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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

< Back Greenfield Recorder: Supports Fair Share Amendment Virginia (Jinx) Hastings Mar 31, 2022 Many high income households have paid less (percentage-wise) than most of us pay in state and federal Taxes. Supports Fair Share Amendment (Source / original) Math lesson. A million in seconds is about 12 days. A billion in seconds is about 32 years. Massachusetts has approximately 20,000 households earning over a million dollars and 34 billionaires. Please consider voting for the Fair Share Amendment in Massachusetts in November. Many high income households have paid less (percentage-wise) than most of us pay in state and federal Taxes. The Fair Share Amendment would be a change in our Massachusetts Constitution to create a 4% increase in taxes for people earning over one million dollars annually. This revenue would be spent on education and maintenance of public roads, bridges and transportation. Do the math. Four percent of a million dollar income (or more) is _____, then multiply by 20,000-plus high income earners in Massachusetts, then, add the billionaires income. The wealthiest in our commonwealth can easily afford to pay more, the payback in education and infrastructure is a benefit to all. Virginia (Jinx) Hastings Previous Next

Resources Most Home Sales Will Not Likely Lead to Fair Share Tax Payments La-Brina Almeida, MassBudget READ THE REPORT “Millionaire Tax” Would Make Massachusetts Tax System Fairer Kurt Wise, MassBudget READ THE REPORT BAY STATE BILLIONAIRES: Massachusetts billionaires’ wealth surges 46 percent during the pandemic Chuck Collins and Omar Ocampo, Institute for Policy Studies READ THE REPORT With “Millionaire Tax,” Massachusetts’ Top Tax Rate Would Compare Well to Top Rates in Other States Kurt Wise, MassBudget READ THE REPORT A “Millionaire Tax” Would Advance Racial Justice in Massachusetts Kurt Wise, MassBudget READ THE REPORT The Fair Share Amendment Helps Small Businesses Phineas Baxandall, MassBudget READ THE REPORT Most Home Sales Will Not Likely Lead to Fair Share Tax Payments La-Brina Almeida, MassBudget READ THE REPORT Fair Share Tax on Incomes Over $1 Million Would Generate at Least $2 Billion a Year Kurt Wise, MassBudget READ THE REPORT The Three E’s: Greater Transportation Funding Can Improve the Economy, Equity, and Environment Phineas Baxandall, MassBudget READ THE REPORT A Bridge Too Far: Sagging Investment Leaves 644 Massachusetts Bridges Structurally Deficient Hallah Elbeleidy and Phineas Baxandall, MassBudget READ THE REPORT Massachusetts Infrastructure Report Card American Society of Civil Engineers READ THE REPORT Ready to Move in Massachusetts: A Blueprint for Delivering Major Transportation Projects Through the Biden Infrastructure Plan Tom Ryan, A Better City READ THE REPORT A Millionaire Tax is Necessary to Advance Critical Education Investments in Massachusetts Colin Jones, MassBudget READ THE REPORT Public Higher Education: Underfunded, Unaffordable, & Unfair Bahar Akman Imboden, Hildreth Institute READ THE REPORT Massachusetts’ Disinvestment in Higher Education: A Closer Look at State Aid, Tuition Rates, and Student Debt Hildreth Institute READ THE REPORT An Economic Analysis of Investment in Public Higher Education in Massachusetts Michael Ash and Shouvik Chakraborty READ THE REPORT COVID-19 Pandemic, Economic Recovery and the Need for Student Debt Cancellation in Massachusetts Anastasia C. Wilson READ THE REPORT The number of million-dollar earners in Mass. is soaring — here’s where they live Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe READ THE REPORT These Mass. towns have the most million-dollar earners Boston25 READ THE REPORT

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The Fair Share Amendment on the November ballot will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their Fair Share in taxes. Why Fair Share The case for the Fair Share Amendment The Breakdown The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November ballot. It 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% 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 pay more; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and public transportation. That's why so many people across Massachusetts are coming together to vote YES on 1: because with Question 1, we all win. As we recover from COVID, we need to make sure our public schools have everything they need for students to thrive. We need to end the educator and counselor shortages so that every student has the support they need. We need to help students get back on track from COVID disruptions and ensure that all students have access to a complete, well-rounded education. We need to repair our state’s backlog of hundreds of neglected and structurally dangerous bridges, roads, and trains. We need to make our public colleges affordable again so students can graduate without taking on enormous debt. And we need to increase access to vocational education as we rebuild our economy for working families. If we don’t address these problems now, they’ll only hold back our economy and hurt working families. It’s time for the very rich to pay their fair share so we can recover from the pandemic and rebuild a Massachusetts economy that’s stronger than ever. The bottom line: the Fair Share Amendment would only raise taxes on the top 1% of Massachusetts residents—those who earn more than a million dollars in a single year. It will make our tax system fairer while generating $2 billion a year, every year, that is constitutionally dedicated to transportation and public education. That’s why the Fair Share Amendment is crucial to our economy and our recovery from COVID-19: because it’s a win-win for all of us. Vote YES on 1 for a fair Massachusetts. Help us make that Massachusetts a reality. JOIN US The Breakdown The Amendment says... Article 44 of the Massachusetts Constitution is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph at the end thereof: To provide the resources for quality public education and affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation, all revenues received in accordance with this paragraph shall be expended, subject to appropriation, only for these purposes. In addition to the taxes on income otherwise authorized under this Article, there shall be an additional tax of 4 percent on that portion of annual taxable income in excess of $1,000,000 (one million dollars) reported on any return related to those taxes. To ensure that this additional tax continues to apply only to the commonwealth’s highest income taxpayers, this $1,000,000 (one million dollars) income level shall be adjusted annually to reflect any increases in the cost of living by the same method used for federal income tax brackets. This paragraph shall apply to all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2023. Read the Amendment Have questions about Question 1? Read the FAQ. FAQs Get everything you need to know about exactly how to vote Yes on 1. HOW TO VOTE YES ON 1 What this means... The Fair Share Amendment is a call for the richest Massachusetts residents to step up and pay their fair share in taxes. Our Commonwealth's economy is working great for those at the very top—now it's time for it to work for everyone. The Fair Share Amendment will require those making more than $1 million in a single year to pay their fair share in taxes—just 4¢ more on each dollar after their first million dollars a year. No one who makes under $1 million a year will pay a cent more. When millionaires and billionaires pay just 4¢ more on each dollar after $1 million, Massachusetts will raise $2 billion a year, every year, to invest in education and transportation. That $2 billion is constitutionally required to go only to education and transportation: our public schools from pre-K to college, roads, bridges, trains, and buses around the Commonwealth. With $2 billion a year, we can End the educator and counselor shortages in our schools Ensure all educators are paid the livable wages they deserve Give students, educators, and schools the resources they need Fix our crumbling bridges and pothole-filled roads Provide safe, reliable, and affordable public trains and buses statewide Ensure no one has to take on debt to get a college or vocational education. Vote YES on 1 to make that a reality. How will this impact Massachusetts? Will Fair Share improve education & transportation? I want to get involved! How can I help? READ THE BREAKDOWN READ THE FAQ JOIN US This November 8, we're coming together to vote YES on 1 and make the Massachusetts tax system fair. MORE STORIES JOIN US Join the movement for the Fair Share Amendment. JOIN US

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< 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

< Back A yes vote on Question 1 will expand opportunities for everyone By Elizabeth Warren and Ayanna Pressley Oct 25, 2022 The state would have more resources to support public schools, make public colleges affordable, and upgrade public transportation systems. When we think about the future of Massachusetts, we dream of a state where families can thrive. The Commonwealth is filled with resources and opportunities, but for far too long, deep inequities and disparities have persisted. For years, the wealthiest 1 percent have paid a smaller share of their income in local and state taxes than everyone else, preventing the state from making the investments needed to build opportunity for everyone in all of our communities. But this November we have the opportunity to change the status quo. Question 1 on the November ballot is the Fair Share Amendment, a chance to make sure everyone pays their fair share in taxes. And when everyone chips in equitably, the state will have more resources to support public schools, make public colleges affordable, and upgrade public transportation infrastructure. We encourage everyone to vote yes on Question 1. Students and their families are still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. Schools are finally open, but students, parents, and teachers need more opportunities for individualized support systems, better school buildings, and more wraparound services, especially for mental and emotional health. The Fair Share Amendment will mean more funding for public schools to address long-standing barriers to learning. Our transportation systems, from roads and bridges to the woeful MBTA, are suffering from years of neglect. Road congestion and outdated, diesel-powered buses are literally choking our Commonwealth, and public transit remains unreliable, unaffordable, and inaccessible for too many residents. Voting yes on Question 1 will allow us to repair and replace crumbling physical infrastructure and move us toward a clean, efficient, accessible future. Passing the Fair Share Amendment will also help create more pathways for young people to realize good-paying jobs and success in life, from vocational and technical education to affordable public college that doesn’t bury them in debt. Question 1 is simple: It would create an additional 4 percent tax on the portion of an individual’s annual income above $1 million, and constitutionally dedicate the funds to transportation and public education.The first $1 million of a person’s earnings wouldn’t be affected by this measure. Only the million-and-first dollar is taxed, and then at just an additional four cents on every dollar over a million. Who will pay the most? A full 70 percent of the funds raised would come from those earning more than $5 million a year. Expanding opportunities for people to learn, grow, and thrive is essential to the future of our Commonwealth. That means boosting the chances for children in small towns with small tax bases to get a first-rate education. That means reducing air pollution from cars and bus fumes that are concentrated in communities of color. That means telling every person — not just the wealthy ones — that we’ll invest in their education after high school so that they can develop skills and certifications to build a prosperous future. Even though 99 percent of people in Massachusetts won’t pay a penny more under Question 1, a few billionaires are spending a lot of money to confuse voters. So let’s clear up a few things: Small-business owners wouldn’t be affected by this tax unless their business generates more than $1 million in profit. Last year, less than 1 percent of homes in Massachusetts sold for enough of a gain to be affected by Question 1. Since Question 1 would be written into the state constitution, the state would be constitutionally required to spend this new money on transportation and public education. That spending requirement would be constitutionally protected and could only be undone by the people of Massachusetts, not lawmakers. By funding public schools, colleges, and transportation systems, the Fair Share Amendment will help build greater opportunity in every community in Massachusetts. Our current tax system is unjust and inequitable; those at the very top can afford to pay a little more to help build an economy and a Commonwealth that is safer, more sustainable, and works better for everyone. This November, the choice belongs to voters. We have the chance to say, loud and clear, that we value our young people, we support all of our communities, and that everyone — including the multimillionaires and billionaires — should pay their fair share. Elizabeth Warren is a US senator from Massachusetts, and US Representative Ayanna Pressley represents the Massachusetts Seventh Congressional District. Previous Next