Baker Calls For Two-Month Sales Tax Holiday In MA: Patch PM

MASSACHUSETTS — It's Wednesday, June 23. Here's what you should know this afternoon:

• Two children jumped out a window to safety when gunshots rang out during an apparent murder-suicide at an Oxford home on Tuesday evening.
• Massachusetts music lovers will get one more chance to see legendary singer/songwriter Elton John before he calls it a career.
• A Beverly music venue that hosted Grammy-winning rock and blues acts for three years after its 2017 opening has said it will permanently close.

Scroll down for more on those and other stories Patch has been covering in Massachusetts today.

Today's Top Story

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker proposed waiving the state's 6.5 percent sales tax for the months of August and September.

Baker, who has not said whether he will run for reelection next year, said he's expecting a surplus when the fiscal year ends June 30. The state collected more in tax revenue than projected during the coronavirus pandemic. Overall tax revenue is 14.9 percent above projections. Meanwhile, the balance of the state's so-called rainy day fund is now higher than it was at the start of the pandemic last March.

"A two-month sales tax holiday will provide a boost to Massachusetts' taxpayers and Main Street economies as we continue to recover from COVID-19," Baker said in a statement. "Massachusetts' economic recovery is off to a good start, but it's crucial that the Commonwealth takes action now to spur more economic activity in communities and support taxpayers."

Last week, state lawmakers approved the usual, two-day sales tax holiday for Aug. 14 and 15 this year. Like the two-day holiday, Baker's proposal calls for waiving the tax on items under $2,500 purchased for personal use. The legislature would also need to approve Baker's proposal, which would cost Massachusetts approximately $900 million.

Read the full story.

Like this article? Sign up for our newsletter and get it delivered every weekday. It's free!

Wednesday's Other Top Stories

Kids safely flee murder-suicide: Two children jumped out a window to safety when gunshots rang out during an apparent murder-suicide at an Oxford home on Tuesday evening. The incident happened close to 5:30 p.m. at a home along Old Webster Road when a woman living there called 911. A man living at the home also called police at about the same time. The man then apparently then shot and killed the woman. A 13-year-old in the home grabbed a 4-year-old sibling and fled to a neighbor's house. A 3-year-old child was still in the home after the man apparently committed suicide, but was not physically harmed.

Ferry didn't pay ransom: After falling victim to a cyberattack in early June, the Steamship Authority says they did not pay the ransom demanded by hackers. The Authority, which services the Cape and islands, did not offer further details. While the actual ships are still running safely, passengers are unable to book or make changes online or by phone.

Beverly venue is the latest to permanently close because of coronavirus: There was a brief bolt of optimism that emerged out of popular Beverly music venue 9 Wallis in May when Gov. Charlie Baker announced that in just 12 days all state coronavirus-related business restrictions would be lifted. But more than a month, the venue that hosted Grammy-winning rock and blues acts for three years after its 2017 opening has said it will permanently close.

Eat fresh: Patch's 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Market Guide

Picture This

Farewell, yellow brick road: Massachusetts music lovers will get one more chance to see legendary singer/songwriter Elton John before he calls it a career. "Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour" brings the six-time Grammy winning artists to Gillette Stadium one final time on July 28, 2022.

By The Numbers

$332,150: The total amount three companies were fined by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection after it found "numerous" asbestos violations at the former Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere.