A Joint Release from the Offices of State Rep. Richard Haggerty and State Rep. Michelle Ciccolo:
BOSTON – During its historic first remote voting Formal Session yesterday, Representative Richard Haggerty (D-Woburn) and Representative Michelle Ciccolo (D-Lexington), along with their colleagues in the House of Representatives, passed legislation to authorize necessary state borrowing during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
“By delaying the income tax filing deadline, we have provided important relief to taxpayers across the Commonwealth,” said Representative Haggerty. “We must also keep a constant eye on the fiscal health of our state finances and this bill does just that, providing state government the flexibility it needs to both provide relief and pay its bills. I am also pleased to support the bipartisan changes to the House rules that allow us to vote remotely and respect social distancing during these challenging times.”
The legislation, An Act to Facilitate the Delay of the Income Tax Filing Deadline, authorizes the State Treasurer to borrow in anticipation of tax receipts by the end of Fiscal Year 2020 and to repay those sums by June 30, 2021. This action is necessary due to the delay in tax revenue as a result of the extended deadlines of income tax filings and payments to July 15, 2020, which were extended because of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
“As we face continued uncertainty in all facets of life due to COVID-19, I was pleased to join my colleagues in unanimously supporting this measure that will help ensure the Commonwealth is able to meet its financial obligations moving forward,” said Representative Ciccolo. “Given the ongoing efforts that must be made to ensure public health and mitigate the economic consequences of this pandemic, I am also grateful that leadership of both parties was able to come together to implement remote voting protocols that will allow us to conduct the people’s business safely as the pandemic continues.”
The remote voting session was the first held following the passage of Emergency Rules enabling Members to vote and debate safely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill will now go to the Senate for further consideration.