BOSTON — The state’s highest court has blocked a proposal to bring rent control back to Massachusetts after ruling it would violate religious protections.
The ruling Tuesday by the state Supreme Judicial Court said a proposed ballot question that called for setting an annual ceiling on rents also carved out exemptions for several types of units, including ones “operated solely for religious purposes.”
kAmq642FD6 @7 E92E[ ;FDE:46D HC@E6 😕 E96 agA286 CF=:?8[ E96 AC@A@D65 C676C6?5F> “C6=2E6D E@ C6=:8:@?[ C6=:8:@FD AC24E:46D @C C6=:8:@FD :?DE:EFE:@?D” 2?5 H@F=5 G:@=2E6 E96 DE2E6 r@?DE:EFE:@? :7 :E 8@6D 367@C6 G@E6CD 😕 E96 }@G6>36C 6=64E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 32==@E BF6DE:@? H@F=5 92G6 2D<65 G@E6CD E@ 2AAC@G6 2 “C6=:8:@FD 6I6>AE:@?” C6BF:C:?8 2? “2?2=JD:D :?E@ E96 :?E6C?2= 2772:CD @7 C6=:8:@FD @C82?:K2E:@?D 2?5 E96:C >@E:G2E:@?D 7@C AC@G:5:?8 E96 5H6==:?8 F?:ED[ 2?5 E96 4@DED E96J 492C86 7@C E96>[” E96 $yr @A:?65]k^Am
kAm“(96E96C 2 5H6==:?8 F?:E 😕 2 C6=:8:@FD :?DE:EFE:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 2 C6=:8:@FD C6E:C6>6?E 4@>>F?:EJ[ F?:G6CD:EJ[ @C D@36C 9@FD6[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 😀 36:?8 @A6C2E65 D@=6=J 7@C C6=:8:@FD AFCA@D6D 2AA62CD E@ C6BF:C6 2 566A 5:G6 :?E@ ?@E @?=J E96 C6=:8:@FD :?DE:EFE:@?’D 7:?2?46D[ 3FE 2=D@ :ED C6=:8:@FD AC24E:46D 2?5 36=:67D[” yFDE:46 $4@EE z27<6C HC@E6 😕 2 4@?4FCC:?8 @A:?:@?]k^Am
kAm“w25 E96 :?:E:2E:G6 D:>A=J DE2E65 E92E :E =:>:ED C6?E :?4C62D6D 😕 5H6==:?8 F?:ED @A6C2E65 3J 7@CAC@7:E :?DE:EFE:@?D[ 3FE ?@E 😕 5H6==:?8 F?:ED @A6C2E65 3J ?@?AC@7:E :?DE:EFE:@?D[ 2 G6CJ 5:776C6?E BF6DE:@? H@F=5 92G6 366? AC6D6?E65[” 96 25565]k^Am
kAm“s:DE:?8F:D9:?8 7@CAC@7:E 7C@> ?@?AC@7:E :?DE:EFE:@?D 5@6D ?@E C6BF:C6 2? 2?2=JD:D E92E C6=2E6D E@ C6=:8:@? @C C6=:8:@FD :?DE:EFE:@?D]”k^Am
kAmrC:E:4D @7 E96 AC@A@D2= AC2:D65 E96 CF=:?8[ D2J:?8 :E 3=@4
kAm“(9:=6 H6 7:C>=J 36=:6G6 E92E |2DD249FD6EED G@E6CD H6C6 AC6A2C65 E@ G@E6 ‘?@’ 😕 }@G6>36C[ E@52J’D 564:D:@? AFED E96 :DDF6 E@ C6DE 2?5 AC@E64ED @FC 9@FD:?8 A:A6=:?6 2?5 @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D 7C@> E96 AC@G6? 52>286 E92E C6?E 4@?EC@= :?7=:4ED[” r@?@C *F?:ED[ H9@ 492:CD 2 C62= 6DE2E6 :?5FDECJ324<65 32==@E 4@>>:EE66 @AA@D:?8 E96 BF6DE:@?[ D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E]k^Am
kAm}@6>: “|:>:” #2>@D[ H9@ 9625D E96 AC@C6?E 4@?EC@= z66A |2DD249FD6EED w@>6 42>A2:8?[ 42==65 E96 $yr’D CF=:?8 2 “>2DD:G6 5:D2AA@:?E>6?E” 3FE G@H65 E@ 4@?E:?F6 H:E9 677@CED E@ “AC@E64E |2DD249FD6EED C6?E6CD 7C@> 6I46DD:G6 C6?E 9:<6D]k^Am
kAm“#2E96C E92? 2446AE 2?J C6DEC:4E:@?D @? E96:C 23:=:EJ E@ 6IEC24E AC@7:ED 7C@> @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D[ 2 76H AC:G2E6 6BF:EJ324<65 C62= 6DE2E6 :?G6DE>6?E 4@CA@C2E:@?D 7:?2?465 E9:D =2HDF:E 😕 2 56DA6C2E6 2EE6>AE E@ 2G@:5 2 32==@E 42>A2:8? E96J H6C6 D6E E@ =@D6[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 C676C6?5F>[ H9:49 92D 4=62C65 D6G6C2= 9FC5=6D E@ E96 }@G6>36C 32==@E[ H@F=5 92G6 2D<65 G@E6CD E@ D6E 2 =:>:E @? 2??F2= C6?E :?4C62D6D E:65 E@ E96 DE2E6’D “4@DE @7 =:G:?8” — >62DFC65 3J E96 4@?DF>6C AC:46 :?56I — H:E9 2 dT 42A 2??F2==J]k^Am
kAmq24<6CD @7 E96 A=2? D2J E96 DE2E6’D 6G6CC:D:?8 C6?ED 2C6 >2<:?8 9@FD:?8 F?277@C523=6 7@C =@H:?4@>6 C6D:56?ED 2?5 D2J E96C6 ?665D E@ 36 =:>:ED @? 6I@C3:E2?E :?4C62D6D 3J =2?5=@C5D] %96J D2J C6?E6CD 2C6 =@D:?8 AC@E64E:@?D 2>:5 E96 C:D:?8 4@DED @7 =62D:?8 2? 2A2CE>6?E @C 2 C6D:56?E:2= AC@A6CEJ]k^Am
kAmrC:E:4D @7 C6?E 4@?EC@=[ H9:49 H2D 32??65 3J E96 DE2E6’D G@E6CD 😕 `hhd[ 2C8F6 :E H@F=5 C65F46 9@FD:?8 DFAA=J 2?5 5C:G6 C6?ED 6G6? 9:896C[ 7FCE96C 6I246C32E:?8 E96 DE2E6’D 9@FD:?8 4C:D:D]k^Am
kAm%96 C6?E 4@?EC@= AC@A@D2= H2D @?6 @7 2 C64@C5 ?F>36C @7 C676C6?5F>D :?49:?8 E@H2C5 E96 }@G6>36C 32==@E[ :?4=F5:?8 A=2?D E@ 2FE9@C:K6 D2>652J G@E6C C68:DEC2E:@?[ >2<6 E96 8@G6C?@C 2?5 {68:D=2EFC6 DF3;64E E@ E96 AF3=:4 C64@C5D =2H[ 2?5 C6A62= 2 8F? 4@?EC@= =2H]k^Am
kAm{2DE H66<[ E96 $yr CF=65 E92E 2 AC@A@D2= E@ C65F46 E96 DE2E6’D A6CD@?2= :?4@>6 E2I C2E6 7C@> dT E@ cT 42?’E 2AA62C @? E96 32==@E]k^Am
kAmq24<6CD @7 :?:E:2E:G6 A6E:E:@?D 92G6 2=C625J 4=62C65 D6G6C2= 9FC5=6D @? E96:C H2J E@ E96 32==@E[ :?4=F5:?8 EFC?:?8 😕 >@C6 E92? fd[___ 46CE:7:65 D:8?2EFC6D E@ E96 $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6’D ~77:46 E@ AFE E96 BF6DE:@?D 367@C6 E96 DE2E6’D G@E6CD]k^Am
kAmk6>mr9C:DE:2? |] (256 4@G6CD |2DD249FD6EED DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 A@=:E:4D 7@C r}wx }6HD 2?5 }k^6>m k6>m@CE9 @7 q@DE@? |65:2 vC@FAUCDBF@jD ?6HDA2A6CD 2?5 H63D:E6D] t>2:= 9:> 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i4H256o4?9:?6HD]4@>Qm4H256o4?9:?6HD]4@>k^2m]k^6>mk^Am
By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter
Source link