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A sign in Westfield, Mass., during a special election for state House on April 1, 2014.
(Photo Credit: Henry Epp for NEPR)

Sponsors of Mass. Ballot Petitions Face First Deadline This Week

by: Henry Epp August 3, 2015

In Massachusetts, sponsors of potential ballot questions for 2016 face a deadline this week: the language for their proposals must be submitted to the state by Wednesday. Several groups had planned to put questions relating to the Boston Olympics bid on the ballot. That bid died last week, but State House News Service reporter Matt Murphy says there are plenty of non-Olympics issues that could make the ballot.

“We’re looking at everything from petitions to legalize marijuana in Massachusetts, to other questions about increasing charter school seats in the state, maybe a referendum on whether or not the state should participate in Common Core,” says Murphy.

Other possible initiatives include public records reform, and a proposal to raise taxes on residents who earn more than a million dollars a year. After this week’s deadline, Attorney General Maura Healey must decide which proposals can move forward.

State House News Service contributed to this report.

Correction: an earlier version of this story stated the ballot petition deadline is this Thursday. The deadline is Wednesday.

Keywords: Ballot Question, charter school, common core, Election, initiative, marijuana, Massachusetts, Matt Murphy, Maura Healey, Petition, public records reform, tax, Vote, voters

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