Republicans intend to offer two amendments that would make the sales tax holiday weekend a permanent annual event and reduce the sales tax to 5 percent in two steps over the next two years.
Legislation suspending the sales tax for a weekend in August to boost consumer sales advanced in the House Wednesday morning and is expected to win approval and move on to the Senate Wednesday afternoon.
Republicans intend to offer two amendments to the bill, according to aide. One would make the sales tax holiday weekend a permanent annual event and the other would reduce the sales tax to 5 percent in two steps over the next two years.
Rep. Paul Donato, who presided over the morning portion of the session, said afterwards that the House is expecting to take roll call votes Wednesday afternoon on adult day health legislation, the sales tax holiday and fiscal 2012 budget veto overrides.
Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty, the House chairman of the Judiciary Committee, entered the chamber briefly during the session to speak with Donato on the rostrum. Donato said O’Flaherty told him the House conference committee members handling court management reform legislation were struggling to reach a compromise with their Senate counterparts, but planned to continue negotiations on Wednesday in hopes of bringing the bill to the floor for a vote on Thursday before the August recess.
The other bill in conference related to human trafficking laws and also being handled by O’Flaherty will not be ready until after Labor Day, Donato said.