Author: Victoria Antram
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2026 will be the first even-numbered year since 1966 without an initiative on the general election ballot in Oregon after an initiative to ban hunting fails to qualify
The Oregon Secretary of State announced on July 24 that an initiative to ban hunting in the state did not submit a sufficient number of valid signatures, missing the signature threshold for the November ballot. No other campaigns submitted signatures this election cycle in Oregon by the July 2 deadline. 2026 will be the first…
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Kansas would join 21 other states in electing state Supreme Court justices if amendment passes Aug. 4; if rejected, Kansas would remain the only state with a bar-controlled nominating commission
Kansas voters will head to the polls on Aug. 4 for the state’s primary and are set to also decide on a constitutional amendment that would provide for the election of the Kansas Supreme Court. Currently, the seven justices are selected through assisted appointment and must stand for retention at the next even-year general election…
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Nebraska campaign submits signatures for initiative to raise legislative threshold for changing voter-approved measures and initiative process laws
Respect Nebraska Voters, the campaign behind an initiative to require a four-fifths legislative vote both to change laws governing the initiative and referendum process and to amend or repeal voter-approved initiatives, submitted more than 186,000 signatures on July 2. The initiated constitutional amendment would increase the vote threshold from two-thirds to four-fifths to change or…
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Campaign behind two online sports betting initiatives submitted signatures in Nebraska
Tax Relief Nebraska, the committee behind two ballot initiatives that would legalize online sports betting in the state, filed signatures with the secretary of state on June 26. One initiative is an amendment that would authorize laws governing online sports betting. The second is an initiated state statute that would authorize the state gaming commission…
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Campaign behind an initiative to put sports eligibility based on sex in the Nebraska Constitution submits signatures
Fairness for Girls, the campaign behind an initiative to codify sports eligibility requirements based on sex in the Nebraska Constitution, submitted more than 211,000 signatures on June 30. The signature deadline is July 2. The initiative would add a new section to Article VII of the state constitution, requiring schools to "designate each athletic team…
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California voters are set to decide on 14 ballot measures this fall
June 25 was the deadline for initiatives and referrals to qualify or be removed from the ballot in California. Voters will be deciding on nine ballot initiatives and five legislative referrals this fall after deals were struck among several opposing sides, resulting in the withdrawal of six measures from the ballot. Billionaire tax and competing…
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Two California tax initiatives targeting personal asset taxes and special tax rules qualify for the ballot in challenge to billionaires’ tax initiative
California voters will likely be voting on a slate of competing tax measures in November. The secretary of state reported that two ballot initiatives designed to challenge provisions of the proposed billionaires’ tax initiative qualified for the ballot on June 24. The initiatives are constitutional amendments that would: The billionaires' tax is sponsored by SEIU-UHW…
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Campaign behind Montana ballot measure to guarantee impartial, predictable, transparent, and expeditious processes for ballot initiatives submits signatures
Montanans Decide, the committee sponsoring Constitutional Initiative 133, filed more than 100,000 signatures with county officials on June 18. Constitutional Initiative 133 would add the initiative and referendum power to the state's Declaration of Rights (Article II). It would provide that the "right guarantees impartial, predictable, transparent, and expeditious processes for proposing a ballot issue,…
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What is a state constitution?
A state constitution is the governing document of a U.S. state, comparable to the United States Constitution, which is the governing document of the United States. Some states have had multiple constitutions, and since each state drafts its own, there is great diversity between them, though all have some basic concepts in common. Twenty states…
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California voters will decide on dueling initiatives backed by Uber and trial attorneys in November
Two initiatives, with rideshare companies and trial attorneys taking opposing sides of the campaigns, qualified for the November ballot in California on June 17. One initiative sponsored by Uber would require car accident victims to receive at least 75% of the total amount of damages recovered; establish standards for the recovery of medical expenses based…