Massachusetts Legislature

House revamps voter-approved pot law

Drugs/ Politics

House revamps voter-approved pot law

Ups tax rate, addiction funding and steers jobs to minority community

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STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE AFTER SEVERAL YEARS of ceding marijuana policy-making to a voting public eager to adopt a more permissive approach to the once completely illegal drug, House lawmakers on Wednesday took the reins of the sticky issue, passing a bill to overhaul how the state will regulate the retail market of the intoxicant.(...)

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Cusack denies retaliation over Lottery move

Drugs/ Politics

Cusack denies retaliation over Lottery move

House to vote on pot bill that sets tax rate to 28%

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THE HOUSE CHAIR of the Legislature’s marijuana committee denied that his ire at State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg over a potential Lottery headquarters move out of his hometown was connected to his push to remove control of the impending marijuana industry from her office. “It’s not about any one person, but it’s the simple premise that(...)

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House reneged on pot agreement, say sources

Drugs/ Politics

House reneged on pot agreement, say sources

Officials say chair irked over Lottery move

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HOUSE LEADERS ABRUPTLY walked away from an agreement between Gov. Charlie Baker, Speaker Robert DeLeo, and Senate President Stan Rosenberg that would have kept oversight of the emerging legal pot industry with the state treasurer and sources indicated it may be connected to anger from the House chair of the marijuana committee over a potential(...)

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Millionaire’s tax heads toward voters

Politics

Millionaire’s tax heads toward voters

Likely to be dominant political issue in Mass. next year

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THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE on Wednesday cleared the way for voters to decide whether to raise more than $2 billion in annual revenue through an income tax surcharge on people earning more than $1 million a year. Meeting in a rowdy joint session, the House and Senate voted 134-55 to put the constitutional amendment on the(...)

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House has to backtrack on pot bill

Drugs/ Politics

House has to backtrack on pot bill

Legislation raising marijuana tax to astronomical levels raises concerns

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HOUSE LEADERS DECIDED to pull back and revamp their rewrite of a voter-approved ballot question legalizing marijuana after concerns were raised that their bill would give Massachusetts the highest tax rate on recreational pot in the country – as much as 55 percent or more by some calculations. The bill approved on Wednesday by the Joint(...)

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House guts voter-approved pot law

Drugs/ Health Care/ Politics

House guts voter-approved pot law

Measure overhauls key pieces from tax rate to oversight

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THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE will unveil a measure Wednesday that completely overhauls the voter-approved referendum legalizing recreational marijuana while also moving oversight of medical marijuana under the same regulatory umbrella. About the only thing the 48-page bill, a copy of which was obtained by CommonWealth,  leaves in place from the question put before voters last November(...)

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Sources: Higher tax, new opt-out in pot bill

Drugs/ Economy/ Politics

Sources: Higher tax, new opt-out in pot bill

House measure would keep treasurer in charge but expand oversight board

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STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE RETAIL MARIJUANA SALES would be taxed at a maximum rate of 18.75 percent under legislation being developed by the House in preparation for a Thursday vote that would also alter the oversight and local control of an industry legalized by voters last November, according to sources within the Legislature or close(...)

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House to roll out rewrite of legal pot bill

Drugs/ Economy/ Politics

House to roll out rewrite of legal pot bill

Reps set to vote on changing ballot question on Thursday; Senate plans unclear

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STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HOUSE LEADERSHIP WILL unveil its proposal to overhaul the voter-backed law legalizing marijuana in Massachusetts on Wednesday, setting up an expected debate and vote before the full membership on Thursday. The bill’s details have been held tightly by those writing the legislation, but it is widely expected to address the tax(...)

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State bond rating drops one notch

Economy/ Politics

State bond rating drops one notch

Agency cites failure to build up rainy day fund

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STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH SLUGGISH REVENUES testing Gov. Charlie Baker’s ability to balance investment needs with fiscal prudence, one of the country’s largest credit rating agencies on Friday downgraded the state’s bond rating with an admonishment for its approach to savings. S&P Global Ratings lowered its rating for Massachusetts bonds to AA from AA+(...)

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FY18 budget shortfall could be $1b

Politics/ Opinion

FY18 budget shortfall could be $1b

Nipping and tucking won’t work in coming year

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IT IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED on Beacon Hill, certainly among budget writers, that the fiscal 2018 budgets passed by the House and Senate depend on unrealistic revenue projections. But it is much less well understood that the revenue shortfall could approach $1 billion. How could that be? There are two parts to the answer — first,(...)

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