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Memo to Governor Healey on Ways to Ensure Effective Implementation of the Fair Share Amendment
As Massachusetts voters have amended the state constitution to include a 4 percent surtax on taxable income over $1 million, MassBudget would like to offer policy suggestions to assist the Commonwealth in protecting this revenue and ensuring that it is directed to education and transportation, as specified in the amendment.
Letter to Governor-elect Healey and Lieutenant Governor-elect Driscoll on a Family Tax Credit
A letter to Governor-elect Healey and Lieutenant Governor-elect Driscoll on a consolidating different family tax supports into one simpler, fully refundable Family Tax Credit.
Massachusetts Capital Budget 101
The capital budgeting process takes place largely out of the public eye but is responsible for building and maintaining critical state infrastructure. Learn more about it here.
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Earth Day is a Time to Consider Better Responses to High Gas Prices: Free Public Transit and Other Ideas
Higher gas prices are causing anxiety for many and are eating away at the meager incomes of low- and moderate-income families. Politicians are promoting a number of ideas to provide consumers with some relief. A very popular idea—a gas tax holiday—is a bad idea.
Following a Separate Path: House Ways and Means FY2023 Budget Proposal
Compared to the Governor’s budget proposal earlier this year, the HWM budget is an example of what is possible when policymakers choose to focus on important investments in the state’s future rather than on tax cuts for the wealthy.
Housing Funding: ARPA in Massachusetts
The fight for using ARPA dollars for housing is not over! Dollars from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund – the most flexible pot of COVID relief money provided by the U.S. government – are still available and provide an opportunity to fund housing initiatives that foster a more equitable recovery.
“Millionaire Tax” Would Make Massachusetts Tax System Fairer
Currently, the Massachusetts tax system is upside down: the highest income households pay a significantly smaller share of their income toward state and local taxes than the rest of us do. A “millionaire tax” would help turn our tax system right-side up.
A Millionaire Tax is Necessary to Advance Critical Education Investments in Massachusetts
Federal pandemic relief has helped avert education cuts and added significant funds to expand services during the pandemic. But it is insufficient and too short-term to meet the Commonwealth’s existing promises to improve education, much less to make bold new investments.
Testimony on Employment Classification for App-Based Drivers
MassBudget stands in opposition to House bill (H.4375/H.4376), An Act defining and regulating the contract-based relationship between network companies and app-based drivers.
The Three E’s: Greater Transportation Funding Can Improve the Economy, Equity, and Environment
New sustaining revenue is needed for Massachusetts’ transportation systems, and no source of new funding is better scaled to meet the size of underinvestment than the Fair Share Amendment.
Health Care in the ARPA Bill: Selected Highlights from Chapter 102 of the Acts of 2021
This report, done in partnership with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, summarizes key health care funding allocations in this state legislation, which …
MassBudget in Partnership: Housing Justice Beyond the Emergency
MassBudget analyst La-Brina Almeida co-authored a groundbreaking report, “Housing Justice Beyond the Emergency: An Analysis of Racial Inequity in Eviction Filings Across Massachusetts,” in collaboration with local partners, Homes for All Massachusetts.
FAQ: Fair Share Amendment Edition
Looking for more detailed information on the Fair Share Amendment being discussed here in the Commonwealth? Check out our guide to some common questions about …
Using State Personal Income to Compare Taxes Across States
Comparing tax and spending policies across states in a meaningful way across states or over time can be complicated by differences in population size, economic strength, or the changing cost of living. To account for these challenges, MassBudget often analyzes spending or taxation as a percent of a state’s economy.
ARPA & Federal Early Education Funds in MA
Early Education During the COVID Crisis Across Massachusetts, early education providers, family care homes, and Pre-K centers persevere each day through the challenges of the …
MassBudget testifies at Joint Committee on Revenue hearing against the large tax cuts for the wealthy proposed by Governor
It is unwise to assume that the state has more revenue than it needs based on temporary pandemic relief, meaning this is not the time for the deep and lasting tax cuts,
The Governor’s 2023 Budget Proposal: Last Chance for a Lasting Legacy
Governor Baker submitted his last state budget as Governor of the Commonwealth last week, and this Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget is not all that …
At a Crossroads Created by COVID: Executive Summary
At a Crossroads Created by COVID: Families Moving Along the Road to Opportunity in Massachusetts Executive Summary Read the full report here. PART 1: THE …