LYNN -Local legislators closed ranks with colleague and leader Robert DeLeo to pass a sales tax hike they claim will reduce city and town aid cuts and eliminates a gas tax hike.
State Reps. Steven Walsh, Lori Ehrlich, Mark Falzone, Joyce Spiliotis and Kathi-Anne Reinstein joined with fellow Massachusetts House colleagues to defy Gov. Deval Patrick Monday and deliver a narrowly veto-proof, 108-51 majority behind DeLeo?s proposed 25-percent increase to the state?s 5-cent sales tax.State Rep. Robert Fennell voted against a broad-based tax hike that House officials said would bring in $900 million next fiscal year, with $275 million to fund transportation spending and $200 million to blunt the $424 million local aid cut in the House budget committee draft.?I think we heard from constituents that they don’t want a gas tax and we responded to local aid,” Reinstein said.House leaders said that even with the new revenue, still subject to Senate approval, their budget still relies on $1.2 billion in cuts to help close an estimated $3.6 billion budget gap next year.Patrick, who has proposed a battery of new taxes left ignored by the Legislature, sought Monday to position himself as opposed to new taxes until significant reforms in transportation, ethics, and pension rules had become law.Walsh said his West Lynn and Nahant constituents spoke to him “loud and clear about how a gas tax and income tax would hurt them.” Patrick has urged a 19-cent gas tax hike, which would generate just under $500 million per year, according to estimates, to help close a projected 20-year, $20 billion transportation infrastructure deficit.?We thought one tax that hits people fairly was the way to go. This was a vote for our local teachers, police officers and firefighters,” Walsh said.Opponents of the tax increase said the impact on the state?s economy would be devastating, and pointed to a Beacon Hill Institute report that suggested 10,000 job losses under the higher rate.State Rep. Joyce Spiliotis hopes the sales tax hike ends talk of Boston tunnel toll increases. She called Patrick’s 19 cent gas tax plan “outrageous and unreasonable.”?I voted for the sales tax to bring more local aid back to the city of Peabody,” she said.DeLeo has said the House would take up next month Patrick?s legislation allowing municipalities to raise their own taxes on meals, lodging and telecommunications equipment.Several categories of goods are exempt from the sales tax, including food, clothing, periodicals, event tickets, utilities such as gas or electricity, residential phone services, transportation, and services like accounting and legal assistance and car repairs.
