BEACON HILL REPORT
MLP partners with allied green industry organizations to ensure that the business needs of our members are heard in the Massachusetts legislative and regulatory arena .
by Stephen A . Boksanski , GIA Legislative Agent
Legislative Environment Looking ahead , we see a very busy fall in terms of committee hearings , which we expect will continue to be virtual , and some formal sessions to advance a limited number of priority issues .
One of the big fights between the Governor and the Legislature is how to spend the ARPA money that has flowed from Washington . Before the Governor had a chance to start spending , the Legislature passed a law ( over his objection ) that funneled all those funds into the COVID Relief Fund that they control . The respective Ways and Means Committees held a couple of hearings in July and will be conducting a few more before writing their own bill that will dictate how these funds will be expended .
In the middle of August , Governor Baker filed a supplemental budget to close out the FY21 , which ended with more than $ 5B in surplus . One of the main pieces in this bill was to use $ 1B to defray the costs on employers of paying back the loan secured to bolster Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund last year . He also proposed using some $ 568M on union contract agreements , work bonuses for state employees who carried on throughout the pandemic , shelter beds and increased rates for human service workers . The legislation also seeks to deposit $ 1.1B into the state ’ s Rainy-Day Fund , which is the amount they had planned on withdrawing but never did as the revenue kept flowing . This bill is now before the House Committee on Ways and Means and we expect this to be one of the priority issues addressed this fall .
With the $ 5B surplus and another roughly $ 10B that has been received from the feds over the last year , Massachusetts certainly doesn ’ t have a revenue problem .
Aside from fiscal matters , it is unclear which legislative issues will be taken up before the session closes on the third Wednesday of November . Interested parties who want to move one of the several thousand bills in play will be working hard to try to advance their causes in what will be a challenging situation .
Snow Removal Liability Reform The GIA will be one of those interested parties aggressively pursuing a hearing and a favorable recommendation this fall . S . 1249 , An Act Relative to Snow Removal Service Liability Limitation was filed by state senator Bruce Tarr ( R-Gloucester ) and is awaiting a public hearing before the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development . While Sen . Tarr is one of three Republicans in the state senate , he is a seasoned veteran who works well with all his colleagues and a strong lead sponsor who also filed the language as a budget amendment . The effort was unsuccessful , but it helps bringing the issue up in this forum and helps to raise awareness of the issue among the members of the Senate and especially the Senate Committee on Ways and Means .
Members should take a moment to send an email to their state representative and state senator , asking them to support the bill . Specifically , they should write to the House and Senate Chairs of the committee and urge a hearing and favorable recommendation as soon as possible . This legislation had a hearing and received a favorable last session so this should be an easy one to get moving . Don ’ t be shy about asking for their support , they are elected to listen to you as a constituent and should be eager to help – but they need to be asked . ❖
Stephen A . Boksanski of BCB Government Relations , Inc . in Boston is Legislative Agent for the Green Industry Allliance .
MLP is a proud member of the Green Industry Alliance along with the Massachusetts Arborists Association , Massachusetts Association of Lawn Care Professionals , Irrigation Association of New England , and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England . Brian Paige , mclp serves as MLP ’ s representative . If you are interested in becoming involved with the GIA ’ s legislative and advocacy activities , please contact the MLP Office .
POLICY UPDATE
For more information about this change , please visit http :// www . mass . gov / doc / neonicotinoid-faq / download
The Massachusetts Pesticide Board Subcommittee voted to modify the registration classification of pesticide products containing neonicotinoids that have outdoor non-structural uses or outdoor non-agricultural uses on the label from general use to State Restricted Use . These uses include , but are not limited to , uses on lawn and turf , trees and shrubs , ornamentals , and homeowner vegetables and flower gardens . The reclassification shall be effective on July 1 , 2022 .
This reclassification is going to affect many products and it is important that pesticide applicators begin planning for next year . Anyone using a product that is classified as State Restricted Use must have a Commercial / Private Certification or have a Commercial Applicator License ( Core ) and be working under the direct supervision of someone with a Commercial / Private Certification License .
16 MLP Newsline | Fall 2021