THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate last week.

This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reviews local senators' votes from the 2009-2010 session on ten key proposals to increase or reduce taxes.

HIKE SALES TAX FROM 5 PERCENT TO 6.25 PERCENT (S 3)

Senate 29-10, approved a 25 percent hike in the state's sales tax. The hike increased the 5 percent sales tax to 6.25 percent. The sales tax on meals would be exempt from the hike and would remain at 5 percent.

(A "Yes" vote is for raising the sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent. A "No" vote is against the hike.)

Sen. Robert Hedlund, No                                      

RAISE INCOME TAX FROM 5.3 PERCENT TO 5.95 PERCENT (S 3)

Senate 11-28, rejected an amendment raising the state's income tax from 5.3 percent to 5.95 percent. The proposal was offered as an alternative to raising the sales tax.

(A "Yes" vote is for the hike to 5.95 percent. A "No" vote is against the hike.)

Sen. Robert Hedlund, No                                      

RAISE GAS TAX BY 19 OR 11 CENTS PER GALLON (S 3)

Senate 6-34, rejected an amendment raising the state's gas tax by 19 cents per gallon, from the current 21 cents to 40 cents. The Senate 9-30, also rejected an amendment raising the state's gas tax by 11 cents per gallon to 32 cents.

(Both roll calls are listed. The first is on the 19 cents hike. The second is on the 11 cents hike. On both roll calls, a "Yes" vote is for the hike. A "No" vote is against the hike).

Sen. Robert Hedlund, No/No                                   

ALLOW CITIES AND TOWNS TO ADOPT LOCAL MEALS AND HOTEL TAX (S 3)

Senate 33-6, approved a proposal to allow cities and towns, by a vote of the town meeting or city council, to impose up to a 2 percent new local meals tax.

The Senate 34-5, also approved a proposal to allow communities to raise the current 4 percent (4.5 percent in Boston) local hotel/motel tax by up to 2 percent.

(The first roll call is on the meals tax. The second is on the hotel/motel tax. On both roll calls, a "Yes" vote is for allowing communities to impose the tax. A "No" vote is against allowing it.)

Sen. Robert Hedlund, No/No                                   

REPEAL 6.25 PERCENT TAX ON ALCOHOL SOLD AT PACKAGE STORES (S 2495)

Senate 13-24, rejected a proposal to eliminate the new 6.25 percent sales tax on alcohol. The tax was approved and signed into law in July 2009 and imposes the tax on liquor, wine and beer purchased at package stores.

(A "Yes" vote is for repealing the tax. A "No" vote is against repealing it.)

Sen. Robert Hedlund, Yes                                     

ABOLISH ESTIMATED $100 MILLION CORPORATE TAX BREAK (S 3)

Senate 7-32, rejected an amendment to halt the scheduled lowering of the corporate excise tax rate from 9.5 percent to 8.75 percent. The planned reduction was approved in 2008 as part of a package passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick. The 2008 package was expected to raise $482 million in new tax revenues by making changes both increasing and decreasing various corporate taxes.

(A "Yes" vote is for the higher 9.5 percent rate. A "No" vote is for the lower 8.75 percent rate.)

Sen. Robert Hedlund, No                                      

TAX CREDIT FOR JOB CREATION (S 3)

Senate 7-32, rejected an amendment that would provide a tax break to small businesses for each job they create in Massachusetts. The funds would come from a transfer of $100 million from the existing Massachusetts Life Sciences

Fund to a newly created Massachusetts Job Creation Fund.

(A "Yes" vote is for the tax credit for job creation and for funding it with $100 million from the life sciences industry. A "No" vote is against the tax credit and against the $100 million funding.)

Sen. Robert Hedlund, Yes                                     

DELAY SALES TAX BREAK FOR CAR BUYERS (S 3)

Senate 35-4, approved a measure that would delay the    implementation of a proposed reduction from 5 percent to 3 percent in the sales tax on automobiles and other motor vehicles purchased for the next six months. The delay would prevent the reduction from taking effect until the Department of Revenue studies the economic impact of the freeze and submits a report. Approval of the delay also precluded a vote on the tax reduction itself.

   (A "Yes" vote is for the amendment replacing the tax cut with a study. A "No" vote is against the study and favors the tax cut.)

Sen. Robert Hedlund, No                                      

MAKE MORE SENIORS ELIGIBLE FOR TAX BREAK (S 3)

Senate 11-28, rejected an amendment making changes that would allow more seniors over 65 to qualify for the state's "senior circuit breaker" tax credit. Current law offers up to a $930 state income tax credit for qualified seniors whose annual property tax combined with 50 percent of their water and sewer bill is more than 10 percent of their total income.  

(A "Yes" vote is for allowing more seniors over 65 to qualify for the $930 tax credit. A "No" vote is against allowing it.)

Sen. Robert Hedlund, Yes                                     

FREEZE UNEMPLOYMENT TAX (H 4470)

Senate 35-0, approved a House-approved bill freezing the unemployment insurance tax paid by employers at the current 2009 level through 2010 instead of allowing an automatic scheduled increase to take effect. The payments go into a fund that provides benefits to laid-off workers. Without the freeze, it is estimated that the average employer contribution to the fund would jump $300 - from $584 to $884 per employee.

   (A "Yes" vote is for the bill.)

Sen. Robert Hedlund, Yes                                     

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

STOP WELFARE RECIPIENTS FROM BUYING LIQUOR AND CIGARETTES WITH STATE MONEY (H 4830) - Democrats and Republicans are both accusing each other of slowing progress on a bill that would prohibit welfare recipients from buying alcohol and cigarettes with state-funded electronic benefits cards. The bill gained some momentum after the Boston Herald reported that $392 million in welfare funds was given to welfare recipients via ATMs and noted they are able to spend it without restrictions.

Republicans say they will continue to hold up action on the bill through parliamentary tactics because the Democratic leadership is not open to any GOP amendments.

Democrats accused the Republicans of being irresponsible by holding up the bill and letting this outrageous practice continue.

ALLOW ARCHITECTS TO PLACE LIENS (S 2512) - The House approved a bill allowing architects, professional engineers and land surveyors to place liens on properties when they are not paid by the homeowner.

Supporters said this would simply give these professionals the same lien rights that are currently enjoyed by builders. They noted that many of these professionals do not get paid in full and their only recourse is a lengthy and often unsuccessful lawsuit.

The Senate has approved a different version of the measure. The House version now goes to the Senate for consideration.

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS (H 4940) - The House sent to the House Ways and Means Committee a bill creating a special 15-member commission to investigate and study the state's college scholarship system. The commission would focus on better preparing students for college and providing scholarships for those with little or no family history of college attendance.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

"I don't support (Senate candidate) Katherine Clark because she's my aunt and a whore. I'm just kidding. She's not my aunt."

–– Comedian Lenny Clarke (no relation to Rep. Katherine Clark) at a fundraiser for Republican Craig Spadafora who is running against Democrat Katherine Clark for State Senate.

"The statement in Mr. Clarke's 'act' was degrading, slanderous and sexist, and offensive to all men and women who would not tolerate the use of such ugly language about women."

–– Priti Rao, executive director of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus.

"On behalf of my campaign, I apologize to anyone who was offended. As a husband and a father to a one-year-old daughter, I do not condone Mr. Clarke’s joke that refers to Katherine Clark in a derogatory manner. Mr. Clarke gave me no advance notice that he would be using such material. If he had, I would have asked him not to use the joke."

–– Craig Spadafora

Beacon Hill Roll Call

Volume 36-Report No. 42

October 22, 2010

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