CHICOPEE – State Rep. Joseph Wagner had some advice that seemed to go against conventional political thought – in an era in which participation in elections is encouraged – Wagner said he tends to vote “no” on all ballot questions.

Wagner made the observation at the kick-off breakfast meeting of the Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 19.  

With a controversial question on the ballot involving a law that would set the patient-nurse ratio for some nurses, Wagner said these sort of ballot questions usually come from special interest groups that can not get their point of view placed into law by the General Court and go directly to the voters to go around the Legislature.

He used the referendum question about legalizing marijuana as an example. The question that was passed did not adequately address a number of issues, which the Legislature then had to settle, he noted.

Wagner said what is also significant about this election are the questions that did not make it to the ballot. There were three: one that would raise the minimum wage to $15, indexed to inflation; the second that would have lowered the sales tax to 5 percent; and the third establish a family leave program that would have cost $1.3 billion.

He said that most people would have supported all three questions, which would have had an impact on the state budget and business here. Instead the legislature working with Gov. Charlie Baker came up with the “Grand Bargain,” legislation that provided compromise on the three issues.

The minimum wage will go to $15 over a five-year period under the legislation. The family leave program will have an $800,000 cost and the sales tax was addressed by making the sales tax holiday a permanent event.

The House is in informal session and Wagner said when the Legislature convenes for formal session in January there are issues that require addressing. One is the budgeting of education. He said while the budgets usually show an increase in education spending it is never enough.

The other subject is healthcare, a subject so broad that Wagner told the audience, “I don’t know where to start on health care.”

He added the good news is healthcare cost have only risen 1.3 percent, but there are many issues that must be resolved.

Sports betting is another topic the legislature must address in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that made it legal in all 50 states. “This is a tricky and sticky issue,” he said, Wagner added, “Everyone wants a piece of it, including the brick and mortar casinos.”