THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 4508) Page 21 DeLeo added an additional cost onto the backs of the state’s already very generous taxpayers.” “It has become clearer by the day that the need for more transportation revenue is real and it is immediate,” said Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, during the fl oor debate. “Whether your constituents come from a district that is considered urban or rural or anything in between, it is undeniable that our transportation system is not meeting the needs that our citizens expect and deserve.” WHAT IS MASSTERLIST? More than 21,500 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, start their morning with a FREE COPY of MASSterList! MASSterList is a daily ensemble of news and commentary about the Legislature, Politics, Media and Judiciary of Massachusetts drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced editor Jay Fitzgerald. Jay introduces each article in his own clever and never-boring inimitable way. MASSterlist will be emailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening on Beacon Hill, in the blood sport of Bay State politics, in newsrooms across the state and the nation, and in the state’s court system. For more information and to get your free subscription go to: www.massterlist.com/subscribe THE HOUSE AND SENATE. Beacon Hill Roll Call records votes of local representatives from the week of March 2-6. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week. ESTIMATED $18 BILLION IN TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS (H 4506) House 150-1, approved and sent to the Senate an estimated $18 billion bond bill authorizing spending on transportation projects and infrastructure over the next ten years. Provisions include $5.6 billion for federal highway system projects, $1.75 billion for the design, construction and repair of non-federally aided roadway and bridge projects and another $1.25 billion for construction, resurfacing and improvements of bridges and approaches. The bill also increases Chapter 90 funding to cities and towns for road and bridge repairs from $200 million to $300 million. The package is a bond bill under which the funding would be borrowed by the state through the sale of bonds. The package includes earmarks for hundreds of millions of dollars for hundreds of projects in legislators’ districts across the state — many of which will never be funded. The Baker administration is required to adhere to the state’s annual bond borrowing cap and ultimately decides which projects are affordable and actually get funded. Sometimes a legislator will immediately tout the inclusion of local projects in these types pf bond bills, especially in an election year to show he or she “brought home the bacon.” But be warned that none of the projects in this package have yet been funded and most will end up never being funded because of the borrowing cap and the power of the governor's offi ce to pick which projects actually get the green light. “The House’s transportation funding package is an important step forward in fi xing the commonwealth’s transportation crisis,” said Chris Dempsey, Director of the Transportation for Massachusetts coalition. “We applaud House members for taking a balanced approach to addressing transportation needs and ensuring that statewide investments will improve daily commutes in every city and town. We’ve dug ourselves a big hole and this bill is an important step to help us climb out.” “The transportation bond bill was an earmarked-fi lled document which is being treated as one Democratic chairman noted, as “Monopoly money,” said Rep. Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica), the lone opponent of the measure. “Massachusetts already has the largest per capita debt in the nation and some of the highest cost per highway mile in the nation. We need to do better.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes ESTIMATED $522 MILLION TO $600 MILLION TAX HIKE FOR TRANSPORTATION (H 4508) House 113-40, approved and sent to the Senate an estimated $522 million to $600 million tax hike package to fund improvements to the state’s transportation system. Hikes include a 5 centsper-gallon increase in the motor vehicle gas excise tax; a 9 cents-per-gallon increase in the diesel fuel tax; an increase in the aviation fuel tax from 5 percent of the average price per gallon to 7.5 percent of the average price per gallon; elimination of the sales tax exemption on vehicle purchases for traditional rental car companies; replacing the current fl at $456 minimum corporate excise tax with a nine-tiered sliding scale ranging from $456 if the corporation’s total sales are less than $1 million to $150,000 if the corporation’s sales total $1 billion; and increasing the 20 cents-per-trip fl at fee to $1.20 for each non-shared Uber and Lyft ride and $2.20 for every luxury ride. The bill includes language aimed at preventing Uber and Lyft from passing those hikes directly onto riders. “We applaud the House for recognizing the importance of providing much needed transportation resources for the state,” said John Pourbaix, Executive Director of the Construction Industries of Massachusetts. “With the passage of the Transportation Revenue Bill, the House has acted in a way to better position Massachusetts to undertake the much-needed improvements in our substandard roads and bridges, our underperforming transit system, our overcrowded interchanges and choke points, and our critical local infrastructure.” “Massachusetts consistently squanders over 300 percent more than the national average for its annual highway maintenance, most dramatically in administrative costs,” said Chip Ford, executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation. “Over the past few years the state has been raking in billions in revenue surpluses, aka over-taxation, and when the Millionaire’s Tax is approved as expected it will add two billion more a year to that. But the standard assertion is that more, more, always more is needed for transportation. Spending review, reform and cost-cutting is rare at best in Massachusetts,” he added, “but imposition of ever higher taxes is just as reliably perpetual.” “The legislation passed by the House today puts Massachusetts on the road to both a better statewide transportation system, and a more equitable approach to transportation funding,” said Andrew Farnitano, spokesman for Raise Up Massachusetts. “Corporate taxes are an essential part of this revenue package, and we are glad the House rejected pressure from corporate lobbyists to remove the tiered corporate minimum tax from the bill. Large corporations make massive profi ts by using our transportation infrastructure to move their goods and customers and they must pay their share to help fund transportation improvements.” “Regressive tax schemes, like Speaker DeLeo’s tax hike to the state’s gasoline and diesel tax, hit the middle class and the working poor the hardest,” said Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance spokesman Paul Craney. “The gas tax hike will come out of the earnings of the hard-working taxpayers who rely on their vehicle to get to work, run errands and operate a business. Instead of looking at how to spend taxpayer’s money more wisely, Speaker “I listen to the people,” said Rep. Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica). “I can tell you no one is calling my offi ce saying pass the gas tax. The opposite is true. I am hearing from families who don’t want their budgets stretched. I am hearing from soccer moms who bring their children to activities. I am hearing from seniors who live on a fi xed income. Like me, they believe that Beacon Hill needs to reform spending, not increase taxes.” (A “Yes” vote is for the tax hikes. A “No” vote is against them.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes NO TAX HIKES IF MILLIONAIRE’S TAX IS APPROVED (H 4508) House 36-118, rejected an amendment that would repeal all the tax increases, except the one on Lyft and Uber, if the proposed Millionaire’s Tax ballot question is approved by Massachusetts voters in November of 2022. The tax, estimated to raise up to $2 billion per year, would allow a graduated income tax in Massachusetts and impose an additional 4 percent income tax, in addition to the current fl at 5.1 percent tax, on taxpayers’ earnings of more than $1 million. Language in the amendment requires that “subject to appropriation” the revenue will go to fund quality public education, aff ordable public colleges and universities and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation. “Speaker DeLeo has said repeatedly that the transportation fi nance bill is a ‘bridge’ to the Millionaire’s Tax, which is projected to generate $2 billion in new revenues for education and transportation,” said Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading), the sponsor of the amendment. “If the money from the ballot question is really going to be spent on transportation, then I think it’s only fair the tax increases contained in this bill be sunset once those new revenues start coming in.” Amendment opponents said the House should not tie the hands of future legislatures by tying the current tax hike package to the Millionaire’s Tax. They noted the two are separate proposals and noted the Millionaire’s Tax is not even guaranteed to be on the 2022 ballot. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle No STUDY/DELAY TAX HIKES (H House 35-119, rejected an amendment that would indefi nitely delay the implementation of the tax hikes until Gov. Charlie Baker’s Offi ce of Administration and Finance and the Department of Revenue furnish a study of the taxes’ impact on the state’s economy and on cities and towns. The study would include an analysis of the impact on taxpayers of varying income levels, current practices of other states and any anticipated changes in employment and ancillary economic activity resulting from the tax increases. “This study language is identical to what the Democratic leadership has used many times in the past to block Republican-sponsored amendments during fl oor debate,” said Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading), the amendment’s sponsor. “I say what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Collectively, these tax increases will cost the state’s taxpayers and employers more than $600 million, which is reason enough to conduct a study of the long-term implications of these tax proposals before they’re implemented.” Opponents of the study said it is craftily worded to simply kill the tax hikes. They noted the study is assigned to the Baker administration which is opposed to many of these tax hikes and is unlikely to ever conduct the study. (A “Yes” vote is for the study. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle No STRIKE THE INCREASE IN MINIMUM CORPORATION TAX (H 4508) House 35-119, rejected an amendment that would strike a section of the bill that would replace the current fl at $456 minimum corporate excise tax with a nine-tiered sliding scale ranging from $456 if the corporation’s total sales are less than $1 million to $150,000 if the corporation’s sales total $1 billion. “The proposed changes to the corporate minimum excise tax would put Massachusetts employers at a competitive disadvantage, hurt job growth and make it even more diffi cult to attract new businesses to the state,” said the amendment’s sponsor Rep. Liz Poirier (R-North Attleboro). “The advocates who are pushing for this new tax structure haven’t taken into consideration online retail sales tax collections, combined reporting and other major business tax policy changes that have been implemented over the last decade.” Supporters of the new tiering system said this sliding scale protects small businesses but also makes sure that Tues. March 3 No House session Fri. March 6 No House session large companies pay their share into the state’s transportation system. (The roll call was on striking the increase. Therefore a “Yes” vote is AGAINST the increase in the current $456 minimum corporate tax. A “No” vote is FOR the increase.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle No EXEMPT CITIES AND TOWNS FROM GAS TAX (H 4508) House 36-118, rejected an amendment that would exempt cities and towns’ vehicle fuel purchases from the state’s gas tax. Some state agencies are currently either exempt from the gas tax or receive a rebate, including regional transportation authorities, the MBTA, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and Massport. “Municipal budgets are already under an enormous strain, and this exemption would help to ease the fi nancial burden on cities and towns by freeing up resources they can allocate to support essential municipal services,” said Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading), the amendment’s sponsor. Opponents of the exemption said it would result in a loss of tax revenue and weakens the bill. They noted that cities and towns will be benefi ting from all the tax hikes, including the gas tax. They argued Chapter 90 funds for maintenance and repair of local roads and bridges will also increase by 50 percent. (A “Yes” vote is for the exemption. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle No HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK'S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature's job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of March 2-6, the House met for a total of 19 hours and 39 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 24 minutes. Mon. March 2 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Wed. March 4 House 11:58 a.m. to 8:29 p.m. Thurs. March 5 House 12:04 p.m. to 10:55 p.m. Senate 11:11 a.m. to 11:24 a.m. No Senate session No Senate session Senate 11:19 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com
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