s top energy official, recently said at a conference of regional power generators, market regulators, and other energy experts that she expects offshore wind to be the “linchpin of the state’s clean energy transition.” That is according to a report in the Lowell Sun. 

However, she says the state will need help from the incoming Biden Administration in order to meet the state’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

Theoharides said: 

“To fully address the issues of climate change, we feel strongly we need every level of government working in this space and I am hopeful there will be increasingly emphasis on this in the new administration, but I have no doubts that it will continue to be a challenge given the politically divisive nature of climate action.” 

Also, according to the report, Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner, Republican Neil Chatterjee predicted that the Biden administration would bring renewed focus on climate and energy policy stating that it is “clear that energy and environmental policy issues are going to be top priorities for the incoming administration.” 

Chatterjee was recently demoted by President Donald Trump from chairman of FERC.

More Energy News

Cannabis Industry

This big news for the Massachusetts cannabis industry is global this week. 

First off, in an historic move, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed the MORE Act by a vote of 228-164, largely along party lines. The measure goes beyond decriminalization “including several social and criminal justice measures that would help lift up the communities of color ravaged by the War on Drugs, while helping build an equitable cannabis industry in which the people of color disproportionately impacted by prohibition have a seat at the table,” says Rolling Stone. 

The bill must still run the Senate gauntlet and be signed by the president. Whether or not those things will come to pass are anyone’s guess. 

Second, The United Nations’ Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) has removed Marijuana From its Most Strict Global Drug Category. The move, which was recommended by the UN-based World Health Organization, has U.S. Support. Cannabis, which has been on Schedule IV since 1961, is now a Schedule I controlled substance. 

Cannabis policy reform advocates say the move “demonstrates an evolution in how the international community views cannabis policy, as it formally recognizes the medical value of the plant and it could promote further research into its therapeutic potential.” 

Read more at industry news source Marijuana Moment. 

More Cannabis Industry News

COVID-19 News

We have quite a bit of news on the Covid-19 pandemic this week:

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A Peaceful Transition but More Work To Do

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While Democrats are rejoicing at President Trump’s defeat at the hands of Joe Biden, not everyone is happy with Biden’s seeming lack of concern for the wishes of the more progressive wing of the party. 

While former Senator John Kerry has been named Biden’s “Climate Czar,” it seems that presidential primary runner-ups Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders — both progressive Democrats — are being passed over for cabinet seats, the rationale being that their influence is more highly necessitated in the U.S. Senate. While that might be true, it’s still a huge disappointment to Warren and Sanders supporters. 

Meanwhile, the new wave of Covid-19 cases threatens to set the state back even farther than the first. Witness a massive drop in holiday travelers and the slow but inevitable decay of shopping malls in the state. 

Although malls were already on the skids as a result of the rise of online shopping, it seems that the pandemic has nailed the lid on the coffin not only for many of the state’s small businesses but also national brick-and-mortar retailers. Ironically, mall-killer Amazon.com is now taking over many of these shopping ghost towns and turning them into distribution and fulfillment centers including their latest takeover of the flagging Greendale Mall in Worcester - which was down to its last tenant.

Read on to learn more about all that, plus the results of Monday’s vote on marijuana delivery rules in this week’s news.

Politics News

Biden Snubs Warren and Sanders for Cabinet Seats

Under “normal” circumstances, runners-up in a presidential primary would be among the top contenders for cabinet seats under an incoming administration (ie President Barack Obama’s nomination of Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State in 2008). However, circumstances are nowhere near normal in the 2020 race for political power in America. 

Although there was some speculation that Biden might bring second and third runner-up candidates — Vermont’s Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren, both of whom expressed interest in joining Biden’s cabinet — it’s now looking like Biden would prefer that the two Senators from New England remain in the Senate. 

In an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt last Tuesday night, Biden stated:

“One thing is really critical: Taking someone out of the Senate, taking someone out of the House, particularly a person of consequence, is a really difficult decision that would have to be made. I have a very ambitious, very progressive agenda. And it’s going to take really strong leaders in the House and Senate to get it done.”

While Warren was reportedly eyeing the Treasury Secretary position, Sanders had his sights set on the Labor Secretary seat. Biden has officially chosen former Federal Reserve Chairperson Janet Yellen to head up the Treasury.

Although most within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party are ecstatic that Biden beat Trump, many are not pleased with Biden’s seeming propensity to favor moderates for his cabinet, claiming that the transition team seems more interested in courting Republicans (in the interest of unity and bipartisanship) than in nominating progressives. 

Read the report at Boston.com.

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Transportation News

After travel seemed to be on an upswing in Massachusetts — traffic and T ridership had been slowly but steadily increasing throughout the summer — a new surge of Covid-19 cases has put a damper on holiday travel in the Bay State and in Bean Town, especially. That is according to a report in the Boston Globe.

According to Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, MBTA subway ridership which had been nearing 140,000 daily riders in October, has slipped back to around 120,000. Similarly, bus ridership is down from nearly 180,000 daily trips to about 160,000. Traffic has also tapered off since peaking around Labor Day.

Pollack’s said in a recent statement:

“Given the surge, given the advice from the Centers for Disease Control and the governor and everyone else that people need to spend more time at home and not travel for Thanksgiving, we may well see a remaining fall and winter. From the perspective of the pandemic, that is a good thing.”

A similar slowdown in air travel is being attributed to the autumnal coronavirus surge with just under 150,000 travelers departing from six major airports in New England between Friday and Wednesday. That figure, according to a Patch.com report is down more than 70 percent from the same time period ahead of Thanksgiving last year.

Jennifer Mehigan, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Port Authority, has said that prior to the pandemic Logan International airport routinely saw between 120,000 and 140,000 travelers arriving and departing each day.

“Heading into the Thanksgiving holiday this year, the busiest day was Nov. 21, when 27,761 people traveled from the six airports. That was down from the busiest day ahead of Thanksgiving 2019, when 93,000 people traveled from the airports,” according to the Boston Globe’s report. 

According to the report, the decline in Thanksgiving travelers “was steeper in New England than in other parts of the country, where the decline in travelers was 60 percent.” 

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Energy News

President-Elect Joe Biden Taps John Kerry for “Climate Czar”

Former Secretary of State John Kerry has been tapped by President-elect Joe Biden to be the nation’s international climate czar. Kerry’s position is a first for the National Security Council.

Kerry, who served as secretary of state in the Obama administration, Tweeted:

“America will soon have a government that treats the climate crisis as the urgent national security threat it is. I’m proud to partner with the President-elect, our allies, and the young leaders of the climate movement to take on this crisis.”

In contrast to outgoing President Trump, Biden has signaled that he views climate change as a threat to the country’s national security.

Kerry was instrumental in negotiating the Paris Climate Accord which was nixed by Trump to the dismay of climate activists. Trump also rolled back numerous additional environmental and energy regulations instantiated by the Obama administration.

The Boston Globe has an extensive report on this story. 

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Business and Real Estate News

Amazon.com To Take Over Flagging Greendale Mall

As shopping malls across the nation continue to see a vast decline in foot traffic, online mega-retailer Amazon.com has been busy converting emptied malls into distribution and fulfillment centers. Now it looks as if the Greendale Mall in Worcester, which is down to a single tenant, is next.

The Greendale Mall will be the first major shopping center in New England to be converted into an industrial site. That is according to the national real estate firm CBRE which maintains that nationwide 13.8 million square feet of retail space has been converted into 15.5 million square feet of industrial space since 2017. 

While Amazon.com is responsible for a major decline in brick-and-mortar sales, a global pandemic seems to be collecting nails for the coffin. The only other major shopping mall in the city, the Galleria, closed in 2006 after a failed attempt at converting the property to a factory outlet mall.

The Worcester Business Journal has the scoop.

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Cannabis News

The Mass. Cannabis Control Commission has given final approval to new home delivery regulations. The new rules specify a delivery license framework and also include changes to the medical marijuana caregiver program.

Regulators said the new rules include an initial period of exclusivity for the state’s economic empowerment applicants and participants in the Social Equity Program are crucial to preventing monopolization of the new delivery sector.

Home delivery of marijuana was already allowed for medical marijuana dispensaries. Not everyone is happy with the new regulations. Some marijuana retailers have threatened to sue the CCC to prevent the implementation of the new policy.

Howard Cooper, an attorney with Todd & Weld LLP, wrote in a letter to regulators in mid-November:

“Put simply, the Commission’s adoption and implementation of the Proposed Regulation would be in direct contravention of its own governing and enabling statute which clearly and unambiguously states that only Marijuana Retailers, as defined in the statute, are [already] permitted to deliver cannabis products to consumers. Given the clarity of the law here, please understand that our clients will have no choice but to challenge the Commission’s Proposed Regulations in court if adopted. We write in hope of avoiding a legal dispute.”

CCC Chairman Steven Hoffman counters that the agency is acting within its authority. And Aaron Goines who advises the Massachusetts Cannabis Association said:

“Essentially, they want to own 100 percent of it or 80 percent or have as much control or influence over it as possible. That’s just not how the regulations are written, so get on board. Compete. You are not entitled to a clear runway of no competition in this country, it just doesn’t work like that.”

The new rules are expected to go into effect next year.

Learn more at MassLive.com. 

Massachusetts Among 10 Best Cannabis Business States in the US

Massachusetts has earned the number six spot on cannabis news publisher Greentrepreneur’s list of the “10 Best Places To Start A Cannabis Business in the US.” 

“Despite being the latest state to legalize recreational cannabis,” writes Tammy Taylor, “Massachusetts is quickly taking a prime position in the cannabis business world,” adding that now is the “perfect time to start your cannabis dispensary [in Mass.].”

Taylor points out that it can take under three months to be approved for a cannabis business license in the Bay State. “Aside from starting your dispensary, you can also consider supplying dispensaries and stores as the alternative,” writes Taylor.

Check out the full Top 10 list at Greentrepreneur.com.

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More of the Latest Massachusetts News

Election Day Rundown

All the votes are in — and counted — in Massachusetts. And the good news is, except for one close race, no candidates are contesting the results. 

By Friday, according to the Secretary of State’s office, 43.8 percent of all registered voters in Massachusetts had already voted. More than 2.1 million ballots were returned by mail. That’s equal to about 62-percent of all the ballots cast in the 2016 election in the state.

The whole world knows by now that Biden has passed the threshold of Electoral College votes to be deemed the winner of the race for POTUS. 

Mass voters filled an open seat, approved an expansion of the state’s “right to repair” law, weighed ranked-choice voting, and decided the fate of some congressional incumbents. And, as many of you know, Senator Markey has been reelected. 

Let’s take a look at how this all shook out - including some of the down-ballot races. 

POTUS Vote: A Biden Landslide

Massachusetts was “well ahead of the curve on Election Day,” according to MassLive.com. By around 8 p.m. Tuesday, the results of the main event were in and Mass. voters had given the nod to Democrat Joe Biden.

According to The Associated Press, by 10:23 a.m. Wednesday, Biden had garnered more than 2.1 million votes to President Donald Trump’s 1 million-plus — a margin of victory of about 33%. 

At that time, several big communities including Brockton, Everett, Fitchburg, New Bedford, Revere, and others had not yet to report their results. However, Biden’s win had already become a mathematical surety. 

Biden’s victory was no surprise as only one Republican — Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984 — has won in Mass. in half a century.

Here are some statistics according to MassLive.com:

  • With 1,966 of Massachusetts' 2,173 precincts reporting, amounting to 90.47% of the total ballots cast Trump had only won a couple of dozen communities. 

  • More than 40 of the state’s 351 cities and towns went for Trump.

  • Trump only won 10 communities by more than 300 votes.

  • Roughly half of the communities that voted for Trump over Biden were in Hampden and Worcester counties in Western and Central Massachusetts.

  • Biden’s turnout outperformed Clinton’s 2016 effort in Massachusetts with nearly 110,000 more ballots cast.

  • Biden flipped several communities that Clinton lost to Trump four years ago, including Athol, Barre, Bourne, Bridgewater, East Longmeadow, Granby, Groveland, Kingston, Lynnfield, Mendon, Pembroke, Saugus, Sutton, Tyngsborough, Uxbridge, and multiple other towns.

Markey Reelected

After beating Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the September primaries, Senator Ed Markey bested Republican challenger Kevin O’Connor. The 74-year-old Markey has served for decades in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. 

In a live post-election video address, Sen. Markey touched on the hot issues vowing to fight for action on climate change and to work toward racial justice and immigration reform. In the address, Sen. Markey credited the win to young activists and talked about rejecting incremental change in favor of thinking big: 

“Massachusetts voted to affirm our movement’s mandate for change, and I am grateful for that. The age of incrementalism is over. The time to be timid is over. Now is our moment to think big, build big, be big.”

Meanwhile, In the 4th Congressional District, the Democratic Newton City Councilor Auchincloss became the newest member of the state’s all-Democratic congressional delegation by defeating Republican Julie Hall. The open seat was held by Kennedy, who opted not to seek reelection after deciding to challenge Markey.

Congressional Incumbents Reelected

Six Democratic House incumbents defeated Republican and independent challengers:

  • Rep. Jim McGovern, who represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District, beat GOP challenger Tracy Lovvorn.

  • Rep. Katherine Clark, 5th Congressional District Rep. defeated Republican Caroline Colarusso. 

  • Rep. Seth Moulton, a former presidential candidate bested GOP challenger John Paul Moran, in the 6th Congressional District.

  • Rep. William Keating, of the 9th Congressional District, won over Republican Helen Brady and independent Michael Manley.

  • Rep. Ayanna Pressley, 7th Congressional District  defeated independent Roy Owens

  • Rep. Stephen Lynch, 8th Congressional District defeated independent challenger Jonathan Lott.

Two Democratic incumbents ran unopposed:

  • Rep. Richard Neal, 1st Congressional District 

  • Rep. Lori Trahan, 3rd Congressional District

Harrington Demands Recount in 7th Hamden District

A recount has been demanded in the 7th Hampden District state representative by Republican James “Chip” Harrington after losing to Democrat Jake Oliveira by a narrow margin. 

After the Associated Press reported on election eve that Harrington had won by 324 votes, the contest flip-flopped overnight due to a typo in results reporting. An amended count put Oliveira up by 134 votes.

In the end, 11,128 votes went to Oliveira (50.3%) and 10,994 to Harrington (49.7%) narrowly missing the threshold for an automatic recount. Harrington, who is collecting signatures for a recount petition, said in a statement:

“I fully understand the reality of gaining enough votes to overtake him is highly unlikely … but because the clerk of Belchertown has had a consistent lack of attention to detail … I feel it warrants checking her work.”.

The 7th Hampden District encompasses all of Ludlow, narrow strips of Springfield and Chicopee, and three precincts in Belchertown.

Read more on this story at MassLive.com. 

Women Set Record for Legislative Seats

The number of women in the state legislature has reached a new high with this election with seven new female state representatives winning seats bringing the total number of women to 62, or 31% of the seats. That includes 12 in the Senate and 50 in the House beating the previous record of 57. No female incumbents lost their reelection bids this year. Lowell Democrat Vanna Howard unseated Rep. David Nangle, in the September primary.

Meanwhile, six female representatives-elect, all Democrats, claimed open seats including: 

  • Jessica Giannino of Revere

  • Erika Uyterhoeven of Somerville

  • Patricia Duffy of Holyoke

  • Brandy Fluker Oakley of Boston

  • Meg Kilcoyne of Northborough 

  • Sally Kerans of Danvers

According to the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators:

  • The first women elected to the Massachusetts House were Reps. Sylvia Donaldson of Brockton and Susan Fitzgerald of Jamaica Plain in 1923.

  • Sen. Sybil Holmes of Brookline was the first woman elected to the state Senate, 14 years later.

  • There are now 44 Democrats and five Republican Women on Beacon Hill.

  • The last Republican woman to hold a state Senate seat in Massachusetts was Jo Ann Sprague of Walpole, who opted not to seek reelection in 2004.

“Right To Repair” Law Reinforced

Voters approved expanding the state’s “Right to Repair” law. The legislation gives car owners and auto shops greater access to vehicle maintenance and repair data.

According to repair shops and car parts stores, the measure helps to guarantee car owners access to the repair information. Automakers claim that the measure is a “data grab” by third parties who want to gather personal vehicle information. Tommy Hickey, director of the Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition, called the law a boon for the “modern age of connected cars.” 

Ranked Choice Initiative Comes Up Short

Another ballot question that would have changed the way ballots are cast and tallied in future elections was defeated. Had it passed, voters would be able to rank candidates in order of their preference. 

“We came up short in this election, and we are obviously deeply disappointed,” campaign manager Cara Brown McCormick said in a statement.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has been a vocal opponent of ranked-choice voting.

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Coronavirus Scrambles Mass Politics

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Who could have foreseen a global novel coronavirus pandemic?

Well, apparently Bill Gates, for one. Now that it’s here, however, foresight is being thrown around left and right in the Bay State.

As the pace of coronavirus testing picks up in Massachusetts, the number of cases has more than doubled from just two days earlier. 

By Thursday, the coronavirus had claimed 25 people and infected more than 2,400 people statewide — more than double the numbers from just two days prior. However, infectious disease experts warn that as testing expands it’s likely that the state will find that more than ten times that number are infected.

Hospitals in Massachusetts are already overwhelmed with critically ill patients. On the front lines of the battle to save as many lives as possible so far, more than 150 Boston hospital employees have tested positive for COVID-19.

The state is now seeking federal disaster assistance while seeing a twentyfold increase in filings for unemployment and epidemiologists telling the public that we probably won’t be ending this crisis anytime soon.

Aside from some light at the end of the tunnel with the passage of the $2 trillion economic rescue plan, here are some of the other ways COVID19 is impacting Mass. residents: 

Bikes Considered “Essential” Mode of Transportation

Gov. Baker ordered “nonessential” businesses to close on Tuesday for obvious reasons. However, many bike shops will apparently remain open as the service has been officially deemed essential. 

According to Streets Blog Mass:

“...in its definition of “essential services” that are allowed to remain in business, the Governor’s order includes ‘employees who repair and maintain vehicles, aircraft, rail equipment, marine vessels, and the equipment and infrastructure that enables operations that encompass movement of cargo and passengers.’”

Some bike shops have chosen to remain closed, however.

In related news, Boston and 4 other Massachusetts communities have offered hospital staff one month of free Bluebikes.

Emissions Are “Slightly” Down

“People still driving to work face a surreal scene on their commutes: no traffic,” writes WBUR reporter Barbara Moran. She quotes Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack saying that traffic has "in many cases literally evaporated overnight." 

Recent data from MassDOT shows average travel times are about a third shorter than usual on I-93, and about half as long on I-90 west of Boston.

Interestingly, scientists at Boston University and Harvard claim the decrease is only slight. There has been “no significant decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) or carbon monoxide (CO) emissions around Boston.”

Medical Marijuana: Essential; Recreational Cannabis: Not So Much

The governor’s emergency order to close down all non-essential services does not apply to medical marijuana shops according to a report in the Globe. 

Unfortunately, for many casual users of the drug, the state’s 14 recreational pot shops are apparently considered non-essential by the governor. Cease and desist orders were even sent out. Recreational shop owners have protested the decision. Stay tuned.

National Guard Mobilized

Delivery services are becoming ubiquitous in the fight to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Even the Massachusetts National Guard has been called upon to deliver. Gov. Charlie Baker ordered the activation of up to 2,000 National Guard members, according to an article on MassLive.com.

Transportation units are now delivering supplies to hospitals and setting up screening tents at correction facilities. 

Coronavirus Text Alert System Launched

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has announced the launch of a text alert system for important coronavirus news. Subscribers will receive one or two alerts a day about news, updates, public health tips and alerts on services, the governor said.

Residents can text “COVIDMA” to 888777 to sign up. 

In other news

Bill Weld Throws in the Towel

Bill Weld, whom most of you know is a former Massachusetts Governor has dropped out of the 2020 presidential race clearing the field for President Trump’s reelection campaign. 

Weld said in a statement:

"I hereby announce that I am suspending my candidacy for president of the United States, effective immediately. I am immensely grateful to all the patriotic women and men who have stood with me during the past eleven months in our effort to bring better government to Washington, D.C. Two years ago I became concerned enough about the future of this country to begin exploring the possibility of running for president. It is a job I feel certain I have the experience and vision to do."

The move comes following last Tuesdays’ Republican primaries in Florida, Arizona, and Illinois primaries in which Trump officially clinched the Republican nomination.

That Time Senator Elizabeth Warren Reshaped the Democratic Race

Senator Elizabeth Warren, after placing third in the Mass. Primary, has refocused on her US Senatorial duties. 

Some say a particular moment in her campaign brought a change in tide to the Democratic race. 

According to a post in the Globe:

“...history may most remember her candidacy… for her political disembowelment on national TV of billionaire Mike Bloomberg... She effectively ended his campaign in about 40 seconds. Her takedown of the eighth-richest man in the world not only made for exciting television, but it also instantly altered the political terrain and contributed to the rapid winnowing in the field’s moderate lane in favor of former vice president Joe Biden.”

Mass. Libertarian Party Ranks Swell

The Massachusetts Libertarian Party is apparently growing faster than any other party. According to the Eagle-Tribune, the party had 19,851 members as of Feb. 12., “a more than 130% increase from 2017 when it regained its party status, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office.” 

The article credits dissatisfaction with the ruling parties as the reason for the surge in membership. Growth notwithstanding, Libertarians still account for only 0.43% of the Mass. electorate.

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