The suit against the attorney general alsoalleges that a summary of the petition that hisoffice prepared for inclusion on the state ballotwas misleading, because, the suit claims, it ledvoters to believe that the petition was actuallypro-rent control.

Cavellini said that the summary, and thepetition on which it was based, were "deliberatelymisleading" so as to be "a distortion of thedemocratic process."

State Legislature

In addition to the two court fights, the rentcontrol battle is also being waged in the statelegislature.

On Tuesday morning, the Local AffairsCommittee, a joint committee of the statelegislature, will hold a public hearing on therent control initiative petition, after which itwill provide a recommendation on the issue of astate constitutional convention.

State Rep. Barbara Gray (D-Framingham),co-chair of the Local Affairs Committee, said theexpects the committee to issue an unfavorablerecommendation.

"I think this matter is not an appropriatematter for initiative petition," Gray said. "It isa matter of home rule."

The constitutional convention, which includesmembers of the Senate and House, will conveneWednesday.

If the petition, or some compromise version ofit, passes at the convention, it will be certifiedfor inclusion on the state ballot in November.

If the petition is not endorsed by theconstitutional convention, however, the HomeownersCoalition will be required to collect anadditional 12,000 signatures by late June in orderto get the issue on the state ballot.

Jillson said she does not believe that theconvention will endorse it, and lamented thecomplicated procedure for getting referenda on theballot.

"The legislature believes the initiativepetition process undermines their authority," shesaid. "The process is so convoluted andcomplicated to discourage people."

Even if the referendum goes to the voters andthey approve it, however, Cambridge, Boston orBrookline could still file a home rule petitionchallenging the constitutionality of thereferendum