Author: Jackie Mitchell
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Louisiana voters will decide on eight constitutional amendments in 2023 – four on Oct. 14, four on Nov. 18
In Oct. and Nov. 2023, voters in Louisiana will decide on eight constitutional amendments. The state Legislature referred four of the amendments to the ballot on Oct. 14, and the other four of the amendments to the ballot for Nov. 18. A two-thirds vote was required in each chamber of the Louisiana State Legislature to…
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Florida minimum wage to increase from $11 to $12 on Sept. 30
Florida’s minimum wage will increase by $1, from $11.00 per hour to $12.00 per hour, on Sept. 30, 2023. The increase is due to a 2020 initiative, known as Amendment 2, which was approved with 61% of voters in favor and 39% of voters opposed. The amendment was designed to raise the state’s minimum wage,…
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Colorado initiative to limit state property tax revenue could be on 2024 ballot
Colorado voters may decide in 2024 on an initiative that would cap state property tax revenue at 4% over the total revenue collected in the preceding year. The initiative would require statewide voter approval to allow local governments to retain property tax revenue exceeding the 4% growth limit. The initiative was sponsored by Advance Colorado…
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Florida initiative to prohibit abortion restrictions qualifies for state supreme court review
Floridians Protecting Freedom, sponsors of an initiative that would prohibit restrictions on abortions before fetal viability, have submitted 297,586 valid signatures as of Sept. 1, qualifying the proposal for a review by the state supreme court. The initiative would provide that “no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary…
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Philadelphia voters to decide measure on making Office for People with Disabilities a permanent part of the city charter
The Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed a charter amendment in June, referring it to the Nov. 2023 ballot, that would make the Office for People with Disabilities a permanent part of city government by making it a part of the city charter. Philadelphia currently has a Mayor’s Office on People with Disabilities, which was established…
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Ohio could become 24th state to legalize marijuana if voters approve initiative in November
Ohio voters will decide on an initiative to legalize marijuana for adult use on Nov. 7. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) announced on Aug. 16 that the measure qualified for the ballot after the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted more than the required number of valid signatures. The initiative would legalize…
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Voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to decide on ballot initiative to create an alternative police team to address certain calls related to mental health
Voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, will decide in Nov. 2023 on a citizen-initiated ballot measure that would create the Mobile Community Responder Pilot Program (MCRPP). The program would be designed as an alternative first response to various types of calls related to mental and behavioral health, substance use, welfare checks, family and neighbor disputes, issues related…
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Arkansas veto referendum on LEARNS Act falls short of required signatures
Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES) submitted signatures on July 31 to place a veto referendum on the Nov. 2024 ballot to repeal the LEARNS Act, an education bill signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R). To qualify for the ballot, 54,422 valid signatures are needed from 50 of Arkansas’ 75 counties. A…
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Group submits signatures for veto referendum to overturn Arkansas LEARNS Act
Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES) submitted signatures to place a veto referendum on the Nov. 2024 ballot to repeal the LEARNS Act, an education bill signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R). CAPES turned in signatures on July 31 and said they expected to be about 500 signatures short of the requirement.…
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Florida Rights Restoration Coalition files a federal lawsuit concerning the state’s implementation of a 2018 amendment to restore voting rights to people with prior felony convictions
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), which sponsored the voter-approved Amendment 4 in 2018, filed litigation in federal court on July 19, 2023, alleging that the state’s implementation of the amendment is preventing eligible voters from voting and intimidating voters. FRRC stated that the state’s implementation is unconstitutional and illegal under the Voting Rights Act.…