The House joins the tax chat

Also: Boston says goodbye to Mel King; how to protect your mental health when reflecting on the marathon bombings [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  April 12, 2023 🌤️ Partly sunny, with a high near 72 and gusts as high as 28 mph. Good Morning Boston, Happy [Big Wind Day]( to all who celebrate. The Celtics officially have their first-round playoff opponent: the Atlanta Hawks, who [won their play-in game last night](. The series begins this Saturday at 3:30 p.m at the TD Garden. But first, let's get to the news: - Gov. Maura Healey [kicked off this year's tax reform discussion]( but ultimately the details get decided in the State House. That process began in earnest Tuesday when House leaders [unveiled their respective plan](. It's very similar to Healey's proposal, but with some potentially big differences for your next return. Here's a breakdown: - Not so fast: The House plan would phase in several parts of Healey's tax plan, including the $600 child tax credit. The House's plan would increase the credit to $310 per-child or dependent in the first year and to $455 in the second year — before fully implementing it in 2026. House Speaker Ron Mariano said the approach balances "permanent financial relief" with the state's "long-term fiscal security." - The House would also phase in Healey's proposed cut to the short-term capital gains tax over two years (sliding from 12% to 8% to 5%). And they're scaling back her [somewhat controversial]( plan to lift the estate tax threshold from $3 million to $2 million. - Mariano wants more: While the House tax bill starts out cheaper than Healey's plan, it actually ends up being bigger by the time it's fully phased in — at a cost of $1.1 billion a year. That's in part due to the addition of a proposed increase in [the state's earned income tax credit]( (EITC), from 30% of the federal EITC to 40%. - The House also wants changes to [the 62F revenue cap law]( so that all taxpayers would get the same-sized rebate if triggered in the future. Last year used [a percentage-based formula that sent high-earners thousands of dollars]( while most residents only got several hundred bucks. (If the change was in place, everyone likely would have gotten upwards of $800 back last year.) - Where they agree: On a few items, Healey and the House are on the exact same page. Both plans would double a state tax credit that low-income seniors [can claim]( on their property taxes or rent to $2,400. They would also both increase a state tax deduction for all renters from $3,000 to $4,000 (a difference of $50 a year). - The reception: Business groups are largely applauding the proposal. It's also getting a slightly warmer reception from progressives than Healey's bill, though they remain critical of changes (like to the estate tax and capital gains tax) that would mostly benefit the well-off. Here's [a mini-roundup of the reactions](. - What's next: This is hardly the final say. While the House plans to vote on — and all but certainly pass — the bill this Thursday, the Senate is also working on its own tax reform package. So, they'll likely need to negotiate a compromise to send to Healey in the coming months. - Somerville has a new school superintendent. Ruben Carmona, an administrator in Salem Public Schools, was selected by the city's school committee yesterday as the next leader. Carmona will replace Mary Skipper, who left to [become Boston's superintendent last year](. - Another warm, dry and breezy day, another [red flag warning](. The National Weather Service is warning all of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island against outdoor burning today. "Any fires that start today will spread quickly and will be difficult to contain," the service [tweeted this morning](. So, no backyard bonfires! - Heads up: Get ready for things to get even warmer tomorrow and Friday. According to the NWS, it's [not out of the question]( that some local spots could break the 90-degree mark Friday. P.S.— The fourth episode of our podcast Violation [just dropped]( this morning. In it, The Marshall Project's Beth Schwartzapfel follows Jacob Wideman’s decades-long journey through the Arizona prison system and hears how he prepared to tell his life story to the parole board. Listen to the entire series [wherever you get your podcasts](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Boston says goodbye to Mel King]( During a funeral Tuesday in the South End, eulogists from Mayor Michelle Wu to Gov. Maura Healey pointed again and again to King's open-door policy as evidence of his deep and abiding belief in community. [Read more.]( [Boston says goodbye to Mel King]( During a funeral Tuesday in the South End, eulogists from Mayor Michelle Wu to Gov. Maura Healey pointed again and again to King's open-door policy as evidence of his deep and abiding belief in community. [Read more.]( [How to protect your mental health while reflecting on the Boston Marathon bombings]( Mental health experts explain that countless people suffered psychologically in the wake of the attacks — even if they were not in Boston or physically hurt by the attacks. They warn that this anniversary could surface difficult or unhealthy emotions for many people. [Read more.]( [How to protect your mental health while reflecting on the Boston Marathon bombings]( Mental health experts explain that countless people suffered psychologically in the wake of the attacks — even if they were not in Boston or physically hurt by the attacks. They warn that this anniversary could surface difficult or unhealthy emotions for many people. [Read more.]( [Biden administration says fentanyl-xylazine cocktail is a deadly national threat]( The White House says drug deaths linked to a mix of synthetic drugs including fentanyl and xylazine — also known as tranq — are a major public health threat. The drug cocktail is spreading fast. [Read more.]( [Biden administration says fentanyl-xylazine cocktail is a deadly national threat]( The White House says drug deaths linked to a mix of synthetic drugs including fentanyl and xylazine — also known as tranq — are a major public health threat. The drug cocktail is spreading fast. [Read more.]( [One Boston Day and a 5K: What to know as city marks 10th anniversary of Boston Marathon attack]( This Saturday marks exactly 10 years since the Boston Marathon bombings — and there’ll be several ways to pay tribute to the survivors, from a memorial service to volunteering. And with the BAA 5K happening, it’ll be a packed day. Here’s what you need to know. [Read more.]( [One Boston Day and a 5K: What to know as city marks 10th anniversary of Boston Marathon attack]( This Saturday marks exactly 10 years since the Boston Marathon bombings — and there’ll be several ways to pay tribute to the survivors, from a memorial service to volunteering. And with the BAA 5K happening, it’ll be a packed day. Here’s what you need to know. [Read more.]( [Supermarkets in Boston, Quincy to pay $800,000 in overtime violation case]( The C-Mart stores, which specialize in Asian foods and are located in the South End and Chinatown as well as in Quincy, were issued 15 citations in 2021 following an investigation by the attorney general's Fair Labor Division. [Read more.]( [Supermarkets in Boston, Quincy to pay $800,000 in overtime violation case]( The C-Mart stores, which specialize in Asian foods and are located in the South End and Chinatown as well as in Quincy, were issued 15 citations in 2021 following an investigation by the attorney general's Fair Labor Division. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Paying taxes can be agonizing. So can shopping for health insurance. Did you know that a handful of states — including Massachusetts — have made it possible to enroll in subsidized or free health coverage using their tax forms? [Read this article to learn how](. - Concord-based novelist Stona Fitch once worked for a high-end watch company. He walked away from the job with a macabre novel idea about a designer watch that could kill people. Now, the book is a reality. Jim Sullivan [reviews the newly released "Death Watch" here](. - In the 10 years since the Boston Marathon bombings, then-Boston police commissioner Ed Davis has become a national speaker on law enforcement's strengths and weaknesses responding to mass tragedies. Davis [spoke to WBUR's Morning Edition about how shifts in technology and public attitudes might affect the response today](. - Tova Mirvis didn't think she could be a runner. But she writes that finishing a half-marathon nudged her "toward an alternate idea of who I might be." Read [her ode to fellow "back-of-the-pack runners"]( appear exhausted and wrung out, yet persevere nonetheless.  What We're Reading 📚 - Why I Keep My Eyes — and My Mind — on the South ([The New York Times]( - Ben Foster's return to football at Wrexham is a scriptwriter's dream as the Welsh side chase promotion ([ESPN]( - When One Podcast Picks Up Where Another Leaves Off ([Vulture](  Tell Me Something Good [Lin-Manuel Miranda surprises Mass. high school performing 'In the Heights' (Boston.com)]( As the group of Revere High School students sat in class, they were greeted by the familiar voice of the Tony award-winning creator of “Hamilton” and “In the Heights” — Lin-Manuel Miranda. [Read more.]( [Lin-Manuel Miranda surprises Mass. high school performing 'In the Heights' (Boston.com)]( As the group of Revere High School students sat in class, they were greeted by the familiar voice of the Tony award-winning creator of “Hamilton” and “In the Heights” — Lin-Manuel Miranda. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common talks to WBUR's Martha Bebinger to [learn]( [about how Massachusetts is working to guarantee access to the abortion pill mifepristone]( in the future. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [This Dunkin' superfan]( took a page — er, slide — from[our favorite tortoise lover]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.