Back in February, our legislation to provide statewide regulation of outdoor lighting got a boost when the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy reported the twin bills (S.1937/H.2858) favorably, and at that point they moved to the Senate Ways & Means Committee for further examination and vetting. It looked like there’d be ample opportunity to move the bills along, because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Legislature to extend its formal session well beyond the usual July 31st end date. Bills were still being considered throughout December.

Unfortunately, despite aggressive advocacy by both IDA-MA officers and our legislative sponsors, and perhaps compounded by the pandemic’s effect on legislative interactions and productivity, the bill remained stuck in the Senate Ways and Means Committee until the legislative session ended in the first days of January. Our bills enjoyed considerable support among legislators — “the dark-sky bill” is known to virtually everyone on Beacon Hill and enjoys widespread support. But it moved no further, caught up in the Legislature’s usual crush of bills that never make it to the House or Senate floor for a vote.

As you’ll read in a later post, the bills have been refiled for consideration in the 2021–22 legislative session.