Tax breaks after all?

Also: A sneak peak at this fall's ballot questions; Mass. residents get a new COVID treatment option [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 5, 2022 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 69. Good Morning Boston, Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here's a [quick reminder about the real history behind the holiday]( (and [a list of the best margaritas]( around Boston). And no matter what, "[avoid the sombrero]( To the news: - Could tax breaks be on the near horizon for Massachusetts residents after all? Senate President Karen Spilka [announced Wednesday night]( that she wants to see the State House pass a tax relief package "before the end of session" in July. - Spilka's statement comes after the State House previously declined to include any of Gov. Charlie Baker's [$700 million tax break plan]( in their annual budget proposals. - However, the [Department of Revenue reported]( Wednesday that the state collected $6.941 billion in tax revenue in April — over $2 billion more than expected. With that in mind, Spilka said she believes the state can "safely balance" investments in things like housing, childcare and higher education with tax relief for residents who are "feeling the effects of inflation and continued economic disruption." - House Speaker Ron Mariano also expressed openness to a future tax break package. However, we'll wait and see how closely Democratic state lawmakers will hew to Baker's proposals, which include a mix of tax cuts aimed at low- and high-income residents. - The Baker administration is launching a free telehealth service to allow Massachusetts residents with mild-to-moderate COVID to more easily access the treatment pill Paxlovid. - How will it work? Residents over the age of 18 with COVID can go to the state's website and request a video call with a doctor over their phone of computer (the state says residents should get the call within 30 minutes of their request). If appropriate, the patient will then get a free prescription of Paxlovid, to be picked up from a nearby pharmacy or delivered overnight to their home (also for free). - Why now? Baker has increasingly emphasized treatments like Paxlovid as one of the state's main COVID mitigation tools, especially with virtually all restrictions aimed at preventing the disease's spread now lifted. State officials say the pill can reduce the risk for severe symptoms from COVID by nearly 90%. However, due to a variety of factors (lack of awareness, uneven access, confusion), [such treatments have been underused](. State officials hope that letting residents quickly get Paxlovid prescriptions without leaving their home will help. - Massachusetts lawmakers had their chance; now voters could get to decide this fall on an eclectic slate of up to four ballot questions, ranging from incomes taxes to Uber drivers, to convenience stores to the dentist. Since the State House did not act on them by [yesterday's deadline]( up to three proposals will advance toward joining the so-called "[millionaire's tax]( on the November ballot. Here's a look at the subjects: - The aforementioned measure to raise the state's annual tax on income above $1 million from 5% to 9%. - Since this proposal would be a constitutional amendment, it has gone through a slightly different process. It's already secured its place on the ballot as Question 1. - A question on whether to double the number of alcohol licenses a single retailer (think grocery or convenience store chain) can own, from nine to 18 by 2031. - This question is actually a compromise proposed by the state's liquor stores (who favor the current cap), after Cumberland Farms repeatedly pushed to completely eliminate the limit. - A question on whether to reclassify ride-hailing and delivery drivers as independent contractors. - Read this [explainer about the debate over this question]( written by WBUR's Laney Ruckstuhl. This proposed measure is shaping up to be [an expensive fight](. - A question to require dental insurance companies to [spend at least 83% of their premium money]( on medical care and claims. - The goal is to limit the [much-scrutinized]( profits of dental insurance companies and [require them to report how they spend their money](. - What's next? The last hurdle that backers of the latter three ballot initiatives must clear is gathering an additional 13,374 signatures — a task campaigns typically have no problem completing. However, the alcohol license and [dental insurance]( questions are also currently being challenged in court. So, maybe mark them down in pencil — not pen — for now. P.S.— Did you know there are 120,000 pennies in circulation [with a special message inscribed on the side]( Maybe they're not [so worthless]( after all. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Democrats promise votes on abortion rights despite vanishingly small odds of success]( With the Supreme Court seemingly poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, Democrats look to legislation to keep abortion legal. [Read more.]( [Democrats promise votes on abortion rights despite vanishingly small odds of success]( With the Supreme Court seemingly poised to overturn Roe v. 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Anything Else? - Another four Boston-area Starbucks [voted to unionize this week]( as the coffee chain [tries to tamp down the growing national trend](. - WBUR's arts and culture team has your[five events to check out this weekend]( from the Downtown Boston Arts Market's opening weekend to the MassOpera's special new show. - Cold War expert Mark Kramer [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that Russia is repeating its brutal history in Ukraine. - Jacquinn Sinclair writes that the new award-winning Matthew Lopez play by SpeakEasy Stage Company about the lives of gay men during the AIDS epidemic [feels like it has a broader message](. What We're Reading 📚 - They Fell Deeply in Love in Bucha. One Russian Bullet Ended It All. ([The New York Times]( - Take a look at the Malden waterway you may have never heard of ([The Boston Globe]( - How a Fringe NBA Player Blazed a Trail to Coach the Boston Celtics ([The Wall Street Journal]( Tell Me Something Good [More free and more human – community college reimagined in Dorchester (The Boston Scope)]( How the Dorchester chapter of a national, tuition-free, adult education program called the Clemente Course in the humanities is serving those who are underserved in the heart of Boston. [Read more.]( [More free and more human – community college reimagined in Dorchester (The Boston Scope)]( How the Dorchester chapter of a national, tuition-free, adult education program called the Clemente Course in the humanities is serving those who are underserved in the heart of Boston. [Read more.]( Before you go: You don't [hear that everyday at the town meeting.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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