By Mr. Rosenberg, a petition (accompanied by proposal,
Senate, No. 24) of Stanley C. Rosenberg for legislation
proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution
promoting the representative character of ballot
questions. Election Laws. |
A majority of all the members elected to the Senate and of Representatives, in joint session, hereby declares it to be expedient to alter the Constitution by the adoption of the following Article of Amendment, to the end that it may become a part of the Constitution [if similarly agreed to in a joint session of General Court and approved by the people at the state next following]:
ARTICLE OF AMENDMENT.
SECTION 1. Article XLVIII of the amendments to the Constitution is hereby amended in that part of said article XLVIII under the heading “The Initiative. II. Initiative Petitions” in section three by:
Striking the words: “shall be submitted to the attorney-general not later than the first Wednesday of the August before” and replacing them with the following:- “shall be submitted to the attorney-general not later than the first Wednesday of the June before”, and is further amended by:
Striking the words: “it may then be filed with the secretary of the Commonwealth” and replacing them with the following:- “it may then be filed with a Ballot Question Title And Summary Statement Commission, the membership and operations of which will be provided for in the general laws. Said Commission will receive draft titles and summaries from the attorney general for use on the state ballot and petition forms and prepare final titles and summaries for use by the state secretary.”, and is further amended by:
Striking the words: “a fair, concise summary, as determined by the attorney-general” and replacing them with the following:- “a fair, concise summary, as determined by the Ballot Question Title And Summary Statement Commission”, and is further amended by:
Striking the words: “not earlier than the first Wednesday of September” and replacing them with the following:- “not earlier than the third Wednesday of July”.
Article XLVIII of the amendments to the Constitution is hereby further amended in that part of said article XLVIII under the heading “The Initiative. IV. Legislative Action on Proposed Constitutional Amendments” in section two by:
Striking the words: “in the aggregate by not less than such number of voters as will equal three percent of the entire vote cast for governor at the preceding biennial state election” and replacing them with the following:- “in the aggregate by not less than such number of voters as will equal three percent of the number of registered voters during the preceding biennial state election and including such number of voters as will be equal to two per cent of the number of registered voters in each Congressional district during the preceding biennial state election”
Article XLVIII of the amendments to the Constitution is hereby further amended in that part of said article XLVIII under the heading “The Initiative. V. Legislative Action on Proposed Laws” in section one by:
Striking the words: “in the aggregate by not less than such number of voters as will equal three per cent of the entire vote cast for governor at the preceding biennial state election” and replacing them with the following:- “in the aggregate by not less than such number of voters as will equal two and one half percent of the number of registered voters during the preceding biennial state election and including such number of voters as will be equal to one and one half per cent of the number of registered voters in each Congressional district during the preceding biennial state election”
Article XLVIII of the amendments to the Constitution is hereby further amended in that part of said article XLVIII under the heading “The Initiative. V. Legislative Action on Proposed Laws” in section two by:
Striking the words: “a number of signatures of qualified voters equal in number to not less than one half of one per cent of the entire vote cast for governor at the preceding biennial state election” and replacing them with the following:- “a number of signatures of qualified voters equal in number to not less than one half of one per cent of the number of registered voters during the preceding biennial state election.
