A year ago, with the Massachusetts economy hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, state lawmakers thought they would need to close a budget gap of $5 billion to $8 billion.
State Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, chairs the Senate revenue working group, and he was asked to shift that groupâs work to focus on ways for the state to bring in additional tax dollars, he told The Eagle.
âEverything,â he said, was on the table so that the state could avoid spending cuts.
A year later, the House and Senate have passed budgets for fiscal years 2021 and 2022 that avoided significant revenue proposals. Better-than-expected tax collections, a withdrawal from the ârainy dayâ fund and a new round of federal assistance, lawmakers said, helped fill in the gaps.
While the House and Senate have each passed versions of a $47.7 billion state budget, some advocates believe that lawmakers’ most significant spending decisions have yet to be made.
By Mia McCarthy, Reporter Correspondent
May 27, 2021
Mia McCarthy, Reporter Correspondent
Boston’s mayoral candidates discussed labor issues – including affordable housing, universal childcare, and reviving Boston’s hospitality industry – during a mayoral forum hosted by the Greater Boston Labor Council last Thursday.
Moderated by Darlene Lombos, the council’s executive secretary-treasurer, the event featured questions from local workers across different sectors, from plumbing to healthcare.
Six candidates participated, including Acting Mayor Kim Janey, City Councillors Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu, state Rep. Jon Santiago, and former City of Boston Economic Development chief John Barros.
The candidates all of whom have secured a spot on September’s preliminary ballot generally agreed on topics. They were first asked about how they would create both “good jobs and good homes” as mayor.
Most Mass. voters see value of surtax on richest residents
The May 19 op-ed “No going back to ‘Taxachusetts’ ” deprives readers of essential context and facts. Yes, state tax revenues rebounded more quickly than expected that means they probably will have remained all but flat for two years when adjusted for inflation. That’s nothing to crow about. Moreover, this lackluster performance was made possible only through massive but temporary federal aid to families and businesses to support incomes, employment, and consumer spending.
The Commonwealth also will receive billions in temporary federal support. These dollars will allow the state to pay for near-term COVID-19-related recovery and make a down payment on desperately needed, transformational public investments in education and transportation. These investments then can be sustained by the Fair Share surtax on multimillion-dollar incomes, after the federal dollars disappear.