Author: Victoria Antram
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Vermont voters to decide constitutional amendment for the first time in 12 years that would prohibit slavery and indentured servitude
The Vermont House of Representatives took the final vote on Feb. 4 to send Proposal 2 to voters in November. The constitutional amendment would repeal language stating that persons could be held as servants, slaves, or apprentices with the person’s consent or “for the payments of debts, damages, fines, costs, or the like” and would…
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Texas Republican Party places nonbinding advisory questions on March primary ballot
The Texas Republican Party has placed 10 nonbinding advisory questions on the March 1 primary ballot. The Texas Democratic Party did not place any questions on primary ballots. An advisory question is a type of ballot measure that has no legally binding effect but serves to let voters express their opinions on a policy. The…
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Maine initiative signature deadline passes with no signatures submitted; campaigns target 2023 ballot
The Maine 2022 signature deadline for citizen-initiated measures was Jan. 30. None of the six active campaigns submitted signatures; however, the campaigns have an 18 month circulation period allowing the campaigns to target ballots in 2023. The six initiatives concern requiring a law to establish a publicly funded health coverage program; creating a consumer-owned electric…
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Ohio Secretary of State certifies marijuana legalization initiative to the state legislature
The Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) announced on Jan. 28 that an initiative proposing the legalization of marijuana had submitted enough valid signatures to be presented to the state legislature. The initiative would enact a state law to legalize the cultivation, processing, sale, purchase, possession, home growth, and use of recreational marijuana for…
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Campaigns supporting and opposing Massachusetts additional income tax amendment report $1.6 million in contributions
In November, Massachusetts voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would create an additional income tax of 4% for income over $1 million, in addition to the existing 5% flat-rate income tax, and dedicate revenue to education and transportation purposes. Raise Up Massachusetts, the campaign registered in support of the amendment reported $1.2 million…
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The committee behind a Massachusetts app-based driver initiative reported over $17.8 million in contributions
Massachusetts voters could decide on an initiative in November to classify app-based drivers as independent contractors similar to California’s 2020 Proposition 22. Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers, the committee registered to support the app-based driver initiative, reported receiving $17.8 million in 2021. The committee’s largest donor was Lyft, which contributed nearly $14.4 million in…
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Where could voters see marijuana on the ballot in 2022?
Ballotpedia is tracking 20 citizen-initiated measures in nine states related to marijuana that could appear before voters in 2022. As of 2022, recreational marijuana is legal in 18 states and Washington, D.C., and medical marijuana is legal in 36 states and D.C. In Ohio, sponsors of an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana submitted an additional…
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Austin initiative to decriminalize marijuana and prohibit no-knock warrants submitted over 20,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot
On Jan. 10, the Austin City Clerk announced that an initiative to decriminalize marijuana and prohibit no-knock warrants had qualified for the ballot. Proponents submitted over 20,000 valid signatures meeting the required number to appear on the local ballot. The clerk used a random sampling method of 25% of signatures submitted or 8,334 raw signatures…
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Ballotpedia’s analysis of California’s 2021 local ballot measures
California voters decided 46 local ballot measures on seven different election dates in 2021. Ballotpedia’s report breaks down the measures by the outcome, county, topic, and election date. Here are some highlights from Ballotpedia’s annual report on local ballot measures in California: Voters approved 35 measures and defeated 11 measures. With 46 measures, 2021 featured…
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Ohio campaign aiming to legalize marijuana submits signatures to send the proposed measure to the state legislature
On Dec. 20, the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol submitted 206,943 signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office for a ballot initiative aiming to legalize marijuana in the state. The measure is an indirect initiated state statute meaning that the state legislature will have an opportunity to pass the law without it going…