Thanks to all who have responded about questions in the first two newsletters about tax cuts: Vox Populi and Cui Bono?. I'll report on some of your responses, including ones about today's newsletter, soon. This time, I suggest:
Caveat Emptor!
One of the main reasons given for cutting taxes is that we have a surplus.
See, for example, the way Priorities for Progress framed its polling question:
This is the second short newsletter in a short series about the tax cut proposals now being considered in the legislature. The last newsletter compared polls with opposite results, asking which, if either, represented Vox Populi. Thanks to those of you responded to the question! I'll try to share some responses soon.
Last year, Gov. Baker proposed tax cuts totaling $700 million. The House and Senate each proposed a tax cut package of around $500 million. But we never reached agreement, after discovering that a 1986 law required returning $3 billion to taxpayers because of a "surplus." (More on the surplus soon.)
This is my first shortish newsletter looking at proposed tax cuts and reforms. It includes some questions on which I'd like your thoughts. So RSVP!
The budget debate this year has started with the question of how much revenue will be available. Governor Maura Healey has proposed a budget based on a number of tax cuts, reducing some budget items to allow for those cuts. The total budget would increase slightly after adjusting for inflation, because of expected higher tax revenue.
Today is Equal Pay Day, a date that symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. The Wage Equity Now (WEN) coalition held a briefing about two new bills that continue to address the pay gap. (Here are the Telegram and Gazette's and MassLive's report on the briefing.)
Keep reading to learn about our 2016 bill, progress since then, remaining problems, the new bills announced at the briefing, other solutions, and Fred Small's 59 Cents song.
We are mourning the death and celebrating the life of an extraordinary, inspiring leader, Alice Wolf.
Long before I met Alice, I heard about her courageous, progressive leadership as a Cambridge School Committee member, city councilor and mayor. She fought for many issues that were extremely controversial at the time - and won.
Belated wishes for a healthy and happy 2023!
We started the new year with a 13 hour session January 3, finalizing 86 bills but leaving a lot of unfinished business for this next year.
We began the new legislative session by being sworn in on January 4. After being re-elected, Senate President Spilka spoke of hope, and urged greater support for public education, from pre-K to public colleges and universities and workforce training.
Dear Neighbors,
For many years, the work of caring for older people and young children has faced an increasing crisis as there are just not enough people willing to do the work for the low pay. The Boston Foundation's Boston Indicators and Skillworks released an extremely important report on that workforce; last week, the Caucus of Women Legislators hosted a presentation on it.
In August, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to raise the minimum score that this year’s freshman class, and classes following, will have to attain on the MCAS test in order to graduate. And against Commissioner Riley’s recommendation, they voted to increase the passing score further for classes starting in 2030. They also voted, against Commissioner Riley’s recommendation, to increase the passing score further for classes starting in 2030.
First, an update: I'm happy to say that the. governor signed the Act Expanding Protections for Reproductive and Gender-affirming Care, that I wrote about in an earlier newsletter.
As you probably know, the legislature finally adjourned formal sessions at about 10 am Monday, after an all-night session. In the last few days, we passed many important bills. The governor can still decide to sign, veto, or send them back with amendments. It's too late to override a veto, or to deal with an amendment unless there is unanimous support.
On July 12, I wrote about the eight conference committees meeting to resolve differences on legislation between the House and Senate. Since then, we have given final approval to four conference committee bills - and passed new bills that need resolution by conference committees. This week, I wrote about the bills we approved on Tuesday. Here is information about the bills we've approved on Climate and COVID Extensions.