Senate Budget Chief Favors Mass. Sales Tax Hike

Senate budget writers Wednesday unveiled their bare-bones spending plan for the coming fiscal year.

It’s based on $1.5 billion less in estimated revenue than the House plan, and unlike the House budget it does not call for a tax increase.

The chief Senate budget writer, Sen. Steven Panagiotakos, says when it comes to taxes, he prefers the House proposal of a 25 percent hike in the state sales tax to targeted taxes–including a gas tax increase–proposed by Gov. Deval Patrick.

“In comparison to doing the gas tax, the sugar tax, the soda tax, the hotel tax, the meals tax–I would rather do the sales tax than all of those other taxes–especially the gas tax,” Panagiotakos said.

The Senate plan calls for deep cuts, including a 30 percent reduction in local aid to cities and towns.