Dems still far apart on economic development bill
Photo | Courtesy of Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts State House
Talks between the House and Senate around economic development and tax relief have continued since formal sessions ended early on Aug. 1 but the sides remain far apart and, according to Senate President Karen Spilka, House leaders last weekend rejected the latest proposals.
Spilka told the News Service that she thinks it is imperative that the Legislature finish its work on the economic development bill that included a $1 billion tax relief proposal and said the House rejected Senate proposals shared last weekend.
"I believe that we need to get tax relief and economic development done. We are willing to do whatever is necessary to get it done," the Senate president said. She later added, "But we need the bill to come from the House and I believe that that's what we need to do now."
The Senate president said she thinks both tax relief and the broader economic development bill could get done in informal sessions. Roll call votes cannot be taken and the objections of a single lawmakers can derail legislation during informals, but support for the bills also runs deep in both branches.
"I believe that economic development bill will help almost every single resident of the Commonwealth not just the members of the House or the Senate, but people who need housing people who are food insecure people who need child care, people who are concerned about climate change. There's so many different things that need to be done," Spilka said. "We need to do it now."
A short while later, House Speaker Ronald Mariano told reporters that the economic development bill is "a long way from being finalized. So we will continue to negotiate that." He also said that "we know there's some things in there that we all agree on, and we could just move right through those things."
But asked why the economic development conference committee has not yet moved those items to the House floor for a vote, Mariano said, "Because no one's signed off on the agreements yet. As we come to agreement, then we can sign off and send them out."
The economic development bills are pending before a six-person, House-Senate conference committee that meets only in private.
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