Author: Josh Altic
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Tucson sanctuary city initiative qualifies for the ballot after random sampling of signatures verified
On Monday, the Pima County Recorder certified that enough signatures submitted for the Tucson sanctuary city initiative were valid to qualify it for the ballot. The initiative now goes to the city council. If the mayor and city council do not approve it, the initiative goes onto the November 2019 ballot. If the mayor and…
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Four new statewide ballot measures certified for 2019 and 2020
Four new statewide ballot measures were certified for 2019 and 2020 ballots in the past 30 days. Three statewide measures were certified for 2019 in Maine, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Here’s what they would do: Maine: allow legislation to let persons with physical disabilities that prevent them from signing their own names use an…
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Judge rules a simple majority, not two-thirds supermajority, is enough for San Francisco’s 2018 citizen-initiated special tax measures
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman ruled Friday that two measures (both called Proposition C) on the San Francisco ballot in June and November of 2018 were properly certified as approved by city officials. Schulman ruled that the measures proposing tax increases for specific purposes required a simple majority for approval because they were…
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Signatures submitted for Tucson sanctuary city initiative targeting the November 2019 ballot
On July 3, 2019, proponents of an initiative to make Tucson the first sanctuary city in Arizona submitted 18,155 unverified signatures to election officials. They needed to collect 9,241 valid signatures by July 5, 2019, to qualify the initiative for the November general election ballot. Submitted signatures must now be verified by election officials.…
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Fourteen states approve changes to laws governing ballot measures in 2019
In 2019, 14 states have approved 29 proposals changing laws governing ballot initiatives, veto referendums, referrals, local ballot measures, and recall. Five approved proposals, however, were constitutional amendments requiring voter ratification in 2019 or 2020. Two additional bills were approved by the Idaho State Legislature, but the governor vetoed them. Five citizen-initiated measures directly…
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Kansas City voters reject citizen initiative to limit revenue used for economic development incentive programs
On June 18, voters in Kansas City defeated Question 1, a citizen initiative that would have limited the property tax abatement or redirection that could be used toward economic development projects in the city to 50% of the revenue that would have otherwise been generated. According to election night results with 97% of precincts…
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Louisiana voters will decide a constitutional amendment concerning the state’s board of tax appeals in October 2019
The Louisiana State Legislature gave final approval to a constitutional amendment on Monday that would allow the legislature to expand the authority of the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals. The amendment will be on the state’s October 2019 election ballot. Rep. Stephen Dwight (R-35) introduced the constitutional amendment as House Bill 428 (HB 428).…
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Los Angeles Unified School District Measure EE parcel tax fails
On Tuesday, voters in Los Angeles Unified School District defeated Measure EE, which would have enacted an annual parcel tax for 12 years at the rate of $0.16 per square foot of building improvements to fund educational improvements, instruction, and programs. District officials estimated that the parcel tax would have raised $500 million…
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Voters in Denver approve initiative requiring voter approval of any public funding for future Olympics
Voters in Denver, Colorado, approved Initiated Ordinance 302 on Tuesday. According to preliminary reports, it was approved by 79 percent of voters. The initiative prohibits the city and county from using public funds in connection with future Olympic Games unless a majority of voters approve such funds. The group Let Denver Vote circulated the…
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Louisiana State Legislature sends two property tax exemption ballot measures to the 2019 ballot
The Louisiana State Legislature gave final approval to two constitutional amendments on Sunday, sending them to the October 2019 primary election ballot. Both amendments concern exemptions for ad valorem property taxes. In Louisiana, the state legislature can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot with a two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of all members in each chamber.…