Author: Jackie Mitchell
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Kansas voters vote to end state practice of adjusting census population regarding military personnel and students
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…
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Voters in Maine approve transportation bonds and question allowing disabled to use an alternative signature on initiative petitions
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…
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Groups submit signatures for two 2020 marijuana initiatives in South Dakota
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…
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Proponents submit 313,000 signatures to qualify Medicaid expansion initiative for 2020 ballot in Oklahoma
Proponents of Oklahoma State Question 802—an initiative to expand Medicaid in Oklahoma–reported submitting 313,000 signatures on October 24, 2019, to qualify the measure for the 2020 ballot. Oklahomans Decide Healthcare needs a total of 177,958 valid signatures to qualify its measure for the ballot. The Secretary of State’s office is set to begin a physical…
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Campaign finance updates published for Colorado 2019 ballot propositions
Colorado voters will decide Proposition CC and Proposition DD in two weeks on November 5, 2019. Colorado Proposition CC would allow the state to retain revenue it is currently required to refund under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) to provide funding for transportation and education. Two committees are registered to support Proposition…
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Looking ahead to Florida’s 2020 ballot questions: what is on the ballot and what could be on the ballot?
One measure is currently certified to appear on the Florida 2020 ballot. Proponents of six measures have collected enough signatures (76,632) to trigger ballot language reviews. Proponents of the $15 Minimum Wage Initiative are about 5,000 signatures away from the 766,200 total required signatures, but also need to meet the state’s distribution requirement. On…
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Voters in Memphis approve sales tax for public safety officer benefits
Voters in Memphis, Tennessee, voted to approve an initiative that increased the city’s sales tax by an additional 0.5% (from 2.25% to 2.75%) in order to fund health benefits and pensions to the levels provided in 2014 and 2016, respectively, for fire and police public safety officers. The measure also earmarked additional revenue generated by…
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Citizen voting initiative certified to appear on Florida’s 2020 ballot
On Sept. 19, the Florida Division of Elections reported that the Citizen Requirement for Voting Initiative had qualified for the November 2020 ballot. The measure is sponsored by Florida Citizen Voters and has the support of the national Citizen Voters Inc. Florida Citizen Voters submitted 927,662 valid signatures. To qualify the measure for the ballot,…
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Utah legislature makes changes to state medical marijuana law
Utah Proposition 2, approved by voters in November 2018, was altered by the legislature in December 2018 with House Bill 3001. Among other alterations, HB 3001 removed Proposition 2’s provision allowing patients to grow their own marijuana, provided for a state-run medical marijuana dispensary system, and made changes to the list of qualifying conditions. Utah…
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Potential 2020 Florida initiatives: which have made progress?
Proponents of seven citizen initiatives in Florida have submitted enough valid signatures to trigger a ballot language review by the state supreme court. Sponsors must submit 76,632 valid signatures (10% of the number of signatures required statewide coming from at least seven of Florida’s congressional districts) to trigger a ballot language review by the state supreme…