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Page 18 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, JunE 26, 2026 BEACON | FROM PAGE 17 tem has put too much emphasis on costly medical interventions, rather than incentivizing preventive care delivered in our primary care practices and community health centers. The legislation passed today delivers an historic increase in primary care funding in Massachusetts by reprioritizing and shifting how we spend our health care dollars to support our primary care providers, increases access to value-based care and delivers better health outcomes for patients.” Opponents said the bill has some good points but does not do enough to control skyrocketing medical costs. They supported a number of failed amendments that they said would improve the measure. None of the four GOP senators who voted against the legislation responded to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them why they opposed the measure. Those four senators are Sens. Kelly Dooner (R-Taunton), Peter Durant (R-Spencer), Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) and Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT BANS INCOME TAX REDUCTION QUESTION FROM THE NOVEMBER 2026 BALLOT – The Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled that the ballot question reducing the state income tax from 5 percent to 4 percent over a three-year period, is ineligible to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot, with justices concluding Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s offi ce provided a “signifi cantly misleading” summary of the proposal that was likely to infl uence voters. Opponents of the tax cut fi led a lawsuit with the SJC in January contending that Campbell’s summary of the proposal is fl awed and unfair because it fails to make clear that voter approval of the question would also automatically reduce the tax rate for long-term capital gains income, which under current law is tied to the income tax rate. Campbell’s offi ce had argued that her summary accurately summarized the proposal because the initiative “does not specifi cally propose to amend the statutes setting the rate of taxation for capital gain income.” The court did not buy the argument by supporters of the ballot question that a reduction in the long-term capital gains tax rate is not guaranteed, be~ LEGAL NOTICE ~ CITY OF EVERETT cause the Legislature could amend the current law before the election and untether the capital gains rate from the income tax rate. The court ruled that that possibility does not make the summary fair, noting that the court reviews the summary against the law as it exists, not based on speculation about a hypothetical future statute. “The court has made its decision. I think what doesn’t change is the need for everyone to focus on driving down costs and making life more aff ordable for people in Massachusetts,” said Gov. Healey. “That’s been my top priority. That’s what I’ve been doing, you know, cutting co-pays and deductibles when it comes to healthcare, fi ghting utility rate increases, you know and doing the things that we need to do to make life more aff ordable, so that they can afford homes.” “A $5 billion annual loss in state revenue would’ve meant signifi cant cuts to services and programs that Massachusetts residents rely on, while doing little to bolster competitiveness and address the aff ordability challenges facing the commonwealth,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “I’m grateful that this irresponsible initiative petition won’t appear on the ballot in November.” “The dark-money proponents of this reckless ballot initiative tried to hide an enormous give-away to the richest 1% within the appearance of a broadbased tax cut,” said Max Page, President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. “It’s good that the court stood up for the principle that voters deserve to know what they’re voting on. However, the out-of-touch billionaires behind this initiative are continuing to push their revenue cap ballot initiative, which would cost the state billions of dollars over the coming years and force cuts to public schools, healthcare and other critical programs.” “This is a disgraceful outcome for PUBLIC HEARING FY2026 MASSACHUSETTS CDBG PROGRAM ENTITLEMENT DRAFT ONE-YEAR PLAN, AND REVIEW OF CURRENT GRANT ACTIVITIES Notice is hereby given that the City of Everett, acting through the Department of Planning and Development, will hold a public hearing on Monday, July 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Speaker George Keverian Room, 3rd floor, Everett City Hall, 484 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss multiple aspects of the City’s Entitlement program, including: • Proposed Draft One-Year Plan for the FY2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to the Massachusetts Entitlement Program. • Report on the progress and status of the FY2024 Mini-Entitlement and the FY2025 Entitlement grants currently being managed by the City. The following types of projects are being considered for inclusion in the City’s FY2026 Entitlement Program grant application: • Public Social Services - Funding support activities such as food pantry, elder self-sufficiency, pro-bono legal services/ homelessness prevention, immigrant integration services, youth services and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. • Housing Rehabilitation and Other Housing Activities – Improvement of housing conditions of low- to moderateincome individuals, correction of State building and sanitary code violations, abatement of lead paint and removal of asbestos through a deferred payment loan program. • Micro Enterprise Activity – Provide technical assistance to Micro Enterprise businesses in Everett to improve their online presence, provide support to increase profitability and overall success. Other eligible activities not yet identified may also be included if deemed appropriate. Any activities funded under this application will be administered by the City of Everett’s Department of Planning and Development. The City encourages a broad spectrum of participation by residents and other interested parties to better understand and serve the needs of the community. The hearing location is accessible to persons with physical disabilities. If you require translation services, accommodations for the hearing impaired, or other accommodations, please contact the Department of Planning and Development at least one week prior to the meeting. Any person or organization as willing will be afforded an opportunity to be heard. Suggestions for other activities to be included in the grant application may be made at the hearing or before the hearing in writing to the Department of Planning and Development, Room 25, 484 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149. For more information, please contact the Department of Planning and Development at Everett City Hall, Room 25, or by contacting Matt Lattanzi at matt.lattanzi@ci.everett.ma.us or at 617-944-0206. June 26, 2026 Massachusetts taxpayers and a direct result of the attorney general’s failure to do her job properly,” said Mass Fiscal Alliance executive director Paul Craney. “More than 100,000 residents signed petitions to put tax relief before the voters. They followed the process, did the work and earned a place on the ballot. Now, because the attorney general’s offi ce produced a summary the court found to be signifi cantly misleading, voters are being denied the chance to decide for themselves whether Massachusetts should lower its income tax.” The Pioneer Institute said, “Today’s ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is a serious disappointment for commonwealth families struggling under one of the highest tax and cost burdens in the nation. The court’s decision rests on a drafting error in the attorney general’s summary of the petition — a matter entirely outside the control of voters and petition signers. As a result, the people of Massachusetts will be denied the opportunity to decide whether the commonwealth should reduce the income tax rate from 5% to 4%.” PROTECT FIREFIGHTERS (H 5488) – The House and Senate, on a voice vote without a roll call, approved and sent to Gov. Healey legislation that would create a public database of violations of the state’s fi re prevention laws and a public notifi cation system to alert workers of violations. The measure is designed to boost safety for fi refi ghters and people conducting “hot work” including welding, plasma cutting and spark-producing construction. The proposed law has been ten years in the making and was fi rst prompted by the March 2014 deaths of fi refi ghters Edward Walsh and Michael Kennedy who perished while fi ghting a fi re that was caused by welders, working without a city permit, on a building next door to the brownstone in which they died. “I am grateful to the Professional Fire BEACON | SEE PAGE 19

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