Pignatelli promoted to chair of Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture
Boston — Massachusetts Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo, D-Winthrop, tapped Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, D-Lenox, Monday to serve as the House chair of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. The position was previously held by late Rep. Gailanne Cariddi.
This will be Pignatelli’s second promotion in the last six months in the House of Representatives. Currently in his eighth term in the House and the longest-serving member of the Berkshire delegation, Pignatelli had served as the vice chair of the House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight since February of this year. Previously, Pignatelli was vice chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.
All legislation concerning the agricultural industry, as well as bills pertaining to local environmental issues, waterways, oceans, great ponds, toxins, hazardous waste, e-waste, commercial and residential waste, animal welfare, land use, recreation, air pollution and climate change must be approved by this committee proceeding through the legislative process.
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House, Senate reach compromise on legalization implementation bill
Boston — After weeks of talks and missed deadlines, legislators in Massachusetts have reached an agreement on legislation that will make changes to Question 4, the law to regulate marijuana for adults that was approved by voters in November 2016.
The compromise bill’s most significant changes relate to local control and taxes. The legislation adjusts the local control policy, allowing local government officials in towns that voted “no” on the 2016 ballot initiative to ban marijuana businesses until December 2019. For towns that voted “yes” in 2016, any bans must be placed on a local ballot for voters to approve. The maximum sales tax rate, which depends on whether or not towns adopt optional local taxes, will increase from 12 percent to 20 percent. Under the bill, the state tax will be 17 percent and the local option will be 3 percent.
Last month, the House and Senate passed very different implementation bills before beginning negotiations to resolve their differences. Massachusetts residents made over 1,000 telephone calls to their lawmakers urging rejection of the House approach, while advocacy organizations put additional pressure on the legislature.
The progress in Massachusetts will likely add momentum to regional efforts across New England to tax and regulate marijuana for adults.
On July 1, Nevada became the fifth state in the nation to establish a regulated marijuana market for adults. Regulated marijuana sales are set to begin in Massachusetts in July 2018.
