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Education Spending Since 2022, the Fair Share Amendment has funded more than $3.5 billion in new spending on public education across Massachusetts. That includes everything from early education and child care to K-12 public schools and our public college and universities. Here’s how Fair Share is making a difference for public education: K-12 Public Schools Universal free school meals $419 million Fair Share funding reimburses local school districts for the cost of providing universal free school meals . Now, every child from Kindergarten to 12th grade, regardless of their income, can get a healthy breakfast and lunch at school – for free. As a result, Massachusetts families are saving $1,200 a year per child , and the number of Massachusetts public school students who are eating a healthy school breakfast and lunch has increased by 24.5% and 16%, respectively. School building improvements $270 million Fair Share funding has supported dozens of school building projects across Massachusetts, like a new high school in Lowell, and is now funding building improvements to support career technical education for students thoughout the Commonwealth. It’s also funding a new program to install or maintain clean energy infrastructure in K-12 public schools , which will help make our school buildings healthier for students. Clean energy retrofits will also reduce school districts’ energy costs, so that more money can be redirected to support student learning. Aid to local public schools $782.33 million Fair Share funding helps support local school districts across the state with higher minimum aid, regional school transportation costs, and special education circuit breaker reimbursements, ensuring that schools have more of the resources they need to keep up with rising costs and support all students. New education programs $128.02 million Fair Share funding has also supported new early literacy programs ($60.56 million); early college, workforce, technical and innovation pathway programs ($15.5 million); and the development of a statewide birth through higher education framework for mental and behavioral health ($5 million), among a myriad of other education investments. Public Colleges and Universities Tuition-free community college $287.5 million Thanks to Fair Share funding, Massachusetts’ 15 public community colleges are now free for students of any age and income . All students receive free tuition and fees, and lower-income students may qualify for up to $2,400/year to help cover the cost of books, supplies, and other costs of attending college. As a result, students are saving money, and Massachusetts has seen double-digit growth in community college enrollment , reversing a decade of declining enrollment. Affordable public colleges and universities Fair Share funding supports the MassGrant Plus scholarship program for students at any of the state’s 9 state universities or 4 University of Massachusetts undergraduate campuses. The program fully covers tuition, fees, and books for families making up to $85,000 a year, and covers up to 50% of tuition and fees for middle-income students. As a result, families are saving money, and enrollment at public four-year colleges in Massachusetts increased for the first time in a decade. $289 million New public higher education programs $85.5 million Fair Share funding has also supported an endowment match program for public colleges and universities ($55 million); and wraparound supports and services for public college students ($30.5 million). Public college campuses, buildings and infrastructure $207.67 million Fair Share funding has supported dozens of investments in buildings and physical infrastructure at public colleges and universities, including projects that advance decarbonization efforts, address deferred maintenance, and increase climate resilience. Projects funded by Fair Share include window resealing at Worcester State University, HVAC energy improvements at Mass College of Art and Design’s North Building, a geothermal heat pump replacement at Bunker Hill Community College, and window replacement at UMass Dartmouth’s Dion College of Nursing Building. Early Education and Childcare Early Education and Child Care Grants to child care providers $543 million Fair Share funding helps support the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grant program, which provides monthly grants to support early education and care providers’ day-to-day operational and workforce costs. 15,000 How many more licensed child care spots there are now compared to pre-pandemic, thanks to these grants and the stability they provide for child care providers Support for providers who enroll low-income children $360 million Fair Share funding has helped increase the rates the state pays to child care providers who enroll low-income children. Provider rates have increased by 8 to 34 percent , allowing child care providers to raise wages and better serve the children in their care. Expanded access to child care financial assistance $68.7 million Thanks to Fair Share, thousands of low-income families now have access to child care financial assistance that helps them pay for high-quality childcare, so they can go to work or school knowing that their children are being cared for. New early education programs $83.5 million Fair Share funding has also supported the expansion of pre-kindergarten or preschool opportunities ($26 million); salaries and benefits for early educators who serve low-income children ($25 million); capital improvements to build child care capacity ($25 million); and an early education and care educator loan forgiveness program ($7.5 million).

< Back 15 Faith-Based Groups from Across Massachusetts Endorse Question 1 to Improve Transportation and Public Education Jul 18, 2022 Religious Leaders Join Growing Coalition Supporting Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners on November Ballot BOSTON – The campaign working to pass the Fair Share Amendment, the proposed state tax on incomes above $1 million which would raise billions of dollars to invest in transportation and public education, today announced the endorsement of 15 faith-based groups from across the state. The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. “As an organization, we believe in equal access to opportunity, and this is exactly what the Fair Share Amendment is working towards: more equitable systems of transportation and education to benefit every Massachusetts resident,” said Rev. Edwin Johnson of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Dorchester, a member of Prophetic Resistance Boston and the Massachusetts Communities Action Network . “Passing the Fair Share Amendment is the greatest way to guarantee all of our public schools are properly funded and our public transportation system works for everyone, ensuring Massachusetts remains a state that serves in the best interest of us all.” The 15 faith-based groups represent religious congregations and clergy from across Massachusetts, and include statewide organizations as well as groups from Boston, Framingham, Sharon, Worcester, the North Shore, the Pioneer Valley, and Southeastern Massachusetts. “People of faith, who hold that moral and spiritual traditions are fundamental to civil society, believe that sharing what we have is not a choice but a responsibility. Regular giving, whether tithing our income or leaving the corners or our fields free for the taking, lies at the core of Jewish teachings,” said Rabbi Barbara Penzner, a member of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action Advisory Committee and Rabbinic Advisory to the New England Jewish Labor Committee . “The Fair Share Amendment creates the opportunity to fulfill that obligation in a simple and just framework. It is based on this incontestable truth: for any one of us to thrive, we must ensure that everyone thrives.” “UU Mass Action, as a faith-based community organization working with frontline partner organizations, has witnessed the growing economic disparities and the impacts on our education and transportation systems,” said Rev. Jo Murphy, Executive Director of Unitarian Universalist Mass Action . “For this reason, and as Unitarian Universalists who see economic justice as a core principle and part of our communal thriving, we support the Fair Share Amendment and truly see it as crucial to our economy and a sustainable way to recover from COVID.” “We believe that God wants a world with liberation for all. Yet, that is not the world we live in,” said Rev. Arrington Chambliss, Executive Director of Episcopal City Mission . “Our current tax system privileges the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us. This unfair tax system has exacerbated the racial wealth gap in Massachusetts throughout the pandemic. Now is the time to take action and bring forth a more just tax system. Please join Episcopal City Mission in voting Yes on 1.” The faith-based groups join more than 215 organizations and thousands of activists across the state who are working together to pass Question 1 on the ballot. The campaign previously announced support from 63 community organizing groups , 26 housing and community development organizations , and 28 social service providers . After years of grassroots advocacy, the state Legislature voted in June 2021 to place the Fair Share Amendment on the November 2022 statewide ballot, where it is now set to be decided on by the voters as Question 1. The full list of endorsing faith-based groups is below, and a full list of organizations that have endorsed Question 1 is available at fairsharema.com/endorsements . Black Ministerial Alliance/Boston Ten Point Coalition Brockton Interfaith Community Episcopal City Mission Essex County Community Organization Greater Framingham Community Church Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action Massachusetts Communities Action Network New England Jewish Labor Committee Pioneer Valley Project Prophetic Resistance Boston Sharon Interfaith Action Unitarian Universalist Association United Interfaith Action of Southeastern MA (UIA) UU Mass Action Worcester Interfaith Background on Question 1: the Fair Share Amendment The Fair Share Amendment – Question 1 on the November ballot – will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. Question 1 would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and dedicate the funds raised to transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, roads, bridges, and public transportation. ### The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top. Learn more at FairShareMA.com. Image by John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Previous Next

< Back Fair Share Amendment advocates rally at Berkshire Community College Josh Landes | WAMC Northeast Public Radio Apr 4, 2022 Supporters of a Massachusetts ballot question that would levy a new 4% tax on all income above $1 million to fund public education and infrastructure Josh Landes (Source / Original) / WAMC Berkshire County legislators John Barrett, Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Smitty Pignatelli, and Adam Hinds attend the Fair Share Amendment rally at Berkshire Community College. Supporters of a Massachusetts ballot question that would levy a new 4% tax on all income above $1 million to fund public education and infrastructure held a rally in Pittsfield Monday. The event was held at Berkshire Community College by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, unions, and faith-based groups that has fought for the Fair Share Amendment since 2015. The group says the new surcharge would only impact 0.6% of Massachusetts households while bringing in around $2 billion a year. “If you're a small business owner and the small business earns more than a million dollars, this doesn't apply to that. It's if the individual in one year earns more than a million dollars, the amount above the million dollars gets that 4% surcharge," said 3rd Berkshire District State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier. She says the measure would benefit public transit in western Massachusetts. “West-East rail is critically important for growing the Berkshires, the [regional transit authorities] are critically important, the economic development of this region, the Valley Flyer, the Berkshire Flyer- All these things we need to be connected by rail, that money is going to go to there,” said Farley-Bouvier. She was joined by fellow Democrat and State Senator Adam Hinds, who is also a candidate for lieutenant governor. “You've probably heard some of the numbers around how inequality has grown in Massachusetts in recent decades," said Hinds. "It's kind of this dynamic of, from World War II to the 70s, you kind of saw everyone heading on an upward trajectory together. And then in the 70s, that shifts, and the top 1%, the annual income is going up 10 times the rate of the bottom 99%. And that's a problem. That's a huge problem for a lot of reasons. One is because we know the impact of income inequality, and especially kids growing up in a low-income household, we know that that means their lifelong earnings are going to be lower than others, their educational attainment is impacted, their health outcomes are impacted. All because we let income inequality get out of hand.” “It should be a right of every resident of this commonwealth to be able to go to a public college and university and graduate debt free," said Massachusetts Teachers Association Vice President and UMass Amherst architecture professor Max Page. "Four miles away, Pittsfield High School, you go for free, as we all think we should. Between June of graduating and then three months later, come to Berkshire Community College and have to pay thousands of dollars of living and tuition and fees- It's just wrong,” Page said. “Our public colleges’ inadequate budgets forced them to engage in competition for funds. Could you ever imagine Harvard and Yale, or Williams College and Amherst College, having to argue for their operating budgets? Of course you can't," said former BCC coordinator of assessment and testing and adjunct psychology instructor Liz Recko-Morrison. “Our community colleges work doggedly to address the needs of first generation students, recent immigrants, the workforce, and those who may be trying to re-enter education by earning an alternative high school credential. I've seen the divisiveness that occurs when all the sectors of higher education, and really education as a whole, must fight to receive their share of inadequate funding. Our communities, our faculty and professional staff, but most of all, our students suffer.” In an interview with WAMC in March , Springfield Regional Chamber President Nancy Creed said the amendment would negatively impact small business owners. “Based on how they have created their organizations, so sole proprietors, S corps, those kind of small businesses are really the ones that are going to get hit with this tax and it's only because of the way they have organized their business," said Creed. "They are certainly not millionaires. So we really think this is more of a middle class tax than it is a wealthy tax.” The Pittsfield City Council endorsed the Fair Share Amendment in March . Voters will go to the polls to decide the measure on November 8th. Previous Next

< Back New Report Shows That Question 1 Only Impacts Super-Rich Investors, Not 99% of Working People Jul 21, 2022 MassBudget Report Finds Most Surgeons, Dentists, Lawyers, and Programmers Wouldn’t Come Close to Paying More BOSTON – In response to a new report from the Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center which found that people working in the highest-earning professions in the state still earn much less than a million dollars a year, the Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign today highlighted how Question 1 on the November ballot would require only the richest people in Massachusetts to pay more. “Question 1 would require those who earn more than $1 million in a single year to pay a little more, and constitutionally dedicate billions of dollars in new revenue to improving our schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and transit,” said Fair Share for Massachusetts Campaign Manager Jeron Mariani . “This new data shows that even some of the highest-paid workers in the state, like surgeons, dentists, lawyers, and programmers, wouldn’t come close to paying more under Question 1. When we vote Yes on Question 1 in November, super-rich investors will pay their fair share in state taxes, while 99 percent of taxpayers – people who work for a living – won’t pay anything more.” The Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center report analyzed the most current federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for Massachusetts, which tracks the average income received by workers in over 750 different occupational categories. They found that no occupation in Massachusetts has an average income anywhere near $1 million, with the highest paid occupations (radiologists, anesthesiologists, cardiologists and surgeons), all having average annual incomes between $300,000 and $350,000. The report also points out that Question 1 would affect fewer than 7 in every thousand households in Massachusetts: about 24,000 out of the more than 3.5 million households that file taxes in Massachusetts each year. Thousands of educators, workers, small business owners, parents, faith leaders, municipal officials, drivers and transit riders, and more than 215 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1 on the ballot through the Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign. After years of grassroots advocacy, the state Legislature voted in June 2021 to place the Fair Share Amendment on the November 2022 statewide ballot, where it is now set to be decided on by the voters as Question 1. Background on Question 1: the Fair Share Amendment The Fair Share Amendment – Question 1 on the November ballot – will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. Question 1 would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and require – in the state constitution – that the funds be spent only on transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, roads, bridges, and public transportation. Learn more and get involved at FairShareMA.com ### The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top. Previous Next

How to Vote YES on 1 Election Day is November 8. You can vote by mail, vote early, or vote on Election Day: Tuesday, November 8. Here's everything you need to vote Yes on Question 1 on or before November 8. I'm going to.... VOTE BY MAIL VOTE EARLY VOTE ON NOV 8 Make sure you're registered to vote in Massachusetts. CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION VOTING BY MAIL FOR QUESTION 1 Voting by Mail Make sure you're registered to vote in Massachusetts. CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION Put your mail-in ballot in the mail ASAP. It has to be postmarked by November 8 to count. Your ballot has to be postmarked by Election Day and received by the Elections Division by 5pm 3 days after Election Day to count. You can mail your ballot back using the envelope provided, deliver your ballot in person to your local election office, drop your ballot off at an early voting location during early voting hours, or drop your ballot into a drop box in your city or town. You can drop off your ballot at a dropbox—it has to be received by your local elections office by the time the polls close on November 8. FIND A BALLOT DROPBOX After you mail or drop off your ballot, you can track its progress and make sure it arrives. TRACK YOUR BALLOT VOTING EARLY IN PERSON FOR QUESTION 1 Voting Early Early voting runs from October 22 to November 4. Make sure you're registered to vote in Massachusetts. CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION You can go to your local early polling place in person to vote YES. FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE VOTING ON ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 8, FOR QUESTION 1 Voting on Election Day Polls are open 7am to 8pm on November 8. Make sure you're registered to vote in Massachusetts. CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION Find your polling place and vote YES by 8pm on November 8. FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE Vote Yes on 1 for a fairer Massachusetts.

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< Back Fair Share Amendment Will Be Question 1 on the November Ballot ​ Jul 12, 2022 Campaign to Tax Million-Dollar Earners to Improve Transportation and Public Education in Full Swing BOSTON – Fair Share for Massachusetts, the campaign working to pass the Fair Share Amendment, the proposed state tax on incomes above $1 million which would raise billions of dollars to invest in transportation and public education, today announced that the constitutional amendment will be Question 1 on the November ballot. “Question 1 is a win-win for Massachusetts: 99% of us won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll all benefit from better public schools, safer roads and bridges, more affordable public colleges, and more reliable public transit,” said Lillian Lanier, Field Director for Fair Share for Massachusetts. “With Question 1, only the richest 1 percent of Massachusetts taxpayers – those who earn more than $1 million in a single year – will pay more. By making our tax system fairer and investing in transportation and public education, we’ll grow our economy and make it work for everyone. That’s why thousands of teachers, parents, students, small business owners, and voters across Massachusetts are organizing together to pass Question 1 in November.” “As a small business owner, I’m voting Yes on 1 because while we work harder than ever to get ahead, the super-rich keep getting richer and richer,” said Hilken Mancini, owner of 40 South Street Vintage Clothing in Boston . “Question 1 will fix the lopsided tax rules that allow the wealthy to pay a smaller share in taxes than the rest of us. And every business will benefit when our communities have better schools and colleges that prepare a well-educated workforce, and a more reliable transportation system that gets employees to work and goods to market.” The campaign to pass the Fair Share Amendment, now officially Question 1 on the ballot, has been in full swing for months. Volunteers with the Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign have already reached out to more than 175,000 voters to have conversations about how making our tax system fairer can help improve our roads and bridges, our public schools and colleges, and our public transportation infrastructure. More than 100 grassroots canvassing and phone banking events have taken place in dozens of communities across the state, from Woburn and Gloucester to Pittsfield and New Bedford. “Our students need more help to recover from the effects of the pandemic, and that’s what Question 1 will provide,” said Cynthia Roy, a science teacher at Bristol Plymouth Regional Technical School . “From more education support professionals in the classroom to increased access to counselors and therapists, Question 1 will provide the educators our schools need to get students back on track.” More than 215 organizations and thousands of activists across the state are working together to win Question 1 on the ballot. After years of grassroots advocacy, the state Legislature voted in June 2021 to place the Fair Share Amendment on the November 2022 statewide ballot, where it is now set to be decided on by the voters as Question 1. Background on the Question 1: Fair Share Amendment The Fair Share Amendment – Question 1 on the November ballot – will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. Question 1 would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and dedicate the funds raised to transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, roads, bridges, and public transportation. ### The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top. Learn more at FairShareMA.com. Previous Next

< Back Congressman Jim McGovern Launches Canvass for Question 1 in Worcester ​ Oct 15, 2022 Congressman McGovern Joins Local Supporters of Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners to Invest in Transportation and Public Education Worcester, Mass. – Congressman Jim McGovern today joined supporters of the Fair Share Amendment at IBEW Local 96 in Worcester to kick off a door-to-door canvass for the proposed state tax on annual incomes above $1 million which would raise billions of dollars that are constitutionally dedicated to transportation and public education. The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. “Question 1 is a real opportunity to improve roads, bridges, and schools throughout Massachusetts for decades to come,” said Congressman Jim McGovern. “By ensuring that the rich pay their fair share in taxes, passing Question 1 will help us give K-12 students the support they need to get back on track, repair crumbling infrastructure, and make our public colleges more affordable. Question 1 is a win for the middle class, and a win for Massachusetts.” At Saturday’s canvass kick-off, Congressman McGovern and local campaign supporters spoke to volunteers about their support for the Fair Share Amendment. Then, canvassers headed out to speak to Worcester voters about how the Fair Share Amendment would help improve our public schools and colleges and our roads, bridges, and public transportation infrastructure, all by making the very rich pay their fair share. Background on Question 1: the Fair Share Amendment The Fair Share Amendment – Question 1 on the November ballot – will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. Question 1 would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and constitutionally dedicate the funds to be spent on transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, roads, bridges, and public transportation. Thousands of educators, workers, small business owners, parents, faith leaders, municipal officials, drivers and transit riders, and more than 350 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1. Our campaign has been endorsed by 80 labor unions, 63 community organizing groups, 15 faith-based groups, more than 75 businesses, and more than 100 other social service and not-for-profit organizations focused on housing, education, transportation, public health, and the environment. Learn more and get involved at FairShareMA.com. ### The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top. Previous Next

< Back Fair Share Amendment Ballot Campaign Launches First TV Ad ​ Aug 17, 2022 Win-Win” Highlights How Question 1 on the November Ballot Will Mean “Better Schools and Roads, and a Tax System That’s Fairer” BOSTON – The campaign working to pass the Fair Share Amendment today announced the launch of its first television ad , part of an eight-figure TV ad campaign that will run through Election Day. The Fair Share Amendment, the proposed state tax on incomes above $1 million, would raise billions of dollars to invest in transportation and public education. It is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. “We began running TV ads this week, but our campaign supporters – educators, parents, and neighbors all across the state – have already reached out to more than half a million voters going door-to-door and by phone,” said Fair Share for Massachusetts Campaign Manager Jeron Mariani . “Through an expansive campaign over the airwaves, online, and on the ground, we're telling voters about the facts of Question 1: that only the super-rich who earn more than $1 million a year will pay more, and we'll all benefit from the $2 billion a year that is constitutionally dedicated to our schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and transit infrastructure.” Titled ‘ Win-Win ,’ the ad begins by explaining how Massachusetts working people pay a higher share in taxes than the wealthiest one percent. Research from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center shows that while most people in Massachusetts pay between 8 and 10 percent of our personal income in state and local taxes, the highest-income 1 percent of taxpayers pay just 6.8 percent. “Question 1 changes that, so those making over $1 million a year pay their fair share,” the ad continues. “Ninety-nine percent of us won’t pay a penny more. And Question 1 raises $2 billion a year that the constitution dedicates to public schools, colleges and roads and bridges.” Question 1, which voters will decide on the November ballot, would amend the Massachusetts constitution to create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and constitutionally dedicate the funds to be spent on transportation and public education. Less than 1 percent of Massachusetts taxpayers earn over $1 million in a single year and would pay the new tax, but we would all benefit from the improved schools and transportation infrastructure Question 1 will help fund. The ad ends by summing up the benefits of Question 1 for Massachusetts: “Better schools and roads, and a tax system that’s fairer. Question 1 is a win-win for Massachusetts.” Thousands of educators, workers, small business owners, parents, faith leaders, municipal officials, drivers and transit riders, and more than 280 organizations across the state are working together on the Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign to pass Question 1. After years of grassroots advocacy, the state Legislature voted in June 2021 to place the Fair Share Amendment on the November 2022 statewide ballot, where it is now set to be decided on by the voters as Question 1. The ad can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8NjwlAZhG4 . Background on Question 1: the Fair Share Amendment The Fair Share Amendment – Question 1 on the November ballot – will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. Question 1 would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and require – in the state constitution – that the funds be spent only on transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and public transportation. Learn more and get involved at FairShareMA.com. ### The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top. Previous Next

< Back Yes on 1 Launches New TV Ad Pushing Back on Deceptive Lies About Home Sales ​ Oct 25, 2022 ‘No on 1’ Campaign Caught Lying About Home Sales; Less Than 1% Would Be Affected BOSTON – Amid calls for TV stations to take down a false and deceptive ad from the billionaire-backed opponents of Question 1, supporters of the proposed “Fair Share Amendment” are pushing back on television. Supporters of Question 1 today announced the launch of a new TV ad , part of an eight-figure TV ad campaign that is running through Election Day. Titled ‘ Fool You ,’ the new ad states “The richest 1% are trying to fool you. Question 1 only affects about 1% of homes sold. Last year, the average home sale that would have been impacted was 3.8 million dollars. Only the richest pay, not you.” Yesterday, supporters of Question 1 sent a letter to the Boston TV stations that are airing an inaccurate and deceptive ad from the ‘No on Question 1’ campaign. This latest attack from billionaire-backed opponents of the constitutional amendment falsely claims that tens of thousands of home sales would be affected by Question 1. In response, the author of the report cited by the No on 1 campaign in their ad told the Boston Globe “I do not think our work supports their claim about the tax rate on home sales.” “The billionaire-backed opponents of Question 1 are lying to voters because they’re desperate to avoid paying their fair share,” said Fair Share for Massachusetts Campaign Manager Jeron Mariani. “As we fight back against their misinformation, we’re focused on sharing the truth with voters: only the priciest 1 percent of mansions and vacation homes would be affected by Question 1. And less than 1 percent of all taxpayers would pay more under Question 1, while we’d all benefit from better schools and roads.” The facts: Last year, less than 1 percent of home sales in the state generated enough of a gain to be affected by Question 1. Just 895 homes, to be exact. Not “tens of thousands.” A recent report from the Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center found that even in Massachusetts’s hot housing market, only a tiny percentage of home sellers would see their taxable income rise above $1 million. That's because it's the gain in value since the house was originally purchased, not the full sales price, that is subject to income tax. Plus, home sellers can deduct up to $500,000 from their taxes on the sale of their primary residence, and also deduct the entire cost of a renovated kitchen, an updated heating system, a new roof, or any other major improvements. They can also subtract closing costs, such as realtor commissions. Last year, there were only 22 cities and towns in the entire state where more than 10 homes sold for a gain of $1.5 million or more, enough to be affected by Question 1 after deductions are taken. In 248 cities and towns, not a single home sold for a gain of $1.5 million or more. The average home that would be affected by Question 1 sold for a total of $3.8 million. The new ad can be found here . Previous ‘Yes on 1’ TV ads can be found here , here , here , here , here , and here . Background on Question 1: the Fair Share Amendment The Fair Share Amendment – Question 1 on the November ballot – will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. Question 1 would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and constitutionally dedicate the funds to be spent on transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, roads, bridges, and public transportation. Thousands of educators, workers, small business owners, parents, faith leaders, municipal officials, drivers and transit riders, and more than 350 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1. Our campaign has been endorsed by 80 labor unions , 63 community organizing groups , 15 faith-based groups , more than 75 businesses , and more than 100 other social service and not-for-profit organizations focused on housing, education, transportation, public health, and the environment. Learn more and get involved at FairShareMA.com . ### The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top. Previous Next