This effort is about giving voters in participating Massachusetts House districts a chance to weigh in on a Clean Air CashBack approach and tell their state representative where they stand.
By signing the petition, you are helping place a non-binding public policy question on the ballot in your district. The goal is to gauge public interest, raise awareness, and encourage future legislative action in Massachusetts around a policy that would reduce pollution and return money directly to residents as monthly payments.
What you are signing for
This petition does not create a new law by itself. Instead, it asks whether voters want their representative to support legislation that would place a fee on the carbon content of fossil fuels and return the proceeds directly to residents as monthly Clean Air CashBack payments.
In Massachusetts, this type of district ballot question is advisory. It works like a formal public signal from voters to their elected representative on an issue of public policy.
Why this effort matters
The 2026 effort is designed to do three things at once: measure support, educate the public, and build momentum for legislative action. Your explainer materials also describe it as part of a longer-term strategy that could support a broader statewide ballot effort in the future.
- Gauge public interest in a Clean Air CashBack approach.
- Raise awareness about a policy that reduces pollution and returns money to residents.
- Encourage legislative action in the Massachusetts Legislature.
The proposed ballot question
Below is the proposed 2026 public policy question language described in the explainer submitted for review:
Shall the representative from this district be instructed to introduce and vote for legislation that places a fee on carbon content of fossil fuels to compensate for their environmental pollution, and return the proceeds directly to residents as monthly Carbon CashBack payments?
This language is meant to be clearer and more relatable than earlier versions by using terms such as pollution, directly to residents, and monthly Carbon CashBack payments. The aim is to help voters better understand both the environmental purpose and the household benefit.
What makes this different from passing a law
This is not a binding lawmaking petition. Even if the question appears on the ballot and wins majority support, it would not automatically establish a fee or start payments on its own.
Instead, it would show legislators that voters in the district support this direction and want them to pursue legislation. Your materials describe this as the beginning of a democratic conversation, not the final word on policy design.
Why the campaign is using district questions
District ballot questions are a practical way to bring the issue directly to voters in multiple parts of the state. They can help identify where support is strong, expand public understanding, and show representatives that this idea has real local backing.
The 2026 strategy is broader than the smaller 2022 effort and is intended to build support across more House districts, which can help create a stronger foundation for future statewide action.
In plain English
If you sign, you are not signing up for a new tax today. You are helping give voters in your district the chance to answer a question on the ballot about whether Massachusetts should move toward a policy that charges for fossil fuel pollution and sends the money back to residents as monthly CashBack.