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 .
We made it to this committee in 2020 and then the pandemic hit , stopping all legislation unrelated to the budget or COVID-19 . This is to our advantage as the Chairman and the staff are familiar with the subject matter . We hope to have good news to report soon on this effort . In the meantime , members should email , call , or text their state senators , asking them to support S . 1249 , An Act Relative to Snow Removal Service Liability Limitation .
This year on Beacon Hill began with the statehouse closed and the legislative process enjoying a winter hibernation . Sessions are still being run remotely but a few , hearty souls have routinely attended session in person to ensure the wheels of democracy keep turning . It is a strange time and the Legislature , like any other organization , is feeling the effects of the pandemic .
Most committees began the year still needing to hold public hearings before the reporting deadline , which is rather unusual . Some procrastinated and some ran into real challenges like statehouse internet bandwidth , which limited the number of hearings that could be held each day . Regardless , it has been a scramble to wrap up in time . In our legislative process , every bill that is filed must have a public hearing and receive a committee recommendation prior to the first Wednesday in February of the second year .
Another positive development was the action on several matters by the Joint Committee on Environment , Natural Resources and Agriculture . This committee wisely chose to study bills that would repeal the DAR ’ s statewide pre-emptive authority on the regulation of pesticides and restrict the use of Chlorpyrifos , while holding onto a few relative to Glyphosate and managing nutrient pollution .
With a short session , formal business ends at midnight on July 31st . Not every bill that gets out of their first committee will advance . The statehouse is opening soon , and this will allow us more opportunities to advocate directly for our priorities . We welcome this important step in getting back to normal .
Please let your association leaders know if you have any questions or want to get more involved — engaged members make the difference between what gets moving and what does not .
Wednesday , February 2 , was Joint Rule 10 deadline for the 192nd Massachusetts General Court . Joint Rule 10 marks the last day for reports to be made from legislative Joint Committees ( except Health Care Financing ). Through this deadline , we have been given a clearer view into what the legislative agenda may look like for the final five months of formal session .
Of particular interest is the legislation we had filed by Sen . Bruce Tarr that would prohibit the use of restrictive and unfair liability clauses in contracts between property managers and snowplow operators . We are pleased that the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development gave this bill ( S . 1249 ) a favorable report and allows it to move on to the next step - the Senate Committee on Ways and Means . We will be advocating that the Committee move this bill out and onto the floor for debate and engrossment at the earliest possible opportunity .
MLP is a proud member of the Green Industry Alliance ( GIA ) 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 .
Stephen A . Boksanski of BCB Government Relations , Inc . in Boston is Legislative Agent for the Green Industry Allliance .
16 MLP Newsline | Spring 2022