REMINDER: Annual Health Insurance Survey
Many small businesses renew their health insurance in the first quarter, or early second quarter of the year. If you have already renewed, are reviewing your 2023 rates now, or may be receiving your renewal shortly, we would like to hear from you. Collecting small business health insurance cost information from our members is critical for our efforts to seek fairness for small employers in choices and premiums. If you haven't already responded, please take a minute to answer this brief survey. Thank you.
Create A Winning Hand with RAM's Credit Card Program
RAM is committed to understanding the credit card game and creating a winning hand for our members. Listen to our industry expert, Frank Scearbo, break down the fees; hidden or otherwise, and learn how to save through better understanding and from leveraging our buying power. DATE: Tuesday, April 4, 2023 TIME: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
Spring Season Brings More Proposed Local Product Bans
Newton, Hingham Consider Adding to Plastic Bans
Plastic bag bans are commonplace now in Massachusetts. According to the MA Sierra Club, “As of May, 2022, 154 Massachusetts cities and towns, representing over 4 million people or two-thirds of the state's population, regulate single-use plastic shopping bags.” Every Spring, as Town Meeting season approaches, more advocacy groups seek to push additional product bans at the local level, particularly aimed at plastic products. This year is no different. Coming up in Newton, the City Council’s Programs and Services Committee is currently scheduled to hear a proposal on March 22nd that seeks to ban the sale or distribution of a laundry list of single use plastic products, “including but not limited to: i) foam polystyrene and black plastic food and packaging containers; ii) plastic stirrers; iii) single use plastic utensils; iv) single use plastic water bottles, and more, by food service and retail establishments.” Allowed disposable food service ware will have to be reusable, compostable, or recyclable. The proposed ban goes further to prohibit the sale or distribution “plastic balloon sticks, plastic floss sticks, plastic ear swabs, and cosmetics containing plastic glitter.” At their April 24th Town Meeting, Hingham residents will be asked to expand upon their existing plastic bag ban with consideration of an ordinance to “prohibit the sale of non-carbonated, unflavored drinking water in single-use plastic bottles of less than one gallon in retail establishments in the Town of Hingham,” and another to prohibit the town from purchasing or distributing drinking water in single-use plastic bottles of less than one gallon. These proposals will negatively impact businesses in these communities and will increase compliance costs just to continue to serve customers. Meanwhile, businesses in neighboring towns, often right across the street, will not be impacted. Where will the customers go? If you live or operate an impacted business in one of these communities, or in another community looking at a similar proposal, make your voice heard. Contact your elected officials at the link below, and also work with your local chamber of commerce to oppose the proposals.
Contact: Newton City Council Hingham Select Board
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