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Massachusetts raised taxes on millionaires to give its students free meals

The tax has brought in $800 million more than the state expected.

via Nevada Department of Agriculture/Flickr

Children enjoying their school lunches.

The state of Massachusetts passed a 4% tax hike on residents making over a million a year in 2022, which took effect in 2023. The tax has raised more revenue than lawmakers originally expected and provides free school lunches for the state’s children.

Before the tax hike, Massachusetts residents paid a 5% annual income tax. After the Fair Share Amendment went into effect, those making over $1 million a year now pay an additional 4% on the portion of their income above $1 million.

The extra income generated by the tax means the state can now afford to provide free school lunches, free community college for those 25 and over and expanded financial assistance for state schools. The tax also funds transportation projects, including road and bridge repairs and new bicycle lanes.

The free school lunches should significantly impact food insecurity in the state. A 2022 study from the Greater Boston Food Bank found that 33% of Massachusetts households were food insecure in 2022. Massachusetts is now the 8th state in the country to offer free school lunches for all students.


"[F]ree universal school meals will literally change lives, full stop," Democratic Representative Jim McGovern said in a statement. "No child in Massachusetts will ever have to wonder how to get through the school day on an empty stomach."

Since the tax hike took effect, it’s generated $1.8 billion for the state, $800 million more than the state legislature and Governor Maura Healey planned to spend in 2024.

“This is exciting because it's the first concrete numbers we have seen showing that 'Fair Share' revenue is coming in far above the initial projections,” Andrew Farnitano, a spokesperson for the Raise Up Massachusetts campaign that pushed for the surtax, said according to WGBH. “These numbers show that the commonwealth collected nearly $2 billion in that year already, with a few months to go. What that means is there will be even more money available to spend on the critical transportation and public education needs that Massachusetts has.”



The short-term success of the wealth tax is welcomed in many corners of Massachusetts, but some believe the honeymoon could be short-lived. Massachusetts isn’t the only state in the nation and its high-income earners can choose to move to states such as New Hampshire, Florida, or Texas, where they won’t have to pay a state income tax.

Wealth taxes are also associated with a drop in overall economic activity, which can depress wages for lower-income earners.

“Whatever short-term financial benefit the state will receive from the income surtax will be outweighed by the long-term negative effect this tax is having on the state,” Paul Craney, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, said according to WGBH. “It's chasing out high-income earners and making the decision very easy for taxpayers who are regularly impacted by this tax to domicile in more tax-friendly states.”

It’s said that states are the laboratories of democracy, and so far, the experiment in Massachusetts appears to be working as planned. What remains to be seen is whether the tax hike eventually leads to a loss in revenue because high-income people who pay a significant percentage of the state’s revenue choose to move somewhere cheaper.

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A woman threw out a $1 million lottery ticket. These honest store owners returned it to her.

CBS News/YouTube

When the owners of the Lucky Stop convenience store in Southwick, Massachusetts discovered a $1 million winning lottery ticket in a stack of discarded tickets, they could have kept it for themselves or given it to a friend or family member. Instead, they returned it to the woman who had bought it and accidentally tossed it aside—an act of integrity and honesty that both heartwarming and inspiring.

Lea Fiega bought a $30 Diamond Millions scratch-off ticket at the end of March, but she didn't scratch the ticket fully. If she had, she would have noticed two matching numbers that indicated she had won $1 million.

"I was in a hurry, on lunch break, and just scratched it real quick, and looked at it, and it didn't look like a winner, so I handed it over to them to throw away," she told the Associated Press according to WACH News.

The ticket sat in a wastebasket of discarded tickets for 10 days, until the store owners looked through them before permanently throwing them away.

"One evening, I was going through the tickets from the trash and found out that she didn't scratch the number," Abhi Shah, the son of the store owners told WWLP-TV. "I scratched the number and it was $1 million underneath the ticket."

"I was a millionaire for a night," Shah told CBS News. He began thinking of all the things he could do with the money.

But the family consulted together the next morning, even calling Shah's grandparents in India for their input. Fiega was a regular customer at the store, and the Shahs knew that the ticket had belonged to her. They also knew that she obviously hadn't meant to throw away a million dollars.

Shah told CBS News that his grandmother said, 'Let's not keep the ticket. It's not right. Just give it back to them. If it's in your luck, you will get it anyhow.'"

So that's what they did. And boy was Fiega surprised when Abhi Shah showed up at her workplace.

"He came to my office and said 'my mom and dad would like to see you,'" Fiega told WACH News. "I said 'I'm working,' and he said 'no you have to come over.' So I went over there and that's when they told me. I was in total disbelief. I cried, I hugged them."

Million-dollar lottery ticket returned to winner who mistakenly discarded itwww.youtube.com

Fiega had already felt incredibly lucky after she nearly died earlier this year after contracting COVID-19. Getting the news from her local convenience store that she had accidentally thrown away a million dollars and that the owners were returning it to her was nearly unbelievable.

"I mean, who does that? They're great people. I am beyond blessed," she said.

Fiega told WACH that she gave the family part of her winnings and that she's saving the rest for retirement. The store owners also receive $10,000 from the state lottery commission for selling the winning ticket.

Other regular customers told CBS News that they were not surprised by the Shahs' kindness and selflessness in returning the winning ticket.

"They're just purely good people," one customer said. "You can tell just by talking to them."

Thank you, Shah family, for serving as an example of doing the right thing even when you don't have to, and for giving us all a boost of faith in humanity.

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Yo-Yo Ma played a surprise concert during his post-vaccination observation period

via Berkshire Community College / Facebook

Internationally-acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma had 15 minutes to kill last Saturday after getting his COVID-19 vaccination at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, so he treated everyone to an impromptu concert.

Ma is a part-time Berkshires resident and was receiving his second COVID-19 shot at the vaccination site.

Richard Hall of the Berkshire COVID-19 Vaccine Collaborative told local paper the Berkshire Eagle said that Ma brought his cello because he simply wanted "to give back." So he treated healthcare workers and the recently- and soon-to-be vaccinated people to a performance of selections by Bach and Schubert.


Yo-Yo Ma plays for fellow vaccine recipientswww.youtube.com


Medical staff says that a hush fell over the clinic as Ma began to play. "It was so weird how peaceful the whole building became, just having a little bit of music in the background," said Leslie Drager, the lead clinical manager for the vaccination site, according to The Washington Post.

The music probably provided some much-needed comfort for those who were nervous to get the vaccine.

Ma was waiting at the vaccination site after getting the jab because most people are asked to sit through a 15-minute observation period in case they experience an allergic reaction. Those who are more prone to allergic reactions are often asked to wait for 30 minutes.

People who experience mild reactions are usually given a dose of Benadryl and then sent on their way.

Yo-Yo Ma at the White House in 1987.via Wikimedia Commons

It must have been an incredible experience for people to be able to hear the well-respected cellist play in such a small, impromptu setting. Ma has recorded more than 90 albums and received 18 Grammy Awards. He has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011

He's famous for being an eclectic musician having played on recordings of classical music, bluegrass, traditional Chinese melodies, the tangos of Argentinian composer Ástor Piazzolla, and the works of minimalist composer Phillip Glass.

He's also known for his affable, down-to-earth personality.

The mini-concert comes an exact year after he first shared recordings of himself at the beginning of the outbreak under #SongsOfComfort. He shared the recordings to help quell the stress and anxiety caused by the onset of the pandemic.

"In these days of anxiety," he wrote on Twitter on March 13, 2020, "I wanted to find a way to continue to share some of the music that gives me comfort. The first of my #SongsOfComfort: Dvorák – 'Going Home'"

At a time when good memories are hard to create, Ma did a wonderful job at lending his talents to spread a little joy in a stressful time. Let's hope that soon he will be able to return to larger venues and can once again spread that joy to thousands of people a night.





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Raped at 13, this beauty queen walked away from her crown after an emcee's #MeToo joke.

Miss America pageants are changing for the better, but that change has been slow to catch on in some state competitions.

On June 30, 2018, the emcee of the Miss Massachusetts pageant mocked #MeToo, blaming the loss of the swimsuit competition on the movement.

In a brief skit, a woman spoke to someone dressed as God, saying, “We may have very well seen the last ever swimsuit competition on stage. It’s very upsetting, and I’m trying to understand, God, why it happened.” And the person playing God held up a #MeToo sign and replied, "Me too, Amy."

Some in the audience cheered and laughed, but one contestant, Maude Gorman didn't find it funny.

I can’t believe I just attended my last Miss Massachusetts orientation (ever!!). The last thing I expected this year was to be competing in pageants again; yet alone with the Miss America Organization. I had previously aged out, and thought that was that. But, by some miracle, they the increased the age limit, and I knew I had to give it one last try! I’m extremely grateful to be a titleholder at a time in my life where I stand to show others just how beautiful STRONG is. I’m 30 lbs heavier than when I last competed 🎉🎉🎉, can now bench press more than I used to weigh when I last stepped foot on that stage, and I can’t wait to show myself (and everybody) that change and strength within self is one of the biggest wins of all 🙏 #missmassachusetts #missplymouthcounty #mao #strongisbeautiful #7seasroasting #rxathlete #beautyandabeast

A post shared by Maude Gorman 🇺🇸 (@maudernliving) on

“It was heartbreaking to hear,” said Gorman, who was competing in the pageant as Miss Plymouth County. “In that moment, everything collapsed right in front of me.”

She skipped the reception after the show and went home to draft her resignation from the pageant. With her experiences, this was something Gorman couldn't let stand.

At 13, Maude Gorman was attacked and raped by three men — a secret she kept for years. Gorman and a friend had walked to a playground to swing on the swings, and as they were leaving, three highly intoxicated men approached them. The girls ran in different directions, but the men chased after and caught up with Gorman. They took turns raping her before finally letting her go. Embarrassed and ashamed, she didn’t tell anyone what happened.

For three years, she kept her story a secret, spiraling in and out of depression, suicide attempts, and other mental health issues. Finally, she told her mom about the rapes, and Gorman started intensive therapy. She and her family consulted a lawyer, but too much time had passed, she didn't know who the men were, and there wasn’t enough physical evidence to prove the crime.

However, Gorman decided she wouldn't stay silent any longer.

Gorman started competing in pageants to boost her confidence and help other sexual assault survivors.

In 2015, at age 21, Gorman made headlines for winning the Miss Massachusetts World America crown and telling judges that she wanted to use her platform to help victims of sexual assault. She started working with the Center for Hope and Healing in Lowell, Massachusetts, and sharing her story at various conferences. At the Miss World pageant, she won first place in the "Beauty with a Purpose" presentation — a three-minute speech in which Gorman spoke candidly about her experience with sexual violence.

“I think society blames victims,” she told the Boston Globe. “I’m trying to remove that blame. My goal is to be that light at the end of the tunnel for those who feel stuck in the darkness.”

Competing in the Miss America Organization pageant was a dream come true for Gorman. But the #MeToo joke crossed the line.

"I refuse to stand idly by and simply 'let this go,'" says Gorman.

Today, I officially resigned from the title of Miss Plymouth County 2018. While I’m grateful for the opportunities that @missamerica creates for young women, I am also internally conflicted; as the #metoo movement was mocked on stage during the final competition of Miss Massachusetts. As both a survivor, and advocate for victims rights and sexual violence on a whole, I refuse to stand idly by and simply “let this go”. Instead, I will stand up for every individual who has ever had the courage to speak out; and for every person who felt liberated by the #metoo movement. I will not allow ANYONE to take away that empowerment and liberation, or make it anything less than what it is: AMAZING. #metoo #missplymouthcounty #nomore #rainn #surviveandthrive

A post shared by Maude Gorman 🇺🇸 (@maudernliving) on

In an Instagram post, Gorman explained why she resigned from her Miss Plymouth County title and turned in her crown. "I will stand up for every individual who has ever had the courage to speak out," she wrote, "and for every person who felt liberated by the #MeToo movement. I will not allow ANYONE to take away that empowerment and liberation, or make it anything less than what it is: AMAZING."

Joking about rape victims isn't just tone deaf. It's a part of the problem.

In a civilized society, there are simply some subjects that are too heinous to be used as comedy fodder. Until we start acknowledging the life-altering pain and anguish that sexual assault survivors have to grapple with, and start treating sexual violence with the gravitas it deserves, we won't make the changes to our culture and our laws that are needed to prevent such assaults from happening.

Jokes that make light of sexual assault are part of the "rape culture" that spawned the #MeToo movement in the first place, and it's long past time for them to end. Civilized people don't joke about the Holocaust. We don't joke about child trafficking. And we shouldn't joke about sexual assault victims. It's not funny. Period.

Three cheers to Maude Gorman for taking a stand and continuing to use her voice to support sexual assault survivors — a feat far more impactful than winning any crown.

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