BOSTON – Sweet treats could soon come with a bitter price tag in Massachusetts, thanks to Gov. Maura Healey’s latest nanny-state overreach. The mini-dictator of the Bay State, a staunch supporter of woke DEI and gender theory policies, is now pushing to tax candy as part of her $62 billion budget proposal. Because apparently, Healey thinks Massachusetts residents can be ordered around like citizens of North Korea.
Under the current law, “candy and confectionery” are exempt from sales tax, just like most groceries. But Healey’s proposal would strip that exemption, leaving candy lovers to foot the bill for her bloated budget. The plan would still exempt “sugar and sugar products,” but anything classified as candy—whether it’s a Snickers bar or a bag of Skittles—would be taxed. Even vending machine snacks costing $3.50 or more could get hit.
When asked about the idea during a press conference after touring the Burlington Department of Public Works, Healey shrugged it off with a tone-deaf quip. “I’ve gotta figure out a way to pay for snow plows,” she said, per State House News Service. “It’s an idea. I propose ideas in a budget. And we’ll see what the Legislature does with all of this. But nobody likes taxes.”
Nobody likes taxes? No kidding, Governor. But that hasn’t stopped Healey from dreaming up new ways to dip into taxpayers’ wallets.
“This is expected to raise something like 25 million, and remember, this is a 60 billion budget, so this is a rounding error in terms of actual revenue needed. So I think they are thinking of a kind of public health mission here,” Evan Horowitz, executive director of the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University, told WBUR.
In other words, Healey and her cronies think they know what’s best for you—and they’re not afraid to tax your favorite treats to prove it. This is the same governor who’s all-in on woke DEI policies and gender theory indoctrination, so it’s no surprise she’s now trying to regulate what you eat.
Massachusetts isn’t alone in targeting sugary snacks. As of 2020, 15 states already exclude candy from sales tax exemptions, including neighboring states like Maine and New York. Some states, like Illinois, even use bizarre criteria—like whether a treat contains flour—to determine how it’s taxed. And let’s not forget the ongoing push to tax sugary drinks, which the Boston City Council recently debated in the name of “public health.”
But Massachusetts residents aren’t buying it. They’re tired of being treated like children by a governor who thinks she can micromanage every aspect of their lives. Whether it’s taxing candy, pushing DEI agendas, or promoting radical gender theories, Healey’s nanny-state policies are wearing thin.
A hearing on the candy tax proposal is expected in the future, and any changes would need approval from state lawmakers on Beacon Hill. But one thing’s clear: Healey’s latest power grab is just another example of her trying to control every aspect of life in Massachusetts—because in her world, freedom is optional, and Big Government knows best.
Welcome to the People’s Republic of Massachusetts, where the governor rules like a woke dictator and your candy bar isn’t safe from her tax-hungry clutches.
