HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2689        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 81

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Mindy Domb

_________________

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 oaths and affirmations of public office.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/17/2019

Tami L. Gouveia

14th Middlesex

1/23/2019

Daniel Cahill

10th Essex

2/1/2019

Michelle L. Ciccolo

15th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Nika C. Elugardo

15th Suffolk

1/30/2019

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

1/27/2019

Carlos González

10th Hampden

1/30/2019

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

1/30/2019

Christina A. Minicucci

14th Essex

2/1/2019

Tram T. Nguyen

18th Essex

1/27/2019

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

2/1/2019

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

1/29/2019

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Tommy Vitolo

15th Norfolk

1/29/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2689        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 81

 

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Constitution relative to the oaths and affirmations of public office.

 

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.
 

Article of Amendment

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth recognizes and honors that its residents come from a broad spectrum of religious backgrounds;

WHEREAS, there are many individuals across the Commonwealth who have religious or other reasonable rationale for objecting to being required to swear while taking an Oath;

WHEREAS, individuals with such objections should be given the opportunity to affirm their allegiance instead;

Now, THEREFORE, the Proposal for a legislative amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, paragraph 3 of Article VI of the Amendments to the Constitution is hereby amended as follows:

1.by striking the words "shall be of the denomination called Quakers and"

by striking the word “he” and replacing with “they”