Jason Wright
Senior Policy Analyst
Jason Wright is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center focusing on taxes, state revenue, and fiscal policy.
Jason is an experienced mixed-methods researcher who is interested in methods that center the experience of community members. He believes in the power of community involvement in policymaking, including in the budget process, to help us achieve equity in the Commonwealth. This is informed by the transformative experiences he faced while growing up with economic insecurity. Through his time as a truck driver, transit operator, maintenance personnel, and construction worker, Jason fostered deep connections to the challenges marginalized communities encounter. He cares deeply about racial and economic justice, and as such channels this lived experience into his work.
Jason is pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. His dissertation focuses on descriptive representation in state legislatures; specifically, how marginalized communities at the intersections of gender, race, and social class shape legislator views on poverty and poverty-related policymaking. The aim of this research is to advance our understanding of the ways in which inclusion of folks from marginalized communities in government can make policymaking more equity focused.
Prior to joining MassBudget, Jason held roles in higher education and various levels of government. He has worked in research at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, as an analyst for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, and as Director of Data Analytics for Roxbury Community College.
Recent
How Will We Spend Fair Share Dollars? Competing Proposals Highlight Needs and Opportunities
Fiscal Year 2024, which starts in July 2023, is the first state budget to include Fair Share dollars, and the Governor’s, House, and Senate budget proposals differ in how they would spend Fair Share funds. How do their priorities compare?
How Many Would Benefit from the Gov’s Child & Family Tax Credit?
The Governor’s proposed Child and Family Tax Credit would help families by providing $600 each year for each child under 13 and dependent adults over 65 years of age or with disabilities. This dashboard identifies – by legislative district – how many dependents would be eligible for the proposed Child and Family Tax Credit.
“Excess” as Mirage: How the 62F Tax Cap Distorts Our View of Massachusetts Tax Revenue
The 1986 tax cap law, also known as “62F,” artificially limits the amount of tax revenue available to address priorities like affordable, quality childcare, safer public transportation, and affordable housing. Moreover, there are flaws in the 62F law and its underlying formula. 62F tells a story about revenue in Massachusetts, but it is misleading.
