Massachusetts Question 1, Public Funding for Private Schools and Organizations Amendment (1982)
| Massachusetts Question 1 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Education and State and local government budgets, spending, and finance |
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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 2, 1982. It was defeated.
A “yes” vote supported allowing for public funds to be used to aid private schools and relax restrictions on the use of public funds for other private organizations. |
A “no” vote opposed allowing for public funds to be used to aid private schools and relax restrictions on the use of public funds for other private organizations. |
Election results
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Massachusetts Question 1 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 708,034 | 37.90% | ||
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1,160,130 | 62.10% | ||
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 joint sessions of the House of Representatives and the Senate on July 2, 1980 by a vote of 171-4, and on June 21, 1982 by a vote of 144-44? | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ |
The proposed constitutional amendment would remove the present constitutional prohibition against the use of public funds to aid or maintain private primary or secondary schools. It would permit the Commonwealth, cities and towns to make public funds available to pupils attending private primary and secondary schools in the form of either aid, materials or services subject, however, to three specific limitations. First, the private school could not be one that discriminates on the basis of race or color in its admission requirements. Second, the grant of aid must be consistent with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution which guarantees the free exercise of religion and prohibits the establishment of religion. Third, individual pupils would have to request the aid, materials or services. In addition to these three specific limitations, the amendment would authorize the legislature to enact other laws imposing conditions or restrictions on the grant of public aid, materials or services. The proposal would also change the state Constitution to allow public money to be spent to aid infirmaries, hospitals, charitable or religious undertakings if they are either publicly owned or under the control of public officials. The state Constitution now prohibits such spending unless these institutions are both publicly owned and under the control of public officials. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
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
Footnotes
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