In an election dominated by the outsized personalities of a few Tea Partiers, voters’ opportunities to engage in direct democracy—that is, to vote on ballot initiatives—are easy to overlook. But initiatives on state ballots across the country give voters the chance to have their say on a number of important issues, from shooting down healthcare reform, to radically restricting reproductive rights, to banning affirmative action.
These initiatives don’t all cater to the Right, however: possibly the most high-profile ballot initiative of this election season is California’s Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana possession for anyone over 21 and allow the government to tax and regulate its consumption.
Prop 19’s supporters, including The Nation, argue that it would save the state the $1.7 billion currently going into enforcement each year, make marijuana consumption safer, and allow police to focus on more serious crimes—potentially decreasing drug-related violence at the border and curbing the drug war’s disproportionate affect on minority communities.
The bill’s opponents argue that if Prop 19 is passed, “it will be legal for a driver to get high right before taking the wheel”—which is puzzling, considering alcohol consumption has long been legal, while driving under the influence is not. Too bad polls show a slim majority of California voters aren’t keen on the measure. Fifty-one percent of all likely voters are opposed to it as of October 22, according to a USC/LA Times poll, though 55 percent of likely voters under 29 are in support.
Though no other state is going quite as far as the Golden State, voters in Arizona, Oregon and South Dakota will all find initiatives to legalize medical marijuana on their ballot.
Initiatives discussed: Proposition 19, California; Proposition 203, Arizona; Measure 74, Oregon; Measure 13, South Dakota
Credit: Reuter Pictures
Across the country, individual states are trying to block healthcare reform. Missouri citizens already voted by ballot to reject healthcare reform’s individual mandate to purchase insurance in August, and come November 2, residents of Arizona, Colorado and Oklahoma will decide whether they want to as well.
There’s a big Tea Party push behind this cause, aiming to attack Obama’s legislative victories on a state level. Even if these ballot initiatives pass, they only go into effect if Obama’s healthcare reform is repealed or found unconstitutional, but they express voter dissatisfaction with one of the most significant achievements of Obama’s first term. As Politico reports, though states can’t outright reverse health care reform, they can throw a number of obstacles in its path.
There’s a clear reason to vote against attempts to reject the individual mandate: if everyone buys healthcare, it becomes more affordable for those who really need it right now, and ensures that people who are currently healthy will have a safety net when they do fall ill.
Initiatives discussed: Proposition 106, Arizona; Amendment 63, Colorado; Question 756, Oklahoma
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Arizona, Utah, South Carolina and South Dakota all have questions on the ballot designed to undermine the Employee Free Choice Act before it’s even been passed.
EFCA, currently under consideration in Congress, would require employers to permit unions to form as long as 50 percent of workers sign union cards in favor of the union, no matter how long the process takes. This method, often called “card check,” would make it much easier for workplaces to unionize than the secret ballot method that’s currently the norm. With the card check method, union organizers convince workers to sign on with the union in person, and can address workers’ doubts about belonging to a union one-on-one. EFCA supporters argue that the card check method fosters debate and brings out potential misgivings about unions into the open so that unions can address them and improve their operations.
The “Secret Ballot” propositions on deck in these states would amend state constitutions to mandate an anonymous vote before a union can form, effectively blocking EFCA. These ballot questions are part of a national push to prevent card check, spearheaded by a group whose main operations are based in Nevada.
Initiatives discussed: Proposition 113, Arizona; Amendment 2, South Carolina; Amendment K, South Dakota; Amendment A, Utah
Credit: Reuter Pictures
With Proposition 23, Californians will consider repealing the state’s “Global Warming Solutions Act”—which set out a plan to put California in line with the Kyoto Protocol—until unemployment has gone down. This ballot measure has drawn flack from celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Bill Gates, and has generally been received as Big Oil’s ballot baby. Even the Governator, and Obama himself, have come out against it.
Those in favor of Prop 23 argue, in very well-funded ads, that cutting down emissions is incompatible with stimulating the economy. But supporters’ vested interests in the oil industry have made these jobs-centered arguments seem disingenuous, and opponents argue that the bill would actually block the creation of green jobs, increase pollution and negatively impact public health.
Polling data shows Californians generally oppose the initiative, 48 percent to 37 percent.
Credit: AP Images
This fall, a number of ballot measures will try to improve schools by giving them more money—or at least ensure that they don’t lose funding just because state coffers are emptier. Oregon and Maine will vote to build taxable casinos that will generate revenue for public schools, and create new jobs (gambling is currently illegal in both states). California is tackling cuts in funding by reducing corporate tax breaks, according to Education Week. New Mexico is also considering an initiative that would reallocate more funding to schools for facility improvements.
At the same time, there are a couple measures that will funnel money away from children’s and education programs if passed. A ballot in Arizona would cut its early-childhood health and education programs, a ballot in Colorado would restrict how the state can raise revenue and teachers’ unions have decried a Florida ballot question aimed at increasing class sizes as an attempt to cut education funding.
Initiatives discussed: Measure 75, Oregon; Question 1, Maine; Bond Questions C and D, New Mexico; Prop 302, Arizona; Prop 101, Colorado; Amendment 8, Florida
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The great majority of ballot measures don’t address topics like climate change and marijuana, but instead deal with administrative changes, taxes and the allocation of state funds. In fact, the country is awash in anti-tax ballot initiatives this year, riding the wave of anti-government-spending energy whipped up by Republican and Tea Party candidates.
Recurring themes include mandating that state government get approval from two-thirds of the electorate for new taxes and tax increases (California, Washington), and decreasing, or limiting increases on, property taxes (Colorado, Louisiana, Montana). But wait—don’t property taxes fund things like schools, and roads?
At least there’s some sense in the Pacific Northwest, with an initiative to increase taxes for the rich under consideration in Washington State.
Initiatives discussed: Proposition 25, California; Initiative 1053, Washington; Amendment 60, Colorado; Amendment 4, Louisiana; CI-105, Montana; Initiative 1098, Washington
Credit: Reuters Pictures
Speaking of schools and roads: New Mexico has a few questions on the ballot devoted to improving public facilities, including libraries, spaces for senior citizens, public schools and colleges. And Maine will consider subsidizing greater access to quality dental care, Rhode Island may reallocate funds to higher ed, transportation and redeveloping public space and Washington has a bill to “authorize bonds for construction and repair projects increasing energy efficiency in public schools and higher education buildings.”
Initiatives discussed: Bond Questions A, B, C, and D, New Mexico; Question 2, Maine; Questions 2, 3, and 4, Rhode Island; Referred Bill 52, Washington
Credit: AP Images
But the right isn’t all about taxes. They’ve also found time to push the conservative social agenda as well. Here are some frightening initiatives voters will find on their ballots November 2: Arizona’s Prop 107 proposes to ban affirmative action (as if HB 2881 and SB 1070 didn’t do enough to alienate the state’s minorities).
On the reproductive rights front, Colorado Amendment 62 proposes officially defining fetuses as people, a measure designed to set a legal precedent for building a case for banning abortion altogether. Mississippi will have a similar measure on the ballot for 2011, so if Colorado’s Amendment 62 passes, it could serve as a dangerous example for other states of how to seriously undermine women’s right to choose.
For other disturbing developments, see Salon’s list of 5 most alarming right-wing ballot initiatives.
Initiatives discussed: Proposition 107, Arizona; Amendment 62, Colorado
Credit: AP Images
We’re also getting a whiff of cultural paranoia on Oklahoma’s ballot this fall. Voters there will vote on whether “English is the ‘common and unifying language of Oklahoma.’” (What exactly will the implementation of this measure look like?)
The ballot will also include an initiative aimed at banning the use of Sharia Law in court decisions, even though this has never actually been a problem before.
Initiatives discussed: Question 751 and Question 755, Oklahoma
Research for this slide show provided by Braden Goyette
