Democratic leaders of the House and Senate have agreed to a broad framework for up to $500 million in additional tax relief that would see credits for low-income earners, parents, renters and seniors expanded, and the “archaic elements” of the state’s estate tax reformed.
The Massachusetts legislature’s Revenue Committee advanced a $600 million tax relief package on Friday, but the panel’s House chairman said the measure remains a work in progress.
The odds of estate tax reform appeared to improve Tuesday, and with it benefits for empty-nesters looking to downsize, Senate President Karen Spilka said Tuesday.
Massachusetts lawmakers are pointing the finger at the governor’s office for the latest MBTA problems and promising an oversight hearing, a day after the agency slashed subway frequencies in the wake of federal safety directives.
State lawmakers agreed Monday to set Aug. 13 and 14 as the dates for this year’s annual sales tax holiday, but legislative leaders wouldn’t say whether any sort of reduction in or expanded break from the 6.25 percent sales tax will feature into their relief plans.
The Senate on Thursday approved a nearly $50 billion state budget, after adopting more than 500 amendments over three days.
Senate leaders on Tuesday rolled out a $49.68 billion state budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins in July, touting investments they said would help families living in deep poverty and share the state’s influx of cash with cities and towns.
The dam appears to have broken on tax relief as state revenues continue to surge and Gov. Charlie Baker now expects that the Legislature, despite its recent tax votes, will approve some kind of a tax cut by the time formal lawmaking ends this summer.
Senate President Karen Spilka is on board with tax relief, saying in a statement that Wednesday’s news of another hefty revenue haul pushed her to direct Senate leaders to “work with their partners in government to pursue a tax relief package for residents before the end of the session.”
With the annual House budget debate now in the rearview mirror, Speaker Ronald Mariano said Monday that top Democrats are still looking at tax relief options but conceded he is “not sure” when they will be ready to advance a proposal or what it would entail.
Transportation, energy and the construction fields feature as primary focus areas in a bill Senate Democrats rolled out Thursday to accelerate decarbonization efforts amidst what lawmakers called a sluggish approach by state agencies.
As Gov. Charlie Baker revs up to make another attempt at selling the Hynes Convention Center more than two years after his first effort fell flat, legislative leaders said Monday they still do not know where they stand.
Gov. Charlie Baker and his top deputies continue to push lawmakers to advance their bill that would lower the voting threshold required for local zoning changes, a measure that’s failed to gain traction among lawmakers.
After alluding to tax and economic development reform in an address to her colleagues last week, state Senate President Karen Spilka sketched out a few more details of her approach to taxation over the weekend.
State Senate President Karen Spilka sketched out an ambitious agenda for the next two years as she was sworn in on Wednesday, calling for a new “economic development and tax framework,” and promising to pour funding into public education.
As the state House of Representatives on Dec. 6 passed legislation authorizing wage benefits for locked out utility workers, House Speaker Robert DeLeo announced that the utility responsible for locking out its workers would be on the hook for any related costs under the bill.
