It's gubernatorial debate night, round two. We're co-hosting the second and final 2026 debate between incumbent Democratic Gov. Maura Healey and Republican challenger Mike Minogue at 8 p.m. tonight. Catch up on the flashpoints from the first debate between Healey and Minogue here, and save this link to watch tonight's debate live. You'll also be able to listen to the debate on 90.9 FM. It's just in time for in-person early voting, which starts this Saturday. A cap on the rocks: This week, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s office released a massive report on the restrictions imposed by Massachusetts’ infamous liquor license laws. According to the 181-page report , the state’s population-based liquor license caps for most cities and towns are creating an artificial scarcity of licenses for restaurant owners. As WBUR's Amy Sokolow reports, the caps don't take into account communities whose populations change seasonally or demand in busier areas like Boston, Brookline and Salem. In the end, over two-thirds of Bay Staters live in communities where liquor licenses are artificially constrained, according to DiZoglio's report. - What it means for businesses: That scarcity also drives the price of acquiring liquor licenses for businesses in certain communities into the six figures. Meanwhile, licenses can be had for a couple grand in the 26 communities that opted out of the state quotas during a brief window when it was allowed between 1978 and 1984. For example, DiZoglio's report notes licenses can cost up to $600,000 in Boston or $175,000 in Somerville, but just $2,500 in neighboring Cambridge, a local-control city. The report also found local control communities have issued twice as many liquor licenses per capita as municipalities under the cap.
- DiZoglio's solution: Eliminate the state quota system and hand over control to cities and towns. Repealing the quota would put all cities and towns on "equal footing" to decide how to best activate their neighborhoods and support local businesses, the report said. "We need a liquor licensing system that is transparent, fair and gives all of our local businesses a shot at success," DiZoglio said in a statement.
- The sticking point: Steve Clark, the head of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, said there would need to be an off-ramp from the existing process, since many restaurant owners count their valuable liquor licenses as assets. "Because this system has existed for so long, you can't just turn the switch off and change the rules," Clark told Amy. He suggested one way to do that could be a license buyback program.
- Meanwhile on Beacon Hill: Language to eliminate the population-based quotas was part of the Senate version of an economic development bill that's still being negotiated behind closed doors. Healey has also supported getting rid of the caps, though some House leaders have publicly expressed concerns about handing over total control to local mayors.
Data center denied: A plan to build what would have been New England's largest data center in western Massachusetts suddenly appears dead in the water. On Tuesday night, the city of Westfield's Planning Board refused to extend a special permit for the developer Servistar Realties, which has been trying to build a 150-acre data center campus in the city since 2019. Servistar has a 20-day window to appeal the planning board's decision. - Why? New England Public Media's Phil Bishop reports that planning board members cited a lack of progress on the project since they first approved the permit in 2021. While Servistar had entered talks with energy suppliers and environmental surveyors, they never actually bought any land or began construction. Servistar's representatives argued they had been delayed by multiple factors, including President Trump's tariffs and Healey's move earlier this year to freeze a data center tax incentive.
Boston broaches bell-to-bell ban: Boston Public Schools is moving on a sweeping ban on cell phones in school. The proposal by Superintendent Mary Skipper, which was presented at a meeting last night, would take effect next fall. According to The Boston Globe, the ban would require students to lock up all non-school-issued electronics for the entire school day (not just phones, but also laptops, tablets, smartwatches and smart glasses). The specifics of how to enforce the ban would be left up to individual schools. P.S.— Boston may be extending outdoor dining season, but we have some real sweater weather on the near horizon. Meteorologist Danielle Noyes has the details here on the cooldown this weekend, following a dose of rain on Friday. |
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