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Massachusetts Question 1, Graduated Income Tax Amendment (1962)
| Massachusetts Question 1 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Income taxes |
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| Status |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
Massachusetts Question 1 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Massachusetts on November 6, 1962. It was defeated.
A “yes” vote supported allowing for a graduated income tax. |
A “no” vote opposed allowing for a graduated income tax. |
Election results
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Massachusetts Question 1 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 277,611 | 16.59% | ||
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1,395,996 | 83.41% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Question 1 was as follows:
| “ | Do you approve of the adoption of an amendment to the constitution summarized below which was approved by the General Court in a joint session of the two branches held May 13, 1959, received 143 votes in the affirmative and 118 in the negative, and in a joint session of the two branches held March 29, 1961, received 144 votes in the affirmative and 121 in the negative? | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ | The proposed amendment imposes no new taxes but gives the General Court the power to pass an income tax at graduated or proportioned rates and is a change in the constitutional limitations now in effect on the power of the General Court to pass tax measures. The proposed amendment would add a new Article to the Constitution of the Commonwealth by which full power and authority is granted to the General Court, in the alternative to the power and authority to tax incomes in the manner provided in Article XLIV of the Amendments to the Constitution, to impose a tax on incomes at rates which are proportioned or graduated according to the amount of income received, irrespective of the source from which it may be derived, and to grant reasonable exemptions, deductions and abatements. It further provides that any property the income of which is taxed under the provisions of the proposed Article may be exempted from the imposition and levying of proportional and reasonable assessments, rates and taxes at present authorized by the Constitution, and that the Article shall not be construed to limit the power of the General Court to impose and levy reasonable duties and excises | ” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Massachusetts Constitution
A simple majority vote is required during two successive joint legislative sessions for the Massachusetts State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 101 votes in the joint session of the state legislature, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
See also
External links
- William Francis Galvin Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Massachusetts Statewide Ballot Measures: 1919-Present"
- Springfield Daily News, "Legal Notices," October 30, 1962
Footnotes
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State of Massachusetts Boston (capital) |
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