Ranked Choice Voting Defeated Again!

The Fiscal Alliance Foundation issued the following statement regarding the Attorney General’s certification of a ballot question seeking to reimpose government-imposed rent control measures in Massachusetts.

On August 2^nd, the Fiscal Alliance Foundation submitted written comments to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) casting doubt on the constitutionality of several potential ballot questions, including attempts at imposing ranked choice voting (04, 07, and 08).

BOSTON – On August 2, state Representative Mike Connolly, a socialist from Cambridge, filed paperwork with the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) for a ballot question that would, among other things, enact government-imposed rent control. Rep. Connolly’s ballot question also included other policies, such as allowing cities and towns to pass new rules regulating evictions. The ballot question seeks to overturn the will of the voters, who in 1994 voted to outlaw government-imposed rent control. Rep. Connolly was one of 15 individuals who signed the rent control ballot question proposal, which may be found by clicking here.

The Fiscal Alliance Foundation released the following statement in response to the Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling upholding a decision by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office striking down a ballot question that sought to limit giving to political organizations.

Last August, Harvard Law Professor Larry Lessig filed paperwork at the Attorney General’s office seeking to place a referendum on the 2024 ballot that would limit political speech in elections.

With cancel culture and big tech censorship becoming increasingly prevalent every day, it’s more important than ever for groups like ours to quickly and aggressively fight and protect our inalienable right to free speech.

Earmarking Proposals are Misleading

Earlier today, an Amicus Brief was filed with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) in support of the lawsuit challenging the validity of the legislature’s proposed Income Surtax Amendment. A more comprehensive accompanying study was also published. Authored by the Beacon Hill Institute (BHI) and sponsored by the Fiscal Alliance Foundation, the amicus focuses on the practical realities encountered when attempting to “earmark” funds from specific tax levies to specific spending. The proposed increase would bring the state’s income tax from 5% to 9%, representing an 80% increase, for earners over $1M. The surtax would include many small businesses and one-time transactions.

Earlier today, a group of Massachusetts voters, including Democratic and Republican legislators, business owners, and others, filed a complaint with the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC), challenging the Attorney General’s and Secretary of the Commonwealth’s failure to propose fair and accurate language regarding the proposed Graduated Income Tax Amendment slated to appear on the November 2022 Massachusetts ballot. Two Fiscal Alliance Foundation Board Members are plaintiffs in the suit. A full copy of the suit is available here.