By Mr. Sannicandro of Ashland (by request), petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3625) of Mary Z. Connaughton for legislation to increase the tax imposed on the price of a gallon of gasoline.  Transportation

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Mary Z. Connaughton

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act To advance toll elimination on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 64A, Section 1(l) is amended by striking out "Tax per gallon, shall be 21 cents per gallon" and substituting the following:

"Tax per gallon" shall be 24 cents per gallon for the year beginning July 1, 2007; 27 cents per gallon for the year beginning July 1, 2008; 30 cents per gallon for the year beginning July 1, 2009.  Thereafter, for each fiscal year, the amount of tax due per gallon shall be computed by increasing the amount of tax in effect on July 1 of that fiscal year by any percentage of increase in the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Census region published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics as of June 1st of that year over June 1st of the prior year, computed to the nearest tenth of a cent per gallon.  If there is no increase in the Consumer Price Index, the tax per gallon shall be unchanged for the year.