By Bob Katzen

House 25-132, rejected an amendment that would reduce the state’s income tax rate from 5 percent to 4 percent.

Amendment sponsor Rep. Marc Lombardo said that this is another attempt to make the state more affordable and more competitive. He noted that too many residents, including working families and seniors on fixed incomes, are feeling the pressure of rising costs, and businesses and residents are fleeing Massachusetts.

Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick) said that he recognizes that this amendment would lower the state tax rate for personal taxable income and thus lower tax costs, but noted “it must not go unsaid that such cuts would disproportionately benefit the ultra-wealthy while forcing the commonwealth to cut the programs that our communities rely on to survive.” Linsky continued, “The implementation [of the reduction] would result in a $5.1 billion revenue loss to the commonwealth, a loss that would force severe cuts to the resources our residents depend on: our public schools, our police and fire departments, our hospitals and nursing homes, and all in the immediate aftermath of the Trump administration’s reduction in state funding. As such, this would be a deeply irresponsible step for us to take.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment reducing the income tax to 4 percent. A “No” vote is against reducing it.)

Rep. Christine Barber No Rep. Mike Connolly No Rep. Paul Donato No Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven No