Author: Jackie Mitchell
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Utah governor signs bill for new state flag, veto referendum filed to stop it
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed Senate Bill 31, a bill to establish a new state flag, on March 21, 2023. The new flag will go into effect on March 9, 2024. The current state flag, which was adopted on March 9, 1911, will be referred to as the historic state flag. Cox said, “As…
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South Carolina legislature considering amendment to make comptroller an appointed rather than elected position
South Carolina legislators are considering a constitutional amendment to make the state comptroller appointed by the governor rather than elected. If passed by both chambers of the legislature, it would appear on the 2024 ballot for voter approval. The amendment was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 95 on Jan. 10, 2023. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee…
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Four property tax renewal measures will be on March 25 ballot in East Baton Rouge Consolidated School District No. 1
Voters in East Baton Rouge Consolidated School District No. 1 will decide on four property tax renewal measures on March 25. In total, approval of the four measures would renew property tax levies of 18.33 mills ($1,833 per $100,000 of a home’s assessed value) for 10 years: Proposition 1: Renew a 6.50 mill property tax…
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Voters in Oklahoma reject ballot initiative to legalize marijuana
Voters in Oklahoma rejected State Question 820, an initiative to legalize marijuana, on March 7. Results showed 62% voting ‘No’ on Question 820 and 38% voting ‘Yes’. Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, the campaign behind the initiative, wanted the issue on the general election ballot in 2022. However, due to delays in signature verification and…
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Wyoming to vote in 2024 on amendment concerning residential property taxes
In 2024, voters in Wyoming will decide on a constitutional amendment to add residential real property as a fourth, separate, class of property for property tax purposes. Under the amendment, the legislature would be authorized to create a subclass of residential property for owner-occupied primary residences, which could be assessed at a different rate from…
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Utah voters to decide on two constitutional amendments related to education funding in 2024
The Utah State Legislature referred three constitutional amendments to the ballot for Nov. 5, 2024, as of March 3. Two of the amendments concern education funding. One of the measures would increase the annual distribution for public education from the State School Fund from 4% to 5%. The amendment was passed unanimously in both chambers…
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Voters in Seattle approve Initiative 135, creating the Social Housing Developer
On Feb. 14, voters in Seattle, Washington, approved Initiative 135, a citizen-initiated measure to create the Seattle Social Housing Developer, a public development organization that will own, develop, and maintain what the initiative describes as social housing. As of Feb. 21, election results showed the initiative received 57.1% of the vote. According to Initiative 135,…
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Utah voters to decide on constitutional amendment concerning elections for county sheriffs in 2024
In 2024, Utah voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would establish in the state constitution that every county in Utah must elect a sheriff to serve for four-year terms. Utah state law already mandates the election of county sheriffs, which means that this constitutional amendment would not alter the current procedures for selecting…
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Tampa voters to decide on four charter amendments at March 7 election
Elections for Tampa’s mayor and six of the seven city council members, as well as four charter amendments referred to the ballot by the city council, will be held on March 7. The charter amendments would: *provide that the mayor’s nominations for department heads and other city employees must be approved by four of the…
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$20 million raised for Florida marijuana legalization initiative targeting 2024 ballot
In Florida, a campaign supporting a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana, Smart and Safe Florida, has raised $20 million. Funding is from Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a marijuana business that operates in several states, including Florida. The campaign is collecting signatures to place the initiative on the ballot for Nov. 5, 2024. The initiative would legalize…