Author: Jackie Mitchell

On November 12, 2019, Colorado Citizen Voters, sponsors of Colorado Initiative 76, announced having collected and submitted around 200,000 signatures to qualify the initiative for the 2020 ballot. To qualify for the ballot, 124,632 valid signatures are required.   This measure would amend the Colorado Constitution to state that only citizens of the United States…

Fifteen statewide ballot measures were on the ballot in Washington on November 5, including three binding statewide ballot measures and 12 non-binding tax advisory votes.   Citizen initiated measures:   Referendum 88, which was rejected, was a statewide vote on I-1000 (an initiative to allow affirmative action that was approved by the legislature). A yes…

Florida voters will decide in 2020 whether to raise the state’s minimum wage, which is currently $8.46 per hour. The measure, which will appear on the 2020 ballot as Amendment 2, would increase the minimum wage to $10 per hour on September 30, 2021, and raise the wage by $1 per year until reaching $15…

Texas voters approved Proposition 10 in a vote of 94% in favor to 6% against.   Under the state’s Local Government Code, a retiring police dog or working animal is classified as salvage or surplus property and, according to code, surplus or salvage property can be auctioned, donated to a civic or charitable organization, or…

A majority of Pennsylvania voters voted in favor of a measure to add specific rights of crime victims, together known as a Marsy’s Law, to the Pennsylvania Constitution. The vote was 74% to 26%.   On October 30, 2019, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court enjoined Acting Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar from counting or certifying election…

New Jersey residents voted to extend the $250 property tax deduction that veterans receive to continuing care retirement centers on behalf of the veterans living there and require the retirement centers to pass the value of the deduction on to veterans in the form of credits or payments. The vote was 76% to 24%.  …

Jersey City voters approved Question 1, authorizing certain regulations and restrictions on short- term rental properties. The vote was 69% in favor to 31% against.   The approval of Jersey City Question 1 enacted certain restrictions and regulations on renting out short-term rental properties (such as Airbnb and VRBO), including the following: limitations on what…

Kansas voters approved a constitutional amendment ending the state’s practice of adjusting the U.S. Census population regarding military personnel and students when redistricting the Kansas State Legislature. The vote was 60% to 40%.   Going into the election, the Kansas Constitution required the state legislature to apportion state legislative districts based on the most recent…

Voters in Maine approved both questions on their ballots. Question 1 authorized $105 million in bonds for transportation infrastructure projects. Question 2 amended the state constitution to allow for persons with physical disabilities to use alternative signatures to sign initiative petitions. The vote for both measures was 76% in favor and 24% against.   As…

On Monday, proponents of two marijuana initiatives in South Dakota submitted a combined 80,000 signatures to the Secretary of State.   One measure would amend the constitution to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana and would require the state legislature to pass laws providing for the use of medical marijuana and the sale of hemp by…