Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey Opposes State Income Tax Cut

A ballot question proposed for this fall's Massachusetts statewide elections would roll back the state income tax from five percent to four percent over three years. Supporters believe the tax cut could save the average taxpayer about $1,300 annually and increase the state GDP.

The Massachusetts Budget Policy Center opposes the ballot initiative, suggesting it would cost the Commonwealth billions in annual revenues and force deep budget cuts that would be impactful.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey also opposes the income tax rollback. Healey recently told WCVB-TV's On the Record program that voters would see "65 percent of all funding for education go away" if the initiative is approved.

"People can't afford this," Healey insisted with a straight face.

"You're going to see all the funding that we give to cities and towns be significantly reduced," Healey said. "It's going to be very, very harmful."

Critics Warn of Major Budget and Education Cuts

Healey spokesperson Karissa Hand told the State House News Service that passage of the income tax rollback "would require deep cuts to a wide range of public programs and infrastructure investments, such as local aid, higher education, health care, and public safety."

Supporters Say Revenue May Not Decline

The Massachusetts High Technology Council and Pioneer Institute support the proposed income tax rollback, and the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance said the measure could "restore fiscal sanity to Massachusetts."

Get our free mobile app

According to the Pioneer Institute, "The tax cut may not have any effect on revenue."

"Critics of the tax proposal are once again trotting out the same simplistic doomsday analysis they did when a proposal to cut the state income tax rate was last on the ballot in 2000," Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios said.

Legal Challenge Filed Over Ballot Summary

Opponents have filed a lawsuit challenging the ballot question's summary, claiming it is misleading regarding how the tax cut applies to capital gains.