From the Boston Herald:

Senators are likely to hike the sales tax by 25 percent to backfill some of the $2.4 billion in lost revenues for the barren budget they are expected to file tomorrow, and are also considering hiking taxes on gas or booze to stop the budgetary bleeding.

“With those kind of numbers the answer is probably yes (to a sales tax hike). To say we’re going to do this without revenue would be foolish,” said Sen. Michael W. Morrissey (D-Quincy).

Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton) vowed to push for additional cash – be it an increase in the sales tax from 5 cents on the dollar to 6.25 cents or the gas tax – to ensure tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike don’t go up. Lawmakers must vote to send the Pike additional revenue by July or some drivers will have to pay up to $7 tolls.

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