Albert Pike was an American attorney, soldier, writer, and Freemason.
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the fundamental governing document of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one of the 50 individual state governments that make up the United States of America. As a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1779, John Adams was the document's principal author. Voters approved the document on June 15, 1780. It became effective on October 25, 1780, and remains the oldest functioning written constitution in continuous effect in the world. It was also the first constitution anywhere to be created by a convention called for that purpose rather than by a legislative body. Only the Constitution of San Marino has sections still in force that are older.
Joseph Bradley Varnum was a U.S. politician of the Democratic-Republican Party from Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts General Laws is a codification of many of the statutes of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Commonwealth's laws are promulgated by an elected bicameral ("two-chamber") legislative body, the Massachusetts General Court. The resulting laws—both Session Laws and General Laws—together make up the statutory law of the Commonwealth.
Deval Laurdine Patrick is an American politician, civil rights lawyer, author, and businessman who served as the 71st Governor of Massachusetts, from 2007 to 2015. He was first elected in 2006, succeeding Mitt Romney who chose not to run for reelection. He was reelected in 2010 and is the only African American to date to have served as Governor of Massachusetts. A Democrat, Patrick previously served from 1994 to 1997 as the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division under President Bill Clinton.
George Russell Stobbs was an attorney and politician. A Republican. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts for three terms.
The Massachusetts Attorney General is an elected constitutionally defined executive officer of the Massachusetts Government. The officeholder is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The officeholder also acts as an advocate and resource for the Commonwealth and its residents in many areas, including consumer protection, combating fraud and corruption, protecting civil rights, and maintaining economic competition. The current Attorney General is Maura Healey.
Dwight Foster was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He served as Massachusetts Attorney General and was an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
The form of Massachusetts government is provided by the Constitution of the Commonwealth. The legislative power is exercised by the bicameral General Court, composed of the Senate and House of Representatives. The executive power generally is exercised by the Governor, along with other independently elected officers, the Attorney General, Secretary of the Commonwealth, and Auditor. The judicial power is reposed in the Supreme Judicial Court, which superintends the entire system of courts. Cities and towns also act through local governmental bodies that possess only the authority granted to them by the Commonwealth over local issues, including limited home rule authority. Most county governments were abolished in the 1990s and 2000s, although a handful remain.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 8, 1994 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 4, 1986 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 2, 1982 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Initiative, appeared as the third question on the state's 2012 ballot as an indirect initiated state statute. The measure allows cannabis to be used for medical purposes in the state. The initiative—backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, and the Committee for Compassionate Medicine—was filed with proponents turning in the required signatures to the Massachusetts Attorney General's office by the August 3, 2011 deadline. Those signatures were needed for the required ten qualified voters who submitted the original petition to put forward the full text of the law they want enacted. The initiative passed with support from 63% of state voters.
The 1946 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1946. Republican Robert F. Bradford defeated Democratic incumbent Maurice J. Tobin, Socialist Labor candidate Horace Hillis, and Prohibition candidate Guy S. Williams.
The law of Massachusetts consists of several levels, including constitutional, statutory, regulatory, case law, and local ordinances. The General Laws of Massachusetts form the general statutory law.
Four statewide ballot measures are certified for the 2014 ballot in the state of Massachusetts.
