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Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 By Bob Katzen If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562 GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and infl uence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced writers Keith Regan and Matt Murphy who introduce each article in their own clever and inimitable way. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https://lp.constantcontactpages. com/su/aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes from the week of October 2-6. All Senate roll calls are on overriding Gov. Maura Healey’s veto of several items in the fi scal 2024 budget. The House already overrode the vetoes. EMPLOYERS MUST DISCLOSE A SALARY RANGE WHEN POSTING A JOB (H 4109) House 148-8 approved and sent to the Senate a bill, dubbed the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act, which would require employers with 25 or more employees to disclose a salary range when posting a job position. Supporters said that in the Greater Boston area in 2021, women on average were paid 70 cents for every dollar earned by a man. They noted this gap widens among communities of color, where Black and Latina women have the highest gender and racial wage gaps of 51 and 55 cents, respectively. “With the passage of this legislation, the House takes bold action to empower workers, reduce persistent gender and racial wage gaps and help businesses attract and retain talent,” said chief sponsor Rep. Josh Cutler (D-Duxbury), House chair of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. ”Pay transparency is good policy for employees and employers alike.” “As House vice chair of the Women’s Caucus, I can attest to the dedication and hard work behind the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act from leaders throughout Massachusetts,” said Rep. Christine Barber (D-Somerville). “Signifi cant gender and racial wage gaps continue to exist today and this legislation takes concrete steps to ensure that women get fair wages to create pay equity in the commonwealth.” “I voted against [the bill] because I was concerned about the mandates it would have imposed on Massachusetts businesses, especially small businesses, which I do not believe were adequately resolved by the fi nal bill,” said Rep. Steve Xiarhos (R-Barnstable). “Imposing undue burdens on small businesses stifl es their ability to grow and invest back into their employees and communities,” said Rep. Nick Boldyga (R-Southwick), another opponent of the measure. “These progressive mandates threaten the state’s economic vitality and hinder the entrepreneurial spirit.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes $1 MILLION FOR HEADSTART PROGRAMS (H 4040) Senate 38-0, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of $1 million (reducing funding from $17.5 million to $16.5 million) in funding for grants to Head Start programs. “I am reducing this item to the amount projected to be necessary,” said Healey in her veto message. “The adjusted funding level proposed here is consistent with the fi scal year 2023 General Appropriations Act and sustains signifi cant expansion to this line-item in recent fi scal years.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $1 million.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes $1.4 MILLION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION SERVICES (H 4040) Senate 38-0, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of $1.4 million (reducing funding from $1.8 million to $400,000) in funding for suicide prevention programs. “I am reducing this item to an amount consistent with my House [budget]... recommendation,” said Healey in her veto message. “The program goals are sufficiently funded through an expansion in the Suicide Prevention and Intervention … line item. (A “Yes” vote is for the $1.4 million.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes $250,000 FOR PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH (H 4040) Senate 38-0, overrode Gov. Healy’s veto of $250,000 (reducing funding from $1.25 million to $1 million) in funding for prostate cancer research. “I am reducing this item to the amount projected to be necessary,” said Healey in her veto message. “This will allow the program to continue its current level of services.” (A “Yes” vote is for $250,000.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes $250,000 FOR PARENT-CHILD PLUS PROGRAM (H 4040) Senate 37-1, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of $250,000 (reducing funding from $4,250,000 to $4,000,000) in funding for the Parent-Child Plus Program. According to its website, “The goals of this intensive, evidence-based home visiting model are to promote school readiness and academic success by strengthening parent-child verbal interaction and reading and play activities in the home.” “I am reducing this item to the amount projected to be necessary,” said Healey in her veto message. “The adjusted funding level proposed here is consistent with the fi scal year 2023 General Appropriations Act and sustains signifi cant expansion to this line-item in recent fi scal years.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $250,000. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes $880,000 FOR MASSACHUSETTS SERVICE ALLIANCE (H 4040) Senate 37-1, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of $880,000 (reducing funding from $2,280,000 to $1,400,000) in funding for the Massachusetts Service Alliance. According to its website, the Massachusetts Service Alliance is a “private, nonprofit … organization, established in 1991, that expands volunteerism and service in Massachusetts. It provides funding, training and support to individuals and organizations, enabling them to tackle pressing issues, strengthen communities, and make our commonwealth a better place to live.” “I am vetoing this item because it is not consistent with my House [budget] … recommendation,” said Healey in her veto message. “This is a passthrough and will not impact core Executive Offi ce of Labor and Workforce Development programming.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $880,000 million. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Lydia Edwards the tax for all estates under $2 million by allowing a uniform credit of $99,600; increasing the refundable tax credit for a dependent child, disabled adult or senior from $180 to $310 per dependent in taxable year 2023, and then to $440 in subsequent years while eliminating the child/dependent cap; doubling the refundable senior circuit breaker tax credit from $1,200 to $2,400; increasing the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit from 30 percent to 40 percent of the federal credit; and reducing the shortterm capital gains tax rate from 12 percent to 8.5 percent. Other provisions double the lead paint tax credit to $3,000 for full abatement and $1,000 for partial abatement; ensure that employer student loan payments are not treated as taxable compensation; make public transit fares, as well as ferry and regional transit passes and bike commuter expenses, eligible for the commuter expense tax deduction; increase from $1,500 to $2,000 the maximum that municipalities may pay seniors to do volunteer work to reduce their property taxes; raise the annual authorization for the low income housing tax credit from $40 million to $60 million; and allow cities and towns to adopt a local property tax exemption for affordable real estate that is rented by a person whose income is less than a certain level set by the municipality. The measure also includes two provisions which the Mass Fiscal Alliance says will result in tax hikes. One would require Massachusetts married couples who fi le income tax returns jointly at the federal level to do the same at the state level. The other changes the system under Chapter 62F that requires that annual tax revenue above a certain amount collected by the state go back to the taxpayers. Under current law, the money is returned to taxpayers based on what he or she earned and paid in taxes. The new tax package changed that and provides that each taxpayer will receive a fl at rate refund, unrelated to what they earned or paid in taxes. “We are thrilled to deliver on Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL GOV. MAURA HEALEY SIGNS TAX RELIEF PACKAGE (H 4104) - Gov. Healey signed into law the conference committee version of a tax relief package. It was drafted and approved by the Legislature as a compromise to the diff erent versions approved by the House and Senate. Supporters say this will provide $561.3 million in tax relief in fi scal year 2024 and $1.02 billion per year in subsequent years. Provisions include increasing the rental deduction cap from $3,000 to $4,000; reducing the estate tax for all taxpayers and eliminating our promise to pass tax cuts that will result in real savings for the people of Massachusetts, including the country’s largest child and family tax credit that will go back in the pockets of parents and caregivers,” said Gov. Healey. “Everywhere we go, we hear about how people are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living. This tax package delivers savings for those who need it most, while making long overdue changes that will better allow Massachusetts to compete with other states.” “The High Tech Council appreciates the eff ort Gov. Healey and the Legislature put into this fi rst step towards addressing the state’s tax outlier status,” said High Tech Council President Chris Anderson. “Unfortunately, the fi nal tax ‘relief’ legislation falls short of delivering the meaningful change needed, as it includes both an expansion of the voter-approved income surtax and an unconstitutional redistribution of income through changes to the voter-approved Chapter 62F rebate formula.” Anderson concluded, “The High Tech Council looks forward to collaborating with Gov. Healey, her cabinet and legislators across the commonwealth who are committed to defending and strengthening our business climate and the associated high quality of life it brings to Massachusetts residents.” “These tax cuts translate to real money back in the pockets of the people of Massachusetts every single year,” said Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. “Families, seniors, renters, businesses and commuters will see hundreds of dollars in savings each year. Gov. Healey and I look forward to spreading the word across the state that savings are here for the people of Massachusetts.” “The modest tax relief package signed by the governor is nothing more than modest, it’s at best an adjustment for infl ation,” said Paul Craney, spokesman for the Mass Fiscal Alliance. “If the goal was to pass a piece of legislation that would make Massachusetts more economically competitive, keep taxpayers here or attract taxpayers to Massachusetts, then this tax relief package is not nearly enough.” Craney continued, ”In reality, after this tax relief package is passed into law, Massachusetts goes from the state with the highest short term capital gains tax in the country to the second highest. Massachusetts goes from the state with the most aggressive estate tax in the country to now only better than Oregon and Rhode Island. Meanwhile, states like New Hampshire and Florida don’t even have these taxes. Taxpayers should hold their applause until the governor and Statehouse leaders do more.” “When Massachusetts’ middleclass families succeed, we all succeed—and that is exactly what this tax relief bill will help us do,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (DAshland). “This legislation answers the calls that we have heard from people around the state, saying that their costs are rising, they cannot fi nd housing and it’s becoming hard to operate a business. It puts real dollars back into the bank accounts of working families, relieves fi nancial strains for our young professionals, puts meaningful incentives into developing aff ordable housing and will keep our state competitive for businesses who will invest in our workforce.” EQUITY IN EDUCATION EVENT - What can our business, political and education leaders do differently to connect Black and Latino students to pathways to careers that our thriving life sciences, BEACON | SEE Page 22

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