BRIAN PAIGE
Beacon RECEIVES Hill Report BEACON AWARD
BRIAN PAIGE
Beacon RECEIVES Hill Report BEACON AWARD
Editor ’ s Note : We asked our legislative agents at BCB Government Relations to provide an analysis of what happened to efforts to pass the Snow Removal Service Liability legislation during the last four years on Beacon Hill . Here is their synopsis of the legislative environment and plans to work to successfully move the bill into law this session . We appreciate all our members who have contributed their time to this important industry initiative .
The overarching theme for this legislative session was gridlock . In the end , the House and Senate could not reach agreement on many pending priorities such as an economic development package , clean energy , hospital oversight and reform , prescription drug and PBM transparency and a host of FY25 budget veto overrides .
Disagreement ruled the final 24 hours where , in sessions past , we would see compromise . The poor relationship between the branches has always been there but it now has impacted on their ability to produce results . While another session is just a few months down the road and some of these issues could get worked out during informal sessions , the atmosphere was more strained and tense than any of us can recall .
With this environment , the number of bills making it through the legislative process has dwindled and the issues that do receive attention tend to be large , prepackaged ideas that fit into broad titles like health care reform and economic development . It has become a much tougher environment to move individual bills , even those where there is no obvious opposition .
While we are loathe to blame the pandemic entirely on our Snow Removal Service Liability bill not getting engrossed , we were on the verge of moving forward in the Senate in early 2020 . When the lockdowns ensued , momentum as lost . Going into 2021-22 we were cautiously optimistic about the opportunity , but the pandemic remained front and center and the lack of access to legislators worked against us . We still believed we had a chance , but this is where we started to sense there was some unknown reason why our issue did not leave the Senate Committee on Ways and Means .
Despite getting two bills filed this session , with a House and Senate sponsor , along with a couple of Senate amendments being filed , we are left in a frustratingly similar position – our bill remained pending before the Senate Committee on Ways and Means . We had a good showing at the public hearing and received a relatively early favorable report . We also had several good meetings with members of the Senate but for some reason that we can ’ t fully understand , the bill never emerged from Ways and Means . Sen . Tarr offered the language as an amendment to the FY25 budget as well as the economic development legislation , but those efforts were also rebuffed .
We have a compelling story to tell , and we can do a better job of illustrating the size and breadth of the impact . We will need to identify how many snow management businesses across Massachusetts are impacted and what the collective impact has been since these provisions started showing up in contracts . We also need to do a better job of getting legislator ’ s support in advance of filing the legislation . Together , we will work to develop a plan for success in 2025-26 .
For a detailed End of Session overview , as well as Green Industry Alliance priorities for the current session , please contact the MALP Office .
Effort to Delay ACT Rule The Trucking Association of Massachusetts ( TAM ) is leading a coalition of stakeholders working to delay implementation of the Advanced Clean Trucks ( ACT ) rule scheduled to go into effect on January 1 , 2025 . MALP , along with scores of interested parties , has participated in discussions , and endorsed a letter to the Healy-Driscoll administration urging delay until technology and infrastructure can keep pace . MALP will stay on top of this issue and members should learn about the impact it could have on their businesses . Learn more at https :// smartenergyformass . org /#/ find / nearest ? location = massachusetts
MALP Newsline | Fall 2024 15