Massachusetts Question 4, Salaries of Legislators and Constitutional Officers Referendum (1980)
| Massachusetts Question 4 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Salaries of government officials |
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| Status |
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| Type Veto referendum |
Origin |
Massachusetts Question 4 was on the ballot as a veto referendum in Massachusetts on November 4, 1980. It was defeated.
A “yes” vote supported increasing for an increase in the salaries of members of the legislature and constitutional officers. |
A “no” vote opposed increasing for an increase in the salaries of members of the legislature and constitutional officers. |
Election results
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Massachusetts Question 4 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 265,675 | 11.65% | ||
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2,014,261 | 88.35% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Question 4 was as follows:
| “ | Do you approve of a law summarized below, which was approved by the House of Representatives on November 1,1979, by a vote of83-62, and which was approved by the Senate on November 1, 1979? | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ |
The law provides for increases in the salaries of members of the legislature and the constitutional officers of the Commonwealth. The law increases salaries of members of the legislature by an annual amount varying from $1,853 to $17,923. The size of the raise conferred on a particular individual depends upon his position within the legislature. The law has the effect of setting the base salary for a legislator at $20,335, but under the law legislative salaries range as high as theapproximately $55,920 paid to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The salaries of the constitutional officers are increased either by $20,000, in the case of the Governor, or $10,000 in all other cases. The law raises the annual salary of the Governor to $60,000, that of the Attorney General to $47,500, and the salaries of the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer and Receiver General, and the Auditor to $40,000. The law also amends the statutes pertaining to the organization of the offices of the Secretaries of Administration and Finance and of Human Services and to the compensation of senior officials within those offices. It gives the Secretaries of Administration and Finance and of Human Services greater flexibility in establishing positions and setting salaries for those under their supervision. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
A veto referendum is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law. This type of ballot measure is also called statute referendum, popular referendum, people's veto, or citizen's veto. There are 23 states that allow citizens to initiate veto referendums.
In Massachusetts, the number of signatures required for a veto referendum election is equal to 1.5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. To suspend the law prior to the election, the number of signatures required is equal to 2% 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. Signatures for a veto referendum petition must be submitted no more than 90 days after the governor signs the targeted bill or it is enacted into law.
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
Footnotes
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