19

THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2022 Page 19 BEACON | FROM Page 18 Also to qualify, if you are a homeowner, your property tax payments, together with half of your water and sewer expense, must exceed 10 percent of your total Massachusetts income for the tax year. If you are a renter, 25 percent of your annual Massachusetts rent must exceed 10 percent of your total Massachusetts income for the tax year. Amendment supporters said this will help seniors on fi xed incomes who are having a diffi cult time as infl ation and the cost of food and gas soar. Amendment opponents again said that this amendment is premature and urged the House not to act on tax reductions one at a time but instead to wait and consider Gov. Baker’s comprehensive tax reduction package which might be voted on in a few weeks. (A “Yes” vote is for the increased tax credit of $1,005. A “No” vote is against it). Rep. Jessica Giannino No GAS TAX SUSPENSION (H 4700) House 32-124, rejected an amendment that would have suspended the state’s 24-cents-pergallon gas tax for 60 days. The measure also requires the state to use money from its General Fund to cover transportation costs, normally funded by the gas tax, such as road and bridge maintenance, during the two-month holiday. “The gasoline tax relief would help individuals with the rising costs of transportation, groceries, goods and services,” said sponsor Rep. Paul Frost (R-Auburn). “Democrats and Republicans came together in Connecticut to temporarily eliminate their state gasoline tax and there is no reason we can’t provide that immediate relief for the residents and businesses here in Massachusetts.” Rep. William Straus (D-Mattapoisett) said the tax is currently paid by distributors, not directly by consumers at the pump. He noted that the amendment does not assure that the tax cut will be passed along to consumers. “If Rep. Straus is claiming the savings won’t be passed down to the consumer than that can be addressed through the attorney general or Rep. Straus could’ve offered a further amendment to address the issue when it was on the fl oor instead of making it an excuse not to vote for it,” responded Frost. “Rep. Straus wasn’t interested in making it work for Massachusetts residents or businesses but rather chose to grandstand against much needed tax and cost relief.” (A “Yes” vote is for the suspension of the gas tax. A “No” vote is against the suspension). Rep. Jessica Giannino No REDUCE GAMING TAX (S 2844) Senate 4-35 rejected an amendment that would reduce from 20 percent to 10 percent the gaming excise tax for in-person betting and from 35 percent to 12.5 percent the tax for mobile bets and daily fantasy sports. “This amendment creates a much more practical accounting for taxes that refl ects the market realities that are present in the sports wagering industry across the nation,” said amendment sponsor Sen. Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “If you want to have a successful sports wagering business in the commonwealth then the tax rates in the bill have to be more realistic and practical.” Senate Ways and Means chair Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport) urged senators to defeat the amendment. “One of the missions of this particular bill was to provide the best benefi t for the commonwealth’s citizens and taxpayers, not the best benefi t for the online gaming operators that want to work here.” (A Yes” vote is for the reduction. A “No” vote is against it). Sen. Lydia Edwards No PROHIBIT CREDIT CARD USE FOR SPORTS BETTING (S 2844) Senate 39-0, approved an amendment to a section of the sports betting bill that prohibits a credit card from being used to place bets. The amendment clarifi es that any use of credit, whether the credit card itself or some other third-party, is prohibited. Amendment supporters said that without the amendment, a consumer could link a credit card to an online payment system, such as PayPal, or use a credit card to purchase sports betting gift cards at retailers like 711, Walmart and various gas stations. “Prohibiting credit card use, particularly for those with a gambling addiction, will prevent consumers from going into insurmountable debt,” said amendment sponsor Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford). “If the commonwealth is going to allow this form of gambling, then we have a responsibility to protect the public by ensuring all forms of credit are not allowed. We cannot leave signifi cant consumer protections in the hands of a profit-driven industry, and this amendment ensures there are no credit loopholes for third-party payment methods like gift cards or online payment systems.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment). Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes 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 April 25-29, the House met for a total of 31 hours and 27 minutes and the Senate met for a total of nine hours and 42 minutes. Mon. April 25 House 11:01 a.m. to 8:54 p.m. Senate 11:16 a.m. to 1:42 p.m. Tues. April 26 House 11:00 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. No Senate session Wed. April 27 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. No Senate session Thurs. April 28 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:22 a.m. Senate 11:12 a.m. to 6:28 p.m. Fri. April 29 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association Hall of Fame in 2019. Specialized Moving Services That Help Seniors Downsize and Relocate Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend any businesses or services that specialize in helping seniors downsize and relocate? I need to fi nd some help moving my mother from her four-bedroom home – where she’s lived for nearly 50 years – to an apartment near me. Overwhelmed Daughter Dear Overwhelmed, The process of downsizing and moving to a new home is a big job for anyone, but it can be especially overwhelming for seniors who are moving from a long-time residence fi lled with decade’s worth of stuff and a lifetime of memories. Fortunately, there’s a specialized service available today that can help make your mom’s move a lot easier for her, and for you. Senior Move Manager To help your mom get packed up and moved into her new home, you should consider hiring a “senior move manager.” These are trained organizers (they are not moving companies) who assist older people with the challenges of relocating and can minimize the stress of this major transition by doing most of the work for you. A senior move manager can help your mom pare down her belongings, decide what to take and what to dispose of, recommend charities for donations and help sell her unwanted items. They can even create a customized fl oor plan of her new home so your mom can visualize where her belongings will fi t. Senior move managers can also get estimates from moving companies, oversee the movers, arrange the move date, supervise the packing and unpacking and help set up her new home, have the house cleaned and just about anything you need related to her move. If you want to do some of the work yourself, you can pick and choose only the services you want. For example, you may only want a move manager’s help with downsizing and selling excess furniture and unwanted belongings but plan on doing the actual packing and moving yourself. The cost of working with a senior move manager will vary depending on where you live, the services you want and size of the move, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $60 and $125 per hour or more, not including the cost of movers. How to Find One To locate a senior move manager in your area, visit the National Association of Senior Move Managers website at NASMM.org or call 877-6062766. The NASMM is a trade association with an accreditation program that requires its members to abide by a strict code of ethics that ensures integrity. They currently have around 1,000 members across the U.S. You can also search at Caring Transitions (CaringTransitions.com), which is the largest senior relocation and transition services franchised company in the U.S. They currently have nearly 200 franchises throughout the country. But, before you hire one, be sure you ask for references from previous clients and check them, and check with the Better Business Bureau too. Also fi nd out how many moves they have actually managed and get a written list of services and fees. And make sure they’re insured and bonded. If you can’t find a senior move manager in your area, another option is to hire a certified professional organizer who specializes in downsizing and relocating. To fi nd one, check the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, which has a searchable database on its website at NAPO.net. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

20 Publizr Home