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84-852: Plans for the school were started when the Massachusetts State Legislature passed a law granting $ 25,000 to each of the four major textile cities in the state as long as they contributed to the building of a school of textiles in Lowell . The Lowell Textile School opened on October 4, 1897. Originally, the first class had over 200 students. The school was modeled on the success of the Polytechnical School at Philadelphia . The school originally opened in three rented rooms on Middle Street in downtown Lowell. The college offered three year diplomas in cotton or wool manufacture, design, or textile chemistry and dyeing. Tuition at

168-446: A legislature . Parliamentary procedure requires that any action of a deliberative assembly that may alter the rights of a minority have a supermajority requirement, such as a two-thirds vote. In consensus democracy the supermajority rule is applied in most cases. The first known use of a supermajority rule was in the 100s BC in ancient Rome . Pope Alexander III introduced the use of supermajority rule for papal elections at

252-518: A plebiscite . A two-thirds majority of the Senate is required to ratify treaties, and to remove an impeached official from office. Impeachment by the House, which is the required first step in the removal process, only requires one-third of Representatives to sign a petition (specifically a verified complaint or resolution of impeachment). Different amendment procedures apply to different parts of

336-525: A holdover from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony , when the colonial assembly, in addition to making laws, sat as a judicial court of appeals . Before the adoption of the state constitution in 1780, it was called the Great and General Court , but the official title was shortened by John Adams , author of the state constitution . It is a bicameral body . The upper house

420-541: A judicial case resulted in another reform in 1638, where the Council of Assistants became an upper house that sat separately, with consent of both houses required to pass legislation. In October 1650 the General Court took exception to the book The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption by William Pynchon . They regarded it as containing many errors and heresies and decided to make their views very plain by having

504-426: A law. It is usually effective in ninety days. The day after the governor signs the bill is considered to be the first day, and each succeeding day, including Sundays and holidays is counted until the ninetieth. Laws considered "emergency" in nature take effect immediately upon signing if the legislature has voted to attach an "emergency preamble" to the bill. Adoption of the preamble requires a two-thirds standing vote of

588-595: A local constitution that is subject to the 1978 Constitution and national powers. The Statute of Autonomy of the Canary Islands states that its economic and fiscal regime and electoral law need a two-thirds majority of the Parliament to be modified. On its behalf, the Ombudsman needs a three-fifths majority to be appointed. Also, if a two-thirds majority votes against a law project, it must be proposed to

672-567: A name change that reflected its evolution from a trade school to a technical college, and it became the Lowell Textile Institute. During World War II, the school almost went bankrupt again as war demanded soldiers and textiles. The enrollment of the school fell to 73 students at one point. In 1953, President Martin Lydon expanded the curriculum to include programs in plastics, leather, paper, and electronics technology, increased

756-702: A part of the Finnish Constitution requires at least the approval of 134 out of 200 representatives in the Parliament of Finland Article 368 of the Indian Constitution requires a supermajority of two-thirds of members present and voting in each house of the Indian Parliament , subject to at least by a majority of the total membership of each House of Parliament, to amend the constitution. In addition, in matters affecting

840-578: A state legislature in the United States. She was outed against her will following the election and served one term. As of 2018, the General Court was composed of 75 percent male and 25 percent female representation. There are 40 senatorial districts in Massachusetts, named for the counties in which they are located. There are 160 representational districts in Massachusetts, named for the counties in which they are located. The speaker of

924-672: A two-thirds majority of the corresponding legislative assembly. Under the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines , a two-thirds majority of both chambers of the Congress of the Philippines (the House of Representatives and the Senate ) meeting in joint session is required to declare war . A two-thirds majority of both chambers is required to override a presidential veto . A two-thirds vote of both chambers of Congress voting separately

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1008-441: A two-thirds vote. The two-thirds requirement can be qualified to include the entire membership of a body instead of only those present and voting, but such a requirement must be explicitly stated (such as "two-thirds of those members duly elected and sworn"). In this case, abstentions and absences count as votes against the proposal. Alternatively, the voting requirement could be specified as "two-thirds of those present", which has

1092-523: A vote of two-thirds of all its Members, call a constitutional convention , or by a majority vote of all its Members, submit to the electorate the question of calling such a convention." A three-quarters vote of all the members of the Congress is required to propose an amendment to the Constitution; the proposed amendment is submitted to the people for ratification (by a majority of the votes cast) in

1176-457: Is a full-time legislature, although not to the extent of neighboring New York or some other states. The earliest history of the General Court is in the original charter of 1629. Massachusetts Bay Colony , one of the original Thirteen Colonies , was a royally chartered joint stock company founded in 1628 in London . Much like other joint-stock companies of the time the first General Court

1260-491: Is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of one-half used for a simple majority . Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fundamental rights of a minority, but can also hamper efforts to respond to problems and encourage corrupt compromises at times when action is taken. Changes to constitutions , especially those with entrenched clauses , commonly require supermajority support in

1344-412: Is composed of six senators and eleven representatives. The standing committees schedule public hearings for the individual bills, which afford citizens, legislators and lobbyists the opportunity to express their views. Committee members meet at a later time in executive session to review the public testimony and discuss the merits of each bill before making their recommendations to the full membership of

1428-724: Is enough to pass the proposal. Nevertheless, when a new Constitution is proposed or the proposal's goal is to reform the Preliminary Title, the Chapter on Fundamental Rights and Freedoms or the Title on the Crown, the supermajority becomes significantly harder: The first way has been used twice (1992 and 2011), but the second has never been used. The Spanish Constitution states other supermajorities: Each Spanish autonomous community has its own Statute of Autonomy , working like

1512-582: Is known as the North Campus of UMass Lowell . Notable staff members include: Massachusetts State Legislature Minority (4) Minority (24) Vacant (1) The Massachusetts General Court , formally the General Court of Massachusetts , is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston . The name "General Court" is

1596-579: Is needed. Reforms to the Constitution need to achieve a supermajority of two-thirds of the votes both in the Chamber and in the Senate to avoid the possibility of being sent to popular vote in order to be confirmed through a referendum. Amendments to the constitution require a two-thirds majority in both houses of the National Diet and a simple majority in a referendum. Section 268 of

1680-554: Is only a simple majority, a referendum must be held on the subject. The Council of the European Union uses 'Qualified majority voting' for the majority of issues brought before the institution. However, for matters of extreme importance for individual member states, unanimous voting is implemented. An example of this is Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union , whereby a member state can have its rights suspended with

1764-632: Is referred to the Senate or House Committee on Ways and Means after the first reading. Adverse reports ("ought not to pass") are also referred to the Committee on Steering and Policy in the Senate or placed without debate in the Orders of the Day for the next session of the House. Acceptance by either branch of an adverse report is considered the final rejection and the matter of the matter. However, an adverse report can be overturned. A member may move to substitute

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1848-503: Is required in the House of Representatives or a majority is needed in a national referendum . Under the Constitution of Nigeria a two-thirds majority is required in the National Assembly to alter the Constitution, enact legislation in a few areas, or remove office holders from some positions, such as Speaker. Legislative override or impeachment of the executive at either the state or federal government level also requires

1932-465: Is required to designate the vice president as acting president in the event that a majority of the Cabinet certifies that the president is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office" but the president declares that no such inability exists. A two-thirds vote of either chamber is required to suspend or expel a member from that chamber. Under the 1987 Constitution, "The Congress may, by

2016-813: Is the Massachusetts Senate which is composed of 40 members. The lower body , the Massachusetts House of Representatives , has 160 members; until 1978, the state house had 240 members. It meets in the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill in Boston. Since 1959, Democrats have controlled both houses of the Massachusetts General Court, often by large majorities. The Democrats enjoyed veto-proof supermajorities in both chambers for part of

2100-3137: Is the only news organization with floor privileges and a desk in both the House and Senate chambers. 1 (1780) 2 (1781) 3 (1782) 4 (1783) 5 (1784) 6 (1785) 7 (1786) 8 (1787) 9 (1788) 10 (1789) 11 (1790) 12 (1791) 13 (1792) 14 (1793) 15 (1794) 16 (1795) 17 (1796) 18 (1797) 19 (1798) 20 (1799) 21 (1800) 22 (1801) 23 (1802) 24 (1803) 25 (1804) 26 (1805) 27 (1806) 28 (1807) 29 (1808) 30 (1809) 31 (1810) 32 (1811) 33 (1812) 34 (1813) 35 (1814) 36 (1815) 37 (1816) 38 (1817) 39 (1818) 40 (1819) 41 (1820) 42 (1821) 43 (1822) 44 (1823) 45 (1824) 46 (1825) 47 (1826) 48 (1827) 49 (1828) 50 (1829) 51 (1830) 52 (1831) 53 (1832) 54 (1833) 55 (1834) 56 (1835) 57 (1836) 58 (1837) 59 (1838) 60 (1839) 61 (1840) 62 (1841) 63 (1842) 64 (1843) 65 (1844) 66 (1845) 67 (1846) 68 (1847) 69 (1848) 70 (1849) 71 (1850) 72 (1851) 73 (1852) 74 (1853) 75 (1854) 76 (1855) 77 (1856) 78 (1857) 79 (1858) 80 (1859) 81 (1860) 82 (1861) 83 (1862) 84 (1863) 85 (1864) 86 (1865) 87 (1866) 88 (1867) 89 (1868) 90 (1869) 91 (1870) 92 (1871) 93 (1872) 94 (1873) 95 (1874) 96 (1875) 97 (1876) 98 (1877) 99 (1878) 100 (1879) 101 (1880) 102 (1881) 103 (1882) 104 (1883) 105 (1884) 106 (1885) 107 (1886) 108 (1887) 109 (1888) 110 (1889) 111 (1890) 112 (1891) 113 (1892) 114 (1893) 115 (1894) 116 (1895) 117 (1896) 118 (1897) 119 (1898) 120 (1899) 121 (1900) 122 (1901) 123 (1902) 124 (1903) 125 (1904) 126 (1905) 127 (1906) 128 (1907) 129 (1908) 130 (1909) 131 (1910) 132 (1911) 133 (1912) 134 (1913) 135 (1914) 136 (1915) 137 (1916) 138 (1917) 139 (1918) 140 (1919) 141 (1920) 142 (1921) 143 (1923) 144 (1925) 145 (1927) 146 (1929) 147 (1931) 148 (1933) 149 (1935) 150 (1937) 151 (1939) 152 (1941) 153 (1943) 154 (1945) 155 (1947) 156 (1949) 157 (1951) 158 (1953) 159 (1955) 160 (1957) 161 (1959) 162 (1961) 163 (1963) 164 (1965) 165 (1967) 166 (1969) 167 (1971) 168 (1973) 169 (1975) 170 (1977) 171 (1979) 172 (1981) 173 (1983) 174 (1985) 175 (1987) 176 (1989) 177 (1991) 178 (1993) 179 (1995) 180 (1997) 181 (1999) 182 (2001) 183 (2003) 184 (2005) 185 (2007) 186 (2009) 187 (2011) 188 (2013) 189 (2015) 190 (2017) 191 (2019) 192 (2021) 193 (2023) 194 (2025) Supermajority A supermajority

2184-496: The Australian Constitution , a referendum is required and must achieve a " double majority ": a majority of those voting nationwide, as well as separate majorities in a majority of states (i.e., 4 out of 6 states). Furthermore, in circumstances where a specific state is affected by a referendum, a majority of voters in that state must also agree to the change —referred to as a "triple majority". Article 142 of

2268-471: The Constitution of Bangladesh stipulates a bill in the Jatiya Sangsad must expressly state in its short title its purpose is to amend a provision of the constitution. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority in the unicameral Jatiya Sangsad to become effective. In Canada, most constitutional amendments can be passed only if identical resolutions are adopted by the House of Commons,

2352-403: The Constitution of Colorado was amended to require a 55% majority to pass new constitutional amendments by popular vote. It had previously been a simple majority. Parliamentary procedure requires that any action that may alter the rights of a minority have a supermajority requirement. Robert's Rules of Order states: As a compromise between the rights of the individual and the rights of

2436-563: The Constitution of South Korea , impeachment of the President requires a two-third majority of legislators to be effective. According to Article 113 of the Constitution of South Korea, the Constitutional Court requires a two-thirds majority of its judges to issue rulings nullifying laws, removing impeached officials or dissolving a political party. According to Article 130 of the Constitution of South Korea, amendments to

2520-605: The Electoral Act sets out a number of 'reserved provisions'. These provisions include section 17(1) of the Constitution Act 1986 (regarding Parliament 's term length), section 35 of the Electoral Act (regarding the drawing of electoral boundaries), and section 74 of the Electoral Act (designating 18 as the minimum voting age). For a 'reserved provision' to be amended or repealed, a three-quarters majority

2604-640: The Third Lateran Council in 1179. In the Democratic Party of the United States, a rule requiring the determination of a presidential nominee required the votes of two-thirds of delegates to the Democratic National Convention was adopted at the party's first presidential nominating convention in 1832 . The two-thirds rule gave southern Democrats a de facto veto over any presidential nominee after

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2688-606: The legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since the adoption of the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780. The body was in operation before Massachusetts became a U.S. state on February 6, 1788 . The first sessions, starting in 1780 , were one-year elected sessions for both houses. This was expanded to two-year sessions starting with the 142nd General Court in January 1921. Thereafter,

2772-519: The ordinary legislative procedure the EP is required to act by an absolute majority if it is to either amend or reject proposed legislation. According to Finnish Law , when a new legislative proposal would in some way add, alter or remove a part of the Finnish constitution, a bill requires a 2/3 majority in the Parliament of Finland . In other words, a legislative proposal that would modify, add or remove

2856-619: The 1990s (i.e., enough votes to override vetoes by a governor) and also currently hold supermajorities in both chambers. State senators and representatives both serve two-year terms. There are no term limits ; a term limit was enacted by initiative in Massachusetts in 1994 but in 1997 was struck down by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court , which ruled that it was an unconstitutional attempt to provide additional qualifications for office by statute, rather than constitutional amendment. The legislature

2940-544: The Civil War, which lasted until the rule was abolished in 1936 . In the Federalist Papers , Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were critical of supermajority requirements. In Federalist 22, Hamilton wrote that while preventing harmful legislation from being passed, such requirements also prevented beneficial legislation from being passed, and "its real operation is to embarrass the administration, to destroy

3024-506: The Committee on Bills in the Third Reading. This amounts to preliminary approval of the bill in that branch. That committee examines technical points, as well as the legality and constitutionality of the measure, and ensures that it does not duplicate or contradict existing law. The committee then issues a report and returns the bill to the House or Senate for its third reading. At that time, legislators can further debate and amend

3108-509: The Constitution. Most of the Articles of the Constitution may be amended by a bill enacted by Parliament if there is at least a supermajority of two-thirds of all elected MPs voting in favour of the bill during its Second and Third Readings in Parliament. This is in contrast to ordinary bills, which only need to be approved by at least a simple majority of all the MPs present and voting. However,

3192-589: The European Union envoy Miroslav Lajčák proposed independence if a 55% supermajority of votes are cast in favor with a minimum turnout of 50%. Such procedure, ultimately accepted by the government of Montenegro , was somewhat criticized as overriding the traditional practice of requiring a two-thirds supermajority, as practiced in all former Yugoslav countries before (including the previous referendum in Montenegro ). The requirement for 50% turnout has also been criticized for causing no-show paradoxes . In 2016,

3276-425: The House has historically been quite powerful, exerting significant influence over all aspects of state government. The General Court is responsible for enacting laws in the state. The two legislative branches work concurrently on pending laws brought before them. Lawmaking begins when legislators, or their delegates, file petitions accompanied by bills, resolves or other types of legislation electronically, using

3360-604: The House or Senate. Matters not requiring reference to another Joint, House or Senate committee are, following the first reading, referred without debate to the Committee on Senate Rules if reported in the Senate, except certain special laws (relative to a city or town) are placed directly on the Senate Calendar (Orders of the Day), or, without debate to the House Steering, Policy and Scheduling committee if reported into

3444-524: The House or Senate. The Health Care Financing Committee is required to provide an estimated cost of the bill, when making their report. If the estimated cost is less than $ 100,000, the bill bypasses having to be referred to Ways and Means. If a bill is not related to health care, but affects the finances of the Commonwealth, or, if it is reported by the Health Care Financing Committee with an estimated cost greater than $ 100,000, it

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3528-512: The House or Senate. The public may still observe "executive" sessions, but may not participate in these meetings. The committee then issues its report, recommending that a bill "ought to pass" or "ought not to pass" and the report is submitted to the Clerk's office. The first reading of a favorably reported bill is automatic and generally occurs when the committee's report appears in the Journal of

3612-558: The House. Reports from Senate Rules or House Steering, Policy and Scheduling are placed on the Calendar of the Chamber receiving the report for a second reading. If a bill reported favorably by a joint committee affects health care it is referred by the House or Senate Clerk to the joint committee on Health Care Financing; and the first reading is delayed until the next favorable report, thus allowing Health Care Financing to report to either

3696-597: The Legislative Automated Workflow System (LAWS). The electronically submitted legislation is received in the House or Senate Clerk's office where the petitions , bills , and resolves are recorded in an electronic docket book. The clerks number the bills and assign them to appropriate joint committees. There are 26 of these committees, each responsible for studying the bills which pertain to specific policy areas, taxation , education , health care , insurance , and others. Each committee

3780-620: The Senate and two-thirds or more of the provincial legislative assemblies representing at least 50 percent of the national population. Article 20 of the Constitution of Denmark states that if the government or parliament wants to cede parts of national sovereignty to an international body such as the European Union or the United Nations , it has to get a five-sixths majority in the Folketing (150 out of 179 seats). If there

3864-435: The assembly, the principle has been established that a two-thirds vote is required to adopt any motion that: (a) suspends or modifies a rule of order previously adopted; (b) prevents the introduction of a question for consideration; (c) closes, limits, or extends the limits of debate; (d) closes nominations or the polls, or otherwise limits the freedom of nominating or voting; or (e) takes away membership. To pass an amendment to

3948-434: The authority of the General Court. Under this new system the religious qualification, that suffrage be for only Puritan men, was changed to a qualification of property ownership. The Assistants were also officially changed to a Governor's Council to be selected by the governor to act as an upper house as well as a council for advice and consent . All laws passed by the General Court were to be approved by Royal Governor of

4032-482: The basis of a majority, a supermajority can be specified using any fraction or percentage which is greater than one-half. Common supermajorities include three-fifths (60%), two-thirds (66.666...%), and three-quarters (75%). A two-thirds vote, when unqualified, means two-thirds or more of the votes cast. This voting basis is equivalent to the number of votes in favor being at least twice the number of votes against. Abstentions and absences are excluded in calculating

4116-417: The bill for the report, and, if the motion to substitute carries, the matter is then given its first reading and follows the same procedure as if reported favorably by committee. After a bill is read for a second time, it is open to debate on amendments and motions . Following debate, a vote is taken and if the bill receives a favorable vote by the membership, it is ordered to a third reading and referred to

4200-425: The bill, first in the House and later in the Senate, is the final step in the passage of a bill by the legislature. Following enactment, the bill goes to the governor , who may sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without signing it (if the governor holds the bill for ten days without taking any action while the legislature is in session, it becomes law without his or her signature), veto it, or return it to

4284-554: The bill. Following the third reading, the body votes on "passing the bill to be engrossed." The bill must then pass through three readings and engrossment in the second legislative branch. Should that occur, it is sent to the Legislative Engrossing Division where it is typed on special parchment in accordance with the General Laws . However, if the second branch passes an amended version of the bill,

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4368-824: The book burnt on Boston Common . With the collapse of the Dominion of New England in the Glorious Revolution in 1689 The Assistants convened an assembly of delegates from each town to reform the General Court. With the Massachusetts Charter in 1691 the Province of Massachusetts Bay absorbed the colony of Plymouth . The Plymouth Colony , along with the District of Maine and the islands off Cape Cod , Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket were to be an extension of Massachusetts and thus under

4452-548: The city on March 17, 1776. The Governor's Council acted as the executive in the absence of the governor and lieutenant governor, administering the rebel forces of the colony during the early years of the American Revolutionary War , which began in Massachusetts at the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The General Assembly declared Massachusetts independent from Britain on May 1, 1776. With

4536-659: The colony. Soon after, Governor John Winthrop and the Deputy Governor Thomas Dudley broke with protocol when they themselves traveled to New England and moved the government to Massachusetts Bay. Along with them came the stock holders of the company and the Council of Assistants . Once in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the new government reorganized itself out of convenience. Instead of attempting to assemble all stockholders to

4620-488: The company. These officials were to have royally assented governmental control of the colony and would be tasked with the management and defense of the colonial plantation. The first Court assembled would be made from these members to discuss and evaluate the situation of the colony. The first meeting of the original General Court took place in London in 1629. The General Court selected John Endicott as its representative to

4704-406: The constitution must be passed by a two-thirds majority of legislators and then approved by voters at a referendum in order to become effective. The 1978 Constitution states that a three-fifths majority in both Congress of Deputies and Senate of Spain is needed to pass a constitutional reform, but if a two-thirds majority is reached in the Congress of Deputies, an absolute majority of senators

4788-533: The constitution, except for Chapter I — "General Principles," Chapter III — "Elections. Referendum", and Chapter XIII — "Introducing Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine", must be previously approved by a simple majority of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and then passed by a two-thirds majority of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine at

4872-519: The discretion of local magistrates creating a theocratic quasi-democratic state. By votes of the General Court in the 1630s, the system of government changed to have an elected governor and to restrict the list of "freemen" to those affiliated with certain Puritan churches. In 1634, after complaint the charter was not being followed, a compromise resulted in recomposition of the General Court as two deputies elected by freemen in each town. Problems with

4956-442: The effect of counting abstentions but not absences as votes against the proposal. For example, if an organization has 150 members and at a meeting 30 members are present with 25 votes cast, a "two-thirds vote" would be 17. ("Two-thirds of those present" would be 20, and "two-thirds of the entire membership" would be 100.) Another type of supermajority is three-fifths (60 percent). This requirement could also be qualified to include

5040-470: The energy of government, and to substitute the pleasure, caprice or artifices of an insignificant, turbulent or corrupt junto, to the regular deliberations and decisions of a respectable majority." Hamilton also wrote that such a requirement would encourage "contemptible compromises of the public good". In Federalist 58, Madison wrote that supermajority requirements might help impede the passage of "hasty and partial measures", but "[i]n all cases where justice or

5124-588: The entire membership or to include those present. In 2006, the Constitution of Florida was amended to require a 60% majority to pass new constitutional amendments by popular vote. In Poland , the Sejm ( lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland ) requires a three-fifths majority of MPs to overturn a veto from the President of Poland . For the Montenegrin independence referendum held in 2006

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5208-435: The following session. Before the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China in 2005, the constitution amendments need to be passed by the National Assembly . Since the Additional Articles ratified on June 7, 2005, the National Assembly was abolished. Amendments of the constitution need to be proposed by more than one-quarter of members of the Legislative Yuan, passed by three-quarters of those present in

5292-409: The form of the Governor, the Governor's Council, etc. had more executive authority the Court could cause political stalemate if its demands were not met. Even the Governor's reserve power to dissolve the General Court was ineffective because a new assembly had to be elected the following year. With the passage of the Intolerable Acts by the Parliament of Great Britain there was political turmoil in

5376-418: The general good might require new laws to be passed, or active measures to be pursued, the fundamental principle of free government would be reversed. It would be no longer the majority that would rule; the power would be transferred to the minority." Madison also wrote that such requirements would encourage secession . A majority vote , or more than half the votes cast, is a common voting basis . Instead of

5460-415: The legislation returns to the original branch for a vote of concurrence in the amendment. If concurrence is rejected, a conference committee consisting of the three members from each legislative branch representing both political parties may be formed to effect a compromise piece of legislation. When a compromise is reached, the bill is sent to both legislative branches for their approval. A vote "to enact"

5544-429: The legislative year was defined as: "The first legislative year starting with the opening of the biennial session and ends at midnight on Tuesday before the first Wednesday of the following year. The second legislative year starts on the first Wednesday of the second year and ends when the legislature prorogues or at midnight on Tuesday before the first Wednesday of the following year. Watson F. Hammond , seated in 1885,

5628-462: The legislature with recommended changes. If the legislature has concluded its yearly session, and the governor does not sign the bill within ten days, it dies. This is referred to as a " pocket veto ." This ten-day period includes Sundays and holidays, even if they fall on the tenth day, and it begins the day after the legislation is laid on the governor's desk. A bill signed by the governor, or passed by two-thirds of both branches over his veto, becomes

5712-453: The liberal arts, and renamed the school the Lowell Technological Institute. The mission of the college moved towards general engineering, and a bachelor’s program was created in 1956. The textile program was closed in 1971, reflecting the closure of most of the mills in the city. In 1947 the first two dormitories were built, Smith and Eames Hall. In 1967, they were built across the Merrimack River . In 1973, Lowell Technical Institute Dormitory

5796-443: The meeting of the General Court the government decided on having each town elect two representatives to send in their stead. The General Court became a de facto bicameral legislature by virtue of the distinction between delegates elected by towns and the Council of Assistants. The assistants acted as magistrates and counselors of jurisprudence, however when in session they served as a sort of upper house . Their assent and approval

5880-443: The meeting, the presence of which must surpass three-quarters of all members of Legislative Yuan, then followed by approval by more than half (50%) of all eligible voters in referendums . In Turkey, constitutional amendments need a three fifths majority (360 votes) to be put forward to a referendum and a two-thirds majority (400 votes) to be ratified directly. According to Article 155 of the Constitution of Ukraine , amendments to

5964-433: The membership. The governor may also declare an act to be an emergency law and make it effective at once. A special act takes effect thirty days from the day it is signed, unless it contains a provision to make it effective immediately. The State House News Service is an independent privately owned wire service based in the Massachusetts State House that provides comprehensive coverage of the Commonwealth's government. It

6048-529: The province. The powers of the monarch to be expanded in this new system as well. The King had full control of maritime affairs and acted as an executive, through the Royal Governor, to enforce commercial law. This separation of powers led to some friction with the Royal Governor and the General Court. The General Court retained power over spending and budget and while the Royal Officers, in

6132-579: The province. With political disorder Thomas Gage , then the Royal Governor, cancelled the new elections for the General Court and in 1774 the assembly was essentially dissolved. This allowed the governor to rule by decree and appoint town governments. In defiance of both Crown law and Gage, members of the General Court formed the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and seized control of the colony except for Boston, where British troops maintained control until when they evacuated

6216-439: The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has commanded a majority of more than two-thirds of the seats in Parliament since 1968. Thus, the more stringent amendment requirement has not imposed any major limitation on Parliament's ability to amend the Constitution. A three-fifths majority of legislators is required for a bill to be put to a vote in the National Assembly in order to prevent the ruling party from passing laws without

6300-426: The states and judiciary, at least above half of all the states need to ratify the amendment. The President of Italy is elected by an electoral college consisting of both chambers of Parliament sitting in joint session with 58 electors from the country's 20 regions . In the first three rounds of voting, a candidate must get two-thirds of the votes to win, but from the fourth round onwards only an absolute majority

6384-423: The succeeding regular session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. According to Article 156 of the Constitution of Ukraine, amendments to Chapter I — "General Principles," Chapter III — "Elections. Referendum", and Chapter XIII — "Introducing Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine" must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and then approved by voters at

6468-406: The support of opposition parties. However, if a bill does not achieve the required three-fifths majority at one session without also being rejected, it must then be voted on at the next session even if less than three-fifths of legislators agree to do so. Additionally, if the President vetoes a bill, the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority of legislators. According to Article 65 of

6552-474: The time was one hundred dollars. In 1903, the school moved to the newly built Southwick Hall. In 1913, the school granted its first bachelor's degree in textile dyeing and textile engineering. During World War I , the grounds of the college were used as a military training camp. The school almost went bankrupt due to the increased demand for soldiers and textiles. By 1929, Lowell’s expanded curriculum, larger faculty, and livelier extracurricular program warranted

6636-496: The unanimous approval of all other member states. After the accession of Croatia, on 1   July 2013, at least 260 votes out of a total of 352 by at least 15 member states were required for legislation to be adopted by qualified majority. From 1   July 2013, the pass condition translated into: Requirements to reach an absolute majority is a common feature of voting in the European Parliament (EP) where under

6720-543: The war still ongoing, demands for government reform resulted in the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1778 , but the text proposed by the legislature failed in a statewide voter referendum. The Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1779–1780 was held by a specially-elected body, and the resulting text, after amendment and ratification, became the current state constitution. The current Massachusetts General Court has met as

6804-549: Was a meeting of shareholders, known as freemen . The "Great and General Court" was to meet in London and elect its officers and members in the same manner as other colonial charted companies of the time such as the Virginia Company and the East India Company . The freemen would meet annually to elect representatives in the form of a Royal Governor, a Deputy Governor, and a Council made from the directors of

6888-595: Was built near Leitch and Bourgeois Hall. At eighteen stories, the building, which was later renamed Fox Hall, is one of the tallest buildings in Lowell. In 1972, a feasibility study was conducted on merging the school with the nearby Lowell State College . The schools merged in 1975 to form the University of Lowell, which changed its name to the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1991. Today, Lowell Tech's campus

6972-451: Was needed in order for any decision from the house of delegates to be passed. The new legislature was elected annually. Suffrage was allowed only for men who were Puritan church members and freemen. This General Court removed any feudal restraints on the population and codified a Bill of Rights and powers of a judiciary. The General Court also enshrined the Laws of Moses as legal code under

7056-503: Was the first Native American to be elected to the body. Florence Slocomb was one of the first three women in the Commonwealth to be elected to the state Legislature and the first woman from Worcester to win a state legislative seat, representing that district from 1926 to 1928. Althea Garrison was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1992 and is known as the first transgender person to serve in

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