All questions, no answers

Also: Mass. parole board faces class-action lawsuit; 5 things to do this weekend [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 3, 2023 🌤️ Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Good Morning Boston, In recent years, Massachusetts voters have directly decided on some of the state's biggest policy questions: [Marijuana legalization]( charter schools]( taxing the rich]( even [the type of eggs]( at your grocery store. They've also weighed in on more obscure subjects, like [how dental insurers spend their money]( or [the state's bottle deposit law](. The 2024 ballot could offer a mix of both. Wednesday marked the first deadline in the 2024 ballot initiative process, offering a glimpse at what questions could be put to voters next fall. Attorney General Andrea Campbell has about a month to decide which ones meet constitutional muster to move forward. Here's an early look at the contenders in this special newsletter: The big ones: - Gig workers: Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart are taking another crack at a ballot question to overhaul how the state classifies ride-hailing, delivery and other so-called gig workers. The industry-backed campaign was [shaping up to be the most expensive contest]( on last year's ballot — until it was [derailed by the state's top court due to technical issues with its wording](. Now, the group [Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts]( is pushing to put the question back on the 2024 ballot. If passed, it would reclassify gig workers as independent contractors and provide a wage floor and new benefits — though critics argue drivers could actually get paid [less than minimum wage](. - Go deeper: WBUR's Laney Ruckstuhl has [a worthwhile explainer of last year's thwarted ballot question](. Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts says their new proposal "closely mirrors" the 2022 measure, but they filed multiple options they say address the Supreme Judicial Court's [concerns about combining unrelated subjects](. "We heard loud and clear that the SJC had concerns about relatedness," said spokesman Conor Yunits. - Meanwhile: The local chapter of the AFL-CIO has filed [a ballot question]( that would allow app-based drivers to unionize. - Standardized tests: Massachusetts is one of just eight states that requires students to pass a standardized “exit exam" — known as the MCAS — to graduate high school. WBUR's Max Larkin [reports]( that one of the proposed ballot questions filed yesterday would end the practice. The Massachusetts Teachers Association — which says the high-stakes test harms students with disabilities and those from immigrant households — is poised to back the campaign to replace the MCAS requirement with a certification of satisfactory coursework. - Go deeper: Read more of Max's reporting on [why critics want to do away with the MCAS]( and [the emerging testing alternatives](. - Shrooms: The same group behind successful ballot questions to decriminalize psychedelics in Oregon and Colorado is pushing for Massachusetts to follow suit in 2024. Their proposed initiative would legalize the use of natural psychedelic substances like psilocybin mushrooms for people 21 and older at licensed therapy centers. - Go deeper: WBUR's Walter Wuthmann has [more on the coalition supporting the campaign](. You can also [read last month's breakdown]( of what the decriminalization scheme would look like. Also in the mix All in all, over 40 new ballot questions proposals were filed by the end of the day yesterday, and they run the gamut of subjects: - Rent control: State Rep. Mike Connolly filed [a petition]( to allow cities and towns to pass rent control at the local level (it's currently [banned statewide]( as well as further regulate evictions and broker's fees. - Democracy reform: Roughly a half dozen petitions aim to tweak the state's democratic processes, including [multiple proposals]( for [same-day registration]( and even [a proposed 2026 constitutional amendment]( to create a [California-esque recall system]( in the Bay State. - From the right: There are a few petitions seeking to take conservative priorities straight to the voters, including [suspending the gas tax at certain times]( and [requiring voter ID in elections](. - Indigenous People's Day: While a number of cities and towns have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous People's Day, [one proposed ballot question]( would expand the change across Massachusetts. What won't be on the ballot - Minimum wage: After [mulling their options]( the group Raise Up Massachusetts [said it won't pursue a 2024 ballot question]( to raise the state's $15-an hour minimum wage, tying it to inflation. However, a [separate group]( has filed [a petition]( to raise the tipped minimum wage. What's next: - Remember, this is the easy part. Organizers only had to get 10 signatures to file this week. They’ll have to collect another 75,000 names this fall to move forward in [the process](. P.S.— Did you miss this week's supermoon? Check out [these stellar sturgeon moon photos from across the globe]( — plus a few of [the supersized moon]( from [around]( [Boston](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Class-action discrimination suit filed against Massachusetts parole board]( The Massachusetts parole board is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging that the board discriminates against people with mental disabilities by not considering the challenges incarcerated people with mental disabilities face in seeking probation. [Read more.]( [Class-action discrimination suit filed against Massachusetts parole board]( The Massachusetts parole board is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging that the board discriminates against people with mental disabilities by not considering the challenges incarcerated people with mental disabilities face in seeking probation. [Read more.]( [The MBTA reaches agreement with its largest workers' union]( The labor agreement willprovide an 18% wage increase over four years, “the largest pay increase for T workers since the 1990s." [Read more.]( [The MBTA reaches agreement with its largest workers' union]( The labor agreement willprovide an 18% wage increase over four years, “the largest pay increase for T workers since the 1990s." [Read more.]( [After all that rain, Boston had its second wettest July on record]( Scientists say the pattern of rainfall the Northeast experienced in July has the fingerprints of climate change all over it. [Read more.]( [After all that rain, Boston had its second wettest July on record]( Scientists say the pattern of rainfall the Northeast experienced in July has the fingerprints of climate change all over it. [Read more.]( [Veterans sue U.S. Defense and Veterans Affairs departments to get access to infertility treatments]( Lawsuits filed in federal courts in Boston and New York on Wednesday allege that the departments are making it difficult — and sometimes impossible — for veterans to get infertility treatments because coverage is limited to married, heterosexual couples. [Read more.]( [Veterans sue U.S. Defense and Veterans Affairs departments to get access to infertility treatments]( Lawsuits filed in federal courts in Boston and New York on Wednesday allege that the departments are making it difficult — and sometimes impossible — for veterans to get infertility treatments because coverage is limited to married, heterosexual couples. [Read more.]( [$12 million plan seeks to promote recreation and climate resilience in Dorchester waterfront]( If left untouched, Tenean Beach will continue to flood and eventually affect the MBTA’s Red Line extension to Braintree, I-93 and Morrissey Boulevard — three major transportation lines in Dorchester that carry hundreds of thousands of riders and drivers every day. [Read more.]( [$12 million plan seeks to promote recreation and climate resilience in Dorchester waterfront]( If left untouched, Tenean Beach will continue to flood and eventually affect the MBTA’s Red Line extension to Braintree, I-93 and Morrissey Boulevard — three major transportation lines in Dorchester that carry hundreds of thousands of riders and drivers every day. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - From the Roxbury Poetry Festival to the last performances of "MacBeth" on the Common to a night of astronomy in Arlington, here's [a look at the five events on our arts team's itinerary]( this weekend. - Honey, we shrunk the art: WBUR's Andrea Shea has [an inside look at the MFA's new exhibition “Tiny Treasures: The Magic of Miniatures."]( She also highlights a few of the museum curator's favorite works. - Randall Park's directorial debut "Shortcomings" is filled with just that, writes film critic Sean Burns. While the rom-com raises interesting ideas and has funny moments, many could-be-great scenes are left underdeveloped, according to Burns. Read[his full review here](. - With a controversial new music video, Jason Aldean has fashioned himself as an anti-woke hero. Joyce Linehan [writes in this essay]( that she's concerned about what Aldean and his ilk mean for country music over all (and highlights some country songs she loves).  What We're Reading 📚 This section is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. - The ‘Nantucket-ization’ of Provincetown ([Boston.com]( - ‘Everything has fallen off a cliff': Battleground state GOPs nosedive in Trump era ([Politico]( - How Does Jake Tapper Find Time to Write So Many Books? ([Esquire](  Tell Me Something Good [He just retired; she got laid off. Then they each won a million dollars. (Boston.com)]( Though the odds of winning big in the lottery are extremely slim, two recent Massachusetts success stories prove that luck can strike at the most unexpected moments. [Read more.]( [He just retired; she got laid off. Then they each won a million dollars. (Boston.com)]( Though the odds of winning big in the lottery are extremely slim, two recent Massachusetts success stories prove that luck can strike at the most unexpected moments. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common looks back at the [first six months of the Massachusetts Behavioral Help line](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [An unexpected pool guest in Hingham.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? 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