The state's high court killed an Uber- and Lyft-backed ballot initiative Tuesday that aimed to classify drivers for app-based services as contractors.

• Now the drivers' fate in Massachusetts will likely be left up to a lawsuit filed by the attorney general against Uber and Lyft.

Why it matters: Massachusetts is one of several states grappling with how to classify gig workers for app-based companies, which have changed how people order food, groceries and driving services.

• Workers classified as employees are entitled to certain benefits under the law, including health insurance and sick days, whereas independent contractors are not.
• One analysis out of UC Berkeley estimated that a driver working 15 hours a week for companies like Uber and Lyft could legally earn $4.82 an hour — slightly above one-third of the state's minimum wage — after factoring in unpaid idle time, unreimbursed mileage and other costs. Proponents of the ballot question called the analysis "ludicrous."

Driving the news: The Supreme Judicial Court struck down the November ballot question, which aimed to codify the drivers' current status as contractors, due to how part of it was worded.

• The decision states that the wording covers two policy decisions that are too distinct to be considered "related or mutually dependent subjects," as the state constitution requires, and one of the questions was considered too confusing for voters.

What's next: A lawsuit which Attorney General Maura Healey filed in...

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