Bay State voters will face a record-tying nine statewide ballot questions Tuesday, covering elections, taxes, housing, marijuana, guns and government transparency.
Why it matters: Keeping it all straight as you head into the voting booth is tough. Here’s what each question would do.
Question 1: Opening public records
Massachusetts lawmakers and the governor’s office keep themselves mostly exempt from the state’s Public Records Law.
- A yes vote would open most of their records to public inspection.
- A no vote keeps current exemptions.
The proposal would still shield some documents covering how policy is developed and certain constituent communications.
- Transparency advocates say it would improve accountability, but those big exceptions could keep many State House deliberations from the public.
Question 2: Letting public defenders unionize
The state lawyers who represent people who can’t afford attorneys want collective bargaining rights.
- A yes vote allows them and other employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services to form a union.
- A no vote leaves existing labor rules intact.
Staff attorneys have repeatedly tried to unionize but were stopped by current law…