Rep. Gordon appointed to Special Joint Committee Looking at Citizen Initiative Petitions

Submitted by Rep. Ken Gordon

Rep. Ken Gordon was recently appointed by House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano to a bipartisan special joint committee charged with reviewing and making recommendations on citizen initiative petitions that may appear as ballot questions in the upcoming 2024 statewide elections. Consisting of four members each from the House and Senate, the eight-member special legislative committee will review and make recommendations regarding 10 initiative petitions under consideration for the ballot. 

“These initiative petitions would create significant change and pose complex and intriguing policy questions. I am honored that Speaker Mariano and my House colleagues trust my guidance and experience to examine these initiative petitions,” said Gordon. “I look forward to working with my colleagues from both the House and the Senate as we undertake this work to improve our Commonwealth.” 

Proposals under consideration include:

• An Act expressly authorizing the Auditor to audit the Legislature (House, No. 4251);
• An Act requiring that districts certify that students have mastered the skills, competencies, and knowledge of the state standards as a replacement for the MCAS graduation requirement (House, No. 4252);
• An Act giving transportation network drivers the option to form a union and bargain collectively (House, No. 4253);
• An Act to require the full minimum wage for tipped workers with tips on top (House, No. 4254);
• An Act relative to the regulation and taxation of natural psychedelic substances (House, No. 4255);
• An Act defining and regulating the relationship between network companies and app-based drivers for purposes of the general and special laws (House, No. 4256);
• An Act establishing that app-based drivers are not employees, and network companies are not employers, for certain purposes of the general laws (House, No. 4257);
• An Act defining and regulating the relationship between network companies and app-based drivers for certain purposes of the general laws (House, No. 4258);
• An Act establishing that app-based drivers are not employees, and network companies are not employers, for certain purposes of the general laws (House, No. 4259); and
• An Act establishing that app-based drivers are not employees, and network companies are not employers, for certain purposes of the general laws (House, No. 4260)

“The State Constitution tasks the Legislature with considering each initiative petition, and with giving interested parties the ability to provide feedback on the policy changes being sought at the ballot box,” said House Speaker Mariano and Senate President Karen E. Spilka. “Given the number of questions that were submitted this session, including competing versions of the same question, the House and Senate will act to establish a special joint committee tasked with reviewing the initiatives that is especially equipped to tackle the unique challenges presented by the legal and policy intricacies of the questions this year. The Legislature looks forward to a fair, balanced, and informed public process for the consideration of all initiative petitions.”

The Massachusetts Constitution provides residents with a pathway to pass laws directly by popular vote. Subject to review by the Attorney General, supporters of ballot questions must submit valid signatures from residents across the Commonwealth who support advancing a proposal. These initiative petitions are then transmitted to the Legislature which must consider the petitions and may choose to, among other options, decline to act on the proposal and allow the ballot question process to move forward, work with petitioners on a compromise, or order an alternative ballot question to be printed alongside the proposal for voter consideration.  

After legislative review, if the Legislature declines to act on a ballot question or pass a compromise version, supporters of the proposal must then gather another round of additional signatures for submission to the Secretary of the Commonwealth in order for the question to be presented to voters. 

Gordon joins House Assistant Majority Leader Alice Peisch, Joint Committee on the Judiciary Co-Chair Michael Day, and Republican Rep. David Viera on the House side of the special joint committee. On the Senate side of the special joint committee is Joint Committee on Education Co-Chair Jason Lewis, Joint Committee on Health Care Financing Co-Chair Cindy Friedman, Joint Committee on Financial Services Co-Chair Paul Feeney and Republican Sen. Ryan Fatman.