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SJC nixes 'Millionaire Tax' ballot question

BOSTON — Massachusetts’ so-called ‘Millionaire Tax’ ballot question doesn’t stand up to the state’s laws, according to a ruling by the Supreme Judicial Court released Monday.

The decision finds the proposed constitutional amendment that would impose a 4 percent surtax on any portion of an individual's annual income that exceeds $1 million isn’t going to fly as a ballot question.

“We conclude that the initiative petition should not have been certified by the Attorney General,” the SJC wrote in its opinion.

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The proposal would have put the question of the surtax on the ballot this November, but its promise to dedicate the proceeds of the surtax to education and transportation run afoul of the state’s constitution, the SJC found.

Critics had noted Massachusetts’ constitution prohibits specific appropriations through ballot initiatives.

The proposed ballot question had garnered strong support from voters and lawmakers alike and polls predicted it would have passed – had it made it onto the ballot.

You can read the full petition here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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