SANDWICH – Republican candidate for the Fifth Barnstable District Tom Keyes recently criticized the Massachusetts House of Representatives for passing a bill that would allow state officials to create a new carbon tax along with raising gas taxes.
“Our state is in the middle of a pandemic which has shut down our economy, businesses are permanently closing left and right, we are number one in unemployment, over 1.1 million people have filed for unemployment, the legislature should be working around the clock to repair our economy,” said Keyes.
“Instead they vote for a piece of legislation that would further hurt our economy and family budgets.”
The House voted 142 to 17 on “An Act Creating a 2050 Road Map to a Clean and Thriving Commonwealth”.
“They should be paying attention to 2020-not focusing on three decades from now,” said Keyes.
“No one will be left in this state if they don’t work to fix the economy. Everyone will leave due to being economic refugees.”
It is estimated that the gas tax will increase 17 cents per gallon in the first year under this bill.
“I worked in 2014 to stop automatic gas taxes. The voters did not want the legislature to abdicate their taxation responsibility to the Consumer Price Index,” Keyes said.
“The legislature is not honoring the will of the voters.”
Keyes also suggests making reforms in welfare such as ending out of state usage of EBT cards.
Keyes, who has served as a member of the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates and the Sandwich Board of Selectmen, is running against former Yarmouth Deputy Police Chief Steven Xiarhos for the Republican nomination.
James Dever is the sole Democrat in the race.
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