Happy Tuesday!

• We're catching you up on the wonky tax refund ballot measure and a tragic tale from Roxy's Arcade.

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Today’s newsletter is 976 words — a 3.5-minute read.

A question on the Nov. 3 ballot in "Taxachusetts" would chip away at state coffers, promising more frequent tax refunds based on a 40-year-old law.

Why it matters: This proposal could, at best, put some much-needed money in residents' pockets and, at worst, complicate efforts to fund the services that make Massachusetts a liberal beacon.

• Opponents claim this will hamper efforts to fund affordable housing, schools and safety net programs, while proponents say it holds Beacon Hill accountable for its high spending.

Catch up quick: The question revolves around a 1986 law that makes Massachusetts return money to taxpayers when the state's tax revenues are higher than its self-imposed cap.

• The cap is based on how much tax revenue the state collected in 1986, weighed against the last three years of wage and salary growth.
• Mass. calculates the new cap based on the prior year's cap.
• The state can also "bank" years where it collected less tax revenue, factoring that and tax cuts to offset the final number, per the Tufts University Center for State Policy Analysis. (TLDR; it's a lot of math.)

State of play: The proposal would base the formula on how much the state collected instead of last year's cap, while nixing the option to "bank" bad years or factor in tax cuts.

• It would also add revenue from the "millionaire's tax," which was meant to target high earners to fund schools and transportation investments, to the equation. (It's currently not factored in 62F calculations.)
• If approved, this would take effect July 1, the start of fiscal 2028.

By the numbers: An independent study by the CSPA projects the proposed formula would get taxpayers eight or nine refunds over the next 20 years, two to four times as many as if the formula didn't change.

• Those refunds would translate to $200–$250 a year in taxpayers' pockets, or $1.1–$1.3 billion a year in lost state tax revenue, per the CSPA's projections.

The fine print: One unintended consequence is that the way the law is worded means the tax refund is counted as "negative revenue" in the next year's total.

• As a result, next year's total revenue could look lower, and could set a lower bar for the refunds to get triggered the following year.

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Roxy's Arcade in Cambridge closed suddenly after claiming a now-fired employee misused tens of thousands of dollars, failed to pay vendors and verbally agreed to huge increases to their arcade-game rentals, per the owner, James DiSabatino.

• DiSabatino didn't respond to requests for comment, but he asked Instagram followers, "We have an amazing space, even without the games ... what should we do with it while we figure things out?"
• Meanwhile, the Central Square restaurant and food trucks remain open.

🍩 Roth Gullo, owner of Blackbird Doughnuts, is seeking an investor with $10 million to help take the seven-store chain to 20 locations, per the Boston Business Journal.

🥪 Somerville bakery Michette opened a second, bigger location near Inman Square in Cambridge, per Boston Restaurant Talk.

🍔 ICYMI: Dorchester burger joint BRED plans to open Smashed by BRED next month in Quincy Market.

🚨 Chelsea-based Kayem Foods is recalling more than 1.5 million pounds of hot dogs, bacon and other meat products, including Fenway Franks products. (CBS Boston)

🎓 Harvard University received a record number of applications from international students the last two admissions cycles, despite the Trump administration's efforts to curb international admissions. (Crimson)

Northeastern University police are investigating "numerous cases" of people posing as immigration agents on campus and scamming students. (The Huntington News)

Gov. Maura Healey said her Republican rival Mike Minogue's campaign is in "chaos" after his running mate's arrest.

Why it matters: The fallout comes less than three weeks before the election, when Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll face Minogue and Shawn Oliver, who was arrested Saturday on an OUI charge.

What they're saying: "It's obvious there's chaos over at the Mike Minogue campaign," Healey told reporters after speaking at a medical technology event in Boston Monday.

• "This is his second lieutenant governor candidate that he has lost, and we've got enough chaos with Donald Trump. We don't need more from Mike Minogue," Healey said.

State of play: Healey said she was relieved no one was hurt and thanked first responders.

The intrigue: Minogue's endorsed LG candidate, Anne Brensley, didn't make it to the GOP primary after she was caught up in an alleged signature forging scandal.

What's next: Oliver, who suspended his campaign, pleaded not guilty to the OUI charge yesterday, the New Bedford Light reported.

• Minogue's campaign said yesterday it would leave the post unfilled if he wins, though Oliver stays on the ballot.

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The MIT Museum is home to a piece of Star Trek history for the next several months — the original U.S.S. Enterprise model.

The intrigue: The pilot model, having reemerged after a decades-long disappearance, is making its East Coast debut.

By the numbers: Richard Datin, a model maker, built the 33-inch wooden figure in 1964.

• It was used in the opening credits for the original series.

What they're saying: "It was the first character in Star Trek, before Spock, before Kirk," said Rod Roddenberry, the son of the show's creator, the late Gene Roddenberry.

Go deeper

Deehan forgot how damn huge the Menino Center is. Got real turned around in there yesterday.

Steph is traveling down and up the Northeast this week.

This newsletter was edited by Crystal Hill.