Governor Deval Patrick is urging lawmakers to adopt his proposal to raise taxes by nearly $2 billion dollars to pay for improvements in education and transportation.

Patrick testified at a public hearing yesterday that the money is needed to ensure the state's economic prosperity.

Patrick's proposal would hike the state income tax from 5.25 percent to 6.25 percent, while lowering the sales tax from 6.25 to 4.5 percent. (Associated Press)