Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office Receives 31 Initiative Petitions Proposing 21 Laws and One Constitutional Amendment
Certification Decisions Due on September 7
A list of all the petitions and their contact persons is available on the Office's website, http://www.mass.gov/ago/ballotquestions, under "Current Petitions Filed."
Today's filing deadline is only the start of the process to get the proposed laws on the ballot for the 2012 statewide election. According to state law, the Attorney General will review whether the initiative petitions meet certain constitutional requirements and can be certified to file with the Secretary of State. The deadline for certification is Wednesday September 7. The personal policy views of the Attorney General or any members of her office play no role in the certification decisions. AG Coakley welcomes public input on whether a petition may be legally certified.
Following certification, proponents are required to gather and file the signatures of 68,911 registered voters by December 7, 2011. Once the requisite signatures are obtained, the proposal is sent to the state Legislature to enact before the first Wednesday in May 2012. If the Legislature fails to enact the proposal, its proponents must gather another 11,485 signatures from registered voters by early July 2012 to place the initiative on the 2012 ballot.
The process for proposed constitutional amendments is different, requiring approval by at least 25 percent of the Legislature in 2012 and then again in 2013-2014 before appearing on the November 2014 ballot.
The Massachusetts Constitution requires that proposed initiatives be in the proper form for submission to voters, not be substantially the same as any measure on the ballot in either of the two preceding statewide elections, contain only subjects that are related or mutually dependent, and not involve a narrow set of subjects that are specifically excluded from the ballot initiative process by the state Constitution.
For example, a petition cannot be approved if it relates to religion, religious practices or religious institutions; the powers, creation or abolition of the courts; the appointment, compensation or tenure of judges; a specific appropriation of funds from the state treasury; or if it infringes on other protected constitutional rights, such as trial by jury, freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
Voters who take issue with the Attorney General's certification decisions can ask the Supreme Judicial Court for a review.
For last year's election, 30 initiative petitions were submitted, with three making it to the ballot. For the 2008 election, 13 initiative petitions were submitted, with three making it to the ballot. For the 2006 election, 16 initiative petitions were submitted, with three making it to the ballot. Thirteen initiative petitions were submitted, with none making it to the ballot for the 2004 election. For the 2002 election, 27 initiative petitions were submitted, with only two making it to the ballot. In 2000, six of 33 initiative petitions submitted made it to the ballot. In 1998, two of 26 petitions submitted made it to the ballot; only one of 26 proposed ballot initiatives went before voters in 1996; and, in 1994, seven of 42 initiatives submitted appeared on the ballot.
Initiative Petitions Filed with the Attorney General by the August 3, 2011 Deadline
Petition No. | Petition Name | Sponsors' Contact Person |
11-01 | Initiative Petition for the Right to Cancel an Auto Sale | Barbara Taylor 508-595-0033 |
11-02 | Initiative Petition Relative to M.G.L. c. 209A | Joseph Anthony Ureneck 857-350-0575 |
11-03 | Petition for a Constitutional Amendment Relative to the Provision of Health Insurance | James Fleming 413-788-3800 |
11-04 | An Initiative Petition To Amend The Current Do Not Call List Law To Regulate Certain Charitable Solicitations (Version A) | Pearl D. Cohen 508-807-0356 |
11-05 | An Initiative Petition To Amend The Current Do Not Call List Law To Regulate Certain Charitable Solicitations (Version B) | Pearl D. Cohen 508-807-0356 |
11-06 | An Initiative Petition To Amend The Current Do Not Call List Law To Regulate Certain Charitable Solicitations (Version C) | Pearl D. Cohen 508-807-0356 |
11-07 | An Initiative Petition To Amend The Current Do Not Call List Law To Regulate Certain Charitable Solicitations (Version D) | Pearl D. Cohen 508-807-0356 |
11-08 | An Initiative Petition To Amend The Current Do Not Call List Law To Regulate Certain Charitable Solicitations (Version E) | Pearl D. Cohen 508-807-0356 |
11-09 | An Initiative Petition To Amend The Current Do Not Call List Law To Regulate Certain Charitable Solicitations (Version F) | Pearl D. Cohen 508-807-0356 |
11-10 | A Petition for a Law Limiting the Amount by which Water and Sewer Rates May be Raised | Heidi Verougstraete 678-848-2848 |
11-11 | An Initiative Petition for a Law for the Humanitarian Medical Use of Marijuana | Lawrence B. Rasky , Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications 617-443-9933 |
11-12 | An Initiative Petition for an Act Relative to Death with Dignity | Michael Clarke 617-858-6567 |
11-13 | Initiative Petition for a Law to Create a Citizens' 9/11 Investigation Commission | Rich McCampbell 617-696-7606 |
11-14 | Initiative Petition for An Act to Protect Motor Vehicle Owners and Small Businesses in Repairing Motor Vehicles (Version A1) | Arthur W. Kinsman 617-248-9772 |
11-15 | Initiative Petition for An Act to Protect Motor Vehicle Owners and Small Businesses in Repairing Motor Vehicles (Version B1) | Arthur W. Kinsman 617-248-9772 |
11-16 | Initiative Petition for An Act to Protect Motor Vehicle Owners and Small Businesses in Repairing Motor Vehicles (Version C1) | Arthur W. Kinsman 617-248-9772 |
11-17 | Initiative Petition for An Act to Protect Motor Vehicle Owners and Small Businesses in Repairing Motor Vehicles (Version D1) | Arthur W. Kinsman 617-248-9772 |
11-18 | An Initiative Petition for An Act Banning the Use of Certain Socio-Economic Factors for Insurance Underwriting and Rating of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance | Francis A. Mancini 617-285-6083 |
11-19 | The Whale Safe Fishing Act | Richard Maximus Strahan 617-233-2084 |
11-20 | An Initiative Petition for An Act Promoting Excellence in Public Schools | Louis A. Rizoli, Esq. 617-775-0528 |
11-21 | An Initiative Petition for An Act Relative to the Presentation of Identification to Vote | Olivier Kozlowski 508-261-9254 |
11-22 | Initiative Petition for a Law Relative to Updating the Bottle Bill | Janet Domenitz 617-292-4800 |
11-23 | An Initiative Petition to Repeal the Individual Mandate in the Act Providing Access To Affordable, Quality Health Care | Anne Fox 781-449-1774 |
11-24 | Initiative Petition for an Amendment to a Law Relative Comprehensive Permit and Regional Planning | John V. Belskis 781-641-1441 |
11-25 | An Act to Increase Consumer Convenience and Choice by Permitting Food Stores to Sell Wine | Cynthia A. Eid 617-242-0304 |
11-26 | An Act to Establish Limited Beer and Wine Licenses for Grocery Stores and Supermarkets, Subject to Local Control | Cynthia A. Eid 617-242-0304 |
11-27 | An Initiative Petition for a Law Permitting Casino Gaming in Three Locations in the Commonwealth | David Nunes 617-592-0654 |
11-28 | [Initiative Petition for a Law Relative to Electricity Rates and the Green Communities Act] | Audra Parker 508-775-9767 |
11-29 | An Initiative Petition for a Law Relative to M.G.L. 90, Section 22 | John Toby Knudsen 617-233-4002 |
11-30 | An Initiative Petition for a Law Relative to M.G.L. 209A | John Toby Knudsen 617-233-4002 |
11-31 | An Initiative Petition for a Law Relative to M.G.L. 272-S-99 | John Toby Knudsen 617-233-4002 |