Gov. Baker reveals how he’ll vote on the 4 Mass. ballot questions [masslive.com]

MassLive.com

Gov. Charlie Baker disclosed Thursday that he will vote no on three out of four ballot questions before Bay Staters this fall.

Baker, a Republican, has long opposed a state law allowing undocumented immigrants without proof of lawful presence to obtain driver’s licenses — and he’s made it clear he’ll vote no on Ballot Question 4, in a bid to repeal the contentious Work and Family Mobility Act.

He’s also voiced opposition to Ballot Question 1, often referred to as the Fair Share Amendment or millionaires tax, that would impose a 4% surtax on incomes exceeding $1 million.

During an interview Thursday on GBH’s Boston Public Radio, Baker revealed he will vote no on Ballot Question 2, which seeks to overhaul the structure of dental insurance premiums, and yes on Ballot Question 3, which revamps the allocation of liquor licenses at retailers across Massachusetts.

Should Ballot Question 2 pass, dental insurance companies would need to spend at least 83% of premiums on patient care, rather than on administrative expenses, taxes or profits.

Baker said he’s against the referendum due to three major unanswered questions: “If I have dental coverage, is this going to affect where I can go to get coverage? Is this going to change what I pay for my coverage? And is it going to change the relationship that exists currently between insurers and dentists that affects price?”

Baker said he personally doesn’t know the answers to his questions, though he hopes the Massachusetts Legislature presses the next administration to conduct a study gauging an appropriate medical loss ratio — “and then come back and tell people what it actually means.”

The governor struck a more favorable tone about Ballot Question 3, which would gradually expand the alcohol license threshold for retailers, initially to 12 licenses in 2023 and to 15 licenses in 2027. It would also limit the number of “all alcoholic beverages” licenses a retailer could own to seven, unless the entity already has more than that.

“I’m gonna vote yes, mostly because it looks sort of like legislation we filed a couple of years ago. It retains local communities continuing to have a certain amount of authority over the number of licenses and in the way they get issued,” Baker said. “It also, I think, is an attempt to create some compromise between the mom and pops and the big out-of-state chains, which, from my point of view, settling the dust on that one would be a good thing.”