By David Nagle and Joseph Donovan ( July 11, 2018, 2:00 PM EDT) -- In a decision released June 20, 2018, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ended a three‑year effort to amend the Massachusetts Constitution and impose an additional tax on individuals with income exceeding $1 million.[1] The court's opinion addresses the procedure for amending the constitution via initiative petition, as opposed to the merits of a graduated income tax.[2] In analyzing the "related subjects" requirement for such initiatives, and concluding that this initiative failed to contain subjects "which are related or which are mutually dependent,"[3] the court's opinion strikes a balance between direct and representative democracy, while providing a roadmap for future initiatives and highlighting their importance in lawmaking....