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How you may notice Maura Healey's deregulations in the grocery aisle
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We have another simmering Market Basket management fight on our hands. And yet, that isn't the only grocery store news of the day:
Price check: Have you ever noticed that all the price labels on Massachusetts grocery store shelves look the same? The retail price is written in black letters, with a white background and an orange decal on the left with the unit price (i.e. the cost per pound or gallon). It's because state regulations required those colors, down to the very specific shade of orange. Or at least, they did. Gov. Maura Healey announced yesterday her administration is relaxing those requirements, in a move that also opens the door for grocery stores to start using digital price labels.
- Why now? It's one of the most visible changes to come from a broad review of business regulations first announced by Healey this past winter aimed at "cutting red tape." Healey said yesterday they ended up identifying over three dozen regulations to cut or rewrite, ranging from the banking sector to ski area signage to barbershops. (Fun fact: Barbershops in Massachusetts previously were required to have a striped pole, or representation of one, outside their storefront. "Continue to hang them, if you so desire, but no more required barber poles out there," Healey said.)
- Zoom in: The new streamlined price label rules will bring more "uniformity" and "make it probably clearer" for people to shop and compare costs, according to Brian Houghton, the vice president of the Massachusetts Food Association. Houghton also said it will give businesses more flexibility. For example, rather than having to use individual stickers, stores will be able to use electronic shelf labels (as long as they don't change prices mid-day). They will also be allowed to display those per-ounce prices in more colors. "If the store has a brand color of red, say, they could use a red instead of an orange." Houghton said.
- Zoom out: The overall aim, Healey said, is to find ways to be less "burdensome" on businesses, while maintaining consumer protection and public safety. The Democratic governor also made a point of drawing a distinction between the state's effort and the federal DOGE effort aimed at streamlining government bureaucracy. "What DOGE turned out to be was just indiscriminate firing of a whole bunch of people," she said. "What we are doing here is, I think, really like constructive, thoughtful engagement with the business community."
- Dig deeper: State House News Service has more details about the scope of the deregulations here.
After roughly five years of planning, New England's first Holocaust museum breaks ground this morning in Boston. Jody Kipnis, the co-founder of the local organization behind the project, told WBUR's John Bender the milestone comes at an important time: "Too many people lack credible information about the Holocaust. Social media has amplified Holocaust denial and distortion, and antisemitism is on the rise."
- Organizers are now targeting an opening in late 2026. But you can get an inside look at the design renderings and planned exhibits here.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office says they don't have the power to force Everett Mayor Carlos DeMaria to give back $180,000 in improperly paid bonuses, despite the City Council's ask for help. The council voted 10-0 Tuesday night to ask Campbell to intervene after other attempts to recoup the money failed.
- Now what? The Boston Globe recently reported that the City Council could sue the mayor to get the money. However, they don't have funding for the lawsuit (which would likely cost more than the $180,000 they want back).
Heads up: The southern end of the MBTA's Orange Line is closing early tonight, ahead of a larger three-day partial shutdown for upgrades to the line's signal system. Starting at 8:30 p.m., service between Forest Hills and Jackson Square will be replaced by shuttle buses. The closure will then extend all the way from Forest Hills to North Station Friday through Sunday. Check out this graphic for backup transit options.
P.S.— Didn't get tickets to tonight's live Boston taping of Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me? You can still get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of NPR's beloved weekly quiz show tomorrow at The WBUR Festival with host Peter Sagal and the Wait, Wait producers. Click here for single-day tickets or buy a multi-day pass!
