House rejects rebates for lowest-income earners in sweeping economic development package

By Samantha Gross

Members of the Massachusetts House Wednesday rejected an effort to include the state’s lowest-income taxpayers as part of a stimulus proposal aimed at soothing the sting of record-breaking inflation by giving out one-time $250 payments.

The amendment, filed by progressive Representatives Tami L. Gouveia and Mike Connolly, would have lifted an income requirement for a piece of the chamber’s sweeping economic development bill. Among its many provisions, the bill would give potentially millions of middle income taxpayers a one-time stimulus check of $250 or $500 for joint filers, but only for those who reported at least $38,000 in 2021 income, a caveat that has drawn scrutiny and became central to Wednesday’s debate over the $3.8 billion proposal.