By Bob Katzen

“Three-in-four Massachusetts voters want to lower the income tax rate from five to four percent, with substantial public support across party lines and income brackets. The proposed tax cut could save the average Massachusetts taxpayer $1,300 annually compared to the status quo. As the cost of living continues to rise, residents are eager for forward-looking solutions that offer meaningful relief.”

— Jim Stergios, executive director of the Pioneer Institute, on his support for the possible 2026 ballot question asking voters if they favor a reduction from 5 percent to 4 percent in the income tax rate.

“As we begin another school year, every parent in Massachusetts should be able to send their children to class with the knowledge and security that they will be protected from preventable diseases. No one should have to worry that low vaccination rates at their child’s school could trigger an outbreak.”
— Katie Blair, Director of MA Families for Vaccines, citing a poll she says shows that 70 percent of Massachusetts voters support legislation eliminating religious exemption for vaccines for school-aged children.

“Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients in Massachusetts are hardworking members of our state economy, often filling critical roles in the health care and elder care industries. The Trump Administration’s unlawful attacks on Haiti’s TPS designation have no logical basis and are yet another example of his mistreatment of the immigrant communities that make our commonwealth and our country stronger. I will continue to fight back against illegal policies that harm our state economy and threaten the wellbeing of the roughly 15,000 Haitian TPS holders in Massachusetts and the families, patients and employers who rely on them.
—Attorney General Andrea Campbell supporting a challenge to the Trump Administration’s attempt to terminate Haiti’s TPS designation and strip legal immigration status from hundreds of thousands of Haitians living and working in the United States.

“Whether we own or rent, everyone in Massachusetts should be able to afford a place to call home. But right now, there is no limit to how much rents can increase each year. Corporate real estate investors are taking advantage of this gap in our laws to buy up homes and double rents overnight, threatening the basic fabric of our neighborhoods. Massachusetts needs basic protections against excessive rent hikes to keep people in their homes, support working families and stabilize our communities. By coming together to win modern rent stabilization, we can keep Massachusetts home for all of us.”
—Noemi “Mimi” Ramos, Executive Director of New England Community Project supporting a possible 2026 ballot question asking voters if they approve of a proposal imposing rent control by curtailing rent increases to the cost of living with a 5 percent increase, with some exemptions.

“Rent control is a flawed, harmful policy that stunts housing creation and increases overall housing costs: A horrifying thought given the hundreds of thousands of units our state must build to overcome the housing crisis. Our state’s focus needs to be on reducing barriers to housing creation so we can develop more homes across all price points, whether it be for young families looking to purchase their first home, or retirees looking to downsize in the community they have known for decades … We will fight the proposed initiative every step of the way.”
—Greg Vasil, CEO of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board opposing a possible 2026 ballot question imposing rent control.