Council in the News
BOSTON (WWLP) – Two tax-related ballot initiative petitions were submitted to the attorney general on Wednesday, the first step in the process of getting a question on the 2026 ballot.
Proponents of these ballot questions say they are aimed at increasing state competitiveness.
One proposal would increase the state’s GDP by decreasing the personal income tax rate from 5 to 4% over three years. The other would revise the state’s revenue cap formula to ensure state budget growth is in line with what taxpayers actually make.
The state’s GDP is expected to grow by $17.5 billion in three years after the implementation of the first policy, and taxpayers would receive far more frequent refunds from the second.
The Mass Opportunity Alliance, among other groups, has expressed strong approval of these proposals. They say these changes could help slow down the out-migration of young people from the Bay State.
“We want to be a place that attracts young talent. If an economy can’t attract talent or investment, it just starves,” said Jim Stergios, the executive director of the Pioneer Institute, a founding member of Mass Opportunity Alliance.
Six other petitions were filed before yesterday’s deadline, including a rent control proposal and one to make open record laws apply to the governor and state legislature.
From here, the attorney general will make sure each petition adheres to constitutional regulations, and then each petition will need to gather nearly 75,000 signatures by the next deadline in December.