Massachusetts voters turned down Question 5, the ballot measure that would have changed the state’s revenue cap so taxpayer rebates came more often. The Associated Press called the race for “no” on Thursday, Nov. 5, with 52.28% of the vote against and 47.72% for, according to unofficial returns with 99% of expected votes counted. The numbers become final only after the state certifies them.
The result leaves the current tax-cap law untouched. That law, Chapter 62F, was passed in 1986 and limits how fast state tax collections can grow, tied to growth in wages and salaries. When collections run past the cap, the Department of Revenue has to send credits to taxpayers, and the secretary of state’s voter guide says that has happened only twice, in 1987 and 2022…