ADVOCATES BUOYED BY VOTER SUPPORT

Having won popular support for their ballot measures among area voters in
Tuesday's election, advocates say they will press ahead with concrete plans
to file legislation on behalf of their causes.

Voters in the western suburbs weighed in on nonbinding initiatives this
week on several issues, signaling their support for the decriminalization
of marijuana possession, creating an independent commission to oversee
legislative redistricting, and strengthening the rights of both parents in
custody cases.

The measures were approved in every community in the Globe West coverage
area where they appeared on the ballot.

Whitney Taylor, executive director of the Drug Policy Forum of
Massachusetts, said her organization will use that support to petition the
Legislature to reduce penalties for marijuana possession. Opponents say
marijuana use is often the first step to more serious addiction, but
supporters of decriminalization say it is a waste of money to prosecute
low-level offenses.

Drug decriminalization activists also asked some voters last week to weigh
in on legalizing medicinal marijuana. That measure passed in both
Bellingham and Milford. "The people are ahead of the politicians," Taylor said.

Similar measures were approved by voters in 2000 and 2002.

State Representative James Vallee, a Franklin Democrat whose district
supported decriminalizing marijuana in Tuesday's election, said Wednesday
that he had not seen the results yet so he could not comment extensively on
them. But he said he remained willing to speak with advocates.

In the past, Vallee, cochairman of the Legislature's Criminal Justice
Committee, has said he did not see any significant reason why penalties for
marijuana possession should be reduced.

Voters in several area communities approved a measure that would place
responsibility for legislative redistricting with an independent commission
in lieu of politically motivated legislators.

Pamela Wilmot, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, a watchdog
group that sponsored the measure, said the next step is to solidify the
details of the commission and the criteria for creating new legislative
districts. Common Cause hopes to file a bill to begin moving its plan
through the legislative process, which could culminate with a binding vote
in 2008, Wilmot said.

State Representative Ruth Balser, a Newton Democrat whose district approved
the redistricting proposal, said she looks forward to working with Common
Cause. The measure also was approved by voters in Waltham, Wayland,
Lincoln, Sudbury, Dover, Medfield, and Needham.

The most widespread ballot question at the polls Tuesday asked whether
residents wanted to ensure that the rights of both parents are considered
in child custody cases. Ned Holstein, president of the group Fathers and
Families, said his organization believes that children of divorce are
better off when they have contact with both parents.

Holstein said his group agrees that a judge should be able to award sole
custody if one parent is deemed unfit or there are other reasons why joint
custody is impossible. Their hope, he said, is to shift the judge's
"starting point" in custody cases.

"Right now, they go into this thinking, 'I've got to choose one parent
here,' " said Holstein, saying his group intends to file legislation in the
next session. The measure passed in Marlborough, Natick, Wellesley, and
Northborough.

In addition, voters in Waltham approved a measure allowing parents to
legally leave unwanted newborns in designated places.