The House and Senate: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week Beacon Hill Roll Call continues a series of report on how local legislators in 2017-2018 voted on roll calls raising, lowering or creating new taxes.
This week is part two of a two-part series of reports on House members’ votes on tax proposals.
A neighborhood can form a district with taxing power (H 4546): House 149-2, approved a local option bill allowing a city or town to authorize the creation of community benefit districts which would permit owners of contiguous property in a city or town to form a district and impose taxes to pay for additional services, improvements, events and other projects and activities within the district. The districts would be operated by a nonprofit board. The measure never received final approval by the House and Senate and it has been stuck in the Senate since July 18, 2018.
“Community benefit districts are another tool that municipalities can use to help grow their local economies and build good neighborhoods where people can live, work and play,” said the bill’s sponsor Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn). “This … will create opportunities in downtowns, main streets and town centers across the commonwealth.”
“The Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance believes that community benefit districts can be a game changer,” said Andre Leroux, executive director of the alliance. “Cities and towns in Massachusetts are struggling to maintain basic services for residents and businesses, much less provide the amenities that world-class, walkable places need to thrive. The bill establishes a way for communities to organize a public-private-nonprofit partnership to support their downtown, Main Street, cultural district, historic area or other important place. It’s really about empowering local people to tackle their own challenges.”
Rep. Denise Provost (D-Somerville), one of only two representatives to vote against the bill, said this new option allows certain property owners to create their own fiefdoms and the ability to assess other property owners for purposes determined by themselves. “These are the kind of activities for which local government exists,” said Provost. “Why would we want to have a class of … private, parallel quasi-governments to perform these functions? Is the democracy, transparency and accountability of local elected government a problem?”
“Homeowners, family-owned businesses and their employees could be negatively impacted by groups who manipulate or misuse the powers created under this bill that privatizes some of local government’s management and expense of tax dollars, community development and community services functions,” said Rep. Michelle DuBois (D-Brockton).
“Block by block they’re coming for taxpayers,” said Chip Ford, executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation. “Will the Legislature next propose also taxing us at the street level, then backyard by backyard? Today such speculation is not so far-fetched.”
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Stephen Kulik, Yes; Rep. Paul Mark, Yes; Rep. Susannah Whipps, Yes
2018 sales tax holiday (H 4714): House 127-18, approved an amendment allowing consumers to buy most products that cost under $2,500 on Saturday, Aug. 11, and Sunday, Aug. 12, without paying the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax. Supporters of the bill said the holiday, which has been in effect for many years, would boost retail sales and noted that consumers would save millions of dollars. They argued that the state’s sales tax revenue loss would be offset by increased revenue from the meals and gas tax revenue generated by shoppers on those two days. Some opponents of the bill said the state cannot afford the up to $30 million estimated revenue loss and argued the holiday actually generates little additional revenue for stores because consumers typically buy the products even without the tax-free days. They said that the Legislature should be looking at broader, deeper tax relief for individuals and businesses and not a tiny tax-free holiday. Others said that legislators should not vote for this tax holiday when they have not yet restored all the local aid, education and other important program cuts made over the past few years.
(A “Yes” vote is for the sales tax holiday. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Stephen Kulik, Yes; Rep. Paul Mark, Yes; Rep. Susannah Whipps, Yes
Allow amendments reducing the meals tax and sales tax (H 4640): House 116-34 and 115-35, upheld the ruling of Acting Speaker Paul Donato that amendments reducing the meals tax and sales tax from 6.25 percent to 5 percent are beyond the scope of a bill being debated in the House and will not be allowed on the House floor for debate and a vote. Supporters of the ruling said the ruling is correct because both amendments introduce a new subject that is not already part of the bill and bypass the legislative process. Opponents of the ruling said the bill deals with taxes and the amendments are appropriate because they also deal with taxes. They noted that on the sales tax reduction amendment, the bill specifically creates a sales tax holiday which clearly is directly related to an amendment to reduce the sales tax.
(A “Yes” vote is for the ruling of the chair. A “No” vote is against it. The first vote is on allowing debate on the meals tax reduction. The second vote is for allowing it on the sales tax reduction).
Rep. Stephen Kulik,Yes/Yes; Rep. Paul Mark, Yes/Yes; Rep. Susannah Whipps, Yes/Yes
More local aid for road and bridge repair: The Local Government Advisory Commission urged the House, Senate and the governor to approve giving cities and towns $300 million annually for local road and bridge repairs for several years. Last year the Senate initially approved a version providing $200 million annually for three years while the House approved a version providing $200 million for one year. The Senate eventually agreed with the House version of $200 million in one-time funding. The funding is a bond bill under which the $300 million annually would be borrowed by the state through the sale of bonds.
Finding lost life insurance policies: The state’s Insurance Division announced that in the past 12 months, it has matched Massachusetts consumers with $2.1 million in missing life insurance policies or annuities through the use of the national Life Insurance Policy Locator. The locator, created by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, has matched up 342 beneficiaries with $4.1 million in the Bay State since it was launched in November 2016. Participating insurers compare requests by a consumer with available policyholder information and report all matches to the state Insurance Division. If there is a match, consumers are contacted and “reunited” with their policy.
Ban elephant acts in circuses (H 418): A bill that would ban elephant acts from being used in traveling circuses and other shows in Massachusetts has been stuck in the House Ways and Means Committee since Oct. 17, 2017. The bill, which would fine violators between $5,000 and $10,000, had received a favorable report from the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture before being shipped over to House Ways and Means.
Ban all wild and exotic animals (S 490): A broader bill that would prohibit performances by any wild and exotic animals and impose up to a $5,000 fine on violators was shipped off to a study committee, which is the same as being rejected. Under the bill, exotic animals include zebras, camels, llamas, crocodiles, ostriches and many others.
Financial literacy (S 2374): A bill requiring the state to develop and allow cities and towns to institute a program to teach financial literacy to students in kindergarten to grade 12 has been stuck in the House Ways and Means Committee Since March 26, 2018. The measure was approved unanimously by the Senate on March 22, 2018 Topics covered would include understanding banking and financial services, loans, interest, credit cards, online commerce, renting or buying a home, balancing a checkbook, state and federal taxes and charitable giving.
Unsolicited credit cards and checks (H 169): A bill that would prohibit a consumer from being liable for any debt incurred by the unauthorized use, by someone other than the recipient, of unsolicited credit cards, checks and vouchers sent by banks was given initial approval by the House on June 23, 2017. These items, sent to consumers by banks and other financial institutions, can be used instantly but are actually loans which must be repaid. The bill is stuck in the Committee on Bills in Third Reading.
Window guards (H 2500): Also stuck in the Bills on Third Reading Committee is legislation that requires landlords to install window guards in all units of their buildings that have a window higher than six feet off the ground and in which a child under 10 years of age lives. The measure was given initial approval by the House on June 29, 2017. The measure also prohibits landlords from discriminating against potential renters who have children under ten and fines them from $250 to $500.
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 filed. 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 Nov. 12 through 16, the House met for a total of 1 hour and 3 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 4 hours and 34 minutes.
Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com.