Massachusetts Anti-Casino Ballot Question Gets Nixed by State AG

A citizens’ anti-gambling initiative has been shot down by the State’s Attorney General

While the continuing state of Massachusetts is gearing up for rapid expansion of gambling in the state, not everybody has been excited about the move. That’s why some anti-gambling activists there have actually developed a petition in order to force a vote that is statewide set up casino tasks would be able to go forward.

Those who are against the new casinos had been able to gather sufficient signatures to send the ballot question forward to the lawyer general’s office. But regrettably for them, the state solicitor but a stop to your move, saying that the ballot question wouldn’t be legal under the state’s ballot effort process.

Constitutional Provisions Preclude Ballot Question

The ballot initiative process is covered by Article 48 under the current state Constitution. That article not just outlines the process for getting question in the ballot, but also establishes so what can and can not be included in such concerns. One of the principles for proposals claims that they cannot hinder an entity’s ‘right to get settlement for private property appropriated to public use’.

According to state solicitor Peter Sacks, if the relevant concern were to be authorized by the public, thus closing the casino deals immediately, it would simply take the casino developers’ contract rights away without any compensation. It would additionally ‘impair the implied agreements’ between the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and those developers, who have paid millions in application fees to the state. Massachusetts Anti-Casino Ballot Question Gets Nixed by State AG Okumaya devam edin