Erin Tiernan, “Massachusetts Senate tax relief plan earns progressive stamp of approval — to conservative chagrin,” MASSter List, June 9, 2023.
Jonathan Cohn, policy director of Progressive Massachusetts, praised the Senate for “rejecting the flawed trickle-down economics that believes that tax cuts for the super-rich and large corporations, rather than investments in our state’s commonwealth, are what make our state ‘competitive.’”
“Mass. lawmakers have two bosses, heed one (hint: it’s not the voters),” Boston Globe, June 8, 2023.
The article “Lawmakers show little concern over sleepy start” (Page A1, May 30) astutely captured the problem of worsening inertia on Beacon Hill, with few bills, few votes, and almost no debate in the session so far. As the article points out, the over-centralization of power on Beacon Hill is a key culprit.
I often underscore that the State House suffers from a “two bosses” problem. In most jobs, the person who can hire and fire you is the same as the person who controls your pay. But for legislators, we — the public — are the ones who can choose, through our votes, to hire and fire elected officials, and legislative leadership, through committee chairs and other perks, are the ones who control the pay, with a scale that has become even more hierarchical in recent years.
With Massachusetts having the least competitive elections in the country, it’s no surprise which “boss” speaks loudest to legislators, but we all lose out from the lack of urgency around the many crises our state faces, from the growing costs of child care to the affordable housing crisis to a transit system in desperate need of care.
Jonathan Cohn
Boston
The writer is policy director of Progressive Massachusetts.
Join Progressive Mass for an Activist Afternoons series!
We’ll be reaching out to voters across the state to contact their legislators about key issues at the State House.
For our kickoff on Sunday, Jun 11, at 3:30 pm, we’ll be focusing on the Access to Counsel bill, which would ensure that tenants facing eviction have legal representation.
This series will be both on Zoom and in person in Jamaica Plain (link and address information upon confirmation).
.png "PM Activist Afternoons: Sunday, June 11, 2023")
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Chair Moran, Chair Cusack, and Members of the Joint Committee on Revenue:
My name is Jonathan Cohn, and I’m the policy director of Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide, member-based grassroots advocacy organization fighting for a more equitable, just, sustainable, and democratic Commonwealth.
We urge you to give a favorable report to H.2964/S.1801: An Act to reform the charitable deduction, filed by Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven and Sen. Jamie Eldridge.
Legislative leaders have been talking about the importance of “progressive” tax reform. If we want to build on steps toward a more progressive tax code, such as last year’s passage of the Fair Share Amendment, one place worth attention is the charitable deduction, which recently took effect.
The charitable deduction will reduce state revenue by approximately $300 million annually, with disproportionate benefits to the richest residents of the Commonwealth. According to a 2020 analysis from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, tax filers with more than $1 million in income would receive a benefit of almost $10,000 on average (amounting to more than half of the total benefits from the deduction). Those with income under $50,000 would receive just $7 on average (amounting to just 4% of the total benefits from the deduction).
This bill would address such disparities by limiting the charitable deduction to individuals who don’t also get such a deduction on their federal taxes: in other words, it would limit the deduction to low- and middle-income residents.
Voters were clear last year that they want to see a more progressive tax code and greater investments in our Commonwealth. Especially with the possibility of a recession in the near term, as well as a federal retrenchment from key social programs, now is not the time to be protecting tax cuts to the richest residents of the Commonwealth and eliminate a new “double dip” deduction.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Cohn
Policy Director
Progressive Massachusetts
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Chair Cyr, Chair Decker, and members of the Joint Committee on Public Health:
My name is Jonathan Cohn, and I’m the policy director of Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide, member-based grassroots advocacy organization fighting for a more equitable, just, sustainable, and democratic Commonwealth.
We urge you to give a favorable report to S.1415, An Act relative to birthing justice in the Commonwealth, and H.2209/S.1457, An Act promoting access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options.
Since the Dobbs decision last year, nearly 20 states have moved to ban or severely restrict access to abortion, with wide-reaching negative impacts on access to reproductive health care, especially for marginalized communities. Although Massachusetts has taken important strides in recent years to strengthen access to reproductive health care, which we greatly appreciate, our Commonwealth still sees severe inequalities in access to care. Indeed, Black women are twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. We have more work to do to break down barriers to the full spectrum of reproductive health care that still exist for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.
An Act relative to birthing justice in the Commonwealth introduces a critical framework to improve maternal health outcomes and ensure people have the support, education, and access to resources to be empowered throughout their pregnancies. An Act promoting access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options, standalone legislation which is also a core provision of the birthing justice bill, creates a pathway to licensure for Certified Professional Midwives, the key midwifery workforce trained in out-of-hospital births.
These bills advance key recommendations from the Special Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health. When the Legislature creates commissions to investigate policy areas, it is incumbent upon the Legislature to listen to the recommendations. Commissions take time and work from countless legislators, administrators, staff, and outside experts, and the recommendations are the result of such underappreciated work.
By embracing those recommendations, Massachusetts can ensure all pregnant people—regardless of race—have the autonomy, support, and adequate birth options to feel empowered throughout their pregnancies.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Cohn
Policy Director
Progressive Massachusetts
See you at the State House? Next week, a number of our coalitions are hosting advocacy days at the State House, a great opportunity to connect with other activists across the state and add momentum to key bills.
Tuesday, June 6 @ 11 am at the State House: Transfer Fee Coalition Lobby Day —RSVP here
Join the Local Option for Housing Affordability (LOHA) Coalition on Tuesday, June 6, 11-12 PM for a briefing and day of action in support of Rep. Connolly and Sen. Comerford’s bills H.2747/S.1771 establishing a local option transfer fee to fund affordable housing. Speakers will include advocates, municipal officials, impacted people and housing experts from across the Commonwealth.
Tuesday, June 6 @ 1 pm at the State House (House Members Lounge) — Polluters Pay & Put Gas in the Past Legislative Briefing
This event will be a presentation for legislators on bills at the center of two Mass Power Forward priority campaigns:
Invite your legislators to the briefing with this toolkit.
Wednesday, June 7 @ 2 pm at the State House — Youth Justice Lobby Day
Join activists across the state to advocate for bills that would end the school-to-prison pipeline and ensure better outcomes for our youth. The lobby day will focus on bills to keep 18-to 20-year-olds out of the adult criminal justice system, expand opportunities to expunge criminal records, create opportunities for diversion, and more.
In solidarity,
Jonathan Cohn
Policy Director
Progressive Massachusetts
Editorial Board, “An unfinished piece of criminal justice reform business: Raising the age for juvenile offenders“ (Boston Globe)
“Today, given the state of scientific research on developing brains, the case is even stronger to keep young adults out of a prison system ill-equipped to provide the education and the rehabilitation they need.”
Lydia Edwards, Adam Gomez, and Liz Miranda, “Time to enact new rules for use of facial recognition software” (CommonWealth)
“Three years ago, our Commonwealth started the good work of putting democratic guardrails around police use of this powerful but imperfect technology. Now, it’s time to get the job done. “
Lisa Guisbond, “Time to end the state’s ‘test and punish’ accountability system” (CommonWealth)
“Better ways to improve schools and student learning are grounded in community-based efforts – not state takeovers or private partnerships – using holistic, wraparound services to support schools that face multiple challenges.”
Editorial Board, “It’s time to restore legislative democracy on Beacon Hill” (Boston Globe)
“Why should the public care about any of this? Because as power has flowed upward and rank-and-file legislators have lost any real policy role, constituents have had less opportunity to influence the process.”
Editorial Board, “Give in-state college tuition to undocumented immigrants” (Boston Globe)
“Allowing these young people easier access to a college education would give them a chance at a better life. Currently, schools charge students without legal status the higher international or out-of-state rate, which many immigrants cannot afford to pay. At UMass Boston, a Massachusetts undergraduate faces a bill of $15,535 in tuition and fees next year, while an out-of-state student will be charged $37,211.”
Kara Miller, “Public colleges should be truly public again” (Boston Globe)
“We have been steadily “shifting the cost burden to students and their families,” argues Tom Harnisch, vice president for government relations at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. “There’s a real intergenerational equity issue here that I don’t think gets talked about nearly enough.”
Mark Paul, “Economists Hate Rent Control. Here’s Why They’re Wrong.” (The American Prospect)
” Some 67 percent of Americans live in owner-occupied homes—meaning they enjoy de facto rent control in the form of the 30-year mortgage…..It’s high time for the government to extend these benefits—and the economic security that comes with them—by adopting rent control to cover all people in the United States.”
Matt Stout, “Mass. tax revenues for April fell $2.2 billion below what state collected a year ago” (Boston Globe)
“The Raise Up Massachusetts coalition, which successfully pushed a ballot question last year raising taxes on the wealthiest, said in a statement that lawmakers should reconsider the tax cuts, should the state face budget shortfalls in the future.”
Carrie Jung, “Report: Boston’s child care capacity remains below pre-pandemic levels” (WBUR)
“The report also highlighted the increased costs of child care. Between 2018 and 2021, the average tuition for infant care in Boston increased by about $1,300 to $21,269. The tuition hike for toddler care was even steeper, increasing by about $5,600 to reach $19,402 in the same time period.”
“Rally To Make Higher Education More Accessible Held At State House” (WBZ Radio)
“We have underinvested for well over four decades in public higher education, this is unacceptable,” Eldridge said. “This is the session we’re gonna begin to see major investments in public higher education.”
Phineas Baxandall and Stacy Thompson, “Fare debate: Make buses free to all” (CommonWealth)
“Free transit, especially when it comes to buses, isn’t a fringe idea. It is a popular and proven method for increasing transit ridership and improving service. It’s time we start treating it as such.”
Bruce Mohl, “Senate budget embraces in-state tuition for undocumented students” (CommonWealth)
“While Massachusetts leads in so many areas in education,” she said, “we are falling behind other states, including the red states, in offering what is not only the right thing for these immigrant students but good for our atmosphere of inclusion, equity, and overall success. Twenty-three states plus DC already have this. We need to be competitive as well.”
Bruce Mohl, “Senate budget boosts RTA funding, backs fare-free buses” (CommonWealth)
“The $100 million in the Senate proposal includes $56 million for direct operating support, $25 million for innovation grants, $4 million for accessibility grants, and $15 million so each of the RTAs can launch six-month, fare-free pilots on their bus systems.”
Kristina Mensik and Adam Eichen, “It’s time to restore felon voting rights” (CommonWealth)
“As a new Sentencing Project report shows, disenfranchisement is associated with a range of adverse societal consequences that come at the expense of political and racial equality and the public good, ranging from lowered future political participation to roadblocks towards reintegration into society. One study has found that among individuals who had been arrested previously, 27 percent of non-voters were rearrested, versus 12 percent of voters.”
The MA Senate will be voting on a budget this week. Though there are clear reasons to celebrate (such as the inclusion of in-state tuition for all Massachusetts high school graduates and robust funding for regional transit authorities, including funding for fare-free bus pilots), there are ways to make it better.
Take a moment to contact your state senator in support of Amendments #819, #856, and #941 to the Senate budget this week.
These amendments would protect the Fair Share victory, build on past progress on juvenile justice reform, and strengthen No Cost Calls language.
Want to be quick? Call their office and just say “Please co-sponsor Amendments #819, #856, and #941 to the Senate budget this week. These amendments would protect the Fair Share victory, build on past progress on juvenile justice reform, and strengthen No Cost Calls language.”
Prefer to email?
Amendment 819 (Sen. Jason Lewis): Reducing high income tax avoidance
Amendment #819 would require that couples who file jointly at the federal level also file jointly at the state level, as other states do. Right now, Massachusetts is the only state that has a separate income tax rate for high-income filers without either designating lower tax rate thresholds for single filers than married filers or requiring federal joint filers to file jointly on their state taxes. As a result, under current law, some high-income couples who file jointly at the federal level may be able to avoid up to $40,000/year in Fair Share tax by filing singly at the state level. This loophole creates an incentive for illegal misattribution of income between the two members of the couple, necessitating additional tax audits and causing a loss in vital state revenue.
Amendment #856 (Sen. Adam Gomez): Youth Bail Fees
This amendment eliminates the $40 administrative bail fee imposed on justice-involved youth, paying the bail magistrate fee from state indigency funds. The Senate already passed this last session, so this is an opportune moment to do so again.
Amendment #941 (Sen. Liz Miranda): No Cost Calls
I was grateful to see that the MA Senate’s budget proposal includes “No Cost Calls” language that would end the practice of private corporations charging incarcerated people and their families huge fees to make phone calls to and from jail and prison.
This amendment strengthens the language to guarantee access to voice communications for people and ensures that technology like tablets, if they’re already equipped for phone call, can be used under the new law.
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Chair Rausch, Chair Cahill, and Members of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources,
My name is Jonathan Cohn, and I’m the policy director of Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide, member-based grassroots advocacy organization fighting for a more equitable, just, sustainable, and democratic Commonwealth.
We urge you to give a favorable report to H.872/S.481: An Act establishing a climate change superfund and promoting polluter responsibility (“Polluters Pay”), filed by Sen. Jamie Eldridge and Rep. Steve Owens.
Massachusetts is already facing the impacts of climate change, and it will only get worse. The increased incidence of storms will damage coastlines and increase inland flooding: the state has projected that inland property damage due to climate change will increase by almost 50% by mid-century, with a disproportionate impact on low-income communities. Additional rail repair costs from extreme temperatures could reach $6 million per year by 2050 and a striking $35 million by the end of the century, and repair costs for electric transmission and utility distribution infrastructure alone are projected to increase by almost $100 million by 2050, with power outages disproportionately impacting low-income communities again. Not to mention the impact on human health and lives.1
Meanwhile, major fossil fuel companies are seeing record profits. The very companies who lied to the public for decades about climate change are benefiting while all of us, especially the most vulnerable, bear the cost.
We already have a successful model for addressing these situations of public damages, private profits: the “polluter pays” principle. This principle is employed in all of the major US pollution control laws: Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (solid waste and hazardous waste management), and Superfund (cleanup of abandoned waste sites).
This bill would extend that proven principle to the climate crisis by establishing a climate change adaptation cost recovery program. It would require companies that have contributed significantly to the buildup of climate-warming greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere to bear a share of the costs of needed infrastructure investment, based on their historic emissions.
This bill would raise an estimated $75 billion over 25 years from the 20 largest polluting companies to provide funding for climate resiliency efforts such as restoring coastal wetlands; upgrading roads, bridges, subways, and transit systems; preparing for and recovering from hurricanes and other extreme weather events; installing energy efficient cooling systems; upgrading the electrical grid; and expanding green spaces and urban forestry.
Moreover, the bill understands that our sustainability transition must be a just one, with key provisions to ensure that sufficient funds go to environmental justice populations and that the funding goes to the creation of good-paying jobs.
Massachusetts has taken important steps toward climate mitigation in recent sessions and we must continue to do so to meet our state’s climate goals, but we also need to address the climate crisis that is already hitting communities. This bill shows a way forward.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Cohn
Policy Director
Progressive Massachusetts
Endnotes
[]1 Gloninger, Chris and Asher Klein. “When a Major Hurricane Hits New England, the Costs Will Be Huge.” NBC News. July 25, 2019. https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/catastrophic-hurricane-new-england-modeling/92234/; Zhao, Bo. The Effects of Weather on Massachusetts Municipal Expenditures: Implications of Climate Change for Local Governments in New England. Boston: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 2023; 2022 Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment. Boston: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 2022. https://www.mass.gov/doc/2022-massachusetts-climate-change-assessment-december-2022-volume-i-executive-summary/download.
Tomorrow, the Massachusetts Legislature is hosting a hearing on a new bill to address the climate crisis: the Polluters Pay bill.
This bill, modeled on legislation filed in other states and nationally, embodies a core principle: those who created the climate crisis should have to pay for cleaning up the resulting damages.
At the same time that communities across the Commonwealth are facing the growing costs of climate adaptation — costs that will grow significantly in the coming decades — fossil fuel companies are making record profits.
The Polluters Pay bill would require companies that have contributed significantly to the buildup of climate-warming greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere to bear a share of the costs of needed infrastructure investment. By doing so, it would would raise an estimated $75 billion over 25 years from the 20 largest polluting companies to provide funding for climate resiliency efforts such as restoring coastal wetlands; upgrading roads, bridges, subways, and transit systems; preparing for and recovering from hurricanes and other extreme weather events; installing energy efficient cooling systems; upgrading the electrical grid; and expanding green spaces and urban forestry.
Moreover, the bill understands that our sustainability transition must be a just one, with key provisions to ensure that sufficient funds go to environmental justice populations and that the funding goes to the creation of good-paying jobs.
You can find out if your legislators are already co-sponsors here.
Thursday, May 18 @ 11 am at the State House: No Cost Calls Lobby Day — RSVP here
The Keeping Families Connected / No Costs Calls coalition will be having a Senate advocacy action day to ask Senators to co-sponsor budget amendment #941, which will create a stronger guarantee of no cost calls in the state’s budget. The coalition will be meeting at the fourth floor cafe.
Wednesday, May 24 @ 9:30 am at the State House: Thrive Act Lobby Day —RSVP here
This is an exciting opportunity for students, families, educators, staff, and community activists to come together and connect with legislators about the Thrive Act, new legislation that would create a system of school assessment and improvement that considers the whole child, and focuses on giving students and educators the tools and resources they need to succeed.
Tuesday, May 30 @ 10 am at the State House: Healthy Youth Act Lobby Day –RSVP here
An Act relative to healthy youth (S.268/H.544) is a common sense bill that reflects the consensus of the vast majority of MA residents. The bill’s core provision is simple: it will require any public school that already chooses to teach sex ed to provide a medically accurate, age-appropriate, comprehensive sexual health education.
Wednesday, June 7 @ 2 pm at the State House — Youth Justice Lobby Day — RSVP here
Join activists across the state to advocate for bills that would end the school-to-prison pipeline and ensure better outcomes for our youth. The lobby day will focus on bills to keep 18-to 20-year-olds out of the adult criminal justice system, expand opportunities to expunge criminal records, create opportunities for diversion, and more.
