The Voter’s Speakeasy

Results of 2009 Spending/Tax/Bonds Ballot Measures:

Maine

Question 4, An Act to Provide Tax Relief, failed on November 3rd, only receiving 39.8% of Yes votes. This bill would have imposed expenditure limitations on state and local government while requiring voter approval of certain state tax increases. For a complete reading of the ballot measure, click here.

Question 6 – Bond Issue passed on November 3rd. This Act authorizes the State to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $71,250,000 to raise funds for a variety of projects, as described below. The bonds will run for a period not longer than 10 years from the date of issue and will be backed by the full faith and credit of the State. Fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) of the bond proceeds will be placed in the Highway Fund and the remainder would be in the General Fund. A breakdown of how the money will be spent is as follows:

The Department of Transportation will expend $69,750,000 of the bond proceeds for the following types of projects:

• $55,000,000 for highway and bridge improvement projects statewide
• $5,750,000 for improvements to the ports at Eastport and Searsport
• $4,000,000 for improvements to state-owned rail lines and investments in the Industrial Rail Access Program and the Critical Rail Corridors Program
• $2,000,000 for improvements to publicly owned airports
• $1,000,000 for ferry facilities
• $1,000,000 for the LifeFlight Foundation, a non-profit foundation that supports a statewide medical helicopter service used to transport critically ill and injured patients to hospitals
• $400,000 to continue development of the Acadia Gateway Intermodal Center in Trenton
• $400,000 for improvements to island airports
• $200,000 for upgrades to the Augusta airport

The Department of Economic and Community Development will expend the remaining $1,500,000 of the proceeds of sale of the bonds to rebuild a bulkhead and wharf at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland.

New Jersey

The Public Question on the 2009 New Jersey Ballot was passed on November 3rd, also known as the Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009, if you don’t prefer brevity. The measure authorizes the State to issue bonds in the amount of $400 million to provide moneys for (1) the acquisition and development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including lands that protect water supplies, (2) the preservation of farmland for agricultural or horticultural use and production, (3) the acquisition, for recreation and conservation purposes, of properties that are prone to or have incurred flood or storm damage, and (4) funding historic preservation projects; and providing the ways and means to pay the interest on the debt and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof, with full public disclosure of all spending.

The initiative also funds park improvements and facilities. Of the total sum authorized: (1) $218 million will be used for Green Acres; (2) $146 million will be used for farmland preservation purposes; (3) $24 million will be used for the “Blue Acres” program by which the State may purchase from willing sellers, for open space preservation purposes, properties that are prone to or have incurred flood or storm damage; and (4) $12 million will be used for historic preservation purposes. All spending of the authorized bond proceeds will be subject to full public disclosure.

Ohio

Issue 1 passed in Ohio on November 3rd. This proposed amendment authorizes the state to issue up to $200,000,000 of bonds to provide compensation to Ohio veterans of the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq conflicts, and to pay for the administration of the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts Compensation Bond Retirement Fund and the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts Compensation Fund.

The State will provide $100 per month, up to $1000, for Ohio veterans who served in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq conflicts. Furthermore, the State will provide $50 per month, up to $500, for veterans who served elsewhere during those conflicts. In addition, family members of qualified deceased veterans can apply for a $5,000 death benefit.

Issue 3, a ballot measure to allow casino gaming in four major Ohio cities, passed on November 3rd. A 33% tax of gross revenue will be levied on the four casino operators. The tax will be distributed as follows:

• 51% among all 88 counties in proportion to such counties’ respective populations. Half of each county’s distribution will go to its largest city if that city’s population is above 80,000
• 34% among all public school districts
• 5% among all host cities
• 3% to the Ohio casino control commission
• 3% to the Ohio state racing commission fund
• 2% to a state law enforcement training fund
• 2% to a state problem gambling and addictions fund

For a complete reading of the ballot measure from the state of Ohio, click here.

Texas

Proposition 1, Authorizing City and County Financing to Buy Buffer Areas Near Military Installations, passed on November 3rd. The constitutional amendment authorizes the financing, including through tax increment financing, of the acquisition by municipalities and counties of buffer areas or open spaces adjacent to a military installation for the prevention of encroachment or for the construction of roadways, utilities, or other infrastructure to protect or promote the mission of the military installation.

Proposition 2, Requiring Appraisal of Residence Homesteads Based Solely on their Homestead Value, also passed on November 3rd. The constitutional amendment authorizes the legislature to provide for the ad valorem taxation of a residence homestead solely on the basis of the property’s value as a residence homestead.

Proposition 4, Establishing the National Research University Fund, was passed on November 3rd. The National Research University Fund will be established to provide state funding to tier-1 research universities. For a complete reading of the ballot measure, click here.

Proposition 6, Renewing Veterans’ Land Board Bond Authority for Land and Mortgage Loans, passed on November 3rd. The constitutional amendment authorizes the Veterans’ Land Board to issue general obligation bonds in amounts equal to or less than amounts previously authorized.

Proposition 8, Authorizing the State to Contribute Resources to Veterans’ Hospitals, passed on Tuesday, November 3rd. Proposition 8 will add Texas Constitution, Art. 16, sec. 73 to authorize the state to contribute money, property, and other resources to establish, maintain, and operate veterans’ hospitals in Texas. Click here for the Texas House Research Organization’s summary of the ballot measure.

Washington

Initiative Measure 1033, concerning state, county and city revenue, failed in Washington on November 3, 2009. This measure aimed to limit growth of certain state, county and city revenue to annual inflation and population growth, not including voter-approved revenue increases. Revenue collected above the limit would have reduced property tax levies. To read the official text of the failed Initiative Measure, click here.

-Stefan Johansson, Research

Follow-Up on Same-Sex Unions Ballot Measures:

In Maine, the voting populace successfully vetoed the legalization of same-sex marriage (Question 1 on the November 3rd Ballot).  As of yet, no state has passed such a measure by popular vote,  according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

It is doubtful that legislation legalizing same-sex marriage would be signed into law in New Jersey or Virginia once the newly-elected governors take office.   New Jersey Governor-elect Chris Christie has stated:

“While, I have no issue with same sex couples sharing contractual rights, I believe that marriage should remain the exclusive domain of one man and one woman.  If a bill legalizing same sex marriage came to my desk as Governor, I would veto it.” (see the complete text of this issue position)

Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell’s 2009 campaign website lists his position as follows:

“Bob McDonnell believes marriage is the union between one man and one woman.   As a legislator, Bob McDonnell was chief sponsor and author of a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage (Chief Patron, HJ 187, 2004).  As Attorney General, Bob supported Virginia’s marriage amendment and wrote an official opinion explaining that it would not affect the current legal rights of unmarried persons.”  (see the complete text of this issue position)

Washington’s Referendum 71, on the other hand, seems to have passed by a slim margin.  This will effectively treat domestic partnerships as equal to marriage under the law, except in name.

-Kristen Vicedomini, Research Director

Unofficial results have been coming in across the country for the November 3rd election.  Here are the winners, state-by-state:

California: Congressional District 10

Maine: Ballot Measures

New Jersey: Governor and State Assembly, Ballot Measures

New York: Congressional District 23, Ballot Measures

Ohio: Ballot Measures

Pennsylvania: Justice of the Supreme Court

Texas: Ballot Measures

Virginia: Governor and State House

Washington: Ballot Measures

If Proposal 2 in New York passes, the legislature would be authorized to amend the constitution in order to “allow [inmates in state and local corrections facilities] to voluntarily perform work for nonprofit organizations.”  Currently, Article III- Section 24 of the New York State Constitution reads as follows:

“The legislature shall, by law, provide for the occupation and employment of prisoners sentenced to the several state prisons, penitentiaries, jails and reformatories in the state; and no person in any such prison, penitentiary, jail or reformatory, shall be required or allowed to work, while under sentence thereto, at any trade, industry or occupation, wherein or whereby his or her work, or the product or profit of his or her work, shall be farmed out, contracted, given or sold to any person, firm, association or corporation. This section shall not be construed to prevent the legislature from providing that convicts may work for, and that the products of their labor may be disposed of to, the state or any political division thereof, or for or to any public institution owned or managed and controlled by the state, or any political division thereof.

In 2007, the state of Washington had a measure on the ballot to “authorize state-operated inmate labor programs and programs in which inmate labor is used by private entities through state contracts, and prohibit privately operated programs from unfairly competing with Washington businesses.”  This measure passed with 60.71% of the vote.

-Kristen Vicedomini, Research Director

This year, two states will determine the legal status of same-sex unions by popular vote.

• Earlier this year, Maine’s State House and State Senate approved legislation that would permit same-sex couples to marry, recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in other states, and “allow individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages.”  In response, Maine citizens petitioned for a people’s veto to appear on the November 3rd ballot.  If this measure is approved, same-sex couples would be prohibited from marrying.

The state of Vermont enacted legislation permitting same-sex marriage in April of this year (see: Senate vote, House vote, Governor Jim Douglas’ veto,  House Override of Veto, Senate Override of Veto).  State Senator Kevin Mullin introduced an amendment to this bill that would have forced a legislative referendum on the measure, but it failed in the Senate.  Not long after, the Connecticut legislature (see: Senate Vote, House Vote) and the New Hampshire legislature (see: House Vote, Senate Vote with Amendment) each passed similar bills.  The State Assembly of New York passed such a bill as well, but it has yet to reach a vote in the State Senate.  Also in 2009, The Supreme Court of Iowa ruled that a 1998 law defining marriage as strictly between one man and one woman was unconstitutional.

Last year, the citizens of Arizona, Florida, and California approved constitutional amendments to define marriage only as the legal union of one man and one women.  Members of the Wyoming State House attempted to pass such an amendment this year, but it failed.

• Washington’s Referendum 71 does not permit same-sex marriage, but would affect the status of those in domestic partnerships.  According to the Official Explanatory Statement- as supplied by the Attorney General- approval of this referendum “would amend references in numerous state statutes so that rights, responsibilities, and obligations granted by or imposed by state law on married couples and their families would apply equally to state-registered domestic partners” (see: Senate Vote, House Vote).

In Nevada, domestic partnerships were first established this year (see: Senate Vote, House Vote, Governor Jim Gibbons’ Veto, House Override of Veto, Senate Override of Veto).   New Mexico and Hawaii legislatures tried to do the same, but were unsuccessful.

-Kristen Vicedomini, Research Director

There are twenty-six statewide Ballot Measures up for election on November 3rd, which are spread among six states: Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Washington.  Six of these are initiatives, two are citizen referenda, and eighteen are legislative referenda.   If enacted, seventeen would amend state constitutions, seven would change state law, and two would allow the state to issue bonds for certain projects.

There are three constitutional amendments proposed that would directly affect elections and officials themselves:

• Question 7 on Maine’s ballots would extend the amount of time local officials have to certify direct initiative petitions by five days.   To accomplish this, the final deadline for submitting petitions to the Secretary of State would be pushed back by 10 days, and other deadlines would be redefined.  Depending on which day of the week the deadline falls and if there are any legal holidays, petitioners could have up to 2-4 additional days to submit signatures.  This amendment would also change the  deadline of submitting signatures for a people’s veto from 5 days before the final deadline to 3 business days before the final deadline.
• Proposition 7 in Texas would “allow an officer or enlisted member of the Texas State Guard or other state militia or military force to hold other civil offices.”
• Texas’s Proposition 10 would extend the terms of elected members of the governing boards of emergency services districts from two years to four years.  There were also efforts in South Dakota this year to extend term lengths for elected officials.   SJR3 in South Dakota proposed to change state senate terms from two years to four years for those whose term of office begins in a year that ended in a 3 or 7.  While this passed in the state senate, the state house rejected it.  Had it received a majority in both houses of the legislature, this would have appeared as a ballot measure as well. 
  

-Kristen Vicedomini, Research Director

As our second summer in Montana draws to a close, it’s important to reflect upon something.  Project Vote Smart truly is a national organization, and it is pretty extraordinary in this way.  Not only do interns come from all corners of the country (from California to Maine, Florida to Wisconsin, and Texas to Indiana), but membership exists in all 50 states.  As we know very well, simply to get from one office to the other, it is necessary to travel through Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Montana.  Or, if you’re doing it the long way like we are, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona.  What better opportunity is there to learn a bit about these states than from the perspective of two veteran PVS staff members?  Thus, we’ve decided to write in our blog along the way to share a bit about each of the states we’re going to see.

-Bonnie Wolf, Tucson Office Director and Tallie Spiller, Internship Coordinator

You may have read about the upcoming health insurance debate in Congress, or the recent cap and trade bill, but what you may not know is that the U.S. House recently took time from its busy schedule to introduce H Res 652, in honor of the 150^th anniversary of the great Pig Crisis.

In a dispute forgotten in most history books, the feud between Great Britain and the United States over the U.S.-Canadian border took a dramatic turn in the summer of 1859. On an unassuming June day, a U.S. citizen on San Juan Island shot and killed a pig owned by a member of the Hudson Bay Company. This incident prompted the military on both sides of the border to respond, and it was only through upstanding diplomacy between Lt. General Winfield Scott (for the U.S.) and British Columbia’s Governor James Douglas (for Great Britain) that an international war was diverted. For the next twelve years, British and U.S. soldiers bonded through their posts together at the remote location of San Juan Island until the border issue was officially resolved.

It is because of these great events in history that Rep. Larsen of Washington and 9 other co-sponsors have introduced a resolution to both honor the anniversary of the Pig Crisis and to recognize the close ties and lasting relationships that the U.S. has continued to have with the United Kingdom.

-Robin Parkinson, Key Votes Director

Over the weekend of July 4^th, a group of interns and staff members took an adventure to the gem of Puget Sound – Seattle!  We made the ten-hour trek after work on Thursday, driving by Idaho’s beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene and through the breath-taking Rocky Mountains.  After a long journey and few short hours of sleep, we were off to our first destination: the Pike Place Market!

Pike’s Place is a large farmer’s market, where merchants sell everything from deliciously fresh fruit to chocolate pasta to Chinese pastries.  We saw fishmongers chucking their fish and singing, tested out many different kinds of olive oil, and, of course, ate very well.  After a full market morning, some of us set out for the Seattle Art Museum while others took a long walk through the city.  In March, the Washington state legislature passed a measure funding regional centers, museums, and heritage preservation – just one of the many Key Votes we cover on the PVS website.

Our evening entertainment probably wasn’t included in Washington’s SB 2252, but we did see some excellent Zombie creations.  Red, White and Dead was Seattle’s attempt to host the largest zombie flash mob in history.  After seeing zombie pedestrians, zombie clowns, zombie pets and zombie babies all night, we had to join the ranks of the undead.  We got our faces painted in oh-so-elegant zombie fashion, and then watched a free showing of Shaun of the Dead. To our great delight, the event was a success – we helped set a Guinness World Record!

On Saturday, we decided to celebrate America by going to the International District.  We wandered through grocery stores and natural medicine shops – apparently, dried squid is a great bar food.  After some awesome Chinese food, we traveled to the Experience Music Project and Sci-Fi Museums.  In the evening, we had a relaxed night of eating pizza, chips and salsa, and ice cream (not combined) and watching fireworks in a park.

After brunch on Sunday, we headed home.  One car ran into some trouble on the road, but other than that, our trip was all smooth sailing (Washington hasn’t had many Key Votes on transportation issues this year, but check out the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project).  Thankfully, we caught up on some sleep during the drive back – Seattle was a whirlwind adventure, well worth the long journey and sleep deprivation.

-Emma Green (Georgetown University, 2012, Government major, Arabic minor, from Brentwood, TN), Key Votes Intern