The High Tech Agenda

State Business Climate, Government News, & Public Policy Updates

Two key state leaders recently acknowledged the concerns so many business leaders have voiced about the negative impacts of the new income surtax, indicating an openness to adjusting the surtax or mitigating its impacts.

Last week, Governor Healey expressed a desire to evaluate the outmigration of high-income individuals from Massachusetts as a result of the surtax, emphasizing a need to lower costs and consider reforms to the state’s overall tax structure. This week, the House’s budget chief, Aaron Michlewitz, sounded his own note of caution, acknowledging it is too early to tell if the new surtax has been successful and committing to assessing its impact on the state economy.

In light of the Governor’s comments, John T. C. Lee, CEO of MKS Instruments and Chair of the Council, spoke to The Boston Globe about the surtax’s impact on recruiting and the need to follow the data on its effects.

While repealing the surtax that is enshrined in the state’s Constitution would take time, the Council welcomes these comments from top policymakers as an important recognition that adjustments or mitigation may be needed as the adverse effects of the tax become clearer.

The negative impacts of the income surtax underscore the need to proactively address the state’s declining business climate with both a short-term and long-term policy agenda. This is why the Council has been leading the development of a proactive, multi-year advocacy agenda to strengthen the state’s business climate and quality of life.

Following five months of research and engagement with members and other key stakeholders, the Council is preparing to advance one or more proposals through legislative and/or direct democracy efforts. This will be the first in a series of proactive proposals over the next six to eight years to restore business formation, job growth, and improved quality of life for Massachusetts employers and residents.

As previewed at our June Board meeting, we expect a significant number of initiative petitions to be filed by advocacy organizations for the 2026 state election. A member-only Council briefing will be held at 4:00 PM on August 7, 2025, following the filing deadline for ballot questions with the Attorney General.

We will update Council members on the proposals filed and how they could positively or negatively impact the state’s competitive position. A calendar invitation will be distributed to members for this virtual briefing.

MHTC News & Updates

As part of our ongoing engagement with key public officials, the Council is hosting a series of exclusive, invitation-only Meet & Greets with declared candidates for Governor of Massachusetts and Mayor of Boston. These interactive discussions offer Council members an opportunity to hear from each candidate about their vision for the Commonwealth, with a focus on leadership priorities, the business climate, and Massachusetts’ long-term competitiveness and quality of life.

The series began on May 29 with a conversation with Boston Mayoral Candidate Josh Kraft.

Our first gubernatorial session will take place on Tuesday, July 8 with Mike Kennealy. Invitations have been extended to all declared gubernatorial and mayoral candidates, including incumbents, and meetings will continue throughout the summer and early fall.

Calendar holds and invitations with full details for those meetings will be sent to invited Council members in advance of each session, along with instructions to confirm attendance. 

These confidential conversations are designed to foster open dialogue and ensure that the business community has a clear understanding of each candidate’s policy agenda heading into the 2025 and 2026 election cycles. 

Please contact Elizabeth Mahoney with questions regarding the Meet & Greets.

As global trade and tariff policies continue to shift, the Council’s Tariffs, Trade, & Security: Strategic Insights for MHTC Members series has brought expert insights directly to members through concise, high-value briefings. Part of our MassVision2050 Public Policy Series, this virtual series is designed to help members anticipate risks, understand compliance challenges, and identify opportunities in a volatile global market.

Our final session will take place next Tuesday, June 24, from 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM ET via Zoom, featuring Jodi Ader, RSM US LLP Tax Services Senior Manager, who will provide a briefing on the latest tariff developments and strategic mitigation approaches. No registration is required; members have received calendar invites with Zoom access details. The meeting is open to members of your senior executive leadership team. Please feel free to forward the invitation to relevant colleagues.  

Previous sessions featured:

• April 16: James Mulvehill, Managing Director and Trade and Customs Leader at KPMG, offered a practical assessment of the current trade landscape and shared how multinationals are managing volatility and planning for long-term resilience.
• April 23: Robert Smith, Principal and Global Trade Strategy Leader at EY, provided a real-time update on new U.S. tariff activity, including Section 232 investigations into pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and critical minerals, and outlined forward-looking strategies for risk mitigation.
• June 3: Helen Cousineau, Managing Director, Deloitte Global Trade Advisory, provided members with the latest updates and discussed compliance challenges and the shifting global trade landscape.

Thank you to our member organizations for sharing their expertise. We look forward to seeing you on June 24 to close out this impactful series. 

If you have questions about the June 24 session, please contact Jenny Enfield.

Held in partnership with UnRavl Technologies at Northeastern University’s Innovation Campus in Burlington, this program is designed for business, cybersecurity, and innovation leaders across all sectors. Join us to discover how to drive AI transformation strategically and securely. True innovation isn’t just about moving fast—it’s about moving smart.

Contact Jenny Enfield with registration questions.

Looking Ahead: Remaining 2025 Cybersecurity Community Programs

Two additional Cybersecurity Community programs are planned for the remainder of the year:

Registration for the September program will open soon! Please keep an eye out for your official invitation.

The Cybersecurity Community will delve into Advanced Ransomware Mitigation Strategies during a small group discussion in Q4. Hosted by Goodwin Procter and WTW, this program will focus on prevention and incident response strategies for ransomware threats.

Stay tuned for more information about this session in the weeks ahead.

For questions or to get involved, contact Jenny Enfield.

As part of our MassVision2050 Engaged Workforce strategy and in partnership with The MITRE Corporation, the Council is advancing the Skills Forecasting and Talent Attraction Project, a groundbreaking initiative to support Massachusetts’ innovation economy. This project aims to build a first-of-its-kind, technology-agnostic analytics platform that integrates diverse data sources to generate real-time, actionable workforce intelligence for employers, educators, and policymakers.

By leveraging anticipatory analytics, the platform will help answer key questions about emerging in-demand skills, talent availability, and the drivers that attract highly mobile professionals to the Massachusetts region. The ultimate goal is to empower organizations with better insights to guide strategic workforce planning and talent attraction.

We’ve now reached a critical development milestone, and we need your input. 

Council members are invited to join a virtual meeting on Wednesday, June 25 at 9:00 AM ET to learn more about the project and share perspectives on how your organization could use a skills forecast for planning, execution, and long-term competitiveness. Your insights will help shape the design and utility of this platform to ensure it delivers maximum value to employers like you.

Calendar invitations with Teams meeting details have been distributed. Please RSVP by June 20.

Your participation in this session will play a key role in strengthening Massachusetts’ position as a global hub for innovation and talent. 

Please contact Sarah Anderson Brunelle with questions about this project.