Two non-binding questions on November ballot

[ron_newman]

By now, everyone should know that that November's ballot has three statewide binding questions. But if you live in Denise Provost's state rep district (27th Middlesex, covering about half of Somerville), your ballot will also contain these two non-binding "public policy" questions:

Question 4: Shall the state representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of a non-binding resolution calling on the federal government to support the right of all people, including non-Jewish Palestinian citizens of Israel, to live free from laws that give more rights to people of one religion than another? (EDIT: This is also on the ballot in Alice Wolf's 25th Middlesex district, covering about half of Cambridge.)

Question 5: Shall the state representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of amending the state Constitution to replace the state Legislature with 100 randomly selected adult residents of the Commonwealth, each serving a one-year term, to be called the Commonwealth Jury and to have all the legislative and other powers of the current Legislature?

Question 4 is the Somerville Divestment Project's latest local campaign; you can read here and here about the two (failed) questions they put on the 2006 ballot. Regardless of the merits of their proposals, I strongly dislike the way this organization operates and the way they attempt to divide Somerville residents.

I haven't a clue who's behind Question 5. Perhaps someone who's a fan of ancient Greek democracies, and wants to try replicating their structures here? EDIT: No, actually it's this guy who doesn't even live in Somerville.

(If you live in Cambridge, Medford, or Arlington, you may have different non-binding questions than the ones I listed here. Any 200 voters can put questions like this on the ballot.)

Comments

[secretlyironic.livejournal.com]

Wow, question 5 is hilarious! That's even more fun than the Libertarian candidate for Senate!

[jadelennox]

now I wish I lived in 27th Middlesex. Question five is not quite as cool as the Guns and Dope Party's pledge to replace one third of Congress with ostriches, but still pretty awesome.

Also, it gives me a great excuse to use this icon.

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

Holy shit, yes.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

are you kidding? it's *awesome*. my god, if that happened, I'd have to stock up on buttery popcorn. Can we also, as part of the same change, get a MA-specific CSPAN to videotape all the legislative sessions?

[ilai]

I've been wondering about them since a friend showed me their brochures over the weekend--I couldn't find a reference to a list of them online. How does one actually find out about these local ballot questions, other than getting the brochures on your doorstep? (I live in Carl Sciortino's district so I guess we don't get to vote on those.)

[ron_newman]

You saw a brochure about the non-binding questions? What does it look like?

[ron_newman]

the state legislature used to be shown live on channel 44, but that seems to have stopped a few years ago.

[ron_newman]

I report, you decide. Seriously, I don't think the question makes much sense as written, but I have a pretty low opinion of anything that SDP does.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

more seriously, do you have a link for the nonbinding questions on the ballots in various districts? it appears to be non-trivial to find them via mass.gov. I can find it if i lie about my address and then look at my ballot on the state web site, tho.

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

how do we find out which district we live in, or what questions there are?

[ron_newman]

http://WhereDoIVoteMA.com . As of today, once you fill out the form, it gives you a link to your sample ballot.

[ron_newman]

The state sent me a PDF when I asked this question. I could forward it to you by e-mail if you like. I replied that the state needs to put this file up on their own website.

If you fill out the form at http://WhereDoIVoteMA.com , you'll see a sample ballot that includes any non-binding questions applicable to your district.

[ilai]

There were actually separate brochures for each question. Both of them were on white glossy paper with various garish primary colors on them--I think both one was a pamphlet folded in three and the other one just folded in half, but I don't remember precisely.

[ron_newman]

I'd love to see those, if you can get a hold of them and scan them in.

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

evidently, I get no amusing initiatives B-(

[ilai]

Aha! Over the weekend I tried looking at http://WhereDoIVoteMA.com, but either I just completely missed it or the sample ballot wasn't up yet. Thanks!

[ron_newman]

I think they just today added the sample ballot. I didn't see it there yesterday.

[eeyorecol.livejournal.com]

I also think that Question 5 is hilarious.

I Googled the text of Question 5 and found this is the blog of John Spritzler, who is trying to get this passed in Massachusetts (http://commonwealthjury.blogspot.com/), if you want to read more...

[ron_newman]

Thanks for finding that. Spritzler is also a supporter of the Somerville Divestment Project and therefore probably responsible for Question 4 as well.

But he doesn't even live in Somerville, so I wonder how he collected the 200 signature for each petition.

[eeyorecol.livejournal.com]

From the tone of his blog, it seems like he was trying to get the initiative on any ballot in any town that he could, so I'm not sure how he did that...

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Me either. I would have liked to tell off wingnuts.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

"The democratic right to vote over same-sex marriage"

I remain uncertain as to whether people think they have the right to vote on other people's human rights amusing or terrifying.

[eeyorecol.livejournal.com]

I've decided to think that it's hilarious since if I really think about it, it will scare the crap out of me. If I had any faith that it would really pass and become binding, then I would be scared poopless by it (don't mind me - I'm working on not swearing since I fear that my daughter's first word will be "douchebag")

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Ah, they know all the dirty words people try to protect them from before they finish first grade.

I'll guess having that featured was probably enough for him to get 200 people to sign and put the question on there. This is the fun/terror of local politics, when people like this pop up.

[ron_newman]

The Secretary of State's office sent me a PDF with a list of all such non-binding initiatives throughout the state. Question 5 is only in the 27th Middlesex, nowhere else in the state. Question 4 is also in Alice Wolf's district (25th Middlesex, covering about half of Cambridge).