Bill Text: MA H573 | 2009-2010 | 186th General Court | Introduced
Bill Title: For a legislative amendment to the Constitution to increase the threshold for ballot initiatives
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-05-04 - Placed on file [H573 Detail]
Download: Massachusetts-2009-H573-Introduced.html
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
PRESENTED BY:
Mark V. Falzone
_______________
To the
Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill:
A proposal to amend the Constitution to increase the signature threshold for ballot initiatives.
_______________
PETITION OF:
|
Name: |
District/Address: |
|
Mark V. Falzone |
9th Essex |
|
Matthew C. Patrick |
3rd Barnstable |
|
Elizabeth A. Malia |
11th Suffolk |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the Year Two Thousand and Nine
PROPOSAL
for a legislative amendment to the Constitution to increase the signature
threshold for ballot initiatives
A majority of all the members elected to the Senate and House 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 the next General Court and approved by the people at the state election next following]:
ARTICLE
OF AMENDMENT.
Section 1. Article XLVIII of the Amendments to the Constitution, as amended by article LXXXI, is hereby further amended by striking out in section 2, under the heading "Joint Session.", the words “such number of voters as will equal three per cent of the entire vote cast for governor at the preceding biennial state election” and inserting in place thereof the following:- such number of voters as will equal three per cent of the entire number of registered voters in the commonwealth at the time of the preceding general presidential election.
Section 2. Section 1 of that part of said Article XLVIII, as amended by article LXXXI, under the heading "Legislative Procedure.", is hereby further amended by striking out the words “such number of voters as will equal three per cent of the entire vote cast for governor at the preceding biennial state election” and inserting in place thereof the following:- such number of voters as will equal three per cent of the entire number of registered voters in the commonwealth at the time of the preceding general presidential election.
Section 3. Section 2 of that part of said Article XLVIII, as amended by article LXXXI, under the heading "Amendment by Petitioners.", is hereby further amended by striking out the words “such number of voters as will equal one half of one per cent of the entire vote cast for governor at the preceding biennial state election” and inserting in place thereof the following:- such number of voters as will equal one half of one per cent of the entire number of registered voters in the commonwealth at the time of the preceding general presidential election.
