By Bob Katzen
April 14, 2008 03:10 am BOSTON — Here's how local legislators were recorded on major roll-call votes the week of April 7: HOUSE 1. $3.5 BILLION TRANSPORTATION PACKAGE (H 4637) — Voting 115-41, the House approved the Senate version of a $3.5-billion transportation package to improve state and local roads, bridges and public transportation. The measure includes $1.6 billion in state funds that would leverage another $1.9 billion in federal funds. The Senate version contains several major changes that were not in the original House plan but that the House adopted on this roll call. These revisions include requiring state officials to develop a plan and regulations to use civilian flagmen instead of police officers to direct traffic on construction and repair projects on secondary roads while continuing to use police officers on major roads and highways; directing the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to consider abolishing the use of human toll collectors and use only less expensive automated systems; and requiring MBTA and Massachusetts Turnpike Authority employees who retire after Dec. 31, 2008, to pay the same portion of their health insurance that state employees pay. Currently, the MBTA and Turnpike Authority pay 100 percent of their retirees' health insurance. Supporters said that it was important to approve this package quickly in order for the state to meet federal deadlines that would ensure receipt of an estimated $1.9 billion in federal transportation dollars. They noted that long overdue reforms on police details and health insurance premiums would save millions of dollars. Some opponents said that the major changes in police details and health insurance premiums should be the subject of separate proposals that have public hearings and should not be approved in this bill just because the Senate added them. Some said that they simply oppose using flagmen and argued that it would make the roads less safe; others said that the reforms do not go far enough. The House and Senate later gave final approval to the package and sent it to Gov. Deval Patrick. A yes vote was in favor of the $3.5 billion transportation package.
Rep. Lori Ehrlich — Yes Rep. Mary Grant — Yes Rep. Bradford Hill — No Rep. Bradley Jones — Yes Rep. John Keenan — Yes Rep. Barbara L'Italien — Yes Rep. Theodore Speliotis — Yes Rep. Joyce Spiliotis — No
2. $392 MILLION TAX HIKE (H 4656) — The House approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would raise $392 million in new tax revenues. The measure hikes the cigarette tax $1 per pack (from $1.51 to $2.51) and makes several changes in corporate tax laws. Some of the changes increase taxes on corporations while others offer these corporations some tax reductions. Supporters said that the package is a fair and balanced one that closes corporate tax loopholes but also helps the corporations with some reasonable tax cuts. They argued that the $392 million is needed to close the state's $1-billion budget shortfall without raising broad-based taxes or making drastic cuts in important programs. Opponents said that the cigarette tax hike is outrageous and would hurt low-income smokers and small mom-and-pop stores that are struggling to make ends meet. They argued that the closing of so-called "loopholes" is nothing more than new taxes in disguise and would hurt the state's businesses and cost jobs. A yes vote was in favor of the $392-million tax hike.
Rep. Lori Ehrlich — Yes Rep. Mary Grant — Yes Rep. Bradley Jones — No Rep. John Keenan — Yes Rep. Barbara L'Italien — Yes Rep. Theodore Speliotis — Yes Rep. Joyce Spiliotis — Yes
3. ELIMINATE CIGARETTE TAX HIKE (H 4656) — By a vote of 49-105, the House rejected an amendment that would strike the section of the tax bill that raises the tax on cigarettes by $1 per pack (from $1.51 to $2.51). The most recent hike in the cigarette tax was a 75-cents-per-pack increase in 2002 (from 76 cents to $1.51). Supporters of the tax hike said it would raise millions of dollars annually to help close the budget deficit and prevent drastic cutbacks in important programs. They noted that smokers are a drain on the health care system and should pay higher taxes and argued that the hike would also encourage some smokers to give up the habit. Opponents noted the hike would give Massachusetts the third highest cigarette tax in the nation and lead to thousands of residents going to border states to buy cigarettes and even do other shopping there. They said that there are many other ways to balance the budget and prevent cutbacks without raising taxes. A yes vote was to remove the cigarette tax hike from the overall tax bill.
Rep. Lori Ehrlich — No Rep. Mary Grant — No Rep. Bradford Hill — Yes Rep. Bradley Jones — Yes Rep. John Keenan — No Rep. Barbara L'Italien — No Rep. Theodore Speliotis — No Rep. Joyce Spiliotis — Yes
4. MAKE CIGARETTE TAX HIKE EFFECTIVE SIX MONTHS EARLIER (H 4656) — By a vote of 114-40, the House approved an amendment making the cigarette tax hike effective on July 1 of this year instead of Jan. 1, 2009. Amendment supporters said that making the hike effective six months earlier would raise millions of additional dollars. Opponents said that the tax hikers are getting greedy and are changing the date without any real explanation as to why the earlier date was not chosen in the first place. A yes vote was in favor of making the cigarette tax hike effective six months earlier.
Rep. Lori Ehrlich — Yes Rep. Mary Grant — Yes Rep. Bradford Hill — No Rep. Bradley Jones — No Rep. John Keenan — Yes Rep. Barbara L'Italien — Yes Rep. Theodore Speliotis — Yes Rep. Joyce Spiliotis — No
5. EXEMPT STORES ON NEW HAMPSHIRE BORDER FROM CIGARETTE TAX HIKE (H 4656) — Voting 20-135, the House rejected an amendment exempting stores within ten miles of the New Hampshire border from the $1- per-pack cigarette tax hike. Amendment supporters said that without the exemption, many small stores would suffer huge losses as Massachusetts smokers cross the border to buy cigarettes. Some amendment opponents said the exemption would weaken the bill and lead to stores on the border of Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island requesting the same exemption. Others said that they oppose the hike itself and are against this misguided amendment that simply moves the line ten miles and still hurts many mom-and-pop stores. A yes vote was in favor of the amendment exempting stores within ten miles of the New Hampshire border from the $1-per-pack cigarette tax hike.
Rep. Lori Ehrlich — No Rep. Mary Grant — No Rep. Bradford Hill — No Rep. Bradley Jones — No Rep. John Keenan — No Rep. Barbara L'Italien — Yes Rep. Theodore Speliotis — No Rep. Joyce Spiliotis — No
SENATE 1. SCHOOL BULLIES (S 2630) — Voting 38-0, the Senate approved and sent to the House legislation requiring all public schools to develop and implement a plan to prevent bullying from occurring and to discipline bullies. The measure prohibits bullying on school grounds; at any school-sponsored event or activity on or off campus; through the use of the school's computer system while on or off campus and through the use of a personal digital device on campus. The measure also mandates that each school designate a school official who is responsible for implementing and enforcing the bullying prevention plan. Supporters said that bullying continues to be a major problem in schools and noted that a study indicates that 60 percent of school bullies are convicted of committing at least one crime as adults. They argued that there is a strong link between bullying and increased violence, substance abuse, absenteeism, poor performance in class and drop-out rates. A yes vote was in favor of the bill.
Sen. Frederick Berry — Yes Sen. Thomas McGee — Yes Sen. Bruce Tarr — Yes
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