Legislation

I commend City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, who has called for a hearing on how to stop the exodus of liquor licenses from the city’s outer neighborhoods to downtown Boston and the waterfront area. Pressley will speak with her fellow councilors about her bid to change the current quota/cap system set by the state legislature on […]

Kudos to State Senator James Eldridge for introducing legislation designed to radically alter the manner in which liquor licenses are issued by the state, essentially doing away with the quota/cap system and replacing it with a system under which the local municipality would decide how many licenses to issue. I’ll be writing about this issue […]

Eight restaurant all-alcohol licenses have been added to Braintree’s arsenal for the purpose of boosting small business development. Earlier this month, Gov. Deval Patrick signed a home rule petition submitted by Mayor Joseph Sullivan to fight the high demand and corresponding high price of liquor licenses in Braintree. “These new licenses will allow us to […]

The Needham Times reports that the alcohol question that asks if Needham should be able to grant permits for liquor stores won’t be appearing in this year’s main election ballot. But town officials still want to get the vote out by calling for a special town election on Nov. 6 (election day). At a Sept. […]

The Somerville Journal and wicked local report that the City of Somerville will obtain 10 additional liquor licenses, but control over where those licenses will be granted will remain with the state. The City seems pleased with the new licenses, but would have preferred to exercise full control over them.

The Saugus Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to seek two additional all-alcoholic licenses for restaurants, but one board member called the decision “shortsighted” because it didn’t go far enough to raise much-needed revenue for the town. The Town of Brookline also recently decided to seek additional liquor licenses. Selectman Stephen Castinetti, who made the motion […]

The Brookline Patch.Com reports that town officials want to order another round of liquor licenses for Brookline. A warrant article the Board of Selectmen plans to file for Fall Town Meeting would petition the Mass. Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) for up to 11 additional liquor licenses. The Board discussed this proposed article at their […]

Members of the Braintreee board of license commissioners were prepared to discuss changing Braintree’s law prohibiting the sale of beer or alcoholic beverages by the pitcher, but no one asked them to do so although representatives of several local restaurants were present during their July 24 meeting, boston.com reports. “If no one is inclined to […]

Informative piece on patch.com about Somerville’s home rule petition and quest to obtain additional liquor licenses for the City of Somerville, so that the city could grant licenses to more restaurants than present.

Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation allowing an extra liquor license for Natick so Tilly & Salvy’s Bacon Street Farm can sell beer and wine, as encouraged by Natick Town Meeting and the Board of Selectmen last fall, reports patch.com. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has signed legislation allowing Tilly & Salvy’s Bacon Street Farm to sell […]

The Boston Globe reports that more than 75 local restaurant owners and residents gathered in front of Waltham’s City Council Monday night to oppose adding 15 new liquor licenses to the town’s existing 100 licenses. They said the change could lead to unfair business advantages, depreciate the value of existing licenses, and change the character […]

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno is proposing a 1 a.m. closing time for all bars and clubs in the city, less than a month after a 1 a.m. curfew on entertainment in such establishments went into effect, as reported by the Springfield Republican. Sarno is asking the city License Commission to consider a new 1 a.m. […]

The House of Representatives has advanced a bill that would allow package stores to open the day after Christmas – a measure that would remove one of the last remaining Colonial-era blue laws restricting alcohol sales. Current state law requires package stores to close Monday when Christmas falls on a Sunday, which means package stores […]

After alcohol industry insiders struck a deal to permit supermarkets and other large retailers to gradually acquire more alcoholic beverage licenses, their proposal sailed through the Legislature this month and Gov. Deval Patrick agreed to it this week, signing the new legislation. Under the new law, sponsored by Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, the cap on […]

A Wellesley Special Town Meeting approved an article that moves the town closer to reducing the number of seats required by a restaurant to apply for a liquor license, as reported by boston.com and local Wellesley media. Because this item was approved, the Board of Selectmen will now petition the state legislature to write special […]

A proposal to allow bars and restaurants in Massachusetts to sell discounted drinks is on hold, according to its two backers. Senators James Timilty (D-Walpole) and Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth), who sponsored the so-called “Happy Hour” amendment, told the State House News Service they are recommending a conference committee spend the next year evaluating current alcohol […]

The Senate has approved and sent to the House a bill that would allow supermarkets and other large retailers to hold more alcoholic beverage licenses. The proposal increases the current cap of three to five in 2012, seven in 2016 and nine in 2020. The measure also would require stores to pay a $5,000 fee […]

WWLP.com reports that Senator Robert Hedlund, a Republican from Hingham, is backing away from his Senate-passed casino amendment that proposes to return Happy Hour to Massachusetts. Instead, he’s suggesting that the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission review its regulations on bars and restaurants and propose revisions. Hedlund said the six-member casino bill conference committee tasked with […]

Interesting article in the Patriot Ledger about casinos, happy-hour laws, and whether the return of happy hour will have an impact on drunk driving.

The Massachusetts State Senate has included an amendment in their version of the casino bill allowing local bars and restaurants to once again have a “Happy Hour.” The amendment included in the State Senate’s version of the Massachusetts expanded gambling bill would bring back “Happy Hour” in the Commonwealth, which has been banned since 1984, […]

The Boston Globe reports that industry groups have struck a compromise to allow more grocery and package stores to sell alcohol. I think this is wise. Currently, stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, as well as liquor stores owned by the same company or person, can only sell alcohol at three locations across the […]