Four referendum questions have moved a step closer to being on the ballot in Massachusetts next November.
These questions would ban greyhound racing, decriminalize marijuana, repeal the state's income tax, and repeal portions of a development law known as Chapter 40B.
Advocates of the questions needed to get at least 66,593 signatures by November 21 - an amount equal to three percent of the ballots cast in last year's Gubernatorial election. The town and city clerks in the 351 cities and towns have until Monday, the 26th, to certify the signatures. The Secretary of State then has until Wednesday, the 28th, to accept the signatures.
If the Secretary of State determines that the questions have received sufficient signatures, the legislature then has until the first Wednesday in May to pass the questions into law. If the legislature does not enact the questions, advocates then must obtain another 11,099 signatures - 0.5 percent of the 2006 Gubernatorial ballots - by June 18 in order for the questions to appear on the November ballot.
Update, October 2008: Only the first three questions - banning greyhound racing, decriminalizing marijuana, and eliminating the state income tax - have made it onto the November ballot. The Eisenthal Report has weighed in on Question 1, which would eliminate the state income tax - TER emphatically urges a "No" vote.
The Ballot initiative to repeal the state income tax was a sleeper last time around. The state's political leaders chose to ignore it. That approach almost backfired. This time around there needs to be a concerted public education campaign.
It would also be interesting to learn about the source of funding for the initiative. Michael Cloud in the Globe boasts about the advertising campaign his group will run--that suggests that someone with deep pockets paid for the signature collection and will now pay for the ads. If so, who is that person or who are those persons?
It was interesting that the initial ballot campaign years ago was not followed up at the first opportunity. Was that because Mitt Romeny became Governor and asked (or his people asked) the financial backer of the ballot initiative not to fund a repeat performance?
Posted by: Historian | November 24, 2007 at 06:38 PM
could you please enlighten us and instead of sayign these are the questions maybe say... put the questions and what number they are together? ya know? so we can figure out what question is what?
Posted by: chris bayer | October 18, 2008 at 04:55 AM
If question one was voted on with even 100% of the voters for it, the Massachusetts pols will ignore it.. They are put in office to work for the people and it seems that they forget this.. I always remember the line in V for Vendetta.. People should not be afraid of the goverment, but the goverment should be afraid of the people.. We need to make sure these pols vote and fight for the majority,.. whatever that may be,.. If a majority voted against it then so be it.. the people have their way, but when an overwhelming majority vote for it and it is iognored then, there is something that needs to change,...
Posted by: Robert | October 23, 2008 at 10:12 AM
How does a ballot question get on a ballot and how often does it happen?
Posted by: Bryan | November 05, 2008 at 11:08 AM