What cha' got for ballot props and initiatives?

[IronWing]

Arizona:
Legalize recreational pot - This is the first pot initiative I voted "yes" on. All the previous initiatives had no provisions to protect folks who don't wish to be subjected to second-hand smoke. This one clearly bans pot smoking in public places so I'm good with it. I think this one will pass.
Tax hike on higher earners, basically re-establishing a progressive income tax system at the state level. I don't know if this one will pass. Arizonans are pretty anti-tax even if being that way cripples the state and the economy.
Allowing local community college to increase their tax base. This one is kind of esoteric but years ago the AZ Legislature passed a law designed to destroy the community college systems in Phoenix and Tucson without harming those in rural areas. This initiative changes the law to fix the sabotage. Explaining this initiative is fairly difficult so I suspect it will fail.

 

[MrSquished]

NJ - legalizing recreation mary jane. Of course I voted yes. I'm sure a lot of god fearing small government stay out of my business freedom loving conservatives voted no on this.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Maryland:
1) state legislature can shuffle around funds but may not exceed limits proposed by governor (governor sets the budget, interestingly). Governor can line-item veto changes made by the legislature.
I voted yes.
2) expand gambling
I voted no.

 

[repoman0]

Massachusetts

1. auto right to repair — yes
2. statewide ranked choice voting — no. I’d vote yes nationally but the current system works great in Mass. It will probably pass anyway.

 

[ElFenix]

nothing state wide in texas. they're too smart to do this in big turnout presidential year elections. they don't even do it in congressional year elections. so we banned income taxes last year, despite them being already nearly impossible to pass (previously needed majority of legislature and then went to a popular vote, now need to amend the constitution which requires supermajority of the leglislature + majority popular vote).

i was totally not shocked that a lot of people thought they were voting no on an income tax bill that had already passed the legislature.

 

[Vic]

My fav measure on the ballot this year is Measure 110: https://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Meas...ion_and_Addiction_Treatment_Initiative_(2020)

Drug Decriminalization and Addiction Treatment Initiative, is on the ballot in Oregon as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2020.[1]
A "yes" vote supports making personal non-commercial possession of a controlled substance no more than a Class E violation (max fine of $100 fine) and establishing a drug addiction treatment and recovery program funded in part by the state's marijuana tax revenue and state prison savings.

We are ending the failed War on Drugs.

 

[nickqt]

Massachusetts

1. auto right to repair — yes
2. statewide ranked choice voting — no. I’d vote yes nationally but the current system works great in Mass. It will probably pass anyway.

Why would you vote against ranked choice voting? It's the only way you can vote for the best candidate without shitting on the second best candidate at the same time.

 

[pauldun170]

Prop 1
"A Charter Law To Change The Legislative Term Of Office From Two (2) Years To Four (4) Years"
Background

Pros:
All other Suffolk County elected officials serve four year terms
Allows more time for legislators to see projects come to fruition
Frequent periods of campaigning for office and fundraising take time away from legislative issues

Cons:
Frequent elections help to keep legislators accountable
Frequent elections require candidates to hear from citizens more often

Props 2
"A Charter Law to Transfer Excess Funds in the Sewer Assessment Stabilization Reserve Fund to the Suffolk County Taxpayer Trust Fund and to Eliminate the Requirement that Interfund Transfers Be Made from the General Fund to the Sewer Assessment Stabilization Fund"

Background

This resolution proposes that funds from the Sewer Assessment Stabilization Reserve Fund (ASRF) be made available to pay county operating expenses. In 1987, county voters passed a quarter cent sales tax to fund the Drinking Water Protection Program (DWPP). The funds have been used for land acquisition, maintenance of water quality and the sewer districts, including current efforts to fund septic systems that can remove nitrogen from waste water. The ASRF Fund 404, which receives 25% of the DWPP tax revenue, was created within the Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection Program to protect taxpayers in sewer districts where there is an increase in costs of more than 3%.

Adopted in 1987, the Drinking Water Protection Fund was crafted to dedicate funding to open space preservation and water quality projects. In recent years, the county borrowed millions from the DWPF and is required to pay it back. Close to $150 million must be repaid by 2029, according to a 2014 lawsuit settlement in an action taken against former Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy. The legislation proposes the debt be canceled and the surplus funds be placed in a fund for use to plug the budget hole.

 

[repoman0]

Why would you vote against ranked choice voting? It's the only way you can vote for the best candidate without shitting on the second best candidate at the same time.

I was worried it would make office unattainable for republicans. Our R governorship partnered with Dem state legislature works really well. Keeps spending and taxes in check while providing services that people care about. At some point the Republican Party is going to need to burn down and start from scratch, and if Baker is the face of that party the country would be in good shape.

 

[Zorba]

We had 2 in Oklahoma.

1) Criminal sentencing reform, preventing the doubling of sentences for repeat offenders on non-violent crimes.

I voted yes. We have way too many people in prison and max sentences are already harsh enough. I think this one is likely to pass, we've had a few reform questions lately and they usually get a lot of support.

2) Redirecting funds from the tobacco prevention org to pay for Medicaid expansion under ACA.

I had to research this one a lot, turns out TSET works off an endowment and it has over 1B in the endowment and they'll continue to get new money, just at 1/3 the current rate. I voted yes because I know the state would take the money from schools otherwise.

 

[Thump553]

CT:

Not a damn thing on the ballot, just four offices (Pres, federal congress, state senate and state house rep). They load up the local elections and what few initiatives or proposals there are during the off year elections.

 

[soundforbjt]

NJ - legalizing recreation mary jane. Of course I voted yes. I'm sure a lot of god fearing small government stay out of my business freedom loving conservatives voted no on this.

MT and SD have this on the ballot as well, if I remember right from the news.

 

[soulcougher73]

Nothing in KS. Only one we had locally was them wanting $24 million for school stuff. I have no kids, so i voted no.

 

[Jaskalas]

My new state is boring, had no props or measures this year.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

nothing state wide in texas. they're too smart to do this in big turnout presidential year elections. they don't even do it in congressional year elections. so we banned income taxes last year, despite them being already nearly impossible to pass (previously needed majority of legislature and then went to a popular vote, now need to amend the constitution which requires supermajority of the leglislature + majority popular vote).

i was totally not shocked that a lot of people thought they were voting no on an income tax bill that had already passed the legislature.

It's one of the main reasons Texas is such a mega hub that is growing and growing. I was incredibly glad when they did that.

 

[fskimospy]

Spending the next few months in California there are like 10 propositions going on here. The one I saw that was particularly good was a partial repeal of prop 13. Hope it passes.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Spending the next few months in California there are like 10 propositions going on here. The one I saw that was particularly good was a partial repeal of prop 13. Hope it passes.

Prop 22 is going to be big.

It's incredibly moronic to have taxi cab drivers be independent contractors but demand that Uber/Lyft drivers are employees... You have to be incredibly stupid to think that makes sense.

If you want to pass things like forcing employers to give benefits to independent contractors (which is silly, - but I guess it's ok?) then fine - but trying to act as-if they aren't independent contractors is just pure stupidity.



Prop 15 is also going to be big.

God knows if there is one thing California needs it's more tax revenue.

 

[ElFenix]

It's one of the main reasons Texas is such a mega hub that is growing and growing. I was incredibly glad when they did that.

maybe, maybe not. in the future texas might decide that it shouldn't be the most regressive state in the country and that it needs an income tax to fund the schools to the level that is required by the texas constitution. but now we've made that choice nearly impossible rather than letting future people decide for themselves.

 

[Paratus]

Colorado has got one:


Colorado Proposition 115, the 22-Week Abortion Ban Initiative, is on the ballot in Colorado as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2020.

A "yes" vote supports prohibiting abortions in Colorado after a fetus reaches 22-weeks gestational age as calculated from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period.

A "no" vote opposes prohibiting abortions in Colorado after a fetus reaches 22-weeks gestational age, thereby maintaining current Colorado law that does not restrict abortion after a certain point in a pregnancy.

Colorado is one the few states that allows their doctors to end a pregnancy because the fetus has a defect incompatible with life after 22 weeks.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Massachusetts

1. auto right to repair — yes
2. statewide ranked choice voting — no. I’d vote yes nationally but the current system works great in Mass. It will probably pass anyway.

Yup
1) yes
2) yes however I think ranked choice will fail, it is a weird concept to understand. Things that force people to think usually fail.

 

[fskimospy]

Prop 15 is also going to be big.

God knows if there is one thing California needs it's more tax revenue.

What California needs is fair tax revenue. It makes absolutely zero sense to tax two identical buildings next door to each other wildly differently just based on when they were bought. It advantages incumbent property owners and stifles new businesses.

For all I care the property tax revenues should stay exactly the same as they are now, but everyone who owns equal property pays an equal amount in taxes.

 

[Paratus]

maybe, maybe not. in the future texas might decide that it shouldn't be the most regressive state in the country and that it needs an income tax to fund the schools to the level that is required by the texas constitution. but now we've made that choice nearly impossible rather than letting future people decide for themselves.

Well they can always run property taxes up by increasing valuations 10% every year as they’ve been doing.

Good point though. I’ve seen the schools fight about providing legally required special services because TEA arbitrarily and quietly cut funding.

 

[MtnMan]

Nothing statewide in NC, or local here. Hadn't really thought about it, as there usually are several on the ballot.

Aside from voting for Biden, the next item on the ballot I really cared about is to send Tom Trumpanzee Tillis home.

 

[Brainonska511]

Massachusetts

1. auto right to repair — yes
2. statewide ranked choice voting — no. I’d vote yes nationally but the current system works great in Mass. It will probably pass anyway.

I think ranked choice voting is a good thing overall, this voted yes on 2

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I think ranked choice voting is a good thing overall, this voted yes on 2

Arguably, shouldn't everyone be in favor of ranked choice - including the parties?

Republicans get butt-hurt by votes lost to Libertarians
Democrats get butt-hurt by votes lost to Green Party

Thus they would no longer "lose" those votes - presuming that they are next in line in ranking.