BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court has struck down a proposed "millionaire tax" ballot question, blocking it from going before state voters in November.
The Supreme Judicial Court, in a split decision, ruled Monday that the initiative petition should not have been certified by the attorney general because it contained unrelated items of taxing and spending.
The constitutional amendment would have imposed a surtax of 4 percent on any portion of an individual's annual income that exceeds $1 million. The measure called for revenues from the tax to be used for transportation and education.
Several business groups sued to stop the surtax from appearing on the ballot, claiming it violated constitutional restrictions on ballot questions.
The Raise Up Massachusetts coalition collected more than 150,000 signatures in support of the measure.