THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, April 3, 2020 Page 11 House passes legislation to move state’s tax filing deadline, support municipal governments and local restaurants H ouse Speaker Robert DeLeo and State Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian along with their colleagues in the House of Representatives passed legislation to move the individual tax filing and payment deadline, support municipal government operations and allow beer and wine sales for takeout or delivery at restaurants. “As the COVID-19 public health crisis continues to evolve, the House responded again today to the growing needs of our communities, our businesses and our residents by easing burdens related to local permitting, extending the state’s tax deadline and giving restaurants more business opportunities,” said DeLeo. “Thank you to Chair Michlewitz and Chair O’Day for their leadership on these important issues.” “In my first week as a State Representative, I am glad to be able to support legislation that benefits the vibrant restaurant community in our District and provides the local governments of Malden, Melrose and Wakefield with needed flexibility during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Lipper-Garabedian. “I thank the House Leadership for its responsiveness to the needs of our communities.” The legislation would extend the individual state tax filing and payment deadline from April 15 to July 15. The legislation includes the following provisions: • Permits establishments licensed to sell alcohol for on-premises consumption to sell wine and beer via delivery and takeout provided the wine or beer is sold in the same transaction as a purchase of food and in a sealed container • Modifies local permitting processes, extending municipal tax deadlines and allowing municipalities to extend property tax exemptions and deferrals • Allows municipalities to activate qualified workers by suspending the cap on hours and compensation for certain retired employees for hours worked during the state of emergency. “This relief package will give administrative and economic relief to our restaurants, our cities and towns, and to the taxpayers of the Commonwealth,” said Representative Aaron Michlewitz, who is Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means (D-Boston). “As we continue to face the day-to-day effects of COVID-19, it is vital that we do all that we can to offer assistance to those in need.” “The bill has several provisions that give towns and municipalities the flexibility they need to allow for extending time frames for town meetings and assessing some kind of temporary leniency with paying taxes and late fees,” said Representative O’Day, who is Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (D-West Boylston). “I applaud the many adjustments that are addressed in this bill during these very trying times. On March 27, the Baker-Polito administration, Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka announced an agreement to extend the tax filing deadline. On March 30, the Senate amended the House’s bill regarding municipalities and COVID-19 and allowing restaurant beer and wine sales by takeout. Also on March 30, the House concurred in the amendment. ~ Letter to the Editor ~ Sen. Lewis seeks constituents’ input Dear Editor: I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well. As we continue to deal with the new reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to thank the doctors, nurses, other healthcare workers, first responders, public health officials, grocery store workers, truck drivers and everybody else who is working hard to save lives and help us all get through this crisis. Our government -- at the local, state and federal levels – continues to take the necessary steps to contain the spread of the virus and ensure that our healthcare providers can safely treat those who become seriously ill. Our top priorities are expanding testing, securing additional supplies of personal protective equipment and expanding hospital bed capacity. We are also taking the necessary steps to mitigate the social and economic harm resulting from this pandemic, by moving quickly and aggressively to support workers, small businesses, non-profits, municipalities and others who are facing significant disruptions and hardship. My office has compiled two resource guides that I hope residents will find helpful – one for individuals and the other for small businesses and non-profit organizations. Links to both documents can be found on my Facebook page at facebook.com/SenJasonLewis. We also need your feedback to help us best respond to the public health and economic impacts of this crisis. Please take a few minutes to complete a survey that we have created, which can be found at bit.ly/LewisCOVIDsurvey. I encourage you to contact my office at Jason.Lewis@ masenate.gov or call 617-7221206 if you need assistance or information, or want to bring an issue to our attention. We are working remotely based on advice from public health officials, but we will respond as quickly as possible. We continue to work very closely with municipal and state officials to serve our communities during these challenging times. Sincerely, Senator Jason Lewis Space for Lease 3 Large Rooms, each with Large Walk-in Storage Area. or Aerobics Studio. Located at Route 1 South at Walnut Street. Rollerworld Plaza, Route 1 South, 425 Broadway, Saugus. Call Michelle at: 781-233-9507 One Call Does It All! 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