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Gov. Maura Healey to Speak at
106th RAM Annual Meeting Luncheon
RAM is thrilled to announce that Governor Maura Healey will deliver Keynote Address at RAM’s Annual Meeting luncheon where the RAM Awards of Excellence (RAMAES) will be presented.
Wednesday, November 20th
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The Conference Center at Bentley University
175 Forest St., LaCava Campus Center, Waltham
Dave Ratner, Founder and CEO of Dave’s Pet Food, will present the RAMAES including Retailer of the Year and Restaurant of the Year.
If you haven't already submitted your
2024 Holiday Sales Prediction
The holiday season is fast approaching and your association is looked to each year to predict the year's holiday sales.
Please take a few minutes to answer some questions about what you expect from this year's holiday season.
We need your feedback in order to properly create our prediction.
Click here for benefits summary.
RAMHIC Offerings for 2024
RAMHIC continues to partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to offer members access to the carrier's entire portfolio of high quality, small group health insurance plans.
All members purchasing their health insurance coverage through the cooperative will also receive an expanded list of ancillary benefits, FREE of charge.
Click image above to view a BCBS produced informational video on the power of the RAM/BCBS Cooperative.
Please see our brochure for more detail on the expanded benefit package. Specific information regarding each benefit may be found below:
For more information please visit the RAMHIC page of our website.
An Update from the MA DOR:
Tax Amnesty Period to Run from November 1 to December 30, 2024
As we reported last month, a 60-day tax amnesty was authorized in the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Act. We wanted to provide some new details. The tax amnesty will begin on November 1, 2024, and end on December 30, 2024. DOR will waive most penalties for eligible taxpayers who submit an online request for amnesty, file outstanding returns, and pay tax and interest owed. Please stay tuned to the Tax Amnesty webpage, which will be updated regularly (including additional FAQs) with more information. Links to video tutorials on how to complete the process, and to the form to request amnesty will be available from the webpage by November 1.
Attention RAM Cannabis Members!
Cannabis Control Commission Eliminates “Two-driver” Rule
At a meeting on Wednesday, October 30th, the MA Cannabis Control Commission approved final regulations that will ease the burden on consumer cannabis delivery companies and the transport of marijuana products for testing purposes, by eliminating the “two-driver” rule that had added unnecessary costs to the delivery process.
The changes to 935 CMR 500.00 and 935 CMR 501.00 modify the requirements to allow the delivery of marijuana and marijuana products to consumers and patients with one agent (driver) in a vehicle at a time, provided that the total retail value of all products in the vehicle is less than $5,000. For delivery or transport of product valued between $5,000 and $10,000, the two-agent requirement will remain in effect.
The regulations approved Wednesday need to be filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth by November 8th and will then take effect on November 22nd.
The new regulations also include reforms to the treatment of Microbusinesses and Craft Marijuana Cooperatives, modifying some of their previous license restrictions.
The CCC also announced a future public meeting will be held on December 5th to open a review of the regulations relative to Social Consumption Establishment licenses. The regulations and additional information can be found on the CCC website at MassCannabisControl.com. The Commission also this week selected David Lakeman to be the next Executive Director of the agency. Lakeman was head of the Cannabis Division at the Illinois Department of Agriculture, but also previously worked at the MA CCC.
MA Legislature concludes Formal Sessions…
yet more work lies ahead in Informal Sessions, possible Special Session
The MA Legislature blew past their own July 31st midnight deadline, adjourning at 10:00 AM on August 1st, concluding formal sessions for this year following contentious overnight discussions on several bills that, ultimately, did not advance.
The Legislature will continue to meet in informal session until the end of the year, where typically only non-controversial matters are handled, as there are no roll call votes taken and the objection of any one member can block the further progress of any bill.
The final days of the session saw action on some legislative priorities, land takings and local bills, but some higher profile items, such as the Economic Development Bond Bill, did not move out of conference. The House and Senate at one point in the final day had twelve active conference committees before them, and a handful of other bills of interest to RAM members and others in the employer community which had passed one branch of the Legislature and not the other – but that were viewed as being in play. Three conference committee reports were finalized, enacted and sent to the Governor for her review. The rest remain in differing stages of legislative limbo. House and Senate leaders remain optimistic at being able to get some additional legislation passed during informal sessions and are discussing the possibility of a special session to handle the Economic Development Bond Bill if an agreement can be reached.
What didn't and did get done?
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