Featured

The Pioneer New England Legal Foundation (PNELF) is calling out the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) for refusing to act on clear evidence that the City of Boston is penalizing commercial taxpayers for exercising their constitutional right to appeal overassessments.

This edition of The House Call explains why the City of Boston is behind the curve on broadly allowing accessory dwelling units by right, and what it's doing to catch up. The newsletter also explores the (limited) housing options for seasonal workers on Cape Cod and how some employers are housing workers in company-owned buildings.

Boston, MA — The two 2026 ballot proposals filed today—one to lower the state income tax from 5% to 4% over three years, and another to strengthen the state’s tax revenue cap (“62F”)—represent concrete steps to return billions to taxpayers and restore Massachusetts’ economic competitiveness. According to fiscal modeling by the Mass Opportunity Alliance (MOA), of which Pioneer Institute is a founding member, the income tax reduction alone would save the average taxpayer more than $1,300 annually. 

This edition of The House Call explores a federal proposal to cut Housing and Urban Development funding by 44 percent, and how it contrasts with a more recent congressional appropriations bill. The newsletter also provides an update on compliance with Massachusetts' multifamily zoning mandate around MBTA stations after the latest deadline.

In the years since fiscal 2018, when the MBTA last balanced its budget without state contract assistance or federal funds, operating costs have been rising at an alarming rate, culminating in an increase of nearly 15 percent from FY 2023 to FY 2024 alone, according to a new policy brief published by Pioneer Institute.

The Institute of Justice and PNELF filed a federal constitutional challenge to Massachusetts’s denial of special education services to children whose parents exercise their fundamental right to enroll them in private school.

Two major education provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), signed into law on July 4, 2025, garnered a lot of ink and debate—a federal School Choice Tax Credit and an excise tax on the investment income of private universities with large endowments.

BOSTON — Out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors may rise under President Trump’s Most Favored Nation (MFN) proposal if policymakers do not address the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), according to a brief released today by the Pioneer Institute.

Boston — June 24, 2025 — The Pioneer New England Legal Foundation (PNELF) has sent a formal notice to Massachusetts Department of Revenue Commissioner Geoffrey Snyder asserting that the City of Boston is unlawfully retaliating against commercial real estate owners who seek to challenge their tax assessments. 

The Boston Policy Institute together with Pioneer Institute today announced the launch of Boston DataLabs, an online platform designed to empower Boston residents, journalists, researchers, and policymakers with clear, accessible insights into the city’s payroll and budget.