BOSTON (WHDH) - Proposed Massachusetts ballot questions over rent control and the MCAS test cleared a major hurdle Wednesday as part of a larger batch of 34 initiative petitions certified to move forward in the state’s ballot question and constitutional amendment process, the Attorney General’s Office announced.
Petitioners previously submitted a total of 42 proposals that could go before voters either on next November’s ballot for ballot questions or on future ballots no sooner than November of 2026 in the case of constitutional ammendments. In its announcement on Wednesday, the office of state Attorney General Andrea Campbell said it determined the 34 proposals met the requirements to move forward outlined in Massachusetts’ constitution.
Among the certified questions is one aimed at scrapping the MCAS test as a graduation requirement.
One other potential question certified this week would enable cities and towns to enact rent control provisions, among other “tenant protection” options.
Massachusetts voters in 1994 voted to ban rent control through a ballot question. Rent control has been a topic of discussion recently, though, with the Boston City Council in March approving a proposal to bring back a version of the policy.
After getting city council approval, the Boston rent control proposal went to state leaders who now plan to consider the topic this fall, according to the State House News Service.
Beyond the MCAS and rent control questions, certified questions that could appear on next year’s ballot include questions focused on increasing Massachusetts’ minimum wage for tipped workers and decriminalizing psychedelic substances, the State House News Service reported.
While their questions have been certified, proponents of ballot questions now need to continue with a process that will require tens of thousands of signatures and relevant paperwork in order to get onto the ballot.
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