Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2698 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 2
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 3062 FILED ON: 3/7/2024
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2698
4	4	OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
5	5	COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
6	6	STATE HOUSE · BOSTON, MA 02133
7	7	(617) 725-4000
8	8	MAURA T. HEALEY
9	9	GOVERNOR
10	10	KIMBERLEY DRISCOLL
11	11	LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
12	12	March 7, 2024
13	13	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives,
14	14	Pursuant to the provisions of Article II, Section 8, Paragraph 1, Clause (2) of the
15	15	Amendments to the Constitution, as appearing in Article LXXXIX of said Amendments, I am
16	16	filing for your consideration the attached legislation entitled, An Act validating the results of the
17	17	annual election held in the town of Whitman on May 20, 2023.
18	18	I am filing this special legislation at the request of the Town of Whitman’s Board of
19	19	Selectmen, who unanimously voted to request this legislation at a meeting held on October 30,
20	20	2023.
21	21
22	22	The legislation ratifies all acts and proceedings taken by the Town at its annual town
23	23	election held on May 20, 2023. The ratification serves to resolve any question that might arise
24	24	from the fact that the warrant for the election inadvertently omitted the text of a Proposition 2 ½
25	25	ballot question which passed by a vote of 772-366. Through that ballot question, the voters of
26	26	Whitman approved a measure to issue bonds to pay for a new building for the Town’s
27	27	Department of Public Works. Since the vote was invalidated, the bonding cannot occur, and the
28	28	Town of Whitman reports that it will lose financing for the project if bonding is not approved
29	29	promptly.
30	30	Although the warrant for the election inadvertently omitted the text of the ballot question,
31	31	the full text of the question was properly printed on the ballot and posted at least 7 days prior to
32	32	the election. Timely ratification of the results of the election is necessary to permit the Town to 2 of 2
33	33	proceed with issuing the bond and begin the construction project. I therefore urge your prompt
34	34	consideration of this bill.
35	35	Respectfully submitted,
36	36	Maura T. Healey,
37	37	Governor 1 of 1
38	38	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2698
39	39	Senate, March 11, 2024 -- Message from Her Excellency the Governor (pursuant to the
40	40	provisions of Article II, Section 8, Paragraph 1, Clause (2) of the Amendments to the
41	41	Constitution, as appearing in Article LXXXIX of said Amendments) recommending legislation
42	42	to validate the results of the annual election held in the town of Whitman on May 20, 2023
43	43	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
44	44	_______________
45	45	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
46	46	(2023-2024)
47	47	_______________
48	48	An Act validating the results of the annual election held in the town of Whitman on May 20,
49	49	2023.
50	50	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
51	51	of the same, as follows:
52	52	1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, all acts and
53	53	2proceedings taken by the town of Whitman at the annual town election held on May 20, 2023
54	54	3and all actions taken pursuant thereto are hereby ratified, validated and confirmed,
55	55	4notwithstanding any failure to include the form of the proposition two and one-half, so-called,
56	56	5debt exclusion question in the posted warrants for said election.
57	57	6 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.