SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1057        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 58

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

James B. Eldridge

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying proposal for constitutional amendment:

Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution Proposal for a legislative amendment to the constitution creating a progressive income tax.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

Peter V. Kocot

1st Hampshire

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

Sonia Chang-Diaz

Second Suffolk

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

Ruth B. Balser

12th Middlesex

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

Daniel A. Wolf

Cape and Islands

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

Cory Atkins

14th Middlesex

Benjamin Swan

11th Hampden

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

William Smitty Pignatelli

4th Berkshire

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1057        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 58

By Mr. Eldridge, a petition (accompanied by proposal for constitutional amendment, Senate, No. 58) of James B. Eldridge, Peter V. Kocot, Jason M. Lewis, Sonia Chang-Diaz and other members of the General Court for a legislative amendment to the Constitution relative to creating a progressive income tax.  Revenue.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 16 OF 2013-2014.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution Proposal for a legislative amendment to the constitution creating a progressive income tax.

 

A majority of all the members elected to the Senate and House of Representatives, in joint session, hereby declares it to be expedient to alter the Constitution by the adoption of the following Article of Amendment, to the end that it may become a part of the Constitution [if similarly agreed to in a joint session of the next General Court and approved by the people at the state election next following]:
 

ARTICLE OF AMENDMENT.
 

SECTION 1: Article XLIV of the Amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution is hereby amended by striking out the second and third sentences and inserting in place thereof the following:-

In order that the burden of such a tax is fairly and equitably distributed, such tax shall be levied at graduated rates, so that higher rates are imposed on taxpayers in higher income brackets and lower rates on those in lower income brackets. The general court may grant reasonable exemptions and abatements and establish the number and range of brackets.