Six reasons Massachusetts’s Fair Share Amendment is an even bigger success in 2025

It’s been nearly 3 years since the Fair Share Amendment in Massachusetts was approved by voters. Almost immediately, the results for Massachusetts neighborhoods and people started to make news. From the start, Fair Share funded new investments like free community college, free and expanded local bus service, universal free school meals for K-12 students, and millions of dollars for the MBTA and child care providers. No wonder the Fair Share Amendment is popular, with a February poll showing 66% support for the policy. The wins haven’t slowed down, and in 2025 the Fair Share Amendment has become an even bigger story and a model for other states. We wanted to share the latest with you and at the State Revenue Alliance, we love a listicle, so here we go. 

The top 6 reasons the Fair Share Amendment (FSA) is an even bigger success in 2025:

1. It’s generating massive amounts of revenue, transforming the way Massachusetts invests in transportation and education.

Fair Share revenue has vastly exceeded initial expectations, generating a $1.3 billion surplus in its first year. The performance of the FSA is simply transformational as our friends at the Raise Up Coalition outlined recently:

“With this Fair Share surplus bill, Massachusetts is continuing to make transformative investments in our public schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and transit — all paid for by the state’s richest 1%. While other states are facing billion-dollar budget deficits that are forcing them to hike transit fares, slash public school funding, and raise college tuition, we’re getting the T back on track and starting to rebuild our vocational schools and public college campuses. Every single city and town in Massachusetts is getting more money to pave roads, rebuild bridges and culverts, and fund local public schools, and regional transit authorities are receiving millions more to improve local bus service. And with the Fair Share Amendment on track to generate another massive surplus this year, we’ll get to do it all over again a year from now.”

2. Non-shock: Wealthy Massachusetts residents continue to live, make money, and benefit from the Fair Share Amendment just like everyone else!

All the available data shows that when we tax the ultra-rich to make investments in our communities, everyone benefits, including the wealthy. In April, the State Revenue Alliance and the Institute for Policy Studies contributed new findings to the volumes of research that show taxes do not cause rich people to pick up and move in droves. In fact, we found that after the Fair Share Amendment was implemented, the number and collective wealth of millionaires skyrocketed in Massachusetts. It shouldn’t be surprising: the wealthiest residents also benefit from greater funding of education and transportation, which translates to a more highly educated workforce and a stronger business climate. In fact, Massachusetts was just ranked the strongest state economy in the US.

3. Massachusetts is an even better place to live, rankings show.

If reasonable and progressive taxes are a downer for anti-tax think tanks, they are working where it matters most – making life better for regular people. Fair Share investments are clearly helping to make the state a magnet for people who want good schools, safe roads, and healthy communities. For the second year in a row, WalletHub ranked Massachusetts the Best State to Live In powered by taking #1 in Overall Economy and Best Place to Raise a Family. The state also gets high marks on education, quality of life, child well-being and overall heath from a variety of sources.

4. The Fair Share Amendment is making long-delayed infrastructure investments possible.

The Fair Share Amendment is key to funding two of Massachusetts Governor Healey’s top priorities: a $8 billion plan to rebuild the state's transportation and public transit networks, and a $2.5 billion plan to modernize the state’s public college and university campuses. These 10-year plans to repair the state’s long-neglected infrastructure are an expensive and important investment in the future of Massachusetts that will create thousands of jobs and grow the state’s economy. And they’re made possible by voters’ decision in 2022 to pass the Fair Share Amendment.  

5. Fair Share provides a national model that is being pursued in other states.

Progressive taxes aren’t new, but many states have structural or political barriers to raising revenue by asking the wealthiest to pay what they owe. This year alone, bills have been filed in eight states where high-earners taxes were introduced and signed into law in Maryland. Residents of Michigan are currently planning to vote on a similar measure in 2026. No matter what Congress decides to do, it’s clear that the people and many states are determined to fund their future by raising revenue, with the Fair Share Amendment as a model.

6. The business community is coming around to the positive impacts of the investments Massachusetts voters demanded. 

It happens every time there’s a need to raise revenue: the business lobby protests and spends millions to derail commonsense tax policy. At least this time, we can agree the investments are good for everyone! Even the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce acknowledges that Fair Share investments in transportation and public education "will help us attract and retain businesses and people in the Commonwealth.”

Thanks for stopping by. If you want more information about the Fair Share Amendment, here’s a primer in our FastPolicy series brief, and be sure to visit fairsharema.com for the latest and greatest news from Massachusetts.