Oct 5, 2026 · 6 min · 5 segments
Ahead of the Healey-Minogue debate, we unpack state tax policy, affordability. Plus we look at long-term care legislation and proposed reforms to nursing home oversight.
Carrie HealyHost
High living costs, rough commutes, and sluggish job growth are still dragging Massachusetts down.
That was according to a new report card from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-backed policy group.
What solutions are Massachusetts political candidates offering voters? The, the election's just a month away.
The election's a month away, but you'd be hard-pressed to find real concrete solutions to these affordability issues from either gubernatorial candidate, Maura Healey or Mike Minogue.
The one that is out there, and that they both seemingly agree on, is to suspend the state gas tax for at least some amount of time while gas prices are high.
It doesn't seem like the legislature will go along with it, but after you get through the gas tax holiday idea, there aren't very many real concrete ideas.
The Republican Minogue says he'll cut taxes and audit the state government to find waste, fraud, and abuse that will save money, that could turn into relief for taxpayers and residents.
And Maura Healey says that she's going to keep resisting the Trump administration, which she says is the way to affordability here.
Many people say lawmakers should be bolder in taking on the state's high cost of living and reducing heavy business regulation.
Most of the state's tax revenue seems to be currently coming from higher education and healthcare.
I think the most clear evidence of that is the fact that voters did an awful lot of work over the last few years to bring questions to the ballot this fall, to essentially do it themselves, uh, with the legislature choosing not to act.
Uh, voters did get onto the ballot a question that could affect state tax collections and could mean more frequent tax rebates for residents, and I think we should expect to see that in future cycles as well.
High living costs, rough commutes, and sluggish job growth are still dragging Massachusetts down.
That was according to a new report card from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-backed policy group.
What solutions are Massachusetts political candidates offering voters? The, the election's just a month away.
The election's a month away, but you'd be hard-pressed to find real concrete solutions to these affordability issues from either gubernatorial candidate, Maura Healey or Mike Minogue.
The one that is out there, and that they both seemingly agree on, is to suspend the state gas tax for at least some amount of time while gas prices are high.
It doesn't seem like the legislature will go along with it, but after you get through the gas tax holiday idea, there aren't very many real concrete ideas.
The Republican Minogue says he'll cut taxes and audit the state government to find waste, fraud, and abuse that will save money, that could turn into relief for taxpayers and residents.
And Maura Healey says that she's going to keep resisting the Trump administration, which she says is the way to affordability here.
Many people say lawmakers should be bolder in taking on the state's high cost of living and reducing heavy business regulation.
Most of the state's tax revenue seems to be currently coming from higher education and healthcare.
I think the most clear evidence of that is the fact that voters did an awful lot of work over the last few years to bring questions to the ballot this fall, to essentially do it themselves, uh, with the legislature choosing not to act.
Uh, voters did get onto the ballot a question that could affect state tax collections and could mean more frequent tax rebates for residents, and I think we should expect to see that in future cycles as well.
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