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BOSTON (State House News Service) - Representatives nearly unanimously embraced a compromise tax relief bill Wednesday, one day after the final contours of the long-awaited deal became clear.
The House voted 155-1 to accept a conference committee report that would roll out a bevy of tax breaks, credits and reforms worth $561 million this year and more than $1 billion by fiscal year 2027. Rep. Mike Connolly, a Cambridge Democrat who opposed the original legislation the House approved in April, cast the only no vote.
Several Democrats and Republicans spoke in favor of the measure before approving it Wednesday, describing it as a way to address both affordability concerns that many residents face and growing concerns that Massachusetts is not as competitive as other states.
No one voiced any outright opposition during Wednesday's session to the bill, which also reshapes a pair of voter-approved tax policies.
House Republicans previously criticized a piece of the package that replaces the existing rebate system under Chapter 62F, in which excess state tax revenues are returned to taxpayers in proportion to what each person paid, with a flat rebate for each eligible taxpayer regardless of how much they contributed to the pot.
The package could reach Gov. Maura Healey's desk as soon as Thursday, when the Senate plans to take it up.
Written By Chris Lisinski/SHNS
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