Group renews opposition to income surtax

BOSTON - An organization that was among the plaintiffs who successfully squashed the first attempt to impose an income surtax on high earners renewed its opposition in letters sent to all 200 legislators ahead of a possible debate today on a second pass at the so-called millionaires tax.

The Massachusetts High Technology Council, one of the groups that petitioned the Supreme Judicial Court to throw the proposed 4 percent surtax on income above $1 million off last year's ballot, told lawmakers the proposed constitutional amendment puts "a misplaced emphasis on revenue-centric solutions and offer(s) hollow promises of increased state investment" in a new round of letters.

The House and Senate are planning to meet in a Constitutional Convention on Wednesday afternoon and could begin the multi-year process of amending the state Constitution to levy a surtax on high earners and direct the funds to education and transportation initiatives. The measure needs 101 votes in favor in two successive Legislatures to reach the 2022 ballot.

In the letter, High Technology Council President Chris Anderson writes that the state does not have a shortage of revenue and should instead focus on making Massachusetts a welcoming place for businesses and directing state funding to programs that "have a data-supported impact."

"The Council is committed instead to advancing real solutions to our shared challenges by addressing actual impediments identified by policymakers, job creators, and other impacted stakeholders including: Expanding and improving project planning and delivery capacity at transportation agencies; Enabling and enhancing the use of public-private partnerships to deliver state services and projects; and a $1.1 billion, multi-year proposed increase in state investment and support for K-12 public schools, targeted towards the highest need students and schools," Anderson wrote.

The Constitutional Convention is expected to gavel in, under Senate President Karen Spilka, at 1 p.m. today.