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Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, NOVEmbEr 18, 2022 If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall. com or call us at (617) 7201562. Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 47 - Report No. 45 November 7-11, 2022 Copyright © 2022 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved. By Bob Katzen 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: Democratsmaintained their super majorities in the House and SenateThe 2023-2024 160-member House legislative session will begin on January 4, 2023, with 132 or 133 Democrats, 26 or 27 Republicans and one unenrolled, with no party affi liation. One seat is still up for grabs as a winner has not yet been declared. The 40-member Senate will open with 37 Democrats and 3 Republicans. In the meantime, the 2022 session continues. Democrat Maura Healey will take over the governor’s offi ce in January following last week’s victory over Republican Geoff Diehl. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. While the Legislature did provide signifi cant tax relief this year, there were also several unsuccessful attempts in April and July by the Republicans to reduce taxes even further. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reviews six of these unsuccessful attempts in the House to reduce taxes. REDUCE ESTATE/DEATH TAX (H 4700) House 30-126, rejected an amendment that would exempt the fi rst $2 million of the value of a person’s estate from the state’s estate/death tax that a person is required to pay following their death before distribution to any benefi ciary. Under current law, only the fi rst $1 million is exempt. Under the current $1 million threshold and under the proposed $2 million threshold, the tax on anything over the threshold is a graduated one that ranges from 0.8 percent to 16 percent. This tax applies to the entire estate value, not just the portion above the threshold. Most Republicans are against any such tax and coined the name “death tax” to imply that the government taxes you even after you die. Most Democrats support the tax and call it an “estate tax” to imply that this tax is only paid by the wealthy. Amendment supporters said that in light of the high value of houses, with the average home price more than $500,000, the $1 million threshold of this “unfair and regressive” tax is too low and noted the federal tax exempts the fi rst $12 million. They noted that Massachusetts is losing many residents, who move to Florida and other states where this tax does not even exist. Amendment opponents said that this proposed tax reduction is one of many that are included in a separate stand-alone piece of legislation fi led by Gov. Charlie Baker. They argued the amendment is premature and that the House should not act on this or any other tax reduction piecemeal here in the state budget but rather should wait until the Revenue Committee holds public hearing on the governor’s package as a whole. (A “Yes” vote is for exempting the fi rst $2 million of the value of a person’s estate from the state’s estate/death tax. A “No” vote is against exempting it). Rep. Jessica Giannino No Rep. Donald Wong Yes REDUCE CAPITAL GAINS TAX FROM 12 PERCENT TO 5 PERCENT (H 4700) House 29-127, rejected an amendment that would reduce the short-term capital gains tax from 12 percent to 5 percent. Amendment supporters said this will help investors in Massachusetts keep up with mounting infl ation. They asked why the capital gains or any tax imposed should be charged at a higher rate than earned income, especially considering the multi-billions in historic revenue surpluses. 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 reducing the capital gains tax from 12 percent to 5 percent. A “No” vote is against the reduction). Rep. Jessica Giannino No Rep. Donald Wong Yes INCREASE TAX BREAK FOR SENIORS (H 4700) House 31-125, rejected an amendment that would increase by $1,005 (from $750 to $1,755) the maximum tax credit which seniors over 65 who qualify, can receive under the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit Law. The law applies to seniors with homes valued at less than $884,000 and who earn $62,000 or less for a single individual who is not the head of a household; $78,000 for a head of household; and $93,000 for married couples fi ling a joint return. 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 Rep. Donald Wong Yes GAS TAX SUSPENSION (H 4700) House 32-124, rejected an amendment that would have suspended the state’s 24-cents-per-gallon 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. Amendment supporters said that gas tax relief would help individuals with the rising costs of gas, transportation, groceries, goods and services. Amendment opponents said the tax is currently paid by distributors, not directly by consumers at the pump. They noted that the amendment does not assure that the tax cut will be passed along to consumers. (A “Yes” vote is for the temporary suspension of the gas tax. A “No” vote is against the suspension). Rep. Jessica Giannino No Rep. Donald Wong Yes FARM FUEL TAX REBATE (H 4700) House 29-127, rejected an amendment that would provide a tax rebate to farmers for the cost of fuel taxes paid for the operation of farm equipment from July 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022. Amendment supporters said the rebate will help hardworking farmers during this diffi cult economic time. They noted it will also help combat food shortages. Amendment opponents said this rebate is a new idea and should be fi led as a separate bill in order to hold public hearings on the measure. (A “Yes” vote is for the rebate. A “No” vote is against it). Rep. Jessica Giannino No Rep. Donald Wong Yes $4.2 BILLION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE AND TAX CUTS (H 5077) House 154-0, approved and sent to the Senate a $4.2 billion economic development package which provides $500 million one-time tax rebates to an estimated 2 million eligible people. A $250 rebate would go, by September 30, to individual taxpayers and a $500 rebate to married taxpayers. Eligibility will be determined by annual income reported in 2021, with the minimum income required to be $38,000, and the maximum $100,000 for individual fi lers and $150,000 for joint fi lers. Beginning in 2023, several permanent tax reductions would take effect including increasing the Child and Dependent Care Credit from $180 per child to $310 per child, as well as eliminating the current cap of $360 for two or more children; increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit from 30 percent to 40 percent of the federal credit; increasing the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit from $750 to $1,755; increasing the rental deduction cap from $3,000 to $4,000; and increasing the estate tax threshold from $1 million to $2 million. Supporters said this onetime stimulus program, along with the Essential Premium Pay Program from earlier this year, means that nearly three million residents will have received direct payments totaling nearly $1 billion this year. They noted the package also includes making permanent changes to the state’s tax system that will provide over $500 million in relief every year going forward.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill). Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Donald Wong Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL PRESERVE OPEN SPACE (S H 5381) – The House and Senate approved and sent to Gov. Charlie Baker a conference committee version of a bill that would place into state law a current state policy regulation designed to ensure preservation of open space lands protected under Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution by ensuring there be no net loss of conservation land when a city, town or the state acquires conservation space and uses it to build on or develop. The land must be replaced with land of comparable acreage, location, fair market value and natural resource value. The measure includes a provision that allows for a cash payment in lieu of replacement land, provided that the payment amount is no less than 110 percent of the value of the land and the money is used to purchase replacement land within three years. The House and Senate approved different versions of the measure in July. It took four months for a conference committee version to be hammered out and approved last week. “I am extremely proud that an agreement has been reached between the House and Senate on the landmark Public Land Preservation Act which will strengthen the state’s commitment to ensuring that there is no net loss of open space in the commonwealth,” said Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton), the bill’s sponsor. “With the passage of the Public Lands Preservation Act today, our public lands and open spaces will be preserved and protected for current and future generations to come,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means … “The preservation of our most important public lands, farms, recreational areas, drinking water supply lands, sensitive wildlife habitats, forests and other conservation and open space lands is criti

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