Paisner v. Attorney General

This is an action for declaratory and injunctive relief challenging a decision of the Attorney General, who declined to certify an initiative petition on the ground that it was not in proper form for submission to the people. Art. 48, The Initiative, II, § 3, of the Massachusetts Constitution. 2 The Attorney General ruled in substance that the initiative petition did not propose enactment of a “law” as required by art. 48. We conclude that the Attorney General was correct both in his determination that he had the authority to decline to certify the petition, and in his ruling that the…