BOSTON’S MEDICAL, educational, and cultural nonprofit institutions have taken a huge financial hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of them continued to make voluntary tax payments to the city this year. Twenty-four of the 47 nonprofits assessed by the city as part of its payment-in-lieu-of-taxes program paid about the same amount as they did […]
Taxes and Budget Issues
Posted inOpinion
Baker’s ‘miracle budget’ doesn’t rise to the occasion
THE UNVEILING of Gov. Charlie Baker’s revised fiscal year 2021 budget raised eyebrows. Some called it a “miracle budget” because he proposed a balanced budget without large-scale cuts and — notably — without raising taxes. To be clear, raising taxes on families and businesses already facing financial hardship is not the right thing to do […]
Posted inThe Download
Baker budget packed with policy proposals
Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday he understands why lawmakers are taking a long time to negotiate the bills currently pending in conference committees, covering topics from police reform to economic development to health care to transportation. “They all passed bills that were conceptually consistent with each other but had a heck of a lot of […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker budget packed with policy proposals
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said Wednesday he understands why lawmakers are taking a long time to negotiate the bills currently pending in conference committees, covering topics from police reform to economic development to health care to transportation. “They all passed bills that were conceptually consistent with each other but had a heck of a lot of […]
Posted inThe Download
Is menthol cigarette ban still a smart move?
Last November, amid a national outbreak of vaping-related illnesses, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including mint and menthol cigarettes. The measure was hailed by public health advocates as a life-saving measure to stop young people from becoming addicted to tobacco. But convenience store […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Is menthol cigarette ban still a smart move?
LAST NOVEMBER, amid a national outbreak of vaping-related illnesses, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including mint and menthol cigarettes. The measure was hailed by public health advocates as a life-saving measure to stop young people from becoming addicted to tobacco. But convenience store […]
Posted inThe Download
Where is the $1.1b in federal funds going?
The Legislature may control the purse strings – but Gov. Charlie Baker holds the purse. That Beacon Hill truism was on display clearly in a report Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael Heffernan wrote to the chairs of the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees on Wednesday. The report, required by statute, detailed how […]
Posted inUncategorized
Where is the state’s $1.1b in federal funds going?
THE LEGISLATURE may control the purse strings – but Gov. Charlie Baker holds the purse. That Beacon Hill truism was on display clearly in a report Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael Heffernan wrote to the chairs of the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees on Wednesday. The report, required by statute, detailed how […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Senate leader sees $5b revenue downturn
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE DESPITE SIGNS that the state’s finances have not completely cratered during the pandemic, the Senate’s top budget official said this week he anticipates tax collections in fiscal 2021 to be down $5 billion from last year, and said lawmakers will need to dip “deeply” into the state’s $3.5 billion “rainy day” […]
Posted inUncategorized
Despite pandemic, state tax revenues hold steady
DESPITE A PANDEMIC and record unemployment, Massachusetts tax revenues in August continued to hold fairly steady compared to last year. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue reported on Friday that an apples-to-apples comparison shows tax revenues in August 2020 were down only $7 million, or .4 percent, compared to the same month a year ago. For […]