SENATE DOCKET, NO. 695        FILED ON: 1/20/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 13

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Stanley C. Rosenberg

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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 adoption of the accompanying proposal for constitutional amendment:

Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution relative to the subject matter of initiative and referendum petitions.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 695        FILED ON: 1/20/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 13

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution relative to the subject matter of initiative and referendum petitions.

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 2 of Part IV, “Legislative Action on Proposed Constitutional Amendments” of “THE INITATIVE” of Article XLVIII, as amended by Article LXXXI, of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth is hereby amended by striking in the first sentence the words “three per cent” following the words “as will equal”, and by substituting therefore the following words: -- “seven per cent”.

Section 1 of Part V, “Legislative Action on Proposed Laws” of “THE INITATIVE” of Article XLVIII, as amended by Article LXXXI, of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth is hereby amended by striking in the first sentence the words “three per cent” following the words “as will equal”, and by substituting therefore the following words: -- “seven per cent”.

Section 1 of Part V, “Legislative Action on Proposed Laws” of “THE INITATIVE” of Article XLVIII, as amended by Article LXXXI, of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth is hereby further amended by striking in the second sentence the words “one half of one per cent” following the words “equal in number to not less than”, and by substituting therefore the following words: -- “one and one half per cent”.

Section 2 of Part V, “Legislative Action on Proposed Laws” of “THE INITATIVE” of Article XLVIII, as amended by Article LXXXI, of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth is hereby amended by striking in the third sentence the words “one half of one per cent” following the words “equal in number to not less than”, and by substituting therefore the following words: -- “one and one half per cent”.

Section 3 of Part III, “Referendum Petitions” of “THE REFERENDUM” of Article XLVIII, as amended by Articles LXXIV and LXXXI, of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth is hereby amended by striking in the third sentence the words “two per cent” following the words “equal in number to not less than”, and by substituting therefore the following words: -- “four and one half per cent”.

Section 4 of Part III, “Referendum Petitions” of “THE REFERENDUM” of Article XLVIII, as amended by Article LXXIV and LXXXI, of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth is hereby amended by striking in the fourth sentence the words “one and one half per cent” following the words “equal in number to not less than”, and by substituting therefore the following words: -- “three and one quarter per cent”.