A New End

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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• Opinion | Why I’m exploring a run for governor of Massachusetts

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.

More Business

• Restaurants struggling to survive amid COVID

• Massachusetts small businesses that are open drop 37% amid coronavirus: Report

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• Massachusetts company rolls out coronavirus mask test to monitor COVID-19 exposure

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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.

More Energy News

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• Massachusetts, Connecticut low-carbon fuel program draws industry ire

• Sen. Markey Applauds the Inclusion of 'Offshore Wing Act' in Year-End Spending Bill

• Massachusetts one of three states joining vehicle emissions pact

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.

More Transportation News

• The T may get millions from Congress. Will service still be cut?

• Mass. will get a windfall from its new anti-pollution pact. What will it buy?

• For Massachusetts lawmakers, east-west rail dangles within reach

• Plan to replace Bourne, Sagamore bridges gets boost from stimulus bill

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.

More Real Estate

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• Local Real Estate Firm Buys DHL-Leased Distribution Center in Taunton, Massachusetts

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

More Cannabis News

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• Marijuana sales data reveal Americans bought 67% more weed to survive 2020

• As Rhode Island Moves To Legalize Marijuana In 2021, Senate Leaders Back Private Sales Model

A Timely Wish List

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. 

More Business

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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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• Biden Admin. Appoints Pete Buttigieg for Sec. of Transportation

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

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More of the Latest Massachusetts News

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Two Steps Forward and Back Again

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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• ‘We need relief now’: Massachusetts leaders clamor for COVID stimulus

• https://www.masslive.com/politics/2020/12/serge-georges-jr-unanimously-confirmed-to-massachusetts-supreme-judicial-court.html

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.

More Business

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• BBJ research: Bank deposits rise in the face of the pandemic

• BookIt.com agrees to pay back $550,000 to hundreds of MA travelers

• Northeast Arc ranks No. 9 in Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts awarded AIM's 2020 Sustainability Award

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.

More Energy News

• Poll: Majority of Mass. Voters Support Regional Greenhouse Gas Pact

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:

• MBTA, MassDOT announce Tobin Bridge bus lane pilot

• Massachusetts announces Tobin Bridge dedicated bus lane pilot

• Can Emergency Funding Save US Transit Agencies?

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

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A Peaceful Transition but More Work To Do

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.

More Politics News

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• With history-making high court, Baker shows an embrace of lived experience, not 'activist judges'

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.” 

More Transportation News

• A lot of Boston commuters expect to start driving after the pandemic, survey says

• Massachusetts is still looking at the possibility of ‘managed lanes’ to reduce congestion. Here’s where.

• Massachusetts Finds Parts Of Local Highways Suitable For Toll Lanes

• MBTA Launches Free Mask Program to Boston-Area CommutersSEPTA, Losing $1M in Revenue a Day, Faces Uncertain Financial Future

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.

More Real Estate News

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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.

More Cannabis News

• This Boston University student wants to use artificial intelligence for cannabis quality control

• Danbury Considering New Medical Marijuana Dispensary

• Two sons of Boston were arrested for marijuana. Now they plan to open Hyde Park's first legal cannabis shop

• Unpacking Opposition To Legal Cannabis | Opinion

More of the Latest Massachusetts News

• Here’s why COVID-19 data for Massachusetts is inconsistent this week

• Mass. reports 2,501 new COVID-19 cases, 46 new deaths

• Study: Second wave partially caused by lax behavior of Mass. residents

• Mass. Schools Announce 482 New COVID Cases Among Students, Staff

• Massachusetts COVID Testing: Calls Mount for More Coronavirus Testing

• Comcast is imposing a data cap on home internet use in Massachusetts

• Food insecurity continues to rise in Massachusetts. Here’s how you can help. 

On Budgeting in a Pandemic

It would be a massive understatement to say that it’s challenging to ascertain an accurate annual budget for a Commonwealth the size of Massachusetts when there’s a global pandemic raging and literally no one knows what the future holds. The state has been running on a stopgap budget since the beginning of Fiscal 2021 (beginning of July) while lawmakers fumble with vacillating revenue projections. 

The much-dreaded second wave of Covid-19 cases is blowing up the state’s unemployment numbers once again. And there’s talk of another statewide shutdown casting increased uncertainty about whether or not revenue projections are accurate. 

Nonetheless, both houses of the state legislature have finally passed a $46 billion budget for fiscal 2021. 

Also now in question is the ambitious Transportation and Climate Initiative. In its current state, the proposed measures were based on pre-pandemic travel statistics. But travel in the state has plummeted due to emergency measures — and more are on the horizon.

The initiative, intended to reduce carbon emissions, was this close to being signed, sealed, and delivered. However, Governor Baker and some of the other governors of the Northeast and Mid Atlantic states taking part in the pact are now questioning the wisdom of passing a program that was based on an economy that now seems like a past life. 

It’s a mad, mad world. 

Let’s have a look at this and other news from around the state. 

Politics

Senate Approves $46B Budget

Last week, the Mass. House of Representatives approved a $46 billion budget proposal. This week, the Senate has approved its version of the budget. According to Senate leaders, the proposed budget — an increase of about 5.5% over the prior fiscal year —  is centered around an effort to build a more equitable economic recovery by making investments in early education and childcare, food security, housing support, and public health.

Although the budget is for the fiscal year that began back on July 1, due to uncertainty of the economic impacts of the pandemic, the state has been running on a temporary budget. 

Governor Baker is expected to sign off on the final budget. 

Massachusetts Officially Breaks Turnout Record by Nearly 300,000 Votes

All of the ballots for the 2020 election have been tallied and certified and the grand total of voters fell just short of a record-breaking 3.7 million. To be exact, 3,657,972 ballots were cast in the election — or about 76 percent of the number of registered voters — busting the previous record set in 2016 by about 300,000 votes. 

Earlier this year, in response to the pandemic, lawmakers expanded early and mail-in voting, methods which accounted for almost 2.6 million ballots. Secretary of State Bill Galvin has voiced his support for making expanded mail-in voting options permanent.

Economy

Unemployment On the Rise Again

This past October, the Massachusetts unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since June — down to 7.4 percent, from 17.7 percent in June. However, along with Covid-19 cases, unemployment claims are again on the rise. 

According to the latest data from the U.S. Labor Department, more than 60,000 Mass. residents filed first-time claims last week. That number, which is more than 10,000 higher than the previous week, includes both traditional unemployment claims as well as independent contractors and gig workers who have been filing under emergency rules.

The higher numbers are being attributed to business closings due to new restrictions imposed in early November including a stay-at-home advisory and a 9:30 p.m. curfew for most activities.

More than six percent of the Massachusetts workforce was receiving unemployment compensation at the end of last month. That’s one of the highest rates in the country.

More Economic News:

• VIDEO: Phase 4 Businesses In Massachusetts Eager For COVID Vaccine

• Is Massachusetts Going to Shut Down Again? The Latest on Travel Ban, Thanksgiving Guidelines

Transportation

Baker Voices Pessimism on Transportation and Climate Initiative 

Gov. Charlie Baker and fellow governors taking part in the Transportation and Climate Initiative are reevaluating support of a controversial carbon tax. The program is a regional pact between 11 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Last Tuesday during a press conference at the State House, Baker pointed out that travel patterns have shifted as more people work from home. 

Baker stated:

"We're living at a point in time right now that's dramatically different than the point in time we were living in when people's expectations about miles traveled and all the rest were a lot different… Modeling, I think, is an import part of figuring out how people feel about the cost-benefit associated with the program and the product and it's certainly something that we think is an important part of helping states make decisions." 

Meanwhile, advocates of the measure are still urging its passage. Earlier in the day, more than a dozen Massachusetts environmental, health and transportation groups joined 200 organizations in penning a letter to Northeast governors, including Baker, urging them to launch the Transportation and Climate Initiative program. Additionally, Mass. Director of Transportation Chris Dempsey said the program would "address climate change and improve the quality of life of Massachusetts residents."

Paul Craney, of the conservative Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, on the other hand, called the initiative "elitist" stating, quote: "Climate alarmists that are still pushing the regressive TCI gas tax scheme need to understand that the world we live in now is not the same world we lived in when TCI was first introduced."

Studies have shown transportation is the largest source of air pollution in Mass. accounting for more than 40 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. However, with a massive reduction in travel, Baker believes those numbers need to be reevaluated.

Official estimates put the increase in gas prices due to the measure at between 5 and 17 cents per gallon in the first year. 

Governors in New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Vermont are also voicing concerns about the plan. An agreement was originally expected by the year's end. However, with support waning, the fate of the initiative is unclear. 

Read all about it at MassTransitMag.com.

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• MBTA Joins the Boston Foundation and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers to Make Using the T Easier for Neighborhood Residents

• Transit advocates say MBTA's temporary cuts will have permanent effects

• Senate still not taking up transportation revenues

Energy

At the Third Annual MassEVolves Recognition Ceremony, held this week, several companies and higher education institutions across Massachusetts were recognized for their work in promoting the expanded use of electric vehicles in their communities and across the state.

To receive recognition, MassEVolves participants are required to create and execute an EV Action Plan. The plan must outline steps being taken to help Massachusetts residents gain greater access to electric vehicles. 

Participants Recognized for 2020 MassEVolves program:

• Analog Devices

• AstraZeneca

• Bard College at Simon's Rock

• Boston University

• Braintree Electric Light Department

• Bristol Community College

• EMD Serono Research

• Energy New England

• Hampshire College

• Holyoke Community College

• Millipore Sigma

• Tufts University

• University of Massachusetts Amherst

• University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

• University of Massachusetts Boston

• University of Massachusetts Medical School

• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

• Worcester State University

Read more at Yahoo Finance. 

Videos from the event are accessible at massevolves.org/2020-recognition-event.

More Energy News

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Real Estate

The median home prices for single-family properties and condos in Massachusetts hit record highs for October. According to a report released Tuesday by The Warren Group, single-family home sales are up 27 percent and the cost of a single-family home rose 17 percent. The median price of a home in Mass. is now $455,000. The median price of a condo went up 10.8 percent to $410,000 with a rise in sales of 17 percent year-over-year.

Tim Warren, CEO of The Warren Group had this to say about that:

“Despite higher COVID-19 infection rates, consumers across Massachusetts continued their real estate buying binge in October. Strong demand from buyers, scant supply from sellers, and rock bottom interest rates continued to push the median single-family home price higher, and it has now been above $450,000 for four consecutive months.”

Read all about it in Real Estate News.

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Business

Although the House of Representatives approved sports betting in its economic development bill, the Senate has nixed the notion. The proposed amendment to legalize sports betting in the state was expelled without a roll call vote. 

The amendment, proffered by Minority Leader Bruce Tarr would have allowed licensed casinos, racetracks, and online operators to take bets on sporting events. 

Experts estimate the annual revenue from sports betting in Massachusetts might have ranged from about $20 million to $35 million. For comparison, casino and slot parlors in the state currently average about $21 million in revenue each month. 

The dead amendment had earmarked revenue from application fees to be used to create a new economic recovery fund.

More Business News

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Cannabis 

Hemp Farmers Eyeball Marijuana Dispensary Sales 

The 79 licensed hemp farmers and 19 hemp processors in Massachusetts are anxious to get their products onto marijuana dispensary shelves in the state. They’ve been lobbying for the inclusion of a budget amendment to allow them to do just that. 

However the proposal “carries complex policy implications that highlight the unusual regulatory system governing different aspects of the cannabis plant,” according to Commonwealth Magazine. 

Currently, the FDA prohibits the use of CBD in foods and dietary supplements. Furthermore, the state Department of Agricultural Resources prohibits the sale of raw hemp flower which is commonly used for smoking, vaping, and cooking because it could easily be confused with marijuana (which is now legal for all adults).

On a related note, as we reported last week, earlier this month it was announced that state-licensed dispensaries had passed the $1 billion mark in cannabis sales. 

Commonwealth Magazine has more on this story.

More Cannabis News

• Boston approves new marijuana stores near Boston College and Berklee, overriding objections from schools

• State cannabis official offers help amid approval delays for Springfield shop 6 Brick’s

• 'Green Wednesday': Mass. marijuana stores prepare for start of gift-buying season

More of the Latest Massachusetts News

Video: Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker's coronavirus update Wednesday, Nov. 18

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• As Mass. Schools Go Remote, How Many Students Aren't Logging On?

• MA Travel Order: Mass. to Require Quarantine for Travelers From Connecticut, NJ

• Long lines as Massachusetts residents rush to get coronavirus tests before Thanksgiving

• New York discourages travel to Massachusetts

• Which students in Massachusetts are learning remotely? New poll finds major socioeconomic disparities.

• Citizens Bank to close dozens of Stop & Shop branches

No End In Sight

We’re not even going to talk about the election. There’s a much more pressing matter for the residents of Massachusetts this week. A ghastly resurgence of Covid-19 now threatens the lives and livelihoods of all of us here in the Bay State. We were hoping to be done reporting on this months ago. 

One of the institutions hit hardest by pandemic-related emergency measures is the MBATA — which is considering massive cuts to services early next spring that will inevitably and adversely affect untold numbers of commuters and the carless. 

Meanwhile, over at the Boston Herald, contributor David Gahl has pointed out a major loophole in the state’s hallmark climate bill, ‘Creating a 2050 Roadmap to a Clean and Thriving Commonwealth.’ Language in Section 15 could be exploited to end the longstanding separation of utilities and power generation companies — with potentially dire consequences.

On a debatably brighter note, the state recently passed the $1 billion mark in legal cannabis sales bringing in over $200,000 in tax revenue. However, that news is sullied by the fact that the state’s social equity programs are sorely lagging.

Let’s talk about these things...

A Grim Milestone: 10,000 Covid-19 Deaths

Back in late winter and early spring when everyone was freaking out about the specter of the “novel coronavirus,” who would have guessed that ten months later the problem would be far worse but that far less would be being done about it? It seems more is being done to manage the economic and financial fallout than is being done to prevent a humanitarian disaster of epic proportions. 

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Massachusetts is screaming past 175,000 as you read this. And 10,000-plus Mass. residents are now dead since the first confirmed passing back in mid-March — an 87-year-old veteran. This past April, around 2,000 people a day were being diagnosed with the virus. After a brief summer downturn, that number has since doubled to 4,000 statewide.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is warning that a second shutdown of the economy would be "far worse" than the first. Here’s what he had to say:

"What we're seeing in Tennessee and other parts of the country and other parts of the world, honestly, we cannot afford to have that in Boston. If we do, we're going to have to shut everything down again. The first one was bad on business. I think the second one will be far worse."

Boston.com has some Mass. Covid-19 charts and graphs for those who are interested in following along as the crisis continues to unfold.

MBTA Slashing Services as Funds “Fall Off Cliff”

Over the past couple of weeks, this column has bemoaned the MBTA’s budget woes and pondered possible courses of action. Fare revenues have been razed by pandemic response measures. And now the agency is proposing to cut $142 million from its spending by summer 2022.

As reported by the Boston Globe, here are just a few of the changes being proposed:

• All bus and subway service would end at midnight rather than 2am.

• Subway frequency would decline by about 20 percent.

• The most frequent bus routes would be reduced by an average of 5 percent.

• A number of bus routes would be consolidated or shortened.

• 25 bus routes would be eliminated.

• Ferry service between downtown Boston and Hingham, Hull, and Charlestown would stop operating as soon as March.

• Commuter rail service would no longer operate on weekends.

• Six commuter rail stops would be closed.

Needless to say, not everyone agrees on whether or not these changes are a good idea, but the consensus seems to be that there is no other choice. 

Just take a look at some of these headlines:

• WHDH - VIDEO: Local officials holding ‘Save Our Trolley’ rally in response to proposed MBTA service cuts

• Boston Herald: MBTA's austerity measures the right route to take

• CBD Local - Walsh: Major MBTA Service Cuts Could 'Damage Our Recovery'

• Boston Globe Proposed MBTA cuts would make nagging concerns even worse

Information about changes to specific routes is available online at mbta.com/forging-ahead. The MBTA’s plan will go out for public comment over the next month, before the agency’s oversight board votes in December.

Solar Industry Wary of “Poison Pill” provision

In a Boston Herald op-ed by David Ghal, “Poison pill provision undermines Massachusetts climate legislation,” that deserves to be quoted at length, the author writes:

“Buried deep within a hallmark climate bill, ‘Creating a 2050 Roadmap to a Clean and Thriving Commonwealth’ (H.4993), is an anti-competitive provision that would allow electric and gas utilities to construct, operate and own solar projects. On its face, it appears helpful but in reality, it’s a time machine back to the 1990s when utilities had a monopoly on energy services and left customers with inflated, artificially high energy bills.”

Gahl goes on to state that the current law enabled solar to go from .002% of the Commonwealth’s in-state electricity generation in 2010 to over 17% today with powering being generated by more than 400 solar companies that employ over 10,000 Massachusetts residents. 

According to Gahl:

“The [existing] law was specifically designed to separate the duties of electricity generation from power delivery. Utilities would focus on delivering power, while encouraging private companies to compete in electricity markets to supply power to residents, helping us incorporate clean energy sources while also building a local economy to support these businesses.”

Gahl then makes an even better point: Section 15H of the climate bill would end the longstanding prohibition on utilities owning power plants and permit them to “get back into the power plant business under the auspices of serving local governments.” The move, says Gahl, could allow profit-motivated utilities to “resume their reign over both electricity delivery and production.” 

According to Gahl, there is no evidence that utilities can serve municipal customers better than the independent market. “In fact,” says Galh, “the utility industry’s record is the exact opposite… and that there is already a successful program in place that “encourages independent solar companies to serve local governments by offering them low-cost clean power to meet their energy goals.”

Unlike nearly all of the bill’s major provisions, says Gahl, Section 15H “was never part of stand-alone legislation; nor was it subject to a hearing or testimony from stakeholders. Instead, it takes advantage of the pandemic to tacitly reintroduce vertically integrated monopolies at the expense of our local solar industry and Commonwealth residents.”

Gahl is calling on lawmakers to drop Section 15H, from any final legislation.

You can read the entire op-ed here, but our summary does it justice.

Cannabis Sales Blast Past the $1 Billion Mark

While much of the state’s economy is feeling the crush of Covid, there is arguably at least one bright spot. Massachusetts has officially surpassed $1 billion in adult-use cannabis sales. And, so far, legal marijuana has brought in about $200 million in tax revenue.

Exactly four years after Mass. voters chose to legalize marijuana for medicinal use, and two years after retail pot shops opened, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission reported exactly $1,000,521,905 in sales.

Commission Chairman Steven J. Hoffman had this to say about the momentous milestone:

“This sales milestone represents licensees’ ability to successfully support a safe, accessible and effective adult-use industry, and I am pleased the resulting tax benefits will have a significant impact on communities throughout the commonwealth. These numbers also speak to commission licensing and enforcement staff working around the clock to make sure these businesses and their products comply with all of our regulations, especially the health and safety provisions.”  

However, not all aspects of the state cannabis program are full steam ahead. One of the most important pieces of the puzzle — social equity programs — are severely lagging behind goals set by the Mass. legislature and the CCC. 

Still, to this day, people of color and people from communities disproportionately harmed by the Failed War on Drugs are grossly underrepresented in the state’s cannabis industry. That is according to Shanel Lindsay, who has served on the Cannabis Advisory Board and is the CEO of Ardent Life. Lindsay said:

“Despite the fact that we worked tirelessly for over five years, minority ownership is almost non-existent. So yes, we should be angry and offended when, as we’re starting to make small steps towards equity in these delivery licenses, that like clockwork the same corporate interests focused only on preserving their unearned monopoly come in to push back on equity and to crush us.” 

VIDEO: Equity advocates tired of waiting on marijuana delivery framework

The state’s adult-use cannabis industry has employed nearly 6,000 workers making Massachusetts one of the leading states for cannabis employment. Nationwide, legal cannabis operations now employ nearly a quarter of a million Americans.

On Election Day 2020, another four states joined the ranks of those with recreational marijuana programs bringing the total number of states with legal cannabis to 15. Voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota all passed adult-use cannabis ballot initiatives. Mississippi joined the ranks of the now 34 states with medical marijuana programs. 

Also this week, Gallup released a poll that showed that 68% of Americans now support state and federal marijuana policy reforms. How long will it be before the Federal government stops dragging its feet on this issue? Someone needs to tell Senate Republicans to concede on this matter. Let’s face it. They lost the war on drugs. And at great cost to the American people. 

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The Historic Week Before Another Historic Week

If the pundits are to be believed, we are nearing the most consequential election of our lifetimes next Tuesday. But Massachusetts made its own history this week, with the nomination of Supreme Judicial Court Justice Kimberly Budd to become the next Chief Justice, replacing the late-Chief Justice Ralph Gants. And with home prices skyrocketing, Massachusetts set another September record for median single-family home prices rising to $472,000. Before election-pocalypse gets to all of us, let’s take a look back at what caught our eye this week.

DPU Orders Utilities to Develop Plans to Phase Out Natural Gas

In order for Massachusetts to reach its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has ordered the state’s natural gas utilities to come up with plans to phase out their businesses over the next 30 years “while simultaneously safeguarding ratepayer interests; ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective natural gas service; and potentially recasting the role of LDCs [local distribution companies] in the Commonwealth.” 

In an Oct. 29 press release, DPU Chairman Matthew Nelson said:

"As the Baker-Polito administration has committed to an aggressive goal of net zero emissions by 2050, this investigation will analyze the future role of natural gas as part of Massachusetts' energy system… The commonwealth continues to lead the nation on climate change mitigation, and this order will help assess how to best achieve deep emissions reductions while ensuring a safe, modern and cost-effective heating distribution system for Massachusetts ratepayers."

National Grid, which has 925,000 natural gas customers in Massachusetts issued this statement:

”We know this cannot be achieved by maintaining the status quo. Though we do not have all the answers, we believe our electric and gas networks, which play a vital role in the lives of our customers, can be useful in achieving net zero emissions.  We are eager to collaborate on solutions and look forward to expanding on our many decarbonization initiatives in pursuit of a cleaner and fairer energy system that leaves no customer or community behind.”

The DPU said the investigation could recast the role of gas utilities in the state. And Attorney General Maura Healey, who asked the DPU to reevaluate their future plans in early June, said that the investigation is “nation-leading.” 

Here are some figures related to the state’s energy supply as of this week:

• 68% of the region’s electricity came from plants powered by natural gas.

• 17% came from nuclear power

• 8% came from hydro

• 7% came from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind

• 51% of Massachusetts households heat their homes with natural gas

• 27% heat their homes with oil

• 15% heat their homes with electricity

• 3% heat their homes with bottled gas

The DPU order requests that gas utilities provide status updates on their progress on March 1 and again on September 1, 2021, and to submit proposals, recommendations, and plans for achieving state climate goals by March 1, 2022.

The Baker administration is expected to release roadmaps for achieving greenhouse gas emission targets before the end of this year. 

Commonwealth Magazine has a full report. 

Three Alternatives to East-West Rail Being Considered

Three alternatives to an east-west passenger rail have been proposed by Mass. officials in an attempt to speed up Springfield to Boston commutes. The three alternatives are a combination of using existing tracks and building new rails.

One of six original alternatives to build high-speed passenger rail service on the Mass Pike, was abandoned due to projected high costs.

Maureen Mullaney, Program Manager for the Franklin Regional Council of Governments Transportation and GIS called the final three alternatives are exciting and revolutionary but added that it could take “quite a while” before any of the plans come to fruition but that it will be worth the wait. A proposed high-speed passenger rail could cost several billion dollars and take a decade or more to complete and would require state, federal, and local agencies to be on board with the plan.

The proposed projects will require federal investment and partnership between the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, Massachusetts Department of Transportation and others, according to Mullaney. 

Read more at Athol Daily News.

Fenway Sports Group Announces Real Estate Development Plans

Fenway Sports Group Real Estate and WS Development have announced plans to redevelop four properties surrounding Fenway Park. The properties are located on Jersey, Lansdowne and Van Ness streets, and Brookline Avenue. Also being considered is a plan to build out over the Massachusetts Turnpike behind Lansdowne Street.

The developments may include housing, retail, office, and lab space, and possibly a hotel, including new office space for the Boston Red Sox organization.

Planning for the redevelopment has been ongoing for years. However, developers said that while extensive planning has begun, many details are still being considered such as cost, square footage, building heights, and the exact mix of what they intend to build. 

Click here to read more on this story by Ballpark Digest.

Supreme Judicial Court Nixes Workers’ Comp for Medical Marijuana

In other SJC news, justices ruled on Tuesday that employees who use medical marijuana to treat work-related injuries cannot be reimbursed through workers’ compensation. According to the ruling, workers’ comp insurers could, in theory, be charged with a federal crime to aid or abet cannabis use. 

According to the ruling by Justice Scott Kafker: “It is one thing to voluntarily assume a risk of federal prosecution, it is another to involuntarily have such a risk imposed upon you.”

Maine’s highest court issued a similar ruling two years ago. However, six states have allowed workers’ comp reimbursement to some extent: Connecticut, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York. 

According to the Mass. Cannabis Control Commission, as of last year, there were more than 60,000 medical marijuana patients in the state and nearly 1.3 million ounces of cannabis were sold to medical patients.  

Read more at Courthouse News.

Boston Biz Journal Posts 4-Year Recreational Cannabis Retrospective

Boston Business Journal has published a retrospective timeline of the past four years of legal recreational marijuana sales in Massachusetts. The report lists some of the highlights from the past four years of recreational marijuana sales in the state. 

After four years in operation, here are some current facts about Mass. recreational marijuana:

• As of Oct. 9, a total of 689 licenses have been approved in Massachusetts

• 268 are licensed dispensaries

• The CCC has received 904 completed applications to operate in over 160 municipalities

• As of Oct. 10, 77 dispensary locations have commenced operations in the state

• In the past two fiscal years ending June 2020, the state collected $122 million in taxes (far below expectations)

• Of the 900-plus applicants only 42 identified as women-owned and 73 identified as minority-owned

• Only 67 social equity participants and 46 economic empowerment participants had submitted completed licenses

To read the full four-year retrospective visit MassLive.com.

More of the Latest Massachusetts News

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• Massachusetts marijuana commission delays delivery rules

• Mass. clean energy leaders are optimistic about future growth

• Hydro power cleared to pump up power in Massachusetts

• ‘Streets are for people’: Boston reflects on the role of roadways after COVID-19

• Largest Clean Energy Companies in Massachusetts - Boston Business Journal

• Massachusetts town makes push to save transit lifeline with Boston

• Report paints poor picture of bridges - including 177 in Central Massachusetts

• ‘An unprecedented, unusual circumstance’: How COVID-19 is rattling the school bus industry in Mass.

• Covid-19 raises questions about MBTA commuter rail's future

• Griffith Properties and Artemis Partnership Buys Boston Building for $72 Million

• Sept. surge fueled 18% jump in single-family home prices in Mass.

• MBTA making changes to Commuter Rail schedule as pandemic impacts ridership

Gov. Baker’s New Budget Taps Rainy Day Fund

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker is considering all his options in hopes of balancing a budget badly tilted by the state’s response to a global pandemic. As we reported last week, extreme measures have caused a projected drop of $3 billion in tax revenue compared to pre-pandemic projections. 

Before the pandemic Baker approved a $44.6 billion state budget for fiscal 2021 (which began July 1). The new proposal adds another billion on top of that. 

In addition to federal relief funds, the centerpiece of Baker’s plan to avoid deep cuts into core services is to break open the state’s proverbial piggy bank and pull $1.35 billion from the “rainy day” fund. The proposed drawdown would leave the fund with about $2.2 billion in the reserve.

“The rainy day fund is there to support services when it is raining and I think most people would agree it’s raining.” - Gov. Charlie Baker

Boston.com has a more comprehensive report on this subject. 

In other budget news, due to budget shortfalls brought on by low ridership during the pandemic, the MBTA ferry connecting Hingham and Hull to Boston could see service cuts or be canceled entirely due to budget cuts. Also the commuter rail could have reduced service as well. 

Read all about it at MassTransitMac.com.

Massachusetts Announces Comprehensive $171 Million Eviction Diversion Initiative

A current moratorium on evictions and foreclosures expires this weekend (Saturday, October 17th). In order to stem a potential tidal wave of homelessness, The Baker-Polito Administration has created the “Eviction Diversion Initiative.” The idea of the plan is to provide a safety net for tenants and landlords until the Covid-19 state of emergency is over.

This plan, developed by the Administration in coperation with the Massachusetts Trial Court, “is making a $171 million total commitment this fiscal year, with $112 million of new funding to support new and expanded housing stability programs during the remainder of the fiscal year,” according to a post in Boston Real Estate Times.

Governor Charlie Baker had this to say about the plan:

“The pandemic has created financial challenges for many individuals and families who are struggling with rent payments, and today we are pleased to announce a $171 million initiative to promote household stability, and provide more support for tenants and small landlords. This strategy has been designed to be user friendly and easily accessible for tenants and landlords in need, and is comprised of new or expanded programs to help people stay in their homes. This would not be possible without the Legislature’s foresight in granting flexibility for the RAFT authorization. I am grateful to the Court System and all stakeholders for their partnership in this effort in keeping all families and households stable throughout this pandemic.”

Included in the plan:

• $100 million to expand the capacity of the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) 

• $48.7 million to HomeBASE and other rapid rehousing programs

• $12.3 million to provide tenants and landlords with access to legal representation

• $6.5 million for Housing Consumer Education Centers (HCECs)

• $3.8 million for the Tenancy Preservation Program (TPP)

The Administration believes the programs will help thousands of homeowners and renters stay put including up to 18,000 households expected to receive direct financial support. 

Recreational Cannabis Expanding Throughout New England

The Massachusetts recreational marijuana market now has more competition with both Maine and Vermont stepping up their games. As Vermont begins its journey down the path of legal marijuana, Maine’s recreational cannabis operations are finally getting fired up after navigating several stumbling stones. 

Maine is the second New England state to begin selling recreational marijuana after Massachusetts dispensaries opened their doors in 2018 and the 10th U.S. state to sanction the sale of marijuana for recreational use by adults. 

It has been four years since the passage of a voter referendum in November of 2016. Since then, legalization legislation has gone through two rewrites, two vetoes by the former governor, and a pandemic, which caused further delays. 

So far there are only a handful of licensed manufacturers and one marijuana testing laboratory. A total of eight recreational dispensaries have been given the green light, but only six of them were open as of last Friday, Oct. 9. And those that are open for business are experiencing severe shortages. However, there is no supply shortage for the state’s  87,000 or so medical marijuana patients. The state’s medical marijuana program brought in more than $111 million in sales last year.

Maine’s adult-use marijuana laws permit adults 21 and older to purchase up to 2.5 ounces (70 grams) of cured cannabis flower or up to 5 grams (0.18 ounces) of cannabis concentrates.

In related news, Vermont’s governor stayed out of the way as recreational marijuana legislation became law last week — without his signature. Like Maine, Vermont legislators seem to be in no rush to launch a recreational market. It’s expected to be a couple years before cannabis lovers in the Green Mountain State can purchase the drug. In the meantime, the personal possession and cultivation of marijuana is already legal in Vermont as is medical marijuana.

Boston.com has more on this story.

Cannabis Cultivators to Benefit from New Energy Efficiency Services

Two groups going by the names of Resource Innovation Institute (RII) and American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, are working together with two government agencies and eight energy efficiency program administrators on a project to provide intelligence to Massachusetts cannabis cultivators. 

Resources produced in the effort will be designed to help Mass. cannabis operations navigate new regulations placed on the energy-intensive industry.

According to their press release, the groups’ plan is to develop and deliver three projects:

1. Best practices guides – Energy Efficiency Best Practices for Massachusetts Marijuana Cultivators, the first state-level guide assembling regionally-specific advice on designing and operating efficient cultivation facilities, which pairs with RII’s LED Lighting for Cannabis Cultivation and HVAC for Cannabis Cultivation Best Practices Guides

2. Cultivation workshops – Efficient Yields workshop series, featuring experts who contributed to, and content from, the best practices guides

3. Simplified energy and water reporting – The Cannabis PowerScore benchmarking platform was upgraded to enable cultivators to comply with Cannabis Control Commission rules on providing annual resource consumptionThe following press release was posted at Cannabis Business Times. 

Read the full press release here.

Drought Conditions Declared “Critical“ by State Environmental Agency

And finally, this week — as if a global pandemic, budget shortfalls, evictions, and record unemployment weren’t enough — drought conditions in the southeast region of the state have been declared critical by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) announced Friday.

The other six regions across the state (Western, Connecticut River Valley, Central, Northeast, Cape Cod, and Islands) are nearing critical conditions according to the EOEEA. 

NBC Boston has a report on this story.

More of the Latest Massachusetts News

• MassDOT to begin changing Massachusetts exit numbers this weekend

• Baker Proposes Mass. Budget That Pulls $1.35B From ‘Rainy Day' Fund Amid Pandemic

• The Future of the Massachusetts Workplace

• Massachusetts assesses offshore wind supply chain

• Justice advocates keep pressure on transportation emission pact planners

• Boston seeks partners for $500,000 'urban forest' plan

• Massachusetts ranked among most energy-efficient states – Boston News, Weather, Sports

• State regulators approve cannabis license sales for companies under scrutiny

• Cannabis regulators approve Curaleaf's acquisition of ATG with restrictions

• Diem Cannabis renews effort for marijuana cultivation, retail at Springfield’s Eastfield Mall