Author: Victoria Antram
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$15 per hour minimum wage initiative qualifies for November ballot in Tucson, Arizona
On July 22, 2021, the Tucson City Clerk confirmed that enough signatures were submitted for an initiative backed by Tucson Fight for $15 to qualify for the November 2 ballot. On July 2, Tucson Fight for $15, the campaign behind a local minimum wage increase, submitted 29,526 raw signatures to the city’s clerk office. In…
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Citizens For A Safer Cleveland submits additional signatures to place police-related initiative on November ballot
On July 7, Citizens for a Safer Cleveland submitted an additional 3,208 signatures to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections for verification after the committee was short 384 of the 6,270 valid signatures needed to qualify for the Cleveland ballot in November. On June 16, the committee announced that they had submitted about 13,000 signatures…
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Oregon voters to decide on removing slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishment from state constitution in 2022
On June 24, the Oregon State Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment to voters in November 2022 that would remove language that allows slavery or involuntary servitude for duly convicted individuals. The amendment would also add language to authorize an Oregon court or a probation or parole agency to order alternatives to incarceration for…
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Massachusetts voters will decide measure in 2022 creating additional income tax on income above $1 million
On June 9, the Massachusetts General Court convened a joint session and passed Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) by a vote of 159-41, which sent an increase in the state’s income tax for top earners to state voters in 2022. SB 5 is a constitutional amendment that would create an additional 4% income tax on…
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Texas voters will decide in November whether to allow counties to issue bonds to fund infrastructure in blighted areas
On May 28, the Texas State Legislature voted to refer a constitutional amendment that would add counties to the list of political subdivisions that may issue bonds to fund transportation and infrastructure projects in underdeveloped or blighted areas of the county. Currently, the Texas Constitution states that the legislature by general law may authorize incorporated…
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Constitutional amendment establishing a right to a designated essential caregiver will be on the November ballot in Texas
On May 27, the Texas State Legislature voted to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot that would provide residents of nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and state-supported living centers with a right to designate an essential caregiver who may not be prohibited from visiting the resident. It would also authorize the Texas State Legislature…
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Connecticut voters to decide early voting amendment in 2022
On May 27, the Connecticut State Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment to voters in 2022 that would authorize the state legislature to provide by law for early voting. Currently, Connecticut does not permit early voting. As of April 2021, 38 states and the District of Columbia permitted early voting. Early voting allows citizens…
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Texas voters will decide changes to the homestead tax exemption for surviving spouses of military service members
On May 23, the Texas State Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment that would authorize a total residence homestead property tax exemption for a surviving spouse of a member of the armed services “who is killed or fatally injured in the line of duty.” Currently, the constitution grants the exemption to the surviving spouse…
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Texas State Legislature sends an amendment to expand the authority of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to 2021 ballot
On May 22, the Texas State Legislature voted to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot that would expand the authority of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to state judicial candidates. The amendment would authorize the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct to accept complaints regarding the conduct of candidates seeking judicial office and discipline…
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Texas voters to decide whether rodeo venues can host charitable raffles in November
On May 22, the Texas State Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment to the ballot that would authorize professional sports team charitable foundations to conduct raffles at rodeo venues. The amendment would also include “an organization sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association or the Women ’s Professional Rodeo Association” when defining “professional sports…