Author: Jackie Mitchell
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Colorado property tax reduction initiative certified for November ballot; could be withdrawn if legislative compromise is reached
The Colorado secretary of state’s office announced on Aug. 21 that Initiative 108, related to property taxes, qualified for the November ballot. The initiative would redefine residential real property to include multifamily residential properties (excluding hotels and motels) and residential land and improvements. This would revert provisions of Senate Bill 238 (SB 238), which the…
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With a right-to-abortion initiative in Montana, 9 states will vote on abortion-related ballot measures in Nov.—the most for a single year
Nine statewide ballot measures related to abortion have been certified in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, Nevada, and South Dakota for the general election ballot in 2024. This is the most on record for a single year. Montana is the most recent state to add an abortion measure to the ballot. The…
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Voters in three states—Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota, to decide on marijuana legalization initiatives in November
Voters in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota will decide on ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana in November. Florida Amendment 3 would legalize marijuana and allow individuals to possess up to three ounces of marijuana (about 85 grams), with up to five grams in the form of concentrate. The initiative would not allow individuals to…
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North Dakota voters will decide a marijuana legalization initiative following defeats in 2018 and 2022
North Dakota will decide on a ballot measure in November to legalize marijuana. It will be the third time the state will vote on a marijuana legalization initiative. Burleigh County Commissioner Steve Bakken (R) filed the ballot initiative. He said, “A lot of what we don’t want to see is what’s going on in some…
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In 2024, more bills were enacted to make ballot initiative processes harder or easier compared to the average for the prior six years
During the 2024 legislative sessions, 326 pieces of legislation related to direct democracy—ballot initiatives, referendums, and recall petitions—were proposed. As of August 5, 33 bills and resolutions were enacted, close to the annual average of 34 enacted bills between 2018 and 2023. Of the 33 enacted pieces of legislation, 10 were designed to make the…
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North Dakota initiative to prohibit property taxes certified to appear on Nov. ballot
North Dakota voters will decide on a ballot initiative in Nov. 2024 to prohibit property taxes, except those used to pay for bond debt. End Unfair Property Tax, the campaign supporting the measure, submitted around 41,000 to the secretary of state’s office on June 28, 2024. On Aug. 2, Secretary of State John Thurston certified…
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Signatures submitted for Colorado ballot initiative to create veterinary professional associate (VPA) profession
In Colorado, the campaign All Pets Deserve Vet Care submitted signatures for an initiative to create the profession of veterinary professional associate (VPA), which would require a master’s degree and registration with the State Board of Veterinary Medicine. Sponsors submitted about 200,000 signatures for the initiative on July 29, 2024. To qualify for the ballot,…
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Arkansas voters to decide on ballot initiative repealing Pope County casino license and requiring countywide approval for any future licenses
Voters in Arkansas will decide on an initiative to repeal a casino license in Pope County and require countywide voter approval for any new casino licenses provided for in any future constitutional amendments. Secretary of State John Thurston announced that 116,200 valid signatures were submitted for the measure. To qualify for the ballot, 90,704 valid…
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Signatures submitted for Colorado top-four primary and ranked-choice voting initiative
Colorado Voters First submitted signatures for an initiative that would establish top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting in Colorado. If 124,238 signatures are found valid, the initiative will appear on the ballot on Nov. 5, 2024. The initiative would establish top-four primary elections and ranked-choice voting general elections for the following offices: U.S. Senate, U.S. House…
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Advance Colorado Action submits signatures for three ballot initiatives addressing property taxes, parole eligibility, and a constitutional right to school choice
Advance Colorado Action, an issue advocacy organization that describes its mission as “supporting policies that increase economic opportunity and greater government transparency,” submitted signatures for three ballot initiatives for the November general election ballot. Nearly 200,000 signatures were submitted for each initiative. To qualify for the ballot, each initiative must receive 124,238 valid signatures. The…