In the final hours of the session, the Massachusetts Legislature passed sweeping economic development legislation which included, as section 173, what has come to be known as the Permit Extension Act. The purpose of the Permit Extension Act is to recognize that the economic downturn has meant that projects that were otherwise “shovel-ready” may have difficulty in the short-run obtaining financing. If we want to help the economy get back on its feet, we shouldn’t make those projects have to go through the Massachusetts state and local permitting gauntlet again, just because the financing problems may have meant that permits would expire before the developer can get in the ground.