legacy
Pregnancy-related initiatives have surged following a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Ended nationwide abortion rights And then passed the matter on to the state government.
At least nine states are considering a constitutional amendment. Guarantee the right to abortion — Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota. Most will protect the right to abortion until the fetus is viable and allow it later for the health of the mother.
Nebraska is The only state with a competitive measurement. It will put the state’s present in the constitution. Abortion prohibited after 12 weeks of pregnancy There are exceptions for rape, incest, and saving the life of a pregnant woman. If both pass, the one with the most votes takes effect.
Proposed Fix in New York Although it does not specifically mention abortion, it prohibits discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcome” and “reproductive health care and autonomy.”
Suicide assistance
The only measure this year is a West Virginia amendment banning physician-assisted suicide, which is allowed in 10 states and Washington, D.C.
Citizens’ Vote
Republican-led legislatures in eight states have proposed amendments that would allow only citizens to vote.
A 1996 U.S. law prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections, and many states already have similar laws. But specific constitutional bans are being proposed in Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. These measures Republican Emphasis It’s about immigration and election integrity.
Although there is no indication that it has spread widely, Non-citizen votingSome municipalities in California, Maryland, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. allow it in certain local elections.
crime
The California proposal would increase penalties for repeat offenders and fentanyl dealers and create a new drug court treatment program for people with multiple drug possession convictions. The measure 2014 Initiative The measure is intended to reduce prison overcrowding by reducing penalties for non-violent drug and property crimes. The latest measure comes after a surge in crime-committing gangs. Robbery and plunder In the store.
The Arizona measure would require life sentences for certain child sex trafficking convictions. Two proposals in Colorado would deny bail for first-degree murder cases and extend mandatory prison terms for parole eligibility for people convicted of certain violent crimes.
election
Idaho’s actionsMontana, Nevada, and South Dakota would create open primaries, where candidates from all parties appear on the same ballot and a certain number of candidates advance to the general election. Arizona voters would choose between an open primary or a contested proposal that would require the state’s current partisan primary method. If both pass, the proposal that receives the most votes would go into effect.
Florida’s measure would extend partisan elections to school boards, overturning a 1998 amendment that made school boards officially nonpartisan and removing party designations from ballots.
The system proposed in Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon is ranked-choice voting, where voters rank candidates in order of preference, and then redistribute the votes for the lowest-ranked candidates until one candidate wins a majority.
Ranked choice voting is currently used in Alaska and Maine. However, Alaska voters Consider whether to abolish The 2020 initiative’s provisions established open primary elections and ranked-choice general elections. Missouri’s citizen ballot measure also prohibits ranked-choice voting.
The Connecticut amendment allows for no-excuse absentee voting. The Nevada proposal requires a photo ID to vote in person and the last four digits of a driver’s license or Social Security number to vote by mail. If approved, the Nevada measure would require a second affirmative vote in 2026 to take effect.
Tax on weapons
The Colorado proposal would make Colorado the second state. After California It imposes a sales tax on firearms and ammunition. The proceeds are used primarily to provide services to victims of crime. The federal government already imposes a tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition.
immigrant
Arizona Measurement It makes it a felony to enter a foreign country without passing through an official port of entry, and it also makes it a felony to apply for public benefits using false documents for people already in the United States illegally. Border crossing measures are similar to the following: Texas Laws Challenged The Justice Department says this would infringe on federal authority and create chaos at the border.
Arizona’s measure also makes it a felony to sell fentanyl that results in death.
three
Voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota Legalize recreational marijuana It’s for adults. This will be the third vote on this issue in both places. North Dakota and South DakotaCurrently, about half of states allow recreational marijuana, and about a dozen states allow medical marijuana.
Massachusetts is pursuing an initiative to legalize the possession and supervised use of natural hallucinogens, including psilocybin mushrooms.
marriage
The U.S. Supreme Court Legalization of same-sex marriage In 2015, some states across the country still have unenforceable provisions. Measures in California, Colorado, and Hawaii would repeal these provisions. The California measure would go even further and declare that “the right to marry is a fundamental right.”
Salary and Benefits
The California measure gradually increases the minimum wage for all employers to $18 an hour. The Alaska and Missouri measures gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour while also requiring paid sick leave. The Nebraska measure provides paid sick leave but does not change wages.
The Massachusetts measure gradually increases the minimum wage for tipped employees until it matches the wages of other employees, while the Arizona measure requires tipped workers to be paid 25 percent less than the minimum wage until their total wages from tips exceed the minimum wage limit.
Prison labor
Proposals in California and Nevada would repeal a constitutional provision allowing “involuntary servitude” as a punishment for crimes, which some supporters say would reduce forced prison labor.
Colorado started the trend in 2018 by amending its constitution to ban slavery and forced labor. Utah and Nebraska followed suit in 2020. Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont In 2022.
Property tax
North Dakota voters will consider a first-of-its-kind measure. Eliminate property taxIf approved, local governments could need to replace more than $3 billion every two years in a state that collects billions of dollars in taxes from the fossil fuel industry.
Rising property values There have also been moves to limit or reduce assessed property values or taxes in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, and New Mexico.
Arizona has a unique proposal that links property taxes to homelessness responses, allowing property owners to claim a property tax refund if local governments fail to enforce ordinances against illegal camping, vagrancy, panhandling, obstructing public roads, public urination or defecation, or public consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs.
Redistribution
Ohio’s Initiative It would take away jobs from elected officials by creating a citizens’ commission to handle redistricting of the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures. The proposal Utah’s Amendment Allows lawmakers to repeal or amend voter-approved initiatives, which is a response to the states. Supreme Court Ruling That lawmakers exceeded their authority by amending a voter-approved redistricting initiative.
Sports Betting
Missouri voters will decide which of the following to choose: Legalize sports betting Through measures supported by professional sports teams, a total of 38 states and Washington, D.C. have already Sports betting allowedSince the establishment of the U.S. Supreme Court, the scope of its jurisdiction has expanded rapidly. paved the way for it In 2018.
Campaign Action
