Gov. Patrick Returns To Public Spotlight After Month In Berkshires

BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Deval Patrick said Wednesday he planned to meet with lawmakers and business leaders to discuss concerns raised about a new sales tax on computer and software services.

But Patrick indicated that if the tax that was part of a transportation funding plan that became law last month was repealed or scaled back, it would have to be replaced by other new revenue.

Patrick addressed several other issues Wednesday during his first public appearance in Boston in nearly a month. The governor spent most of that time at his vacation home in the Berkshires, but said he remained fully engaged in state affairs, making phone calls and meeting with cabinet members.

Patrick spoke at Boston's Old South Meeting House, where he participated in a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

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