Voters boost auditor’s battle with Beacon Hill

Massachusetts voters approved ballot questions granting the state auditor the authority to investigate the state Legislature and hand rideshare drivers the right to unionize but rejected an effort to decriminalize the use of psychedelics for residents over the age of 21.

The outcome of Tuesday’s election for the rideshare driver question offers unions the opportunity to bolster their ranks in an untouched industry that has long drawn scrutiny in Massachusetts for its treatment of drivers and work environment.

In a statement more than 16 hours after polls closed, the union behind the question, 32BJ SEIU, said it expected “prompt implementation” after residents voted to approve “a meaningful check against the growing power of app-based companies.”

Legislative audit question earns support

The Massachusetts State Auditor’s Office earned the explicit authority to crack open the books of the Legislature after voters approved the ballot question championed by Diana DiZoglio, a former state lawmaker who currently holds the role.

But the approval from residents may set up a complicated path forward for DiZoglio in her efforts to audit the House and Senate, which have resisted cooperating with any investigations and whose top leaders have left open the door of tinkering with the policy after Election Day.

In a statement just before midnight Tuesday, DiZoglio said the victory was an “opportunity for all of us to look forward and work to make our Legislature better.”

House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka said they would consider next steps, including how to respect the election results “in a manner that aligns with the fundamental principles of the Massachusetts Constitution, including separation of powers.”

Shrooms have bad trip at the polls

Massachusetts residents voted against decriminalizing the use of psychedelics at licensed facilities and the ability to grow mushrooms containing the substances at home, an outcome that dealt a blow to a coalition that had drawn in millions of dollars from out-of-state donors.

A spokesperson for the Coalition for Safe Communities, the group that opposed the question, said voters recognized “the negative impacts (the question) would have to our neighborhoods, roads, hospitals, children, pets and public safety across the state.”