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Major Bills Pass but Baker Vetoes Climate Change Legislation

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The most notable news narratives in Massachusetts politics this week are Gov. Charlie Baker’s signing of a major economic development bill and his veto of far reaching climate change legislation. Although Baker has been a cheerleader for the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, he found some sticking points in the energy bill that will have to be cleaned up by the newly sworn-in legislature. Find more on both of theses stories below.

And, of course, the pandemic still looms large and long here in Massachusetts. Rather than getting into the particulars (since we’ve all been bombarded with them on a daily basis for the past 10 months) here are some of the Covid-related challenges residents and businesses are currently facing here in the Bay State:

With that out of the way, let’s go over this week’s top news in Massachusetts politics, business, energy, transportation, and real estate. We’ll also touch on some big changes coming to the Mass. Cannabis Control Commission board and what they mean to the Massachusetts cannabis industry. 

Politics

Boston Mayor’s Race Shaping Up 

As we mentioned last week, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will be leaving City Hall bound for Washington D.C. Meanwhile, being only the second vacant Mayor’s office seat in 28 years, the race to replace Walsh is quickly shaping up to be an exciting one. 

  • So far, two entrants, Boston City Councilors Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell, have gotten a head start. 

  • The may have stiff competition in Boston Police Commissioner William Gross who is strongly considering a run. 

  • City Council President Kim Janey (who will soon become acting mayor when Walsh takes his cabinet seat) is a probable candidate. 

  • Two other City Councilors Annissa Essaibi-George and Michael Flaherty are also likely to take a crack at it. 

  • State Sen. Nick Collins could enter the race. 

  • Boston economic development chief John Barros might run.

  • Boston’s chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez is considering mounting a campaign. 

  • State Rep. Jon Santiago has said that he might run.

Two other potential candidates, State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins have officially opted out of the race.

With so many candidates in the race, it won’t take a majority of voters for candidates to advance to the general election. Back in 2013’s preliminary election, with 12 candidates in the race and a turnout of just 31%, 113,300 ballots were cast. Walsh and John Connolly each received less than one-fifth of the vote. Walsh received a mere 20,800 primary votes. However, Walsh won the general election with just over half of the vote (51.5%).

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Business

$78.5 Million in Covid Relief Grants Given to Small Businesses

The Baker Administration recently announced that just under 1,600 Mass. businesses have been awarded a total of $78.5 million in small business grants to help them weather the pandemic storm. The state has now awarded $195 million to more than 4,100 businesses since December through Mass Growth Capital Corporation. Governor Baker hopes the money will help more Mass. businesses — “especially those in the hospitality and entertainment business” — to survive the winter. 

Under this program businesses in specific sectors of the economy (such as restaurants, bars, caterers, food trucks, gyms, indoor recreation businesses, event photographers and other event companies, nail salons, barbershops, independent pharmacies and independent retailers) will receive grants of up to $75,000 or three months of operating expenses.

With another $473 million remaining to be passed out, officials are expected to announce more grants in February. (However, the deadline to apply fot grant money has passed.)

Watch: Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to discuss small business grants in Boston’s North End

Additionally, another $8.6 million in grants were awarded to cities, towns and nonprofit organizations under the Community Transit Grant program. The annual program, which is administered by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), awards money earmarked for transit operating costs, mobility management, or new capital investments.

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Energy

Even bigger news than Baker’s shuffle off to Washington this week is his pocket veto of landmark climate legislation passed by lawmakers last week. Baker claimed that, among other concerns, the measure would slow housing production goals outlined in his “housing choice” proposal which is written into the economic development bill Baker signed into law Thursday. 

In a letter to lawmakers, Baker wrote:

“While my administration wholeheartedly supports the environmental justice goals of this bill, intent without the tools to address those issues are empty promises. The bill does not have language or funding to address the ongoing impacts of climate change faced by those communities.”

The Next Generation Roadmap is the most comprehensive climate legislation to be passed in more than a decade with an ambitious net-zero emissions goal by 2050. The legislation also calls for interim emissions reduction targets of 50% by 2030 and 75% by 2040, as well as requiring 40% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030. 

Alli Gold Roberts, director or state policy at the sustainability nonprofit Ceres called the development, “extremely disappointing and a step in the wrong direction,” adding:

“From a rise in floods to worsening air pollution, this last decade made it abundantly clear that the severity of the climate crisis requires immediate action,” Roberts added. “Massachusetts legislators understood the need for this urgency as they pushed forward comprehensive, bold climate policy in the midst of dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting legislation that was sent to Gov. Baker included input from the business community, the clean energy industry, community organizers, environmental justice advocates and the public health community. The collaboration among lawmakers and numerous stakeholders helped produce a bill that would have led to climate action, new clean energy job growth and the necessary transition away from fossil fuels to power and heat our homes and buildings, at a time when we need it most. We call on legislators to reintroduce the legislation immediately and send it back to the governor for consideration as soon as possible. Businesses are already making strides toward meeting their own net-zero goals and the Commonwealth cannot afford to delay the transition to a net-zero emissions future that is already underway.” 

It’s not that the Governor is against the proposed legislation altogether. As we reported last week, prior to passage of the bill, the Baker administration had released two reports detailing his plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Baker was also instrumental in launching the regional Transportation and Climate Initiative, a plan to decarbonize the transportation sector. However, Baker did not have time to propose amendments to the bill because it passed one day before the end of a  two-year legislative session. 

More details are available at MassLive.com.

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Transportation

USDOT Grants $344 Million In Federal Aid to Transit Authorities 

The MBTA and 15 Reginional Transit Authorities are soon to receive roughly $344 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help Massachusetts avoid public transportation service cuts or fare increases.

MBTA General Manager Steve Pollack said Monday that he believes that the agency will receive between $250 million and $300 million of the total funds. However, Pollak also says that despite the injection of federal funding the agnecy plants to keep most of the T’s planned service cuts in place for at least the rest of the winter.

There has been a lot of criticism over the MBTA's push to cut services. Advocates claim that the current plan focuses too much on professionals and office workers, many of whom have some flexibility, at the expense of essential employees and lower-income residents.

At a Regional Transit Authority Council meeting, Pollack stated:

"I don't think 2021 is going to look like 2019, and I'm not sure on the transportation side it's ever going to look like 2019. Things have happened in the past year that will linger, even after the pandemic is over, so part of our job and our challenge is to understand what's changed, what is changing, and how we can continue to provide the service our customers need."

Read all about it at Railway Age. 

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Real Estate

Baker Signs Major Economic Development Bill

In recent years, Massachusetts has been a laggart in the development of new housing. To help remedy the issue, Gov. Baker has (mostly) signed legislation allocating $626 million over the next five years to programs designed to make it easier to build new housing in the Bay State. Baked called the measure “the first significant zoning reform in decades.” 

One of the key pieces of the legislation encourages multifamily zoning in MBTA communities. The bill also sets aside $40 million to revitalize underutilized properties.

Although Baker signed 100 of the bill’s most important sections, he vetoed 11. Among the measures vetoed were three that would have required at least 10 percent affordable units housing for development projects that benefit from a housing development incentive program tax credit. The requirement would have made projects more difficult to finance, Baker said. 

Another line item vetoed by the governor was a proposed rural jobs tax credit that baker claims is more likely to benefit corporate investors than the rural communities it is supposed to help. 

In a statement the governor had this to say:

“This legislation will drive economic growth and improve housing stability, neighborhood stabilization and transit oriented development. Combined with our $668 million small business relief grant program that is supporting local businesses impacted by COVID-19, this legislation will support future growth and expand opportunity for people across Massachusetts, and we appreciate the work of our legislative colleagues throughout this process.”

Because the Legislature that passed the bill has expired and a new Legislature has been sworn in, the governor’s vetoes cannot be overturned. 

WWLP.com has more on this story. 

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Cannabis

Third New Member Named to Cannabis Control Commission

Ava Callender Concepcion has been chosen by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey to fill the Mass. Cannabis Control Commission’s public safety position. The seat was recently vacated by Britte McBride.

In recent years, Concepcion has filled a variety of roles in public safety and previously served as the director of governmental affairs and external partnerships for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

Mass. AG Healey said in a statement:

“Ava brings a strong background in public safety and experience working with a range of stakeholders including law enforcement, advocacy organizations, and constituents on important policy matters.  As a lifelong resident of Boston, Ava has dedicated her career to social justice and her perspective will be extremely valuable to the Commission in promoting safety, equity, and opportunity.”

In here acceptance statement, Concepcion said:

“I am honored and humbled by this appointment and want to thank Attorney General Healey for the opportunity to continue serving the Commonwealth. I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners to implement regulations that foster thoughtfulness, transparency, and equity.”

With Concepcion’s appointment, three of five members are new to the CCC. At the end of December, Nurys Z. Camargo and Bruce Stebbins were appointed to replace Shaleen Title and Kay Doyle.

Check out this piece at the Boston Business Journal to see where the CCC is expected to go from here.

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