Basis for CLT Legislative
Rating — 2011-2012 Session
Citizens for Limited Taxation rates legislators on direct and
indirect taxpayer issues for which there were roll call votes.
During the 2011-2012 session
we counted tax votes in both branches to roll back the state
income tax rate and the sales tax rate to 5%, freeze
Unemployment Insurance tax rates. There were votes in the Senate
on sales/meals tax holidays, and to treat gaming revenues like
budget revenues for the purpose of computing an income tax rate
reduction. The House voted on a 2/3 vote requirement for a tax
hike, and a state spending limit.
We like legislative reform
votes: in the Senate to require that Committee votes be posted
online, in the House to not send bills to a “study committee” if
the sponsor objects, and to hold legislators’ testimony to the
first half hour of a hearing, instead of giving them unlimited
time ahead of citizens. The Senate voted on creating an
independent redistricting commission, and the House on requiring
voter IDs. On “transparency,” we liked House bills to require
the State Auditor to account for every state-funded credit card
and make MBTA pensions available on a website.
We counted as “good” votes in
both branches to control illegal immigration, and on EBT card
reform; we oppose requiring child-care providers to join a
union.
On health care: Both branches
had votes for a moratorium on new mandated health benefits. The
Senate voted on a single payer health plan; this failed, but a
last-minute vote on a healthcare “cost containment bill”
approximates state socialized medicine. We counted the “Nay”
votes as positive.
