New Report Provides Guidebook for a “Real Affordability Agenda”
More than 100 state bills filed nationwide mark trend to tax the ultra-rich and tackle the affordability crisis
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2026
Contact: eme@stateinnovation.org
The day after the President presented his faux-populism in his State of the Union speech and on the same day that thousands marched in Albany, NY to “tax the rich for a NY we can afford,” a national coalition released a new guidebook, the “Real Affordability Agenda,” that provides a blueprint for what to propose and how to pass state-level legislation in statehouses across the country.
The new report is the first-of-its-kind comprehensive agenda that outlines how to tackle the affordability crisis. It covers housing, good-paying jobs, the cost of essential services, and tax fairness, and provides concrete case studies, sample legislation, and recent examples from where campaigns have been waged and won across the country.
“The affordability crisis isn't an accident. It's the result of policy choices that protect concentrated wealth over working families,” says Georgia Senator Kim Jackson, Senior Vice President of State Innovation Exchange (SiX). “The ‘Real Affordability Agenda’ is a roadmap for state leaders to fight back with real solutions: fair taxes, higher worker wages, strong public investments, and relief that reaches the kitchen table. At SiX, we’re proud to stand with leaders in Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, and across the country who are saying clearly: workers over billionaires, and a future that’s affordable for everyone.”
As affordability takes over as the central issue for families and voters, the new guide defines how state governors and legislators can address their constituents’ needs, tackle growing inequality, and take up the shifted responsibility as Trump slashes federal government to fund ICE as his private army and dole out the former budgets of public services as tax breaks and giveaways to the billionaires running his administration.
States such as Illinois, Virginia, Washington, California, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Hawai'i, and Arizona are currently signature gathering for ballot measures or debating bills to tax the ultra-wealthy and large corporations in their state in order to fund schools, roads, public transit, health care, and other services.
“Working families need a new guarantee and real promises that demonstrate that government is on our side. Across New York State and this country, voters are sending a clear message: the affordability crisis is crushing working people. Families can’t afford groceries, rent, childcare, or healthcare while billionaires and big corporations pay less in taxes than everyday New Yorkers. Working people are doing our part. Now we need the ultra rich and big corporations to do their part and pay their fair share,” said Jasmine Gripper, Director of the New York Working Families Party.
“I know firsthand what it means to rely on public schools for more than just education. They are the foundation of opportunity for families like mine. That’s why I introduced SB 3701 to fully fund our Evidence-Based Formula and cover the mandated categoricals our schools are legally required to provide but the state still does not fully pay for. We are talking about a nearly $5 billion gap that continues to grow as Trump raids federal education funding to hand tax breaks to billionaires,” said Illinois Senator Graciela Guzmán.” In this moment, Illinois needs strong leadership. When Washington is cutting, our General Assembly and Governor must step up and invest and that means finally fixing a tax code that has been upside down for working families for far too long.”
“While Trump engineers the largest transfer of wealth from working people to the ultra-rich in U.S. history, teachers and counselors are drowning trying to fill the gaps left by years of underfunding our districts. The solutions are right here in this report. We know what works because we have seen it work. Massachusetts taxed its millionaires and raised billions for schools and transit,” said Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jackson Potter. “Governors like Pritzker have the power and the roadmap. Momentum is building in statehouses across the country. Illinois should be a leader not a follower in protecting its residents and delivering world class schools and services that put us on a path to success.”
“Because of the Fair Share Amendment, a small additional tax on Massachusetts’s wealthiest earners to support education and transportation projects, we are providing universal, free school meals to all public school students, lowering the cost of childcare, making community college free, expanding financial aid at public universities, and improving the safety and reliability of public transportation,” said Massachusetts Senator Jason Lewis, lead Senate sponsor of the Fair Share Amendment. “I hope Massachusetts serves as an example for states across the nation to ask their wealthiest residents to pay their fair share to support investments in education, transportation, housing, healthcare, and more that advance affordability and support their communities.”
“Massachusetts asked our wealthiest residents to pay a little bit more in taxes and those new revenues have produced life-changing and prosperity-building investments in education and transportation, from high-quality child care through tuition-free public higher education, from free regional buses to a modern subway system in Boston. We’ve shown that May Day Strong’s Real Affordability Agenda — affordable housing, good jobs, good housing, child care, health care and education for all — is achievable when the most fortunate among us pay their fair share,” said Max Page, president of Massachusetts Teachers Association.
“In California, and throughout the nation, educators face an overwhelming affordability crisis. California is the fourth largest economy in the world, yet a recent statewide survey of our members reveals how alarmingly common it still is for educators to pay up to $1,500 dollars a month for health insurance, spend their own money to buy classroom resources, struggle to afford basic living expenses and often work two jobs. Students need stable classrooms and teachers should not have to fight for the basic resources and supplies they need to do their jobs and afford to stay in the profession and, as a union, we are committed to fight for the public schools and working conditions we all deserve,” said David Goldberg, President of the California Teachers Association.
“I have been trying to get back on my feet, but there is no affordable housing,” said Carrieann Smith, a grassroots leader with VOCAL-TX and People’s Action. “Yet, they have more money for ICE agents. Billionaires like Joe Lonsdale need to pay their fair share in taxes and we need to use the money to build permanently deeply affordable housing, free health care and mental health services. We are not asking for charity — we are demanding policy that works for the people.”
The May Day Strong effort is responsible for organizing the most May 1st events in the history of the country last year and turning Labor Day into a day of action for union and non-union workers under the banner of “Workers Over Billionaires.” As momentum builds toward No Kings next month and mobilizations on May 1st this year, lawmakers have introduced more than 100 bills at the state-level to rein in runaway wealth-hoarding by the ultra-rich and runaway cost of living for the rest of the country.
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