Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has made clear that he’s against raising taxes or creating new ones but he’s not opposed to making changes in the current tax code. Baker wants to put in place an expanded credit to deliver tax relief to more low-income families and to strip off the books a tax break that supporters say has drawn film industry work to Massachusetts. Those tax proposals, along with Baker’s budget and proposed early retirement program, are set to be placed under the legislative microscope at a series of public hearings early next week. Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash plans to make the case for the governor’s tax law changes during a hearing on Tuesday.
Before state officials dig into their workload for the week, they’ll gather in Dorchester with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other members of Congress Monday to open the new Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. UMass-Boston plans to close Monday for the president’s visit, which will be his second to the campus. As a U.S. senator, Obama delivered the university’s commencement address in 2006.
Click on the audio player above to hear Henry Epp’s Conversation with State House News Service reporter Matt Murphy.