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BOSTON (AP) -- The Massachusetts Legislature voted overwhelmingly yesterday in favor of a plan to give consumers a two-day break from the state sales tax next month. Gov. Deval Patrick has already pledged to sign the bill into law.

By a 139-15 vote, the House of Representatives agreed to withhold the state's 5 percent sales tax from items costing up to $2,500 that are sold during the weekend of Aug. 16-17. Boats, cars and meals and tobacco products are excluded, as are telecommunication services and gas, steam and electricity utilities.

Hours later, the Senate followed suit, agreeing by a margin of 31-6. The legislation must receive a final procedural vote in each chamber on Wednesday before being enacted into law.

Senators defeated a proposed amendment that would have made the holiday a permanent fixture, no longer subject to an annual debate.

Rhode Island does not hold a tax holiday. In 2006, the General Assembly rejected a sales-tax holiday for the state, the second consecutive year the measure went down to defeat.

-- The Associated Press

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