MA queston 3?
Four ballot questions in Massachusetts this year, and 3 are IMO easy & obvious:
1 - "Fair Share Amendment" would amend the constitution to make the state's flat income tax a little bit progressive, by adding a higher tax bracket on income over $1 million per year. YES
2 - Medical loss ratio for dental insurance. Health insurers in MA are required to meet a ratio of 90% spent on actual health care, but there's no standard for dental insurance at all. This would require dental insurance to spend at least 83% on actaul coverage, no more than 17% profit/overhead. YES
3 - ummm... I think NO, but what a mixed bag!
4 - Keep the law the state already passed, to allow people to have drivers licenses if they pass the tests and don't have a bad driving record, without checking their immigration status. YES
So, question 3... A bunch of different changes to rules about liquor, beer, and wine licenses for stores, about half of them with very unclear and possibly conflicting effects. The one obviously good part of Q3 is that it would finally add out of state drivers licenses to the list of valid IDs for buying alcohol in Massachusetts. On the other hand, Q3 also has two pieces that might make larger supermarkets just stop selling alcohol: a) can't sell it at self checkout, and b) fines would no longer be proportional to total alcohol profits, but to total profits from everything they sell.
And then there are all the bits about what kinds of stores can get how many of what kinds of licenses, some of which seem a bit conflicting, and are still subject to limits set by cities and towns.
I think on the whole Q3 seems designed to make it harder for grocery stores to sell wine, but to disguise that with a bunch of confusing other measures, and then tempt people to vote for it with that obviously-needed bit about out of state licenses.
What're some other people's opinions on this one?