Boston Mayor Michelle Wu caught a break Monday when the absence of a Republican lawmaker who blocked her plan to hike commercial tax rates on two occasions last week allowed the bill to pass the House and advance to the Senate.

Wu has said the measure is urgently needed, but a lawmaker who does not represent any part of Boston was able to stop the bill from advancing, at least temporarily.

The House on Monday approved the City of Boston’s request to temporarily reconfigure the way it splits property taxes between commercial and residential taxpayers. Norwell Rep.<a class="excerpt-read-m