House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo is giving the cold shoulder to Governor Deval Patrick’s proposal to raise $260 million in new revenue with various taxes and fees, including a tax on candy and soda, an increase in cigarette taxes, and a new deposit requirement for bottled water.
DeLeo, who is scheduled to deliver his annual address laying out his priorities for the year this afternoon, plans to renew his argument that business leaders need predictability and consistency in the tax code, according to prepared remarks.
“For the past two years, this House has rejected balancing the budget with new taxes and fees,” DeLeo said in prepared remarks. “Any changes to revenue policy should be approached with extreme caution and should never be done piecemeal. As such, we will release a budget from the House Committee on Ways Means that does not rely on new taxes and fees.”
DeLeo also plans to speak broadly about jobs, education, and health care. For several years, lawmakers have been debating measures intended to cut the cost of health care by changing the way that patients and insurers pay for it. DeLeo’s speech signals he is ready to accelerate those efforts. Patrick is proposing a plan to shift from a fee-for-service payment system to “global payments,” where providers would get a fixed budget for each patient.
“We can, I believe, reach broad agreement to significantly cut the cost growth of our health care sector while improving upon our already extremely high standards of quality-care and innovation,” DeLeo said.
The speaker, who, like Patrick, is a Democratc, is expected to outline more specific goals for the coming year within the next few weeks, when he addresses the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
Lawmakers have been especially distracted in recent days as former House Speaker Sal DiMasi is being transported from federal prison in Kentucky to testify before a federal grand jury in Worcester.
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