Over the past couple of years, the idea that Massachusetts residents deserve significant tax relief has become an article of faith on Beacon Hill, with House and Senate leadership, former Gov. Charlie Baker and current Gov. Maura Healey all buying in.
Last year, though, the push for cuts was derailed by an unexpected budget surplus that sent automatic refunds back to taxpayers — and now, a massive drop in April revenues has some lawmakers asking whether it’s the right time to forge ahead.
As the House, Senate and governor hunker down for intensive budget talks, who's fazed by this uncertainty and who isn't? And is anyone factoring in the ongoing debt-ceiling standoff in Washington, which could wreak havoc with state finances in just a few weeks? Adam Reilly talks with GBH News State House correspondent Katie Lannan and Evan Horowitz of Tufts University's Center for State Policy Analysis about the challenges of fiscal policymaking at a moment of intense uncertainty.
If state lawmakers can't get a handle on what the very near future holds, should they still be pressing forward with tax cuts? Send us a message at TalkingPolitics@wgbh.org, or share your thoughts via the Talking Politics page.
You can watch the discussion below right now, or catch the full show at 7 p.m. on GBH 2. Subscribe to the GBH News’ YouTube channel to get alerted to future episodes.
