As one of the ten original signers of the petition submitted in 2015 to Attorney General Maura Healey for approval as a ballot initiative in 2018, I was proud to see the amendment passed at the second Constitutional Convention in June. If we want to be a prosperous, innovative Commonwealth, then we must invest. (Even our Republican governor has proposed modest reforms to update our tax system.)
Right now, the best income tax proposal on the table is the Fair Share Amendment. Once voters pass this initiative in November 2018, revenues from the tax (generated by a 4% tax on individuals earning over one million dollars beginning January 2019) would be used only for public education, public colleges and universities, the repair and maintenance of roads and bridges, and public transportation.
I was first to support this initiative because it is aligned with my value for fairness, in that it calls on those with the greatest ability to pay their fair share of tax. I firmly believe that this initiative represents our best chance for new revenue in the near future and I will continue to push for its goals.