Page 18 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, MARCH 6, 2026 BEACON | FROM PAGE 17 ment. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle No NATURAL GAS (H 5151) House 25-129, rejected an amendment that would require the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, in consultation with the Department of Public Utilities and the Energy Facilities Siting Board, to conduct a competitive solicitation for proposals to increase firm interstate natural gas transmission capacity into the Bay State with a goal of enhancing winter energy reliability and mitigating price volatility affecting ratepayers. “[My amendment] would have required the executive branch to put out solicitation for bids to build a pipeline from the Appalachian Shale to Massachusetts, introducing an ample supply of cheap natural gas to ratepayers,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Type of Person Needed: * Are you an experienced/willing to learn, motivated person looking for a shop where your skills can be valued? A local company with a fleet shop is a busy, family-owned business dedicated to providing high-quality transportation services and public State inspection services. We are seeking a talented Automotive Technician or mechanical knowledge to join our close-knit crew. If you are dependable and proficient in automotive technical work with a passion for excellent customer service, we want to talk to you. Location: Malden, MA Job Description: * Be able to acquire and maintain a certification for the State Inspection License. Perform light duty mechanical preventive duties, including Fleet preventive maintenance. * State Inspection Services * Miscellaneous shop duties Requirements: * Valid driver’s license with good driving history * Possess or pass the required State Inspector License Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM Saturday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM * Rate will be based on experience Contact: Ed Hyde or David Morovitz Call: 781-322-9401 Email: ehyde@maldentrans.com Website: www.maldentrans.com Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica). “Had Maura Healey not stopped the Kinder Pipeline, it would’ve saved rate payers $5 billion since 2018. We saw during the arctic blast of late January and early February how ill-prepared our energy portfolio is to reliably and cost-effectively handled the demands of Massachusetts. During that time hydroelectric from Canada was terminated, and wind produced less than one percent of electrical needs. Instead, ISO New England needed to bring online oil-based production, which accounted for 40 percent of the energy supply at that time. Additional gas supply would have been significantly cheaper and cleaner for Massachusetts ratepayers. If we’re ever going to be serious about lowering costs, then we need to increase our gas supply.” Rep. Cusack acknowledged that more gas capacity will help address winter reliability and ~ HELP WANTED ~ address price volatility which is why the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has a tool and is already doing it. This past January, the DPU approved expansion of Eversource’s Algonquin pipeline, which will lower costs for over 600,000 gas customers. Developers will pay for this expansion, not ratepayers. Gas is a part of the all-of-the-above strategy, and continued conversations are needed and will happen. And also, to build a new gas pipeline, would be about a 10-to-15-year process, and would require interconnection to New York, and they would have to build first. So this solicitation would be very premature, and no one would actually bid on it, since it’s not buildable yet. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle No BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY (H 5151) House 26-127, rejected an amendment that would prohibit the state from approving a battery storage facility in a municipality, unless the city or town governing body of the municipality in which the facility is proposed has voted to approve the project. The amendment also gives cities and towns the authority to establish additional siting, safety and environmental requirements for these storage facilities, as long as they don’t conflict with state law. “The commonwealth is moving all approvals for new energy storage facilities to the state level,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Kelly Pease (R-Westfield). “This amendment would still allow cities and towns to have a say in where, when and how new battery storage facilities are implemented, or not implemented within their municipalities.” Rep. Kushmerek said the House should wait until action is taken on a similar bill that is pending before the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. He noted that there are already current conversations underway between the committee, Department of Energy Resources and the Energy Facility Siting Board to establish parameters on setbacks in local communities for battery storage. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle No UNIT PRICING IN CONVENIENCE STORES (S 2965) Senate 37-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that amends a current law which exempts smaller convenience stores from being required to display unit pricing. Unit pricing is the identification of and labeling of items for sale with the retail price per unit, permitting easier price comparisons among similar products in different sized containers. Under current law, an exemption from unit pricing is given to retailers with lower sales volumes—defined as establishments that generate less than $5 million in in-store sales each year, including sales of Lottery products and gift cards. The bill would remove Lottery products and gift card sales from the calculation of whether a store can be included in the unit price exemption. Bill supporters said that with the steady rise of inflation, introduction of higher-value Lottery products and increased popularity of pre-paid gift cards, local businesses are more apt to exceed the exemption threshold. “The unit pricing exemption is a simple way to cut expenses for small businesses and support the communities they serve,” said Sen. Mike Moore (D-Millbury), the bill’s lead sponsor. “However, in the two decades since the policy was written into law, the $5 million revenue threshold for the exemption has remained the same while the cost of products has risen significantly. This legislation makes small tweaks to how a store’s revenue is calculated to ensure the law continues to apply to the corner stores and small businesses it was originally intended to protect.” “By exempting Lottery tickets and prepaid gift card sales from the unit pricing threshold calculation, we are helping ensure the financial health of our small, neighborhood convenience stores,” said co-sponsor Sen. Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence) “I was proud to help advance this update, which strikes the right balance between protecting consumers and supporting our small businesses.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes $3.28 BILLION TO MODERNIZE BAY STATE PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (S 2962) Senate 37-0, approved a $3.28 billion package, known as the BRIGHT Act, that funds the modernization of Bay State public colleges and universities by using the revenue from the 2022 voter-approved law, known as the Millionaire’s Tax, that imposes an additional 4 percent income tax, in addition to the current flat 5 percent one, on taxpayers’ earnings of more than $1 million annually. The House has already approved its own version of the bill and a House-Senate conference committee will likely hammer out a compromise version. Provisions include $1.25 billion for the UMass system; $1.25 billion for nine other state university campuses and 15 community college campuses; $275 million for upgrades to MassArt; $100 million for the transition of campus facilities and property into housing and mixeduse developments; $80 million for costs associated with decarbonization and energy efficiency; $120 million for lab modernization, projects at community colleges to support collaboration with vocational technical schools and projects related to student health and well-being; $50 million for a grant program for general improvements and climate-related upgrade; $20 million for enhancing remote or hybrid learning; and $100 million for a grant program for improvements to upgrade and expand career technical education and training programs. “Today, the Senate advanced urgently needed legislation to transform public higher education infrastructure by leveraging Fair Share dollars to address deferred maintenance, modernize classrooms, and decarbonize campuses,” said Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Senate Chair of the Committee on Higher Education. “With the BRIGHT Act, Massachusetts is choosing not to retreat in the face of federal attacks on higher education, but to build forward—creating healthier, more sustainable campuses that reflect the future we are preparing our students to lead.” “Massachusetts students deserve campuses that match the quality of their ambition,” said Senate President Karen Spilka BEACON | SEE PAGE 19
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