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Testimony for the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees, the Joint Committee on Revenue, and the Executive Office of Administration and Finance Economic Roundtable
We’re clearly in a budget crisis. Which is extremely troubling at this time, when we need real, comprehensive relief for families and individuals — so many of our neighbors, young and old, are struggling with accessing basic necessities and keeping healthy and well.
Our Commonwealth’s budget – how we raise revenue through taxes and fees, and how we spend that revenue – is the clearest picture of our shared values. Considering the revenue side picture is crucial, but the other side of the ledger is just, if not more important.
State Borrowing is No Substitute for New Revenue in Dealing with the COVID-19 Economic Downturn
States rely on borrowing to manage their finances in good times and bad. Yet borrowing is not a substitute for raising the revenue needed for an economic recovery. Policymakers should look to raising progressive new revenues paired with limited borrowing to avoid cuts to critical public spending.
Bruised Budgets: A Higher Education Funding History Lesson For An Antiracist Future
A well-funded public higher education system has the power to open up countless opportunities for low-income students and families of all races and backgrounds. For …
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Envisioning Equity Part I: Equitable Education through the Crisis
Watch the full webinar from our first installment, where we dive into how to build racial and economic justice in K-12 education through the state budget.
Bruised Budgets: A Higher Education Funding History Lesson For An Antiracist Future
A well-funded public higher education system has the power to open up countless opportunities for low-income students and families of all races and backgrounds. For …
Supporting Racial Equity and a Robust Recovery with a Corporate Income Tax Rate Increase
By returning the state corporate income tax to pre-2010 rates, the Commonwealth could raise $375 million to $500 million a year to help fund a racially equitable, economically just, and robust recovery.
Why the Count Counts: Major Sources of Federal Funding for Massachusetts Affected by Census Counts
The decennial Census counts for much more than a tally of every resident of the country. The Census is the country's snapshot: it creates our most accurate picture of everyone who lives here and where they live.
7 reasons to support licenses for undocumented drivers
Massachusetts lawmakers are considering whether to enable all drivers, regardless of immigration status, to obtain state driver’s licenses. Here are seven reasons to support such …
Bringing in the Relief Part II: The Census Counts for Equity
More than $3.3 billion in CARES Act funding comes to our Massachusetts communities based on population estimates from the census. Learn how the Commonwealth can get its fair share of power and money through a complete, accurate 2020 Census count in our latest report.
Municipal Budgets, Local Aid, and Property Taxes Amid COVID-19
As a result of the pandemic, municipalities face increased spending needs and declining revenues. Many have the ability to raise property taxes, though others are constrained by Proposition 2 1/2. Moreover, property taxes tend to fall hardest on those with lower incomes. Without sufficient municipal aid, cities and towns may be forced to make public cuts which would slow the economic recovery.
Road to Recovery: How to Safely Reopen Early Education in Massachusetts
As the Commonwealth’s early education and care sector reopens, many providers are at risk of closing permanently unless there is a significant new source of funding. Learn more about COVID-19’s impact on early education in our latest report, and what it will take to safely reopen.
Mass. Raised Revenue in Last Three Recessions, Reducing Cuts
Cutting budgets and failing to invest in communities hardest hit by the pandemic perpetuates the deep racial inequities built into the current system. Learn more about how the Commonwealth has solved the challenges of past economic recessions in our latest report.
Black Lives and the Pursuit of Racial and Economic Justice
This country was built upon racist ideas and policies that we must all work deliberately to undo every day. These policies, such as Jim Crow laws, …
Tens of thousands of undocumented, essential workers at risk of lost jobs, lost pay, exposure to COVID-19
Immigrants without status form the backbone of Massachusetts — producing our food, tending to our loved ones, and stocking our supermarkets. But the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread business closures mean many of these undocumented workers have found themselves at risk of losing their jobs, losing income, or being exposed to the virus.
Unemployment Assistance in a Time of COVID-19
The Commonwealth has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences by implementing several bold new federal unemployment policies that are also supported with federal funds. These have provided crucial protection to many workers and the economy, though undocumented workers have been excluded. Since late April, the greatest volume of unemployment claims have been for a new program for workers traditionally ineligible for unemployment insurance. Without new federal legislation, this program will expire at the end of the year. The federally-funded $600 enhancement to weekly benefits will expire at the end of July. The loss of these benefits would hurt many workers and slow the state’s economic recovery.
Testimony Supporting Act to Provide Equal Stimulus Checks to Immigrant Taxpayers
Testimony supporting legislation for state stimulus checks for taxpayers excluded from federal benefits because they pay taxes with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) instead of a social security number.
The Anti-Stimulus: Budget Cuts are Worse for the Economy than Tax Increases During Recessions
Anyone concerned about Massachusetts' economic recovery should be worried about state and municipal budget cuts. This is not the time for austerity. Avoiding budget cuts through targeted tax increases is the best way to build a strong recovery in Massachusetts. Learn more in the latest on our Blogs & Briefs publication.
Bringing in the Relief Part I: Federal Fiscal Relief for our State Budget is Critical for a Strong, Just Recovery
For more on federal fiscal relief, read That’s A Relief Part I: Federal Fiscal Relief to Massachusetts in Recently-Passed Legislation and That’s A Relief Part II: Federal Fiscal …
