Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H5544: An Act establishing an amendment to Bridgewater Town Charter Article VIII, Section 8-2 Citizen Referendum Petition Timeframe
Status: In committee, July 30, 2026
What the bill says
To Amend the current Bridgewater Town Charter, the Town Council voted to amend said Town Charter, Article VIII, Section 8-2 as follows: Replace the existing language regarding the timeframe for submitting referendum petitions with the following: Citizen Referendum Procedures; Referendum Petition; Effect on Final Passage If within 30 days after the final passage of a measure, a petition signed by voters equal in number to at least 5 per cent of the total number of voters and addressed to the town council, protesting against the measure or any part thereof taking effect, is filed with the electe.
From the introduced text, June 29, 2026:
to Amend the current Bridgewater Town Charter, the Town Council voted to amend said Town Charter, Article VIII, Section 8-2 as follows: Replace the existing language regarding the timeframe for submitting referendum petitions with the following: Citizen Referendum Procedures; Referendum Petition; Effect on Final Passage If within 30 days after the final passage of a measure, a petition signed by voters equal in number to at least 5 per cent of the total number of voters and addressed to the town council, protesting against the measure or any part thereof taking effect, is filed with the elected town clerk, the same shall thereupon and thereby be suspended from taking effect and the town council, as the case may be, shall immediately reconsider the measure or part thereof and if such measure or part thereof is not entirely rescinded, the town council shall submit the same, to a vote of the voters either at the next regular town election or at a special election which may, in its discretion, be called for the purpose and the measure or part thereof shall forthwith become null and void unless a majority of the voters voting on the same at the election vote in favor thereof. Said Amendment shall only become effective and is contingent upon approval by the Town Council, the State Legislature …
Sponsors
- (D) · primary sponsor