Tag: massachusetts
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Two Massachusetts ballot initiatives filed a second round of signatures for a spot on the November ballot
The Massachusetts Secretary of State reported on July 7 that two ballot initiatives had filed a second round of signatures on July 6. One initiative would incrementally change the number of retail alcohol licenses an establishment could own from no more than 12 in 2023 to no more than 18 by 2031. It would also…
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Massachusetts Supreme Court disqualifies app-based drivers initiative from November ballot
On June 14, the Massachusetts Supreme Court issued a ruling disqualifying the app-based drivers initiative backed by Lyft, Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber, from the November ballot. A lawsuit was filed in January against Secretary of State William Galvin (D) and Attorney General Maura Healey (D) by several app-based drivers and voters arguing that the initiative…
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Massachusetts officials announce $2.6 billion bond sale to replenish the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s (R) administration announced on April 15 that the state intends to issue $2.6 billion of bonds to help replenish the state’s unemployment trust fund and pay back $1.77 billion of federal loans to the fund. The state legislature in 2021 approved bond sales to help fund the unemployment trust fund. The…
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Massachusetts announces plan to waive up to $1.6 billion in non-fraudulent unemployment insurance overpayments
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s (R) administration announced on April 14 a plan to waive $1.6 billion in non-fraudulent unemployment insurance overpayment collections. The plan would offer waivers for some workers who claimed benefits during the pandemic but were asked to repay them because the state deemed them ineligible after the payment of benefits. In total,…
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Massachusetts officials announce bond sales to replenish the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund
Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workplace Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta announced on March 25 that the state intends to issue between $2 billion and $3 billion of bonds to help replenish the state’s unemployment trust fund. The move is aimed at relieving employers in the state of the full responsibility for paying down the…
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Massachusetts announces end of facial recognition requirement for unemployment insurance
The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance announced Feb. 23 that it would suspend the use of facial recognition technology through ID.me as a way for unemployment insurance claimants to verify their identities. The department cited decreased claim volumes as the basis for the decision. The change still allows claimants to verify their identities virtually through…
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Campaigns supporting and opposing Massachusetts additional income tax amendment report $1.6 million in contributions
In November, Massachusetts voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would create an additional income tax of 4% for income over $1 million, in addition to the existing 5% flat-rate income tax, and dedicate revenue to education and transportation purposes. Raise Up Massachusetts, the campaign registered in support of the amendment reported $1.2 million…
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The committee behind a Massachusetts app-based driver initiative reported over $17.8 million in contributions
Massachusetts voters could decide on an initiative in November to classify app-based drivers as independent contractors similar to California’s 2020 Proposition 22. Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers, the committee registered to support the app-based driver initiative, reported receiving $17.8 million in 2021. The committee’s largest donor was Lyft, which contributed nearly $14.4 million in…
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Special election primary to be held in Massachusetts Senate district
A special election primary is being held on Dec. 14 for the First Suffolk & Middlesex District of the Massachusetts State Senate. Anthony D’Ambrosio and Lydia Edwards are running in the Democratic primary. No Republican candidates filed. The general election is scheduled for Jan. 11, and the winner of the special election will serve until…
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State signature deadline for Massachusetts 2022 initiatives was Wednesday
Three initiative campaigns submitted more than the required number of validated signatures (80,239) to the Massachusetts secretary of state on Dec. 1. This means that the initiatives will go to the Massachusetts General Court. If the general court does not enact the initiatives, a smaller second round of signatures will be required to put the…