1.     The Platform Committee will investigate the upcoming ballot questions. They will examine how these initiative petitions are consistent or hostile to the values and principles of our party. (Suggest timeline: Before February 1.)

2.     They will send their recommendations on what position (support, oppose, or no position) the party should take and their reasoning. This should be communicated to the State Comm.-Discuss list (with a request that it be forwarded to the local chapters e-mail lists) and the GRP-discuss lists with the request that feedback be sent to the Platform Comm. (Suggested deadline for feedback: 2 weeks after the recommendations will be sent).

3.     The Platform Comm. will consider the feedback that they have received and make their final recommendations, which they will send to Adcom (Suggested timeline: By March 1).

4.     Adcom will make their decision (suggested timeline: 2 weeks)

5.     Adcom will notify the primary sponsor(s) of our allies (either the lead supporters or opponents of the petitions) of the decision made by our party and offer our support.

6.     If we act quickly, there may be an opportunity to lobby the state legislature and Governor (to either support or oppose the initiative petition). If the legislature and the Governor would pass the petition(s) before May 1, the question(s) will not be on the ballot in November.

7.      For those questions that will be on the ballot, the Platform Comm. will work with ComCom to create a leaflet.

8.     The leaflet will be approved by Adcom.

9.     The Membership and Diversity Comm. will encourage local chapters and GRP members to distribute tens of thousands of our leaflets across the Commonwealth before Election Day.

Info from the MA Secretary of the Commonwealth: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleguide/guideidx.htm

And Attorney General’s office:

http://www.mass.gov/ago/government-resources/initiatives-and-other-ballot-questions/current-petitions-filed.html

The 4 potential ballot questions: