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The Fair Share Amendment improves Massachusetts transportation and public education systems. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. November 9, 2022: Question 1 passes. The Fair Share Amendment is in the Massachusetts constitution. Question 1, the Fair Share Amendment, PASSED on the statewide ballot November 8th, 2022. This ballot question is our chance to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share in taxes. This is how we build an economy that works for everyone. Question 1 is a win-win for Massachusetts. And it passed. Why the Fair Share Amendment About Question 1 Question 1, the Fair Share Amendment, would create a 4% 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. With Question 1, the top 1% of Massachusetts residents — those making over $1 million a year — would pay their fair share in taxes. 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And because Question 1 will be written directly into the state constitution, the money would be constitutionally required to go only to transportation and public education. That means $2 billion a year, every year, for better roads, safer bridges, reliable public transportation, and public schools from pre-K through college. On November 8, vote YES on 1. LEARN MORE READ THE AMENDMENT November 9, 2022: Question 1 passes. The Fair Share Amendment is in the Massachusetts constitution. Get everything you need to know about exactly how to vote Yes on 1. HOW TO VOTE YES ON 1 Election Day is November 8, 2022. To vote Yes on 1, you have to be registered to vote by October 29. CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION HOW TO VOTE YES ON 1 Meet Question 1 supporters: Local Businesses Communities People SHARE YOURS Our stories are the most powerful tool we have to win the Fair Share Amendment. We're sharing our stories for a fair Massachusetts. Find out why others are all in for the Fair Share Amendment and share your own. Take action for a fairer Massachusetts JOIN US RECENT CANVASSES The Fair Share Campaign has already reached over a million voters across Massachusetts! Every week we talk to voters in cities and towns statewide: . SOMERVILLE NEW BEDFORD SPRINGFIELD BOSTON VOLUNTEER WITH US Follow the movement: Paid for Fair Share Massachusetts. Top donors include Massachusetts Teachers Association, National Education Association, Sixteen Thirty Fund, 1199 SEIU, and American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts AFL-CIO. For more information visit mass.gov/ocpf.

FYI: Real Estate Interested in how Question 1 affects selling homes? Here's what you should know: Question 1 will ensure that people who have over $1 million of personal taxable income in 1 year pay their fair share in taxes. How does that affect people who sell a house? The short answer is that almost no one who sells a house will be affected in any way. 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 out of 100,000 sold, to be exact. 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 take advantage of multiple tax deductions to reduce their income tax burden: Someone selling a home can deduct up to $500,000 from their taxes on the sale of their primary residence. They can also deduct the entire cost of a renovated kitchen, an updated heating system, a new roof, or any other major improvements they made to the home. With those deductions, in order for a home seller to actually have $1 million in taxable personal income from the sale of a home, they would need to sell the home for at least $1.5 million over the price they originally bought it for. Only people selling the very priciest homes in Massachusetts would see their incomes rise enough to pay a single penny more with the Fair Share Amendment. What’s more, many people are really struggling in MA—and they’re not the people selling $1 million homes. Question 1 will ensure those of us who are working hard to get by without making over $1 million a year have access to better roads, schools, colleges, and public transit. That’s what we’re fighting for. For more on home sales: READ THE STUDY Join the team: VOLUNTEER FIND AN EVENT GET UPDATES

< Back Fair Share Amendment Ballot Campaign Launches Third TV Ad Sep 16, 2022 With Question 1 on the November Ballot, “Opportunity Is Knocking” BOSTON – The campaign working to pass the Fair Share Amendment today announced the launch of its third television ad , part of an eight-figure TV ad campaign that is running 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. “With this ad, we’re highlighting the once-in-a-generation opportunity Massachusetts has this November to make our tax system fairer, improve our schools and colleges, and fix our crumbling transportation infrastructure,” said Fair Share for Massachusetts Campaign Manager Jeron Mariani . “At the same time, thousands of workers, students, and retirees are knocking on doors and calling voters to share the facts about Question 1: only those who earn more than a million dollars a year will pay more, and we’ll all benefit from $2 billion a year that’s constitutionally dedicated to transportation and public education. From TV ads and digital media, to grassroots campaigning and conversations between neighbors, our campaign is pursuing every opportunity to make sure voters understand the importance of passing Question 1.” Titled ‘ Knocking ,’ the new ad explains how “Question 1 opens the door for a $2 billion a year investment in public schools, colleges, and transportation, strengthening our economy and creating jobs.” “After years of the very rich paying less in taxes than everyone else, they’ll finally pay their fair share. While the rest of us, students, workers, retirees, won’t pay a penny more,” the ad says. “And the money is constitutionally protected to be spent on public schools, colleges, roads, and bridges. So everyone wins. Vote YES on Question 1.” Thousands of educators, workers, small business owners, parents, faith leaders, municipal officials, drivers and transit riders, and more than 300 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 new ad can be viewed here . Previous ‘Yes on 1’ TV ads can be found 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. 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 Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Teachers Union Leaders Launch Canvass for Question 1 in Dorchester Oct 16, 2022 Congresswoman Pressley Joins Supporters of Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners to Invest in Transportation and Public Education BOSTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley today joined supporters of the Fair Share Amendment at the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester 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. “We know what is possible when we invest in our communities,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “Question 1 will generate $2 billion a year in vital revenue to make our education and transportation systems more equitable, accessible, and affordable for everyone. How we choose to invest our resources is a reflection of our values, and I'm proud to stand with the organizers, advocates, and leaders committed to making good schools, affordable colleges, safe roads, and reliable public transportation a reality for every resident of Massachusetts.” At Sunday’s canvass kick-off, Congresswoman Pressley and campaign supporters, including NEA President Becky Pringle, Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page, Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang, and BPS student Khasim Saeed spoke to volunteers about their support for the Fair Share Amendment and the difference it would make for schools in Boston and throughout Massachusetts. “We all agree that every student deserves a well-resourced public school, where their potential isn’t limited by strained budgets or a shortage of teachers,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “But while working Bay Staters struggle to make ends meet, the rich are getting richer and multimillionaires aren’t paying their fair share to ensure Massachusetts students realize their dreams. I enthusiastically support ‘Yes on Question 1,’ because it’s time for Massachusetts multimillionaires to support the future of this commonwealth.” Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) President Max Page said educators are the most trusted and respected people in their communities on education issues. “Passing the Fair Share Amendment is the focus of intensifying MTA grassroots efforts, which draws support from our 115,000 members across the state,” said Page. “It’s a visionary and urgent proposal and educators are continuing to have those crucial one-on-one conversations with their colleagues, neighbors, friends and family about how a YES vote will mean a reliable source of funds for our public schools, colleges, and transportation systems.” “When Question 1 passes, we can make Massachusetts’s tax system fairer, create long-term investments that build our communities, and ensure broad prosperity for all,” added Page. “It’s a win-win.” “BTU is proud to endorse the Fair Share Amendment campaign because our students and communities deserve to access the high-quality public education and safe, reliable public transportation that this tax will fund,” said Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang. “Investments in our public schools and transportation are imperative to the Commonwealth’s ability to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and a fair share tax will help to give our students the social-emotional supports, modern school buildings, and smaller class sizes they need.” “Without proper funding we can’t have new and safe buildings for students to thrive in, or modern textbooks with proper knowledge and information, or reliable transportation to get to school,” said Khasim Saeed, a senior at Boston Community Leadership Academy. “By voting YES on Question 1, not only are you helping yourself but you’re also helping the future leaders of this country, with new textbooks, modernized buildings for all schools, and quicker and better transportation for all of the people of this city.” Melanie Allen, a Learning Specialist at the Rafael Hernández Dual Language K-8 School in Roxbury, described the many additional personnel her school has been able to hire using federal pandemic relief funds. “When you've been hustling as long as we have, this feels like a luxury. But it' not. It's the basics of what all kids need, but only some kids actually get," said Allen. "When those federal funds run out in two years, then what? Back to triage? No! We need to pass Question 1. No more one-time funding that runs out. No more running out on our kids. No more running out on our future." Then, canvassers headed out to speak to Boston 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 Push for millionaires' tax in Massachusetts ramps up Adam Reilly | WGBH May 11, 2022 The Fair Share Amendment, which is also referred to as the millionaires’ tax, will go before voters as a ballot question this fall... Push for millionaires' tax in Massachusetts ramps up (Original / Source) The campaign to change the Massachusetts Constitution to create a new surtax on income in excess of $1 million officially kicked off Wednesday, escalating an long-simmering battle that's been brewing since 2015. The Fair Share Amendment, which is also referred to as the millionaires’ tax, will go before voters as a ballot question this fall. If passed, it would impose an additional tax of 4% on income over the million-dollar mark. The ensuing revenue would be used to fund investments in transportation and education. Unlike many other states, Massachusetts currently taxes all income levels at the same 5% rate. Previous attempts to amend the constitution to create a graduated income tax have failed, most recently in 1994, when two-thirds of voters rejected the idea. In a Zoom kickoff event for the millionaires' tax, proponents indicated that they're likely to use the state's experience during the COVID-19 pandemic to make their case for taxing higher incomes at an increased rate. The Rev. Ann-Marie Illsley, a pastor at Christ Congregational Church in Brockton, praised the efforts of essential workers such as personal care attendants and grocery store employees during the pandemic, and cast passing the proposed amendment as a way to reward their sacrifices. "In the hardest moments of the pandemic, they stepped up to make sure that our communities had what they needed," Illsley said. "Our essential workers have been putting in their fair share, and they continue to. But these folks and their communities have needs also — needs for better-funded school systems and increased training opportunities, improved infrastructure." Worcester City Councilor Khrystian King said the amendment would raise approximately $1.3 billion by requiring the state's wealthiest residents to make a relatively small financial sacrifice. "You're talking about folks that make around $20,000 per week — per week, $20,000," King said. "Those folks are going to have to pay an additional $31 per week.” An analysis earlier this year by Tufts University's Center for State Policy Analysis also said the amendment would raise about $1.3 billion, and found that it would do so "in a highly progressive way likely to advance racial and economic equity." However, the analysis warned that there could be a "disproportionate effect on state coffers" if just a few of the state's wealthiest residents move out of the commonwealth to avoid a new surtax, and that the shift to hybrid and remote work could lead to more residents relocating than previously anticipated. The Coalition for a Strong Massachusetts Economy, which opposes the amendment, said people relocating is a likely outcome of the proposed tax hike. "Proponents of the measure claim that it will raise taxes only on Massachusetts’ highest earners," spokesperson Dan Cence said in a statement, "but in practice, the measure will damage our economy, threaten small business owners, harm retirees, and result in more lost jobs and more people leaving Massachusetts." Supporters of the proposed amendment had planned to place it before voters in 2018, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled at the time that the effort, which relied on the state's initiative-petition process, didn't meet specific constitutional requirements. In this electoral cycle, supporters circumvented a possible repeat challenge by using the referendum process, which is driven by legislative support rather than citizen signatures. In Constitutional Conventions in 2019 and 2021, the Massachusetts House and Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of advancing the measure to the ballot this year. Now, opponents are asking the Supreme Judicial Court to amend Attorney General Maura Healey's description of the proposed amendment to convey that the funds raised might not lead to the spending increases advocates promise . Andrew Farnitano, a spokesperson for Raise Up Massachusetts, which supports the amendment, insisted Wednesday that concern is misplaced. “Dedicating the funding from the Fair Share Amendment in the text of the constitution is the strongest possible way to ensure that it goes to transportation and public education,” he said. “That is an iron-clad dedication that the funds raised by this amendment must be spent on those two areas.” An Supreme Judicial Court ruling on the challenge to Healey's summary is expected in the coming weeks. When Farnitano was asked if the Legislature might diminish spending drawn from other sources if the amendment passes, leading to smaller-than-advertised new investments in education and transportation, he suggested that such maneuvering would be politically risky. "When you look at the words that they have said and the commitments they have laid out, it's clear that their intention is to spend more on education and transportation," Farnitano said. "And we will hold them to that." Toward the close of Wednesday's event, campaign manager Jeron Mariani acknowledged that supporters of the proposed amendment have already been campaigning for months. “We've been out there knocking on doors, open-air canvassing at rallies, making phone calls,” he said. "This is only going to continue," Mariani added. "And one way that we're continuing it is that this very weekend we're launching seven canvasses — seven different cities, all across the commonwealth.” Mariani also announced the launch of a new website, fairsharema.com, which he described as a "hub for how to get plugged into the campaign ... to be an active member of this movement." This story was updated to include a comment from the Coalition for a Strong Massachusetts Economy. Previous Next

Economic and Racial Justice The Fair Share Amendment — Question 1 on the November ballot — would provide the resources necessary to invest in equally high-quality educations for all students, equitable transportation infrastructure that links residents to education and job opportunities, and public higher education that doesn’t bury students in debt. For years, Massachusetts’ communities of color have been harmed by inequitable and inadequate access to transportation and public education. Our city school districts, which educate the vast majority of students of color and low-income students, have been systematically underfunded for decades. Decades of housing discrimination and the legacy of redlining and ‘urban renewal’ policies have resulted in Black and brown residents having less access to high-quality public transportation options. Our public higher education system is increasingly out of reach to Black and brown students who don’t benefit from generational transfers of wealth. Question 1 will require the very rich to pay slightly more — just 4¢ more on each dollar after their first $1 million in a single year — and constitutionally guarantee that every dollar raised from the new tax goes to transportation and public education. Improving our schools, roads, and public transportation is a step forward for economic and racial justice — and Question 1 raises the money to make it a reality. Hear from our community. Get the facts on what Question 1 means for public higher education. READ THE RUNDOWN Help us make that Massachusetts a reality. JOIN US Join the team: VOLUNTEER FIND AN EVENT GET UPDATES

Vote YES on the Fair Share Amendment on November 8, 2022. Follow the campaign:

Need to get in touch? General Inquiries info@fairsharema.com | Steve Crawford | steve@crawfordstrategies.com Andrew Farnitano | andrew@crawfordstrategies.com Media and Press Organizing Lillian Lanier | Field Director lillian@fairsharema.com Election Day is November 8, 2022. REGISTER TO VOTE

Roads and Bridges Our crumbling infrastructure is costing you money, and it’s holding our entire economy back. The potholes in Massachusetts roads cost the average driver more than $600 a year. Some roads and potholes haven’t been fixed or repaved in years. It’s not just inconvenient: it’s expensive and preventable. Right now, hundreds of bridges in Massachusetts are so badly damaged they cannot safely support vehicles. This is a real problem: you can’t just go around a bridge that’s out of commission. People commuting to work, traveling to see friends, or buying groceries need to cross these bridges—they’re critical for getting to where we need to go. Ten million vehicles travel over structurally deficient bridges in Massachusetts every single day. What’s more, our under-maintained transportation system is bad for public safety: closed bridges, detours, and dangerously unmaintained roads contribute to slower response times for emergency vehicles and personnel. This is not only unsafe and unsustainable — it’s unacceptable. Business-backed groups say nearly $43 billion in transportation projects across the state are currently unfunded, further crippling our state’s infrastructure and transit systems. This has serious impacts on quality of life, economic growth, and climate resiliency. When we can’t get around, we don’t have as many job opportunities, can’t see our friends and family, and can’t make it to vital errands or health care appointments. Deteriorating roads and unreliable public transportation also make it harder to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and keep our communities safe. It’s clear we need to do something about our crumbling roads and bridges. We need a permanent, sustainable source of funding to ensure they’re safe and well-maintained. With $2 billion a year from the Fair Share Amendment, we can improve our transportation systems across the state so all of our roads and bridges are safe and all of us can get where we’re going. Get the facts on what Question 1 means for buses, trains, and public transportation. READ THE RUNDOWN Join the team: VOLUNTEER FIND AN EVENT GET UPDATES

Transportation Spending Since 2022, the Fair Share Amendment has funded more than $2.4 billion in new spending on transportation across Massachusetts. That includes everything from the MBTA and regional transit authorities to our roads and bridges. Here’s how Fair Share is making a difference for transportation: Transportation Infrastructure Capital transportation infrastructure investments $872.37 million Fair Share funding helps support capital transportation infrastructure investments at MassDOT, the MBTA, regional transit authorities, and local municipalities. This includes everything from new bridges and transit expansions to highway repairs and local road repaving projects. Fair Share is supporting some of the biggest transportation infrastructure projects in the state, like the replacement of the Cape Cod bridges and the South Coast Rail extension, as well as smaller infrastructure investments across the state, from new rail ties on the Red Line to the repaving of rural roads. Roads and Bridges Municipal roads and bridges $248.46 million All 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts now have more money to repave streets, install new traffic signals, build sidewalks, and otherwise maintain and improve their local roads and bridges. 50% increase in state funding for road and bridge repairs Repair of state bridges $50 million Fair Share funding has funded repairs to 20 of the state’s aging and structurally deficient bridges. Repairing these bridges will help keep traffic flowing, make drivers safer, and ensure that residents and business aren’t disrupted by sudden bridge closures. Public Transportation MBTA infrastructure and operations $866.8 million Fair Share is helping to transform the MBTA into the safe, modern, efficient public transportation network that Eastern Massachusetts deserves. Fair Share funding is supporting the MBTA’s urgent infrastructure needs , from track and signal improvements on the subway and commuter rail, to bridge repairs, station improvements, and accessibility upgrades. It’s supporting workforce and safety improvements, including an MBTA Academy program to train a skilled workforce. And Fair Share is funding a low-income reduced MBTA fare program so that everyone can afford to ride the T. As a result, the T has eliminated subway slow zones , trains are moving faster , and more bus drivers are being hired to expand service. Improvements at regional transit authorities $421.89 million Thanks to Fair Share funding, the state’s regional transit authorities are expanding their service hours, adding weekend service, and creating new bus routes. All 15 of the state’s regional transit authorities are now also offering fare-free bus service, funded by Fair Share. As a result, more people are riding the bus , and they're getting places faster than ever . A report about the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority’s fare-free program, funded by Fair Share, found that the operational and social benefits of running fare-free buses are considerably greater than the value of the fare revenue that the agency used to collect from its riders. Ferry service $26.2 million Fair Share funding is supporting ferry service across Massachusetts’ coast.

Our Story 2022 The campaign to pass Question 1—the Fair Share Amendment—is officially underway! Right now, the rich pay less of their income in taxes than the rest of us. That’s far from fair. Question 1 would make the richest 1% pay just 4¢ more on every dollar they earn after their first $1 million in a single year. And if you earn less than $1 million/year, you won’t pay a cent more. We’re talking to voters and communities across Massachusetts about what $2 billion a year, every year, constitutionally dedicated to education and transportation, will do for our schools from pre-K to higher education; our roads from Pittsfield to Amesbury; and our trains and buses all over the commonwealth. We need a roadmap to recover from COVID-19, and the Fair Share Amendment is part of how we get there. Now, we’re fighting for fair taxes that will fund affordable, high-quality schools, safe roads and bridges, and reliable transportation options. We’re sharing your stories about what the Fair Share Amendment will mean for you, your family, and your community. We’re talking to voters across the commonwealth, and we’re building a movement for a fair Massachusetts. This year, we’re Question 1 on the ballot on November 8—so vote YES on 1 for fair taxes and improved transportation and public education across the state. It’s a win-win for all of us. Dax Get everything you need to know about exactly how to vote Yes on 1. HOW TO VOTE YES ON 1 2019-2021 After months of grassroots calls for action, in June 2019, the state legislature voted to advance the Fair Share Amendment one step closer to the ballot in a constitutional convention. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic made the need for investments in our schools and roads even clearer, but as working people and small businesses struggled, the ultra-rich just got richer. In June 2021, the Constitutional Convention voted 159-41 to place the Fair Share Amendment on the November 2022 statewide ballot. 2015-2018 Since 2013, Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions, has fought for policies that support working families, including earned sick time and a livable minimum wage. It’s hard not to notice that our education and transportation systems across the Commonwealth have been underfunded and underserved for too long. In 2015, the Fair Share Amendment began as a proposal to fix the upside down tax system and ensure the Massachusetts tax system is truly fair. Then and now, the very rich pay less of their income in their taxes than working people. By simply getting the very rich to pay their fair share, we can both make the tax system more equitable for all and improve Massachusetts’ roads, bridges, schools, colleges, trains, and buses. That’s because having the very rich pay their fair share in taxes creates a permanent, sustainable funding source to make these investments. Individuals who make over $1 million in a single year can afford to pay as much of their income as working people do in state taxes. When multi-millionaires pay just 4% more on every dollar they earn annually after their first million, we’ll raise $2 billion a year, every year, to invest in transportation and education. And no one else will pay a cent more. The Raise Up coalition began to focus its energy on getting the Fair Share Amendment on the statewide ballot as a constitutional amendment. Amending the state constitution is necessary to ensure that only the very rich pay more, and it guarantees that the money raised from the tax on the ultra-rich will go toward transportation and education—the systems we need to thrive. Raise Up Massachusetts and partners across the commonwealth collected 150,000 signatures from Massachusetts voters in support of the Fair Share Amendment, then overwhelmingly passed two state constitutional conventions in favor of Fair Share (as required to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot). Then a corporate-backed lawsuit, led by corporate lobbying interests, led to the original Fair Share Amendment being removed from the ballot on a procedural technicality. But that wasn’t anywhere close to the end of the story. Raise Up was still determined to make our tax system fairer and invest in shared prosperity across Massachusetts, so the coalition immediately began advocating for a legislative version of the Fair Share Amendment. Be a part of our story JOIN US Teachers support the Fair Share Amendment. Cynthia's Story

Public Schools: K-12 With the Fair Share Amendment, we’ll have an additional $2 billion a year, every year, in badly needed long-term funding to get our public schools back on track and give students the resources they need. Across Massachusetts, our schools are facing shortages in educators and school counselors. We need to fill those gaps—and we need to pay those educators, counselors, and school staff the wages they deserve for the work they do. Young people are still struggling to recover from the effects of the COVID pandemic. They need smaller classes, social-emotional supports, extra tutoring, and additional counselors, nurses, and social workers to help them get back on track. But schools across Massachusetts are struggling just to provide basic resources, let alone everything that our students need right now. Far too many families can’t access high-quality preschool programs that support working parents and provide our youngest with a strong start. Our state’s high-quality vocational high schools have long waiting lists that lock out students who want a job training education, preventing young people from beginning the successful careers they choose. A well-rounded education that includes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), music, art, and athletics is essential for all students. But many schools are forced to cut these programs because they just don’t have the funding. The success of our entire economy depends on getting funds to underfunded schools. We can do that if we pass Question 1. It will bring new revenue to the state that is constitutionally guaranteed to go to education and transportation. We can end staff shortages, pay educators what they deserve, and ensure our students are thriving. Hear from educators: Get the facts on what Question 1 means for roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure. READ THE RUNDOWN Help us make that Massachusetts a reality. JOIN US Join the team: VOLUNTEER FIND AN EVENT GET UPDATES