Erin Tiernan, “Massachusetts sees fewer competitive races than any other state, advocates say democratic process ‘suffers’,” MASSter List, May 2, 2023.
“The fact that we so rarely have contested elections here in Massachusetts does a disservice to the democratic process,” said Jonathan Cohn of Progressive Massachusetts, noting Beacon Hill’s reputation for top-down management and back-room dealmaking.
Samantha J. Gross and Matt Stout, “Months in, Healey is scoring wins with a Democrat-led Legislature in the very places her GOP predecessor failed,” Boston Globe, April 17, 2023.
“The disappointing thing about this is that many people were looking forward to having a Democratic trifecta,” said Jonathan Cohn, policy director of Progressive Massachusetts.“But they weren’t hoping to have a Democratic trifecta get tax breaks for day traders and speculators.”
John Budenas, “House sends $1.1 Bil tax relief bill to senate,” State House News Sevice, April 13, 2023.
The Progressive Massachusetts group zeroed in on the estate tax, short-term capital gains tax and single sales factor apportionment reforms collectively worth about $440 million as pressure points. During its lobby day earlier on Thursday, the organization slammed those measures as “regressive” and likely to blunt the impact of a newly voter-enacted surtax on high earners.
“Think of all that we could do with $440 million if instead we invested it in our public transit systems, in education, in child care, in climate resilience, in affordable housing, or in health care,” the group wrote in a handout from its event. “Indeed, tackling our housing crisis should be the #1 priority if legislators actually cared about the goals of ‘affordability’ and ‘competitiveness.’”
Joan Vennochi, “When it comes to issues facing the state, it’s Maura ‘in the middle’ Healey,” Boston Globe, April 10, 2023.
“To progressive Democrats, the answer is not enough. Pointing out that Healey’s tax reform proposal is basically the same as Baker’s, Jonathan Cohn, policy director of Progressive Massachusetts, said, “Her instinct has been to give that money back, weakening our state’s ability to deliver on the promise of investment.” On housing and transit, he added, “I think we need to see more from her administration about what their major goals are and how they would track their own success. There isn’t enough communicated urgency about what is needed for the affordability crisis and the crisis of the MBTA.” Cohn also flagged Healey for a “wait-and-see” attitude on zoning changes that are aimed at increasing affordable housing.””
Chris Lisinski, “House adds capital gains, biz cuts to $1.1B tax relief plan,” State House News Service, April 11, 2023.
The proposal drew criticism from some voices on the left. “Our Democratic governor and Democratic Legislature fighting hard for the day traders … ,” tweeted Progressive Massachusetts Political Director Jonathan Cohn.
PM’s Policy Director was on WCVB5 this evening talking about why the House’s tax proposal misses the mark on affordability. Check out the video here.
Ivy Scott, “Proposed amendment to state constitution could give prisoners back their right to vote,” Boston Globe, April 6, 2023.
Jonathan Cohn, policy director of the grassroots political group Progressive Mass, cited multiple studies that indicate a significant percentage of incarcerated people leave prison believing their right to vote is gone forever. Eleven states prevent formerly incarcerated people from voting, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Preventing prisoners from voting “disenfranchises more than just those directly affected,” Cohn said.
Alison Kuznitz, “Eight-year term limit eliminated for Mass. Senate President Karen Spilka,” MassLive, February 9, 2023.
Jonathan Cohn, policy director at the grassroots activist organization Progressive Mass, said the lack of floor debate Thursday likely stems from senators’ fear of retaliation from Spilka, particularly as committee assignments have yet to be released.
Yet should senators eventually elect a “very conservative” president, Cohn warned “you’re stuck with them for a long because there’s no fail-safe.”
“When you give one person that level of power- and agenda-setting for the body, it also just slows things down because you’re the one person and you’re in charge indefinitely for the future,” Cohn told MassLive. “It makes it clear that everything needs to run through you, and there are only 24 hours in the day. That centralization that exists in both House and Senate is something that causes a lot of the inertia that exists in the building.”
Jonathan Cohn, political director for the left-wing grassroots group Progressive Massachusetts, voiced concern that eliminating term limits for the Senate president would be another step moving the Senate closer to the House in the way it does business.
The past few years have seen “what I would call a House-ification of the Massachusetts Senate,” said Cohn, “operating with a greater concentration of power that we have, in recent years, more attributed to the Massachusetts House, and now possibly embracing its style of governance.”
“I am hoping we can get some reform-minded people in there, so we can make the changes that need to happen. The entire system, the entire culture, everything needs to be completely overhauled,” said Caroline Bays, board chair of Progressive Massachusetts. “This is a new job for her, this is a fresh start.”