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Support of Amendment #745 to H5007

Report on Amendments to H5007 - An Act enabling partnerships for growth

OPPOSITION to H4590 (Formerly H475) - An Act relative to the sale of malt beverages produced by a pub brewery

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Massachusetts minimum wage is increasing in January; And another raise is coming in 2023

Updated: Dec. 03, 2021, 12:59 p.m. | Published: Dec. 03, 2021, 12:56 p.m.

By Heather Morrison | hmorrison@masslive.com

In less than a month, the Massachusetts minimum wage will be increasing to $14.25.

In 2021, the minimum wage in the commonwealth was $13.50, which had increased from 2020′s wage of $12.75.

The consistent yearly increases will continue through 2023 when the minimum wage will be $15.

“Minimum wage will go up in steps to reach $15 per hour in January 2023,” the Massachusetts government website states.

Tipped minimum wage, however, is different.

Currently tipped employees minimum wage is $5.55. It was increase in January to $6.15.

“This rate will go up in steps to reach $6.75 per hour in January 2023,” the website states.

A tipped employee is considered anyone who makes more than $20 a month in tips. However, they must receive at least the overall minimum wage, which is currently $13.50, when tips and wages are combined.

“If the combined wages and actual tips do not at least equal the regular minimum wage, the employer must pay the employee the difference,” the state said.

The federal minimum wage is much lower than the commonwealth’s.

Currently, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which began July 24, 2009.

Certain businesses have also begun raising their own minimum wages.

Costco increased its minimum wage from $16 an hour to $17. Bank of America raised its minimum hourly wage to $21 with a plan to go to $25 per hour by 2025. CVS Health is also increasing its minimum hourly wage to $15 an hour starting July 2022.

The ABCC is aware of local, national, and international news reports of an increase in illicit, non-consensual drugging occurring at bars, nightclubs, and other nightlife venues. All § 12 Licensees should alert employees and patrons about the increase in predatory behavior and are advised to be vigilant in monitoring activity within their establishments. Licensees are encouraged to have an active security plan in place, in which all employees are trained.

Licensees are reminded of the following:

                     • There is a duty to prevent foreseeable harm to patrons and others.

                     • A Licensee’s duty to protect patrons may be triggered when the conduct of another patron puts the Licensee or its employees on notice that harm is imminent.

                     • A Licensee may discharge its duty to protect patrons by taking steps to prevent the harm, such as calling the police.

                     • It is the responsibility of each licensee to exercise close supervision of its premises to ensure compliance with the law.

                    • Licensees are required to cooperate in investigations by police and ABCC Investigators. 

As always, all licensees must ensure they comply with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and that sales of alcoholic beverages take place only as authorized by federal, state, and local law.

Questions concerning this Advisory may be directed to Ralph Sacramone, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission at (617) 727- 3040 x 731.

(Issued 12/3/2021)

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Baker and Polito Both Pass on 2022 Guv Race

Campaign for Corner Office Wide Open with 11 Months to Go

Matt Murphy12/1/21 10:11 AM

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, DEC. 1, 2021.....Gov. Charlie Baker, a two-term Republican who at his peak was one of the most popular governors in the country, will not seek a third term, throwing wide open the 2022 race for the state's top political office after close to two years of managing through a global pandemic.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, who was widely considered to be the heir to the Baker political legacy, has also decided against a run for governor in 2022, dramatically reshaping the contest on the Republican side and, perhaps, clearing a path for Attorney General Maura Healey to enter the race on the Democratic side.

"After several months of discussion with our families, we have decided not to seek re-election in 2022. This was an extremely difficult decision for us. We love the work, and we especially respect and admire the people of this wonderful Commonwealth. Serving as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts has been the most challenging and fulfilling jobs we've ever had. We will forever be grateful to the people of this state for giving us this great honor," Baker and Polito said in a joint statement.

Baker began telling friends and allies of his decision over the past 24 hours, and informed his Cabinet during a meeting Wednesday morning. The governor and lieutenant governor, in their statement, cited the need to focus on building an economic recovery as Massachusetts emerges from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have a great deal of work to do to put the pandemic behind us, keep our kids in school, and keep our communities and economy moving forward. That work cannot and should not be about politics and the next election. If we were to run, it would be a distraction that would potentially get in the way of many of the things we should be working on for everyone in Massachusetts. We want to focus on recovery, not on the grudge matches political campaigns can devolve into," Baker and Polito said.

Republican Geoff Diehl, a former state lawmaker, has already entered the race for his party's nomination with the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, and three Democrats -- Harvard professor Danielle Allen, former state Sen. Ben Downing, and Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz -- are also running.

Healey, the popular Democratic prosecutor, is also weighing a bid and could be more inclined to enter the fray with Baker out of the running. She has previously said she hoped to make a decision about her political future this fall.

In addition to the polarized political environment, both Baker and Polito said the pandemic helped them realize the importance of taking time for family and friends after the grind of eight years leading the state.

"Done right, these jobs require an extraordinary amount of time and attention, and we love doing them. But we both want to be there with Lauren and Steve and our children for the moments, big and small, that our families will experience going forward," the pair said.

Recent polling has suggested that Baker could fair well in hypothetical matchups against the Democrats running or thinking about running, but he would also face a potentially bruising Republican primary as his relationship with the base of his party has frayed in the Trump era.

Baker did not support Trump during either of the former president's runs for the White House, and Baker's approval ratings are stronger among Democrats and independents than with voters in his own party.

Though it has been suggested in some political circles that Baker could run as an independent in 2022, the governor has brushed that notion aside, professing a belief in his brand of Republicanism molded under his political mentors former Govs. Bill Weld and Paul Cellucci.

"We are determined to continue to put aside the partisan playbook that dominates so much of our political landscape – to form governing partnerships with our colleagues in local government, the Legislature, and the Congressional delegation. That bipartisan approach, where we listen as much as we talk, where we focus our energies on finding areas of agreement and not disagreement, and where we avoid the public sniping and grandstanding that defines much of our political discourse, allows us to make meaningful progress on many important issues," Baker and Polito said.

Baker would have been the first governor in recent memory to run for three terms. The last governor to serve three four-year terms was Democrat Michael Dukakis, though his terms were non-consecutive.

[This is a developing story.]