Envisioning Equity
Envisioning Equity is MassBudget’s policy framework designed
to advance policy solutions to create an inclusive, thriving Commonwealth.
An antiracist
state budget
Economic security
for all
Inclusive
Democracy
Tax justice =
Racial Justice
How Do We Get There?
Creating an antiracist state budget means investing in quality education, affordable health care, improved transportation, and vibrant communities.
Fully fund the Student Opportunity Act to provide urgently needed funding to under-resourced schools.
Provide high-quality, tuition-free and debt-free options for public higher education
Make buses fare-free across the Commonwealth
Increase state support to households at risk of being evicted or foreclosed on and to small landlords, and create opportunities for cities and towns to fund affordable housing
Ensure that federal funds are distributed equitably across the Commonwealth.
Tax justice = racial justice means fixing our upside-down tax system so we can invest in an antiracist state budget.
Ensure that wealthy individuals pay their fair share by passing the Fair Share Amendment to invest in improving transportation and education
Stop tax cuts that would decrease equity in our tax code and hinder investment in the public good
Guaranteeing economic security for all means directly combating the extreme and unsustainable levels of inequality the Commonwealth is facing.
Expand refundable tax credits, especially for low-income families and regardless of immigration status
Enable all drivers, regardless of immigration status, to obtain state driver’s licenses
Building an inclusive democracy means providing research and training on the state budget and taxes, so everyone can be informed and united in fighting for change.
Work with partners to strengthen their advocacy in order to co-create an antiracist state budget
Provide data to partners doing direct voter education and member engagement to create a stronger infrastructure for change
We have important work to do:
Our state and local tax system remains “upside-down”.
The highest-income households in Massachusetts, those in the top 1 percent, pay a smaller percent of their income in state and local taxes than all other income groups.
Early education and care are critical, but unaffordable for too many.
Massachusetts ranked last among the 50 states in the affordability of infant care, with costs reaching nearly $21,000 per year. At this price, infant care consumes over 80% of a minimum wage salary.
Student debt is crushing our younger generation.
Decades of state disinvestment in public higher education has shifted the cost burden to students and families, especially harming low-income and students of color.
Massachusetts is in a housing crisis.
Someone earning a minimum wage must work 105 hours per week to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent. And, because of the legacy of historically racist housing policies, Black and Latinx families are even less likely to have access to affordable, stable housing.
