(Boston–2/2/2024) Senator Paul Feeney has been appointed to the new Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions. This committee, established by legislative order, is tasked with reviewing initiative petitions that could appear as 2024 ballot questions. 

The eight-member committee was assembled by the Legislature on January 29, 2024 in accordance with order H4294, adopted by both the House and Senate. The order calls for Senate President Karen Spilka and Speaker Ron Mariano to appoint three members each to the committee, with House Minority Leaders Brad Jones and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr each naming an appointee. 

Senate President Spilka appointed Senator Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough), as well as Senator Cindy Friedman, who will serve as Senate Co-Chair, and Senator Jason Lewis to serve on the committee. Speaker Mariano appointed Assistant Majority Leader Alice Peisch, who will serve as House Co-Chair, Representative Mike Day, and Representative Ken Gordon. Senator Ryan Fattman and Representative David Vieira were appointed as the Minority members of the committee. 

“Vetting and reviewing the consequential topics introduced as initiative petitions before the Legislature are important and necessary tasks to assess their impact on Massachusetts residents. I am honored to be appointed to the special joint committee and I look forward to working with the Chairs and my fellow Committee Members to review the intricacies of the petitions before us,” said Senator Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough). 

The initiative petitions Senator Feeney and his fellow committee members will review cover five major topics: setting state policy on high stakes MCAS exams, the auditor's ability to audit the Legislature, rights and benefits of app-based drivers, wages of tipped workers, and regulation of natural psychedelic substances. The Massachusetts initiative petition process is established by Article 48 of the Amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution. 

Senator Feeney currently serves as Chair of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, Vice-Chair, Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, and as a Member of Ways & Means, Health Care Financing, Labor and Workforce Development, and Senate Committee on Personnel and Administration.  

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