SUMMERTIME SENATE BUSY

WHO SAYS the Massachusetts Senate gets nothing done in the summer?   They’ve been busy – bill has been passed to allow retail sale of alcoholic beverages at 1Oam on Sundays, two hours earlier than currently allowed!  The House previously approved the bill, which goes to Governor Deval Patrick for his signature.  Additionally, the Senate passed a bill that will give cities and towns more control over liquor licenses.  Currently, the state caps the number that can be granted under a formula based partly on population.  Requests for liquor licenses above the cap must be brought before the Legislature.  The Governor is in favor of lifting the caps and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and 16 other eastern Massachusetts mayors and town managers have also endorsed the proposal.  Unfortunately, the House did not include the liquor license proposal in its version of the bill, so a conference committee must create a compromise bill.