Oops! They did It again.

Once again, our Beacon Hill lawmakers failed to leave enough time to do their jobs.

While you and I likely feel fortunate to enjoy a few weeks of vacation annually, our elected state Senators and Representatives adjourned yesterday for the summer.

Make that OOO for the summer, fall, and early winter. They won’t be back in formal session again until January.

Left undone (for the second consecutive term) was an economic development bond bill that would have pumped billions of dollars in borrowing into the life sciences, climate tech and AI, along with other investments.

Gov. Maura Healey filed the bill in March. 

But, hey, what’s the rush?  I’m sure the good folks in North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, New York and California will hold off on trying to recruit any of our biotech startups, entrepreneurs and scientists until our reps and senators have put their Christmas trees out on the curb.

As for climate tech? Healey wanted to invest in technologies working to fight against climate change, such as solar power, offshore wind, hydropower fusion and decarbonization.  The 10-year, $1.3 billion proposal was expected to generate $16.4 billion in economic activity – representing a total 12-to-1 return on investment – and create 6,670 new jobs. 

Now? That hopeful ABC News story from June headlined “The emerging world leader in climate tech could soon be Massachusetts” doesn’t feel as hopeful.

Maybe climate tech wasn’t as important on the last day of the term as this fundraiser.  But what about the 19 months before that?

And just a reminder, these potential life-saving and planet-saving sciences matter to our local commercial real estate sector and tax base too, given both sectors require in-person work.

What else didn’t pass? Lots, but here’s two big ones:

• Health legislation dealing with prescription drugs and hospital oversight, which you’d think would have taken on new urgency due to Steward Health Care's financial turmoil.
  
  
• They protected circus animals but not the planet those animals -- and we -- live on.  The Clean Energy bill would have streamlined the permitting process for clean energy projects that — given this — are also timely. Not even the expanded bottle bill made it.

Top House and Senate procrastinators say they will try and find ways to move some of these and other bills in informal session. That’s easier said than done and is not an option to save the bond provisions of the economic development bill.

They should be embarrassed.

And we should be angry.

(On Wednesday, I asked two of our local state rep candidates: Why do you even want to work at a place that operates like that? Here’s what they said.)

There was also some important good news

The final hours of the legislative session weren’t a total dereliction of duty.  

They passed a bill to help veterans; one modernizing parenting laws; and a super important  $5.16 billion housing bill that provides critical spending items for public housing and other investments.

Still, I’ve been watching the Olympics all week and have yet to see any metals awarded for completing just one leg of any race.  So no victory laps please.

The Affordable Homes Act includes policies to support the creation and preservation of tens of thousands of homes. That includes allowing accessory dwelling units on all single-family-zoned lots statewide.  

Also included: $50 million for a new Momentum Fund to accelerate the completion of mixed-income multifamily housing projects. (That could prove to be helpful for at least one local project I’m thinking about.) There’s also judicial reforms sought by the real estate industry to deter frivolous abutter lawsuits over zoning decisions.

It does not include changes to Chapter 40B, the MBTA Communities Law, or to the Community Preservation Act — although some lawmakers tried.  

And it does not include a proposal to make landlords pay broker's fees, instead of tenants. But it does include language that would prohibit most home purchase offers that are conditioned on the buyer waiving or limiting their right to a home inspection.

A note to members: We never sell, or share, your email address

Our chamber, along with at least several other chambers, have been victimized by an entity alleging that it is selling mail lists of our members. 

We’ve been dealing with this issue for a while. The soliciting entity or entities’ name and email domains keeps changing. We do not have confirmation that they actually have a member list, or are an actual entity.

While member companies are searchable via our online directory, member emails are not public. We do not sell or share your email addresses and have no reason to believe we’ve been victims of a data breach.

If you are contacted, please report these as spam.  We apologize for the inconvenience.

Friday grab bag

• The Wellesley Select Board has developed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community Survey, as part of the town’s DEI Equity Audit. Residents, businesses, employers and employees are urged to take the survey.
  
  
• The Metropolitan Area Planning received a $3 million federal grant to explore innovative building methods to build new homes, including offsite construction methods in Newton, Boston, Cambridge and Everett (Newton Beacon)
  
  
• The Needham Council for Arts and Culture is seeking proposals from artists for a mural project on Chapel Street. Deadline is Aug. 5.  
  
  
• All the best to Newton Energy Coach Liora Silkes who is leaving her job to take on a new climate/energy opportunity.

All this event needs to be perfect is you

Finally, as you know, our chamber hosts dozens of networking events annually, more than any other chamber I know of.  Most are free, or carry a nominal fee to help our hosts plan.

Then once each winter, and once each summer, we plan a chamber fundraising event that we look to make extra special by selecting a unique chamber member venue; arranging a unique menu (also from a member); and tossing in a surprise, or two.

Our special summer event is less than two weeks away,  Aug. 15, in the party tent at Community Rowing’s Harry Parker Boathouse.

If you’re like me, you’ve driven by this place nestled between the Charles River and Nonantum Road dozens, maybe hundreds, of times. But you’ve never had a chance to learn what goes on there. It’s an amazing building and operation. Aug. 15 will provide a chance to learn why and even provide an opportunity to do some rowing, if interested.

On shore, you’ll enjoy a menu prepared by NaisLee Catering (which earned rave reviews at our last Spring Seasonings and this week’s Taste of Ethnic Boston, see video below), plus a quartet from the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra.

However, the star attraction will be you and 100 other business and civic leaders from across our chamber communities.  

Tickets are available now. Use promo code “summer” and save $10. There’s an added discount if you want to bring four clients, coworkers, or friends.

Did I mention, proceeds support the chamber’s work?

And we’re likable enough, right?

Hope to see you Aug. 15.

That’s what you need to know for today, unless you’ve been sitting on Beacon Hill all week waiting for something to happen and missed these viral Olympic moments.

Welcome home Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan.

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

P.S. Meet the women behind Newton’s NaisLee Catering, who will be showcasing their skills at our Aug. 15 Summer Celebration.