BOSTON – Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order Tuesday that allows gay and lesbian business owners to receive preferential treatment when competing for contracts to supply Massachusetts agencies with goods and services.
The order adds three categories of business owners to the list of suppliers that qualify for government set-asides. Those additions include one for firms whose owners are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, another for all veteran-owned businesses and one for owners with disabilities, according to a statement from the governor's office. Until now, only businesses owned by women, minorities, or veterans disabled in service qualified for the government preference.
Should physician-assisted suicide be legal in Massachusetts?
Some say the measure helps people seeking to avoid a painful death, others believe unintended consequences could easily arise when insurers are left to choose expensive, life-prolonging treatments or cheap, fatal drugs. What do you believe?
