Latest news with #JacobOliveira
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass. Senate passes dramatic liquor license overhaul. Will the House pass it?
The Massachusetts Senate has approved a proposal that could dramatically overhaul the way the state awards liquor licenses — a coveted and pricey document that's make-or-break for restaurants and bars. But it still has to clear the state's House of Representatives, where its fate is far from assured. The majority-Democrat chamber tucked the language, sponsored by Sen. Jacob Oliveira, D-Hampden/Hampshire/Worcester, into the $61.4 billion budget plan for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. The Senate has spent this week racing through hundreds of amendments to the fiscal blueprint. By the time the dust settled on Thursday night, upper chamber lawmakers had added $81.1 million to the spending plan, according to State House News Service. Later that same day, the chamber voted 38-2 to approve the entire document and send it to the House, setting the stage for the inevitable negotiations to reconcile the differences between the two chambers' spending proposals. Read More: Mass. Senate eyes dramatic liquor license overhaul, but long road remains As it's currently written, Oliveira's amendment would give more power to the state's Alcohol Beverage Control Commission to approve petitions for licenses, an authority that now rests with the Legislature and the governor, the Pioneer Valley lawmaker told reporters on Wednesday morning. 'Our current process was born out of the process of the repeal of prohibition with the 21st Amendment nearly 100 years ago,' he said. 'Certainly, our economy has changed since then. We have vibrant suburban communities and urban communities that have developed over time,' he continued. 'And the process for granting additional liquor licenses can be cumbersome to our cities and towns, requiring them to come to the Legislature, file the legislation, and then bring it to the governor.' If the language survives joint House and Senate negotiations — and that's a big if — the change would 'empower our 351 cities and towns, as well as provide some flexibility to our businesses,' Oliveira told reporters Wednesday. House Ways and Means Committee Chairperson Aaron Michlewitz, D-3rd Suffolk, who could have a big say on whether the language survives budget negotiations, told MassLive earlier this week that he had not seen Oliveira's proposal and could not comment on its specifics. 'We did a piece in our budget that included allowing cities to [do] upgrades for beer and wine to full alcohol, without having to come back to the legislative process, as long as ... those would no longer be transferable. It seems like this sounds different than that. So ... I'd have to see,' he said. One key lawmaker, however, was set to throw up a roadblock. 'In our community, liquor licenses can be great or they can be problematic, and for me to give my community's voice away would be political recklessness on my behalf,' said House Majority Leader Michael Moran, a Democrat from Brighton, told The Boston Globe. Last year, Moran negotiated a bill that gave Boston hundreds of additional liquor licenses, the newspaper reported. 'My residents, the people that I represent, deserve a voice in that process,' Moran, D-18th Suffolk, told the Globe. 'and I have no intention of giving up their voice.' Trump Commerce boss gets put on blast with 'no pain' tariff claim 'Unlawful and unwarranted': Harvard opens 2nd lawsuit against the Trump admin MASS.-ive Impact: What Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' means to you | John L. Micek 'Deeply scary': Legal experts reel over Trump's 'brazen act' against Harvard Travel alert: State Dept. issues terrorism warning at European destination Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mass. Senate eyes dramatic liquor license overhaul, but long road remains
The Massachusetts Senate was set to vote Wednesday on a proposal that could dramatically overhaul the way the state awards liquor licenses — a coveted and pricey document that's make-or-break for restaurants and bars. But even if it passes, it still has to survive negotiations with the state's House of Representatives. The chamber was set to tuck the language, sponsored by Sen. Jacob Oliveira, D-Hampden/Hampshire/Worcester, into the $61.3 billion budget plan for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. The majority-Democrat chamber has been racing through hundreds of amendments to the new spending blueprint, with a vote on the entire document expected soon. As it's currently written, the amendment would give more power to the state's Alcohol Beverage Control Commission to approve petitions for licenses, an authority that now rests with the Legislature and the governor, the Pioneer Valley lawmaker told reporters on Wednesday morning. 'Our current process was born out of the process of the repeal of prohibition with the 21st Amendment nearly 100 years ago,' he said. 'Certainly, our economy has changed since then. We have vibrant suburban communities and urban communities that have developed over time,' he continued. 'And the process for granting additional liquor licenses can be cumbersome to our cities and towns, requiring them to come to the Legislature, file the legislation, and then bring it to the governor.' If the language survives joint House and Senate negotiations — and that's a big if — the change would 'empower our 351 cities and towns, as well as provide some flexibility to our businesses,' Oliveira said Wednesday. 'With this uncertainty at the federal level, we need to provide that flexibility to our cities, our towns, and to our small businesses. And that's what this amendment is designed to do,' he said. And because this is Massachusetts, the vote came with some of the traditional rivalry between the state House and Senate, both controlled by Democrats. Last week, because of a dust-up over inter-chamber rules, Oliveira was barred from testifying remotely on behalf of his bill. The Western Massachusetts lawmaker just laughed when he was asked Wednesday whether the amendment he was offering was the same as the proposal that hit a parliamentary wall. 'Boy, you have a good memory,' he said with a laugh. 'Yes, it is the same bill I tried to testify on last week, and I'm glad to see that my voice is being heard now.' Oliveira declined to speculate on whether the proposal would make it all the way across the goal line and be part of the budget that eventually lands on Gov. Maura Healey's desk. 'I'm confident that the Senate will act on it today and that we will move it forward. And if we're successful through conference, that's wonderful,' he said. House Ways and Means Committee Chairperson Aaron Michlewitz, D-3rd Suffolk, who could have a big say on whether the language survives budget negotiations, told MassLive that he had not seen Oliveira's proposal and could not comment on its specifics. 'We did a piece in our budget that included allowing cities to [do] upgrades for beer and wine to full alcohol, without having to come back to the legislative process, as long as ... those would no longer be transferable. It seems like this sounds different than that. So ... I'd have to see,' he said. Critics have long complained that the state's current process shuts out minority-owned restaurants and the state's poorer communities. Earlier this year, Boston's licensing board awarded new liquor licenses to 37 bars, restaurants and other establishments. They were among the first to win one of 225 new liquor licenses approved for the city by the Legislature and signed by Healey last year. It represented the largest increase in Boston's liquor license stock since the end of Prohibition over 90 years ago, according to the city. Worcester councilor deposits large donation haul after confronting police at ICE raid Trump ally Elon Musk stepping back from political spending: 'I think I've done enough' Trump's meeting with South African president spirals into false claims Defense Department accepts Boeing 747 from Qatar for Trump's use 'Now is the time': Harvard calls for donations amid wave of federal cuts Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Massachusetts millionaires tax is funding these public schools
EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) – Over $1.3 billion in revenues from the Fair Share Amendment was secured to provide funding for public education and transportation across Massachusetts. The Fair Share Amendment, better known as the millionaires tax, was signed into law in 2022 and imposes a surtax on individual incomes that exceed $1 million. This year's budget included a $1.33 billion statewide package funded through revenues from the Fair Share Amendment. Senate working 'around the clock' on spending plans $248 million for special education reimbursements $100 million to expand technical education programs $50 million for capital improvements at regional transit authorities $25 million for micro-transit and 'Last Mile' transportation solutions for rural communities $82.5 million in Chapter 90 road funding allocated by road mileage, benefiting rural municipalities $175 million for deferred maintenance at public higher education institutions $25 million for K–3 literacy education $10 million for English Language Learner service expansions $50 million to help school districts manage construction cost overruns due to inflation and tariffs Massachusetts Senator Jacob Oliveira, who represents Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester, announced that more than $750,000 of the Fair Share Amendment funding is allocated to public schools across his district. 'As a former School Committee member and a proud product of public education, I know firsthand the immense benefits to individuals and the region when we have the same access to opportunity as other areas of the Commonwealth. 'That means delivering both the funding and the infrastructure that our local schools and communities need. I'm proud to have helped to bring meaningful, regionally equitable investments home,' Senator Oliveira said. In a news release from Senator Oliveira, the following school districts are earmarked in the bill however, the final budget will be determined through negotiations between the House and Senate. $28,500 to Ludlow Public Schools for classroom technology upgrades $150,000 to East Longmeadow High School for gymnasium bleacher replacement $75,000 to Granby Public Schools to expand their Information Technology Pathway program $100,000 to Belcher School in Chicopee for critical HVAC system upgrades $30,000 to Old Mill Pond Elementary School in Palmer for accessible playground improvements $26,000 to Palmer High School for gymnasium upgrades $80,000 to South Hadley Public Schools for district-wide gym improvements $92,500 to the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District for technology upgrades $93,000 to Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School to upgrade its horticultural vocational program $75,000 to Longmeadow Public Schools to modernize school security systems 'We are delivering on the promise of the Fair Share Amendment,' Oliveira said. 'This isn't just about a number on a spreadsheet—it's about real outcomes for our kids, for our educators, and for our regional economy. It's about making sure students from Palmer to South Hadley have the same high-quality facilities, programs, and support as anywhere else in the Commonwealth.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
24-year-old killed in Davidson Road crash, coroner says
CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A 24-year-old was killed after he hit another vehicle from behind over the weekend. Jacob Oliveira of Hollywood died around 3:15 p.m. at the scene of the collision on Davidson Road, Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O'Neal said. Oliveira was traveling south in his Toyota Tacoma when he hit a Ford F-150 from behind, causing both vehicles to run off the road. He was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash happened. Both people inside the F-150 were injured and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The Charleston County Sheriff's Office is investigating the collision. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
