But Rep. Robert A. Havern '72 (D-Arlington), another ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said a tax package will not make it through the House unless it has a comprehensive budget along with it. And that's where Keverian seems to be heading, legislators say.

Some Blame Dukakis

Other state representatives have blamed the Dukakis administration for a lack of leadership on the tax issue.

Rep. John H. Flood (D-Canton), chair of the Taxation Committee, said he has also not received any indication that Keverian is committed to resolving the deficit soon. But Flood added that the speaker has been put in an awkward position by Dukakis.

"The house leadership is trying to fill a vacuum in executive leadership," Flood said. The Canton Democrat, who is running far behind Francis X. Bellotti and Lt. Gov. Evelyn F. Murphy in the governor's race, said Dukakis should resign.

Dukakis has proposed purchasing bonds to pay off the current budget debt, to be paid back over a period of several years with new taxes. He has publicly supported a tax increase since last year, and his administration denies that he has not been an active advocate of his position.

"It's just a matter of a couple of votes in the legislature," said Susan Kaplan, a Dukakis spokesperson. "We feel we are working with the House leadership and the Senate leadership."

"He has been very clear, and there is not much more he can do to get his point across," Kaplan said.

Move Expected by June

Although different lawmakers blame different people for a lack of initiative on the tax package, most on Beacon Hill seem to admit that some form of tax increase will be passed before the end of the fiscal year in late June. If not to save the state from this year's mammoth deficit, they say, new taxes are necessary to prevent an even worse situation next year.

"We clearly need a tax package to deal with next year's budget," Mackey said.