A ballot committee formed to oppose mandatory nurse staffing ratios spent more money than any other ballot committee in Massachusetts history, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
The Coalition to Protect Patient Safety spent $24.7 million to oppose the ballot question, which would have required hospitals to impose specific nurse to patient staffing ratios. Virtually all of that money came from the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, which represents the state’s hospitals.
The coalition was successful, with the question failing overwhelmingly on the ballot, 70 percent to 30 percent.
The Committee to Ensure Safe Patient Care Committee, which supported the ballot question and received most of its money from the Massachusetts Nurses Association, spent $12 million.
That translates to $15.29 spent per vote in opposition to the question and $13.31 spent per vote in support of the question, according to OCPF.
The Coalition to Protect Patient Safety broke the spending record previously set in 2016 by a pro-charter school group, which spent $21.5 million in a failed attempt to allow more charter schools in the state.
In total, the $42.6 million in total expenditures on the three ballot questions in 2018 was the second highest ever recorded, with the nurse staffing question accounting for 86 percent of all statewide spending.
The group opposing an attempt to repeal the state’s transgender anti-discrimination law spent $5.2 million, while supporters of the repeal spent $463,000. The repeal was unsuccessful.
Another $214,000 was spent by a group that successfully advocated for the creation of a commission to explore amending the U.S. Constitution to restrict corporate political contributions. No money was spent opposing that question.