State Senate Upholds Peabody Veto Of Bill to Allow November PR Vote

A move to override Gov. Peabody's veto of the PR-referendum bill fell one vote short of victory yesterday in the state Senate.

The bill--which would allow a Cambridge referendum this November on proportional representation--will be reconsidered today. Unless two-thirds of the Senators present vote against the Governor, however, the measure will be dead for the rest of this legislative session.

Yesterday's vote was 21 to 11 against the veto, with 17 Democrats and four Republicans opposing the Governor and five Democrats and six Republicans supporting him. Sen. Denis L. McKenna (D-Somerville), who filed the bill, moved reconsideration, which requires only a plurality to be approved.

Dana S. Hanson, executive secretary of the Cambridge Civic Association, predicted last night that the Senate will again uphold Peabody's veto unless a substantial number of absentee Senators join the bill's supporters.

He conceded that Peabody's veto might be overturned, but said that both sides were working to line up votes. If the Senate overrides the veto, the bill will go to the House of Representatives, where, Hanson said, there was "a good chance" that it would finally be killed.