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“Yes” on 1 or more results for 2024 Massachusetts ballot questions
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“Yes” on 1 or more results for 2024 Massachusetts ballot questions

As the clock struck midnight Tuesday night, only one race had been called by the Associated Press.

On Question 1, voters grant the state auditor the authority to audit the state Legislature.

Supporters of Question 4, which would legalize certain psychedelics, conceded as much Tuesday night, but no winner has yet been decided.

Massachusetts voters on Tuesday decidedly demanded more transparency in the state’s notoriously opaque legislative process. With more than half of the votes counted, the campaign to allow the state auditor to audit the Legislature came in first with 71% of the vote Tuesday night.

Question 1 gives the state auditor – who is currently Diana DiZoglio – the ability to audit the state Legislature. The auditor has the capacity to audit all other state entities, but Parliament has refused to be audited. State Attorney General Andrea Campbell ruled last year that under current law DiZoglio could not audit the Legislature without consent. So DiZoglio decided to change the law here, and she succeeded.

DiZoglio is a former state legislator herself, and she campaigned on this issue when she was running for auditor. She addressed her supporters Tuesday night, telling them that when they come together, there is power there.

“The power to demand access, transparency, fairness and accountability from our government,” she said. “The power to know how our tax dollars are spent by those we elect to represent us. The power to ensure that the sun shines into every hall of state government.

State lawmakers argued that because the auditor is an executive branch official, allowing him to conduct an audit without legislative consent would violate the separation of powers.

It seems that voters weren’t too worried about it. But even with the passage of this ballot question, it’s an issue that experts say could still end up in court.

Professor Jeremy Paul of Northeastern University Law School said Tuesday evening that the auditor plans to go well beyond just auditing the books, to examine the legislature’s internal deliberations, such as how where it was decided who would sit on certain commissions.

“And what concerns me — and ultimately I think this will end up in court — is that when you put an independent official above the legislature, they’re going to be looking over their shoulder. “If I do something the auditor doesn’t like, he or she will suddenly come after me with a massive request for documents and interfere with my ability to do my job. »

Question 2 concerns the MCAS exam. If passed, the measure would remove the graduation requirement for Massachusetts public school students to pass the 10th grade exam. Students would still take the exam, but schools would use their own graduation criteria. The Massachusetts Teachers Union advocates for the measure, arguing that standardized tests are not the best way to measure students’ abilities. Some parent groups oppose the measure, saying it helps ensure high standards are met by all students.

Question 3 would allow rideshare drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft to form unions and lobby for better wages and working conditions. Several unions such as local 32BJ support this measure. Some opponents say it could increase the cost of travel. This measure would not apply to other gig workers like DoorDash and InstaCart.

Question 4 would legalize certain natural psychedelics, such as psilocybin. This would allow people to grow them at home and create ways for adults to take them under professional supervision. Advocates say psychedelics help with conditions like depression and PTSD. Opponents say the way the measure is written doesn’t provide enough specific standards for processing facilities or home cultivation, and that it could be very costly for people wanting to use the products.

The “Yes on 4” campaign was conceded Tuesday evening, but the Associated Press has not yet called the race.

“We spoke to tens of thousands of Massachusetts voters and heard broad consensus that natural psychedelics should be more accessible to those who cannot find relief through traditional medications and therapy,” wrote Aayush Bajpai of the “Yes on 4” campaign in a statement Tuesday. “(We) have made extremely important progress on this issue of psychedelic therapy, and we will continue to fight to find new pathways for all those who struggle with mental health.”

Question 5 would increase the base pay of tipped workers in Massachusetts, implemented gradually over five years until their wages reach the state minimum wage. Customers could still leave tips. Supporters say a higher tipped wage would help tipped workers like servers have more stable incomes and could potentially equalize wages between “front-of-house” and “back-of-house” workers. Opponents include tipped workers who fear receiving fewer tips and lower overall pay. Some restaurants say menu prices may increase to compensate for higher wages, or they may have lower profits.

Learn about Massachusetts voting questions

An earlier report by Meghan Smith of GBH News was used in this story.