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Massachusetts Question 3, Tax Limitation and Education Funding Initiative (1980)
| Massachusetts Question 3 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Property taxes and Public education funding |
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| Status |
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| Type Indirect initiated state statute |
Origin |
Massachusetts Question 3 was on the ballot as an indirect initiated state statute in Massachusetts on November 4, 1980. It was defeated.
A “yes” vote supported limiting increases in local property taxes and state taxes from 1981 through 1984 based on growth in personal income, while requiring increases in state aid for local education and setting targets for the state to fund 50% of local educational costs by 1984. |
A “no” vote opposed limiting increases in local property taxes and state taxes from 1981 through 1984 based on growth in personal income, while requiring increases in state aid for local education and setting targets for the state to fund 50% of local educational costs by 1984. |
Election results
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Massachusetts Question 3 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 816,805 | 35.66% | ||
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1,473,804 | 64.34% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Question 3 was as follows:
| “ | Do you approve of a law summarized below, which was disapproved by the House of Representatives on May 6, 1980, by a vote of 2-147, and on which no vote was taken by the Senate before May 7, 1980? | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ |
The proposed law would limit local property taxes and state taxes and would provide for increased state aid for local educational purposes. The act would limit local property taxes in the years 1981 through 1984 to the amount levied in the previous year increased by the percentage increase in personal income of the residents of the Commonwealth during the previous year. The local property tax limit could be exceeded to offset decreases in local aid, to cover shortages for prior years and to pay court judgments. Pension and retirement allowances, payments to other governmental units, principal and interest on any indebtedness, unemployment compensation, amounts required to be raised as a condition of a state or federal grant, and costs for special education programs would be excluded from the property tax limit. These local limits would be reduced by any excess taxes actually collected over the tax limit for the preceding year. The limit would not apply to any municipality having a general tax rate of less than $35 per thousand of equalized valuation. The tax limit could be exceeded by a two-thirds vote of the local appropriating body. The cost of regional and independent vocational schools would be subject to the same limitations. The proposed law would also limit state taxes imposed in the years 1981 through 1984 to an amount no greater than that imposed the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the personal income of Massachusetts residents in the previous year. This state tax limit could be exceeded only to increase local aid or to assume other costs approved by a two-thirds vote of the state legislature. The amounts necessary to pay principal and interest on state indebtedness, pensions, retirement allowances, unemployment compensation, and court judgments, and money required to be raised as a condition of a federal grant would not be subject to the state tax limit. The total amount of local aid for any year which would be subject to legislative appropriation could not be less than the total amount of aid for the preceding year increased by half the increase in collected state taxes during that preceding year. The state tax limit would be reduced by any excess taxes actually collected over the tax limit for the preceding year. The proposed law also would require, subject to legislative appropriation, a gradual increase in the percentage of local educational costs paid by the Commonwealth to a level of 50% in 1984. The proposal would also require, again subject to legislative appropriation, that school aid paid by the Commonwealth in any year between 1981 through 1984 must be at least 15% greater than that provided in 1980. | ” |
Path to the ballot
An indirect initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are nine (9) states that allow citizens to initiate indirect state statutes.
While a direct initiative is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of valid signatures, an indirect initiative is first presented to the state legislature. Legislators have a certain number of days, depending on the state, to adopt the initiative into law. Should legislators take no action or reject the initiative, the initiative is put on the ballot for voters to decide.
In Massachusetts, the number of signatures required for an indirect initiated state statute is equal to 3% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. Massachusetts also has a distribution requirement that requires no more than 25% of the certified signatures on any petition can come from a single county.
The state Legislature has until the first Wednesday of May in the election year to pass the statute. If the legislature does not pass the proposed statute, proponents must collect a second round of signatures equal to 0.5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. The Legislature also has the power to place an alternative measure alongside the proposed statute via a simple majority vote of the state legislature.
A simple majority vote is required for voter approval. However, the number of affirmative votes cast for the measure must be greater than 30% of the votes cast in the election.
See also
External links
- William Francis Galvin Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Massachusetts Statewide Ballot Measures: 1919-Present"
- "Question No. 3,"
Footnotes
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State of Massachusetts Boston (capital) |
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