Author: Jackie Mitchell
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Colorado voters will be asked in November to make changes to property taxes and tobacco taxes
The Colorado State Legislature referred two ballot measures concerning taxes and state revenue to the Nov. 2023 ballot before adjourning the legislative session on May 8. Ballot initiatives on the ballot in Colorado during odd-numbered years are limited to topics concerning taxes or state fiscal matters under TABOR, the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. This includes…
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California parcel tax measures have an approval rate of 62% during odd-numbered years; in 2023, 89% have been approved so far
From 2011 to 2021, voters decided 216 parcel tax-related ballot measures in California during odd-numbered year elections. Voters approved 133 (61.57%) and rejected 83 (38.43%). Through April, voters have decided on nine parcel tax ballot measures in California in 2023. Eight (88.89%) were approved, and one (11.11%) was defeated. This approval rate is higher than…
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Colorado voters will be asked in 2023 whether to dedicate $23.65 million in state revenue to preschool programs or refund it to tobacco wholesalers and distributors
Colorado voters will be asked in Nov. 2023 whether to allow the state to retain revenue above the estimated revenue generated from increased taxes on cigarettes and tobacco and nicotine products established by Proposition EE, which was approved by voters in 2020. Proposition EE increased cigarette and tobacco product taxes and created a new tax…
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Florida could become 24th state to establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish
Florida could become the 24th state to establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish in 2024 after the Florida State Legislature passed a resolution referring the question to voters. The resolution would add a 28th section to the Declaration of Rights in the Florida Constitution to say that hunting and fishing are the preferred…
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Florida marijuana legalization initiative has 94% of signatures needed to appear on 2024 ballot
Smart & Safe Florida, a campaign supporting a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in Florida, has collected 786,688 valid signatures, 88% of the 891,523 valid signatures needed to be placed on the ballot in 2024. The initiative would legalize marijuana for adults 21 years old and older. Individuals would be allowed to possess up to…
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Florida state legislature approves constitutional amendment to make school board elections partisan
The Florida State Senate gave final approval to House Joint Resolution 31, a constitutional amendment to make school board elections partisan. School board members in Florida are elected by the voters of the county and serve four-year terms. Currently, voters elect five or more members in a nonpartisan election. Each county makes up a school…
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Iowa to vote in 2024 on gubernatorial succession amendment
The Iowa State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the 2024 ballot that would create a system of succession in the case of temporary or permanent disability of the governor. The amendment would provide that if the governor dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor would assume the office of governor for…
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North Dakota voters to decide on constitutional initiative procedures in 2024
The North Dakota State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the 2024 ballot asking voters to make changes to the state’s initiative process, including changes that would make it more challenging for constitutional initiatives to qualify for the ballot and be adopted. The amendment, Senate Concurrent Resolution 4013, was passed by the Senate in a…
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Colorado voters will decide in 2024 on expanding property tax exemption for veterans with disabilities
Colorado voters will decide on a constitutional amendment in 2024 that would expand the homestead property tax exemption for veterans with service-related disabilities. Currently, veterans in Colorado who are rated as 100% permanently disabled qualify for a homestead property tax exemption that exempts 50% of the first $200,000 of a property’s actual value from property…
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Arkansas voters to decide constitutional amendment in 2024 concerning grants and scholarships for vocational-technical schools
Arkansas voters will decide on a constitutional amendment in 2024 to allow the state’s lottery proceeds to be used to fund grants and scholarships for vocational-technical schools and technical institutes. The amendment was introduced as House Joint Resolution 1006 on February 7, 2023. It was passed in the House on April 4, 2023, by a…