Koussa v. Attorney General
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
188 N.E.3d 510 (2022)

- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
The Massachusetts attorney general (defendant) certified two ballot initiatives that would classify drivers for the rideshare services Uber and Lyft as independent contractors. The proposed laws went on to delineate the contract-based relationship between the companies and their drivers, including minimum compensation and benefits. The proposed laws also classified drivers as independent contractors for tort purposes, thus limiting the companies’ liability for torts committed by their drivers. The petitions provided instructions to courts as to how to interpret these new tort provisions. Martin El Koussa and 11 other registered voters (plaintiffs) challenged the initiative petitions, alleging that the petitions violated the provision in the Massachusetts Constitution that required initiative petitions to contain only related or mutually dependent subjects.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Kafker, J.)
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