By Bob Katzen
The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on several bills including these three:
EMINENT DOMAIN (H 67) – This proposed constitutional amendment would prohibit private property from being taken by the government for private commercial enterprise, economic development or any other private use without the consent of the owner.
“The right to own property is a basic principle of the commonwealth and it is one that I feel should be protected,” said sponsor Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “I filed this proposed amendment in response to the Supreme Court’s actions in Kelo v. New London, where a majority of the justices ruled against private property holders and determined that the New London Development Commission could take private properties for the purpose of economic development. This is a blatant overreach of government power, and this amendment is an attempt to correct that and protect private property owners in Massachusetts.”
PROHIBIT GAMBLING ON POLITICAL OUTCOMES (S 1237) – This measure would make it illegal to wager on “political outcomes” including elections for public office within the state, appointments to public office, the passage, amending or failure of legislative measures and any other official decision-making processes conducted by political bodies within the state.
Supporters said that these platforms and wagering participation are problematic on many grounds, specifically misinterpreting political outcomes. They are commonly mistaken as indicators for who is winning an election when that is not the case.
“Since online gambling was legalized in Massachusetts, political wagering has significantly increased, with billions of dollars generated,” said sponsor Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow). “In the 2024 presidential election, over $3.2 billion in wagers related were placed on one platform alone. I filed this legislation to ensure stronger safeguards for our election processes and their accuracy. The bill is rooted in preserving the integrity of democratic processes by prohibiting wagering on elections or legislative outcomes, preventing the commodification of our democratic processes.”