It has been a breakneck week on Beacon Hill and we hope to recap you on all the activity of the Massachusetts legislature later this week.
Until then, we have an urgent update on the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI).
As you may recall from earlier this year, TCI = TAX. It’s a regressive gasoline and diesel fuel tax in which 12 states would join a scheme to tax their motorists without calling it a tax. The administration thinks they can bypass the legislature to enter us into this tax scheme. They would choke the supply of fuels into these states in hopes to increase cost and lower demand. Pretty sinister, but that’s what passes as “going green” by today’s left-wing environmentalists.
Unfortunately, Governor Baker has been leading the TCI effort, even though New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu rejected the scheme. As of today, TCI still has not disclosed how much they want to increase the cost of diesel fuels. With NH out, there are only 11 states able to join and not a single state has officially joined. That may change now.
A vote is scheduled to occur later today in the Massachusetts House on a piece of legislation called H.4912, An Act creating a 2050 roadmap to a clean and thriving commonwealth. This bill would give the Governor more cover to proceed forward with enrolling Massachusetts into TCI without further legislative approval. MassFiscal’s legislative director sent each lawmaker a letter warning them of this, which you may read by clicking here.
Taxpayers have become frustrated with the Governor who is unwilling to listen to their concerns about the regressive nature of TCI and many lawmakers who continue to shirk responsibility for what they consider to be the actions of the executive branch. With unemployment over 17%, Massachusetts has the highest unemployment rates in the country. The implementation of a regressive tax scheme such as this is not only ill advised from an economic standpoint, but extremely callous and insensitive towards the thousands of families who are currently struggling without work. The last thing the legislature should be doing is giving up more authority on matters as important as this.
If you know your lawmakers, we urge you to contact them today. Its time they heard from you. You can also do our Call to Action by clicking here.
And just remember, we are not alone. A bi-partisan group of lawmakers have come out against TCI. In March, the Fiscal Alliance Foundation shed some light onto TCI by commissioning a study from the Beacon Hill Institute that determined the economic cost of TCI would increase by 26 cents per gallon of gasoline and the cost of diesel fuel would increase by 52 cents per gallon. The environmental impact would be a fraction of less than 1%. To view the study and a copy of the Fiscal Alliance Foundation statement, click here.