Mass. Democrats Seek to Create
New Slush Fund for ‘Social Welfare Organizations’ Through Payroll Deduction$$$

by Lonnie Brennan
In a 1,639-word bill presented by Democrat Rep. Daniel Donahue (Worcester), and co-sponsored by seemingly every Massachusetts Democrat legislator, the party that dominates Massachusetts politics seeks to create a new source of revenue for political “education.”

The bill, HD.3098, would mandate all employers offer their employees the ability to make automatic payroll deductions (so-called voluntary contributions) to “non-profit social welfare organizations and political action committees.”

The currently proposed bill would create a new CHAPTER 180B in the General Laws, and states in part, “that many low-income residents of Massachusetts face substantial obstacles to participating fully in the public and political life of their communities; that financial barriers, including lack of access to credit cards and banking services, often prevent these residents from contributing financially to not-for-profit social welfare organizations and political action committees that engage in the political process and help shape the policies that affect residents’ lives; and that a payroll deduction mechanism would promote political participation by enabling individuals to authorize small, regular deductions from their pay at levels they can afford to contribute to political and advocacy organizations, eliminating transaction costs for such contributions and permitting greater numbers of Massachusetts residents to engage in the political process and to participate in community and civic life.”

How would the bill work? As an example, your boss at the Registry of Motor Vehicles would present you with a piece of paper onto which you are to voluntarily sign over a portion of your income, currently proposed to be capped at $400 per year, to a non-profit social welfare organization or political action committee. If you don’t know of such an organization or committee, the names of such organizations would, of course, be made available in the workplace, as part of the Democrat-dominated legislators’ attempts to help educate every employee in the state. Your employer, however, would of course be prohibited from forcing or coercing you to voluntarily make donations to the new slush fund.

The bill is seen as a potential bonanza for ultra-liberal groups, which will see a windfall from government employees such as teachers and others.

Any group seeking a portion of the newly-created slush-fund will need to receive the approval of the attorney general and other government offices. “The attorney general shall provide written notice to the not-for-profit organization or political action committee that it has been certified as a covered organization within 15 business days of the date that the not-for-profit organization or political action committee has met the requirements of subsection (a) of this section to the satisfaction of the attorney general.”

What is not defined in the bill, at this time, is how the funds will be dispersed. It is anticipated that a new government department will be created to administer the political slush fund, create recommendations for which organization gets what amount of funds, and how. The bill is pitched to commence fund distribution in time for the 2020 election season.

Current co-sponsors include but are not limited to the following (all Democrats):
Rep. Daniel M. Donahue,
Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis,
Rep. Brian M. Ashe,
Rep. Ruth B. Balser,
Rep. Christine P. Barber,
Rep. John Barrett, III,
Rep. David Biele,
Rep. Natalie M. Blais,
Rep. Paul Brodeur,
Rep. Antonio F. D. Cabral,
Rep. Daniel Cahill,
Rep. Peter Capano,
Rep. Gerard J. Cassidy,
Rep. Mike Connolly,
Rep. Edward F. Coppinger,
Rep. Daniel R. Cullinane,
Rep. Josh S. Cutler,
Rep. Marjorie C. Decker,
Rep. Marcos A. Devers,
Sen. Michael J. Barrett,
Sen. Harriette L. Chandler,
Sen. Brendan P. Crighton,
Sen. Julian Cyr,
Sen. Sal N. DiDomenico,
Rep. William J. Driscoll, Jr.,
Rep. Michelle M. DuBois,
Sen. James B. Eldridge,
Rep. Nika C. Elugardo,
Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier,
Rep. Michael J. Finn,
Rep. Sean Garballey,
Rep. Carmine Lawrence Gentile,
Rep. Carlos Gonzalez,
Rep. Kenneth I. Gordon,
Rep. Tami L. Gouveia,
Rep. James K. Hawkins,
Rep. Stephan Hay,
Rep. Jonathan Hecht,
Rep. Natalie M. Higgins,
Rep. Daniel J. Hunt,
Sen. Patricia D. Jehlen,
Rep. Mary S. Keefe,
Rep. Kay Khan,
Rep. John J. Lawn, Jr.,
Rep. David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf,
Sen. Jason M. Lewis,
Rep. Jay D. Livingstone,
Rep. Adrian C. Madaro,
Rep. John J. Mahoney,
Rep. Elizabeth A. Malia,
Rep. Paul W. Mark,
Rep. Joseph W. McGonagle, Jr.,
Rep. Christina A. Minicucci,
Rep. Liz Miranda,
Rep. Rady Mom,
Sen. Michael O. Moore,
Rep. Frank A. Moran,
Rep. Brian W. Murray,
Rep. Harold P. Naughton, Jr.,
Rep. Tram T. Nguyen,
Sen. Patrick M. O’Connor,
Rep. James J. O’Day,
Rep. Denise Provost,
Sen. Rebecca L. Rausch,
Rep. Maria Duaime Robinson,
Rep. David M. Rogers,
Rep. Jeffrey N. Roy,
Rep. Daniel J. Ryan,
Rep. Lindsay N. Sabadosa,
Rep. Jon Santiago,
Rep. Alan Silvia,
Rep. Thomas M. Stanley,
Rep. José F. Tosado,
Rep. Paul F. Tucker,
Rep. Steven Ultrino,
Rep. Andres X. Vargas,
Rep. Tommy Vitolo,
Rep. Thomas P. Walsh, and
Rep. Bud L. Williams.