Legislation

As employers strive to create equitable and safe workplaces, claims of discrimination or other violations of employee rights may be among the most serious allegations they face. When confronted with these situations, employees should be knowledgeable about the law and their options for responding if an accusation has merit – such as pursuing a retaliation […]

Mass. Lawyers Weekly reports that a bill under consideration by the Legislature would restrict the use of nondisclosure agreements in the settlement of employment cases involving sexual assault and discrimination. In January, Republican Rep. Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida introduced a bill to prohibit nondisclosure agreements in the settlement of employment cases involving claims of sexual assault, sexual […]

Advocates for victims of sexual abuse are pushing to close loopholes in state law they say are allowing child predators to go undetected, as reported by the Salem News. While Massachusetts already has tough laws on mandated reporting, sexual relations between educators and students go unreported, especially in private schools, where abusers begin “grooming” their […]

NPR reports that people with intellectual disabilities are victims of some of the highest rates of sexual assault. NPR found previously undisclosed government numbers showing that they’re assaulted at seven times the rate of people without disabilities. Now states, communities and advocates, citing NPR’s reporting, are making reforms aimed at improving those statistics. In Massachusetts, a proposed […]

On March 1, 2018, the Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) issued detailed guidance on the amendments to the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act (MEPA), which are set to go into effect on July 1, 2018. The amendments, which were enacted in 2016, will overhaul MEPA, a law that has been in effect for over 70 years, and make it […]

The Massachusetts Senate has unanimously passed a bill strengthening the laws surrounding sexual assault on college campuses, in response to the Trump administration’s calls to cut down on Title IX regulations. The legislation, partially written and amended by several Lowell-area lawmakers, would codify and enhance several existing federal regulations on sexual violence and Title IX […]

The Stoughton American Legion now faces new legal problems following allegations of a drug and illegal gaming operation. Six people, Denise Black, 59, of Stoughton; Judy Fantucchio, 53, of Stoughton; John Flynn, 71, of Stoughton; Thomas Coyle, 54, of Randolph; Timothy Cruise, 57, of Canton; and Anthony Buccilli, 28, of Stoughton, were all recently arraigned […]

The need to regulate Massachusetts’ newly legal marijuana industry is leading to possible attempts to revamp state alcohol regulations. State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg said in an interview with The Republican/MassLive.com this week that she was prompted to form a new Alcohol Task Force while looking at how other states regulate marijuana. “While looking at cannabis, […]

As reported by the Boston Herald and Fox News, two young entrepreneurs are fighting to bring back happy hour. Former Boston-area students Sam Davidson and Brian Sachetta have launched a petition to overturn Massachusetts’ longstanding ban on happy-hour discounts — and have gathered more than 8,500 signatures so far. The Boston Herald first reported on the effort. The petition, titled “Bring […]

The Republican reports that wine and alcohol sellers are pushing for a change in state law that would allow them legal protection if they accept out-of-state licenses. “If someone’s 21, has ID from another state that’s legal, we should legally be able to take it and not have to say ‘I’m sorry I can’t take […]

According to a report in The Boston Globe, two city councilors in Boston have initiated a process that could potentially lead to the implementation of a significant new citywide tax on alcohol sales. The objective of this proposed tax is to generate substantial revenue that would be exclusively allocated to substance abuse prevention and treatment […]

Bring your own booze could become a reality in Boston in the near future. At-large City Councilors Michelle Wu and Stephen Murphy have submitted a proposal to allow smaller restaurants the option of offering BYOB service to diners, reports Universal Hub. Both Wu and Murphy want to end Boston’s ban on “BYOB” options, as a […]

The Northampton City Council agreed to adopt a resolution to create 5 new liquor licenses for 5 existing businesses. Mayor David Narkewicz hopes this is the first step in getting rid of the quota system, and giving local city and towns (like Northampton) the power to issue as many licenses as they see fit. “There’s […]

After sidelining Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposal to make alcohol licensing a purely local responsibility, the House and Senate have approved a few local licensing requests. The House passed a pair of bills based on legislation proposed by Acton Sen. James Eldridge and Holliston Rep. Carolyn Dykema. One bill (H 4311) specifies a license for Panzano […]

Massachusetts liquor stores would be able to open their doors two hours earlier on Sundays under a bill approved by state lawmakers. The Senate on Tuesday passed on a voice vote a bill to allow the retail sale of alcoholic beverages at 10 a.m. on Sundays. Currently retain liquor sales are banned until noon. The […]

The Boston Globe reported today that Massachusetts consumers are one step closer to getting wine delivered straight to their doorsteps. The state Legislature has created a new permit system that will allow out-of-state wineries to sell and ship their bottlings directly to Massachusetts consumers beginning next year. If approved by Governor Patrick, the legislation would […]

Good piece in the Somerville Journal about the liquor license quota system and Governor Patrick’s desire to loosen the current cap and restrictions.

Good piece in the Gloucester Times about the cap/quota system in cities and towns across the state, and recent efforts made to increase the number of liquor licenses available in any given municipality.

Burlington Town Meeting has voted to allow the Board of Selectmen to seek additional liquor licenses for specific locations in town, as reported by the Burlington Patch. The article was put forward by Precinct 6 Town Meeting Member Sonia Rollins. It is also supported by the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce, of which Rollins is […]

Effective Tuesday, the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission adopted a new review process designed to speed the transfer of liquor licenses between buyers and sellers. In the past, before taking possession of a liquor license – whether on-premise (a bar), off-premise (a liquor store) or special (a one-day license for an event) – a buyer […]

Thousands of people are killed or injured every year by drivers who have not reached the legal standard for being drunk but who have a reduced ability to see, make decisions or operate a vehicle, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday, and it recommended that the states reduce the allowable blood-alcohol concentration by […]