Certification is a hurdle that ballot question proponents must clear. To advance further, they must gather 68,911 signatures by mid-November, typically a costly, intensive effort that has derailed many ballot initiatives in previous years.
Lawmakers have until May 2012 to take action on any ballot questions that clear the signature hurdle. If they choose not to act or pass an alternative, proponents would have to gather an additional 11,485 signatures to secure ballot access.
The attorney general’s office emphasized that certification is not an indication that Coakley has endorsed any of the proposals but merely that they meet the legal standards of permissible ballot questions.
Questions that will proceed to the signature-gathering phase also include:
■ Forcing auto manufacturers to share additional diagnostic information with repair shops.
■ Repealing the individual mandate for Massachusetts residents to obtain health insurance.
■ Permitting more food stores to sell beer and wine.
■ Prohibiting auto insurers from adjusting premiums based on socioeconomic factors.
■ Establishing consequences for teacher evaluations.
Coakley rejected a handful of proposals, such as a Milford developer’s plan to sanction three Massachusetts casinos, including one designated for Milford. Coakley ruled the proposal violates standards that prohibit targeting a single community.
Coakley also scuttled a plan pushed by opponents of Cape Wind that would force competitive bidding for energy contracts; she concluded that it would take private property without compensation. A plan to force voters to present valid identification was also improper, Coakley determined, because it “infringes on the freedom of elections.’’
Backers of a plan to permit doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs to terminally ill patients with less than six months to live hailed the certification of their proposal, which would make Massachusetts the third US state to sanction what they call “death with dignity.’’
