February 4, 2013

By Al Ortiz

OLYMPIA, Washington: Initiative 522 is on its way to the Washington Legislature.

On February 1, 2013, the Washington Secretary of State‘s office reported that enough signatures were obtained to place the measure before legislature.^[1][2]

Out of the random sample of 10,762 signatures for I-522, 9,503 were valid and 1,241 were invalid, while there were 18 pairs of duplicate signatures.

The measure would require GMO labeling on raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if the food is made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways.

A minimum of about 241,000 signatures were required to advance the proposal to the lawmaking body. If the legislature chooses not to adopt the law, the measure would then appear on the 2013 ballot.^[3]

Previously, Ballotpedia contacted the Washington Secretary of State‘s office on January 3, 2013 at 1 p.m. PST, where it was confirmed that supporters had submitted signatures. In an e-mail to Ballotpedia, Kay Ramsay of the Washington Secretary of State‘s Elections office stated that supporters of Initiative 522 had submitted about 19,000 petitions with about 350,000 signatures on them on January 3. A few more petitions were also turned in on January 4, 2013.

January 24, 2013

By Al Ortiz

OLYMPIA, Washington: Check the first step off the list for proponents of Initiative 517.

On January 23, 2012, the Washington Secretary of State‘s office stated that the proposal cleared signature verification, sending the initiative to the state legislature.

In addition to the lawmaking body’s options of enacting it or sending it to the ballot, the legislature can also send the measure to the ballot with a competing measure. This would allow voters to choose which of the two measures to approve.^[1]

Earlier this month, the supporting group turned in signatures a day before the January 4, 2013 deadline. Ballotpedia contacted the Washington Secretary of State‘s office onJanuary 3, learning that the initiative turned in signatures at 10:00 a.m. PST that day. Reports out of the state said that the initiative’s sponsors turned in about 345,000 signatures. Signatures were then reviewed by the Washington Secretary of State‘s office.^[2]

The measure would implement penalties for intimidating, harassing, interfering or retaliating against petition drive efforts for a ballot initiative.^[3]

In addition, the measure would require that all initiative efforts that obtain the valid amount of signatures have their proposals placed on the ballot.

Other provisions include:

• Limit pre-election legal challenges
• Extend the time given for signatures to be collected for the ballot.

A total of 246,372 valid signatures were needed to place the measure before Washington Legislature.

January 3, 2013

By Al Ortiz

OLYMPIA, Washington: The old saying of “the early bird catches the worm”, can be fittingly applied to two 2013 initiative efforts in the state of Washington.

According to the Washington Secretary of State, the pair of circulating petition efforts planned to file their signatures a day before the January 4 deadline.

Both proposals are initiatives to the legislature, which means that if a petition for a certain initiative has enough signatures, it is sent to the state legislature for review. If the legislature chooses not to enact the proposal, it is then sent to the statewide ballot that year.

One initiative, Initiative 517, would implement penalties for intimidating, harassing, interfering or retaliating against petition drive efforts for a ballot initiative. In addition, the measure would require that all initiative efforts that obtain the required amount of signatures be placed on the ballot. ^[1]

More provisions of the proposed law can be read here.

The other initiative, Initiative 522, would require GMO labeling on raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if the food is made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways.

Just down the road, California voters pulled their levers on Proposition 37, a measure that ultimately lead to a similar requirement.

Initiative 517 was scheduled to turn in signatures at 10 a.m. PST, while Initiative 522 was scheduled to turn in signatures at 1 p.m. PST.

Below are updates that took place throughout the day. New developments will be reported on January 4.

Update (10:37 a.m. PST)

• Ballotpedia contacted the Washington Secretary of State‘s office and learned that supporters of Initiative 517 turned in petition signatures at 10:00 a.m. PST. The number of signatures turned has not been confirmed.

Update (11:40 a.m. PST)

• Reports out of the state say that the initiative’s sponsors turned in about 345,000 signatures. Signatures must be reviewed by the Washington Secretary of State‘s office.^[2]

Update (1:21 p.m. PST)

• Ballotpedia contacted the Washington Secretary of State‘s office, where it was confirmed that the supporters of Initiative 522 had submitted signatures and were speaking with the press at that time. The amount of signatures submitted by supporters was not immediately known.

Final update

In an e-mail to Ballotpedia, Kay Ramsay of the Washington Secretary of State‘s Elections office stated that supporters of Initiative 522 had submitted about 19,000 signatures on January 3, and plan to turn in more before the 5:00 p.m. deadline on January 4. According to reports out of the state, the group will submit about 350,000 signatures.^[3]

By Maresa Strano

OLYMPIA, Washington: Nine state executive positions were up for election in 2012 in the state of Washington: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, auditor, superintendent of public instruction, insurance commissioner and public lands commissioner. The match-up between former U.S. Congressman Jay Inslee (D) and incumbent Washington attorney general Rob McKenna, was widely recognized as the most hotly contested gubernatorial race of the season. In the end, Inslee was declared the winner after McKenna conceded the election on November 9, 2012, three days after voting closed.^{[1] [2]}

The general election was held November 6, 2012, following a state primary on August 7, 2012. All five of the nine incumbents who sought re-election were successful. Of the remaining four:

• Two term incumbent Governor Christine Gregoire (D) opted not to run for re-election in 2012. She will be succeeded by Jay Inslee (D) on January 14, 2013.

• Due to the governor’s race, Rob McKenna did not seek a third term as attorney general. Having lost his bid for Gregoire’s open seat to Jay Inslee in the general election, McKenna now faces (at least temporary) retirement from statewide office in Washington.

• Incumbent secretary of state Sam Reed (R) decided to retire this year rather than run for a fourth term. He will be succeeded by fellow moderate Republican Kim Wyman, a former staffer of Reed’s who was elected to the position on November 6, 2012.

• After serving 20 years in the office, Democratic state auditor Brian Sonntag decided not seek re-election this year.^[3] He will vacate the seat in January, upon which recent election victor Troy Kelley (D) will take over as the state’s chief financial watchdog.

Here are the candidates who won election.^[4](See below for official vote totals)

Office	Incumbent	General Election Candidates	2012 Winner	Partisan Switch?
Governor	Christine Gregoire	Jay Inslee Rob McKenna	Jay Inslee	No
Lieutenant Governor	Brad Owen	Brad Owen Bill Finkbeiner	Brad Owen	No
Attorney General	Rob McKenna	Bob Ferguson Reagan Dunn	Bob Ferguson	Yes
Secretary of State	Sam Reed	Kathleen Drew Kim Wyman	Kim Wyman	No
Treasurer	James McIntire	James McIntire Sharon Hanek	James McIntire	No
Auditor	Brian Sonntag	Troy Kelley James Watkins	Troy Kelley	No
Superintendent of Public Instruction	Randy Dorn	Randy Dorn	Randy Dorn (non partisan)	No
Commissioner of Insurance	Mike Kreidler	Mike Kreidler John R. Adams	Mike Kreidler	No
Commissioner of Public Lands	Peter Goldmark	Peter Goldmark Clint Didier	Peter Goldmark	No

Official Results

• Governor
• Lt. Governor
• Attorney General
• Secretary of State
• Treasurer
• Auditor
• Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Commissioner of Public Lands

 

See also: Washington gubernatorial election, 2012

[hide]Governor of Washington General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Jay Inslee	51.5%	1,582,802
	Republican	Rob McKenna	48.5%	1,488,245
Total Votes				3,071,047
Election Results via Washington Secretary of State.

 National picture

States with 2012 executive elections

There were 94 total seats up for election across 22 states this year, including 11 Governors, 9 Lt. Governors, 10 Attorneys General, 7 Secretaries of State and 57 down ballot seats.

• Before the election, 51 of these offices were held by Democrats, 38 were held by Republicans, and the remaining 4 positions were held by non partisan or Independent officers . After the election, Democrats hold 49 (net loss of 2 seats), Republicans 42 (net gain of 4 seats), and Independents/non partisans only 1 (loss of 3).
• Of the 69 incumbents who ran for election in 2012, 7 are confirmed defeated- 6 Democrat, and 1 Republican. One incumbent, Democratic Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, remains at risk of losing her seat. Her race was close enough to warrant a recount and an official winner has still not been declared as of December 7th.
• Out of 25 total open seats, 13 were won by Democrats, 11 went to Republican, and 1 went to an Independent (non-partisan) candidate. In all, there are 34 new state executives as a result of the election. That number could become 35 if the Montana recount results show Juneau’s challenger, Republican Sandy Welch, is the winner.
• From the gubernatorial perspective, after the November 2012 election, there are 30 Republican and 19 Democratic governors.^[5] If the GOP had taken five governor seats from Democrats on November 6, that would have given the party 34 — the most for Republicans since 1922. As of December 2012, the number of Democratic governors in the country is at its lowest since 2001.

By Ballotpedia’s Congressional team

MADISON, Wisconsin: Washington had 10 U.S. House seats on the ballot in 2012. Seven total incumbents sought re-election on November 6, 2012, and all of them were successfully re-elected.

As a result of the election, Democrats gained one seat in Washington, the newly created 10th district. None of the original nine seats saw a party switch occur.

Here are the candidates who won election from Washington.

District	General Election Candidates	Incumbent	2012 Winner	Partisan Switch?
1st	Suzan DelBene  John Koster	Jay Inslee	Suzan DelBene	No
2nd	Rick Larsen  Dan Matthews	Rick Larsen	Rick Larsen	No
3rd	Jon T. Haugen  Jaime Herrera Beutler	Jaime Herrera Beutler	Jaime Herrera Beutler	No
4th	Mary Baechler  Doc Hastings	Doc Hastings	Doc Hastings	No
5th	Rich Cowan  Cathy McMorris Rodgers	Cathy McMorris Rodgers	Cathy McMorris Rodgers	No
6th	Derek Kilmer  Bill Driscoll	Norm Dicks	Derek Kilmer	No
7th	Jim McDermott  Ron Bemis	Jim McDermott	Jim McDermott	No
8th	Karen Porterfield  Dave Reichert	Dave Reichert	Dave Reichert	No
9th	Adam Smith  James Postma	Adam Smith	Adam Smith	No
10th	Denny Heck  Richard Muri	N/A	Denny Heck	N/A

[edit]National picture

Both chambers of the United States Congress remain split after the November 6, 2012 election. Democrats increased their majority in the U.S. Senate while cutting into the Republicans majority in theU.S. House. Of the 435 candidates who won election to the U.S. House, 85 of them were challengers, which represents 19.5 percent of U.S. House members. Of those 85, 50 are Democratic and 35 are Republican. A total of 27 incumbents were defeated — 10 Democratic and 17 Republican.

November 1, 2012

By Kelly O’Keefe

QUILCENE, Washington: Fire commissioners Dave Ward and Mike Whittaker are used to fighting fires, but over the past 16 months, they’ve had to fight a recall effort aimed at removing the pair from office. On November 13, the duo will face voters in a recall election in Jefferson County^[1] The recall effort was launched in June 2011 after local citizens accused Ward and Whittaker of falsifying commissioner meeting minutes and violating the Open Public Meetings Act. According to the accusations, Ward directed a secretary to falsify meeting minutes to make it appear as if the fire board had authorized the district’s participation in a Public Employees’ Retirement system. Whittaker approved the minutes, despite knowing that they inaccurately reflected what had actually happened at the meeting.^[2] Ward and Whittaker also came under fire for their creation of a chief operating officer job for the fire district and the hiring of Ward for that position.^[3]

In accordance with the laws governing recall in Washington, a judge had to verify that the charges against the recall targets were sufficient to warrant a recall effort. Judge Anna Laurie approved one of the five charges against Ward and Whittaker. In August of this year, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that a possible violation of the Open Public Meetings Act represented sufficient cause for a recall effort. Sufficient recall signatures were submitted in September, and the single-issue, all mail-in recall election was scheduled for November 13, 2012.^[4]

After the court’s ruling, Shane Seaman, the lawyer for Ward and Whittaker, filed a motion for reconsideration of the Supreme Court’s ruling. Seaman also filed a motion to postpone the mailing of election ballots until the Supreme Court decided whether it would reconsider the case. The motion for reconsideration was denied, and ballots were mailed as scheduled.^[3]

October 19, 2012

Edited by Al Ortiz

Editor’s note:This is the first in a seven part series. The Regional Breakdown series will be published every Wednesday and Friday leading up to the November 6 general election.

Northwest Region, UNITED STATES: The clock is ticking down and time is dwindling until the big day arrives for voters all over the United States of America. With plenty of ballot items for voters to make their decision on, every piece of information and every detail counts for voters to inform themselves before going to the polls.

With that in mind, Ballotpedia begins this year’s regional ballot measure breakdown series. Originally started in 2010, when 184 measures graced statewide ballots in 38 states, the breakdown series reviews ballot measures by region. This year, there are 186 ballot measures on the ballot in 38 states, with 174 of those measures set to be decided on November 6 in 37 states.

Ballotpedia divided the nation up into six regions in 2012: Northwest, Southwest, South Central, Midwest, Northeast and Southeast. In each report you will find what measures are on your state’s ballot, and what proposed amendments or statutes your surrounding area will vote on, which may or may not have an impact on future ballots in your state or area.

This week, we begin with the Northwest part of the United States, where political issues are vast and include a wide range of topics. The states that Ballotpedia has included in the Northwest region are: Alaska, Idhao, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

Below is a breakdown of how many statewide measures are on the ballot in the Northwest and how that compares to 2008 and 2010, followed by summaries of each state.

Next week’s Regional Breakdown – Southwest ballot measures:Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico.

Overview

Alaska

Nothing major in terms of formal campaign is occurring for Alaska ballot measures in 2012. With an August 28 primary that featured two citizen-initiated measures that turned plenty of heads in the state, two under-the-radar measures at the bottom of the ballot this November are still significant in terms of how the state is run and the state’s economy. Ballot Measure 1 is a state question to keep an eye on, as the measure would create a convention to revise, alter or amend the state constitution.

The following are quick facts about Alaska state ballot measure information:

• Initiative and referendum state: Yes

• Last ballot measure election: August 28, 2012 primary election

• Ballot measure approval rating since 2000: 47%

Ballot measure notes:

• Alaska residents haven’t rejected a bonding proposition this century. In 2002 alone, all three bonding propositions were approved.
• The last constitutional convention question to be “approved” by voters was in 1996 in Hawaii. However, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that blank votes be counted as “no” votes, therefore leaving the question as rejected. The last time a constitutional convention question was on the Alaska ballot was in 2002. That measure was defeated.

The ballot lineup

November 6, 2012 ballot measures Bonding Proposition A - Would allow for a general obligation bond to be issued for the purpose of transportation projects; not to exceed $453,499,200. Ballot Measure 1 - Would create a convention to revise, alter or amend the state constitution.

What people are saying

Idaho

Idaho saw plenty of action in the veto referendum process in 2012 – action that leaves the fate of the state’s education system in the hands of the voters. Three major referendums were circulated this past year, targeting three laws that were passed in the 2011 state legislative session regarding education reform in the state. The Idaho Education Association was behind the veto referendum process to place these measures on the ballot for a public vote. Advocates of the legislative bills’ passage include Idaho Governor Butch Otter and State Superintendent Tom Luna.

Also on the ballot is HJR 2, which would would add to the Idaho Constitution the right to hunt, fish and trap in the state.

The following are quick facts about Alaska state ballot measure information:

• Initiative and referendum state: Yes

• Last ballot measure election: November 2, 2010 general election

• Ballot measure approval rating since 2000: 85%

Ballot measure notes:

• The last time Idaho residents saw a veto referendum on the ballot was in 2002, when Proposition 2 was approved by voters.
• Idaho has a “Right to Hunt and Fish” measure on the ballot in 2012. The last time the issue of hunting was placed before voters was in 1996, when a measure was defeated that would have prohibited the use of dogs or bait while hunting black bear and limited the bear hunting season.

The ballot lineup

November 6, 2012 ballot measures Proposition 1 - Referendum to approve or reject legislation limiting negotiated agreements between teachers and local school boards and ending the practice of issuing renewable contracts. Proposition 2 - Referendum to approve or reject legislation providing teacher performance pay based on state-mandated test scores, student performance, hard-to-fill positions and leadership. Proposition 3 - Referendum to approve or reject legislation amending school district funding, requiring provision of computing devices and online courses for high school graduation. HJR 2 - Would allow for a general obligation bond to be issued for the purpose of transportation projects in the state. The general obligation bond would not exceed $453,499,200. SJR 102 - Would create a convention to revise, alter or amend the state constitution.

What people are saying

Montana

Montana’s ballot is full of issues that are circulating around political media outlets around the country. Residents in the state have a ballot lineup slated with topics ranging from abortion to immigration to health care to marijuana to campaign financing. When all is said and done, Montana voters will have to chime in on five ballot measures, two of which were placed on the ballot via citizen initiative. There isn’t only just one or two ballot measures to watch in this state, as all five have their own controversy surrounding each of them.

The measure that seems to be getting a good portion of attention is I-166, which would determine state policy on prohibiting corporate contributions and expenditures in state and national elections. The measure seeks to charge state lawmakers with furthering the state’s policy on the matter and ask congressional delegates to support efforts to overrule the Citizens United decision by amending the U.S. Constitution.

The following are quick facts about Montana state ballot measure information:

• Initiative and referendum state: Yes

• Last ballot measure election: November 2, 2010 general election

• Ballot measure approval rating since 2000: 67%

Ballot measure notes

• One 2012 measure, IR-124, seeks to place a legislative revision of an approved 2004 medical marijuana measure to a vote, instead of making it a law automatically. The revision was slated to become a law on May 13, 2011.
• Another Northwest state, Alaska, had a parental notification measure on the ballot in 2010. This measure is similar to LR-120, which was placed on the 2012 Montana ballot through the legislative referral process.

The ballot lineup

November 6, 2012 ballot measures LR-120 - Relates to parental rights in the act of a minor’s abortion, where parents would be notified before the process would take place. LR-121 - Require proof of citizenship in order for a person to receive certain services provided by the state. LR-122 - Would allow residents in the state the choice to decide if they want health insurance or not, and which health insurance to buy if they choose to do so. IR-124 - Places a legislative revision of an approved 2004 medical marijuana measure to a vote, instead of making it a law automatically. I-166 - Would determine state policy on prohibiting corporate contributions and expenditures in state and national elections.

What people are saying

Oregon

Oregon’s ballot measure count, like most even-numbered election years in the state, is at a high number with nine ballot measures facing voters this November. In all, two were referred to the ballot by the Oregon State Legislature, with the rest coming via the citizen initiative process in the state.

The two legislative referrals on the ballot deal with administration of government, with one measure seeking to revise responses to catastrophic disasters. The other referral,Measure 78, changes terminology in the state Constitution for the three state gov’t branches. The seven citizen initiatives on the ballot range from topics like marijuana to gambling to taxes, with two gambling measures garnering a lot of attention in the state. Measure 82 amends state constitution to authorize privately-owned casinos, whileMeasure 83 authorizes a single privately-owned casino in Multnomah County.

Another measure to watch this year in Oregon is Measure 85, which seeks to allocate the corporate income and excise tax “kicker” refund to the General Fund to provide additional funding for K through 12 public education.

The following are quick facts about Oregon state ballot measure information:

• Initiative and referendum state: Yes

• Last ballot measure election: November 2, 2010 general election

• Ballot measure approval rating since 2000: 46%

Ballot measure notes

• Although the nine ballot measures may seem like a lot of measures to vote on, state voters had to chime in on a whopping 32 ballot measures on the ballot in 2000.
• 2012 isn’t the first time the Oregon state ballot has seen the marijuana issue. The first occurrence of marijuana in the state that Ballotpedia has listed in its database of Oregon ballot measures was in 1986, when Measure 5 was defeated. The measure would have legalized private possession and growing of marijuana for personal use.

The ballot lineup

November 6, 2012 ballot measures Measure 77 - Revision to responses to catastrophic disasters; requires approval by a 2/3rds majority. Measure 78 - Changes terminology in the state Constitution for the three state gov’t branches. Measure 79 - Would ban real estate transfer taxes. Measure 80 - Would create a cannabis commission to regulate the cultivation and sale of cannabis. Measure 81 - Bans Columbia River commercial salmon fishing with gillnets by non-tribal persons, allows seine nets instead. Measure 82 - Authorizes establishment of privately-owned casinos. Measure 83 - Authorizes Multnomah County casino. Measure 84 - Phases out estate and inheritance taxes. Measure 85 - Allocates corporate income/excise tax “kicker” refund to additionally fund K through 12 public education.

What people are saying

Washington

Washington is one of the rare states in the country where ballot measures will appear on both odd-numbered year and even-numbered year ballots. The Washington 2012 ballot not only has eight measures on the ballot, but it also has a diverse number of issues. This hodgepodge ballot has citizen initiatives, legislative referrals, veto referendums andadvisory questions that has the ballot measure world stirring in the top left corner of the country.

Starting with Referendum 74, the measure asks voters if same-sex marriage should be legalized in the state of Washington. Those who were against a legislative bill – Senate Bill 6239 (and HB 2516, its counterpart in the state House) – that would legalize same-sex marriage argued that the question should be put to a public vote, therefore began the veto referendum process to put the issue before voters.

Initiative 1185 would require either two-thirds legislative approval or a vote by the people in order to raise taxes. Therefore, a one third minority of Legislators in either House of the Washington State Legislature could prevent the passage of any measure to raise revenue or repeal existing tax exemptions. The measure defines repealing a tax exemption as raising revenue. It only takes a simple majority to pass a tax exemption but under the proposal, a two thirds majority of both Houses of the legislature would be required to repeal it.

Finally, Initiative 1240 would allow 40 public charter schools in the state over the next five years. Charter schools are public schools that independently operate away from local school districts. They are run by a performance contract that requires valid proof of academic improvement within that school. According to reports, Washington is one of eight states that does not have charter schools.

The following are quick facts about Washington state ballot measure information:

• Initiative and referendum state: Yes

• Last ballot measure election: November 2, 2010 general election

• Ballot measure approval rating since 2000: 64%

Ballot measure notes

• Washington voters rejected previous charter school initiatives in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
• With two advisory questions on the ballot, voters in the state will cast a “yes” or “no” vote, but since they are non-binding questions, the outcome of the ballot question will not result in a new, changed, or rejected law or constitutional amendment. Rather, the advisory question symbolically makes heard the general opinion of the voting population in regard to the issue at hand.

The ballot lineup

November 6, 2012 ballot measures Initiative 1185 - Would require either two-thirds legislative approval or a vote by the people in order to raise taxes. Initiative 1240 - Would allow 40 public charter schools in the state over the next five years. Referendum 74 - Asks voters if same-sex marriage should be legalized in the state of Washington. Initiative 502 - Would legalize the production, possession, delivery and distribution of marijuana. SJR 8221 - Would include the recommendations of the Commission on State Debt regarding the debt limit. SJR 8223 - Would provide clear authority to state research universities to invest funds. Advisory Vote 1 - Asks voters whether they would want to improve the long-term sustainability of the state budget by tweaking certain state taxes. Advisory Vote 2 - Asks voters whether they would want to delay the expiration of the pollution liability insurance agency’s funding to July 1, 2020.

What people are saying

Wyoming

Wyoming will flock to the polls this November to see triplet ballot measures on the ballot, with two that may stick out to residents in the state.

Beginning with Amendment A, which plays somewhat into the presidential race sweeping the country, according to the proposed amendment, “No federal or state law, rule or administrative decision shall compel, directly or indirectly, any person, employer or health care provider to participate in any health care system.”

The measure is an attempt to block the Affordable Health Care Act that was signed by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010 from taking effect in the state.

Amendment B would preserve citizens’ rights to hunt and fish in the Wyoming Constitution, according to the text of the measure. Measure C allow district court commissioners to act even if the district court judge is present and even if the district court judge could properly hear the case.

The following are quick facts about Wyoming state ballot measure information:

• Initiative and referendum state: Yes

• Last ballot measure election: November 4, 2008 general election

• Ballot measure approval rating since 2000: 64%

Ballot measure notes

• A “Health care freedom” measure was proposed for the 2010 ballot in the state, but failed to be placed before voters during the state’s legislative session.
• Prior to 2012, only 14 Wyoming ballot measures have been placed on the ballot since 2000.

The ballot lineup

November 6, 2012 ballot measures Amendment A - Prohibit mandatory health care participation from federal law. Amendment B - Allow the right to hunt and fish in the state constitution. Amendment C - Would allow district court commissioners to act even if the district court judge is present and even if the district court judge could properly hear the case.

What people are saying

September 30, 2012

By Bailey Ludlam

OLYMPIA, Washington: A total of eight ballot measures are scheduled to appear on the State of Washington’s November election ballot. Unlike past years, this year’s state measures comprise of more than just Initiatives to the People and legislatively-referred constitutional amendments. Others on the ballot include Initiative to the Legislatures,veto referendums, and advisory questions.

For all of 2012, there are 185 ballot measures in 38 states on the ballot, and 173 of those are on the general election ballot in 37 states. Historically, even-numbered election years feature significantly higher measures than odd-numbered years. In 2010 alone, 184 ballot questions were certified for spots on 38 statewide ballots. In comparison, only 34 ballot measures were on the ballot in 9 states in 2011.

September 18, 201

By Al Ortiz and Eric Veram
Campaign season is upon us, and with that, the Tuesday Count stands at 185 ballot measures on 38 state ballots. 173 of those measures will be decided on November 6, 2012 in 37 states.

Before then, however, there is one more ballot measure election slated for voters.

It is a rare sight to see a statewide ballot measure on a September ballot, but deep down south, that’s exactly what voters are going to get.

The Alabama Medicaid Amendment will appear on the September 18, 2012 special election ballot today in the state of Alabama. This legislatively-referred constitutional amendment would authorize the transfer of $145.8 million from an oil and gas trust fund to the General Fund for the state Medicaid budget, prisons, courts and other non-education functions of government.

Although the measure is the only item on the special election ballot in the state, it has been garnering much heated attention from both supporters and opponents.

The main argument that supporters are making is that without the enactment of the amendment, the state Medicaid Agency and the Department of Corrections could have significant cuts that could have a negative impact on health care and public safety.

Proponent Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, stated that the measure is needed to cover major funding shortfalls in the state’s budget that begins on October 1, 2012.

On the other side of the argument, opponents say that Alabama legislators are delaying a funding issue that will rear its head again in three years when the Trust Fund money runs out.

According to State Senator Paul Sanford, “I’m against the amendment. I and the people I talk to don’t see the willingness to trust that the government is going to do the responsible thing…One of my bills that passed this year consolidated two agencies: Department of Labor and Department of Industrial Relations. I think we need to do more measures like that and curtail some cost. A lot of these suggestions have been put on the desk and are collecting dust.”^[1]

Election results will be posted on this page and on Amendment 1′s ballot measure page when polls close at 7 p.m. CST and numbers begin to come in.

Arkansas casino backers not folding cards just yet

It has been a bumpy road for supporters of a citizen-initiated casino amendment in the state of Arkansas.

Legal action and signature gathering debacles have plagued a proposal that would allow the operation of casinos in Arkansas, as supporters are nearing the end of what has been a complicated matter in the Natural State.

On June 28, 2012, supporters of the measure stated that they had more than 70,000 signatures on hand, enough to send the measure to the ballot, if enough valid signatures were counted. Organizers of the measure turned in signatures by the state’s petition drive deadline.^[2]

On July 23, 2012, secretary of state spokesman Alex Reed stated that the initiative had fallen short of the required amount of signatures needed to make the ballot. According to reports, the initiative effort had 30 days to collect those additional signatures.^[3]

Then, the group behind the measure submitted new ballot language after the Arkansas Secretary of State claimed the language was insufficient. The supporting group stated that the new language did not alter the law, so signatures should still be counted when submitted by the deadline. Additional signatures were then filed by the deadline.

However, the Arkansas Secretary of State rejected the newly submitted language, causing a lawsuit to be filed by Nancy Todd, supporter of the measure, with the Arkansas Supreme Court.^[4]

The lawsuit was filed on August 24, which stated: “The secretary of state’s threatened refusal to carry out this legal duty is a violation of his statutory obligations to the petitioners and the people and an abridgement of their rights under Amendment 7.”^[5]

While the lawsuit was being reviewed, election officials stated on September 14 that the initiative collected the required amount of signatures to make the ballot, pending the legal challenge.^[6]

A ruling on the case is expected soon.

Quick hits

Polls released for several Michigan ballot measures: An EPIC-MRA poll conducted on September 8-11, 2012, found that 48 percent were in support of Proposal 2, while 43 percent were opposed, and another 9% were undecided. The results are based on a poll of 600 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent. The same poll found found that 47 percent were in support of Proposal 6, while 44 percent were opposed, and another 9% were undecided.^[7]

Polling information released on Colorado Marijuana Legalization Initiative: A SurveyUSA poll conducted on September 9-12, 2012, found that 51 percent were in support of Amendment 64, while 40 percent were opposed, and another 8% were undecided. The results are based on a poll of 615 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.^[8]

Local Oregon voters flock to polls for light rail measure election

In last week’s Tuesday Count report, the Spotlight highlighted an extraordinary local measure in Oregon that will appear on the November 6 ballot in Multnomah County.

However, that isn’t the only measure that will appear on a local Oregon ballot this year, as today, September 18, voters in Clackamas County, Oregon will chime in on a light rail question.

This measure seeks to provide for a law requiring that any decision on a light rail in the county would have to be approved by public vote.

This measure was brought to the ballot through a successful petition drive by residents, who obtained 9,728 valid signatures when 9,378 were needed. Proponents of the measure want to allow for voter approval of the local TriMet project which would contribute $1.5 billion to the Portland-Milwaukie light rail project. According to reports, supporters did not think it fair for the county to invest so much money without voter approval first.

On the other hand, opponents say that this measure would halt the county’s contribution to the TriMet program.

The Tuesday Count Spotlight highlights notable developments from local ballot measures across the country as well as international ballot measures. 

BALLOT LAW UPDATE

Lawsuit aimed at delaying Colorado’s blue book dismissed: On September 13, 2012, Denver District Court Judge Robert Hyatt dismissed a lawsuit filed by supporters of Colorado Amendment 64. The lawsuit sought to delay the printing of the state’s ballot information booklet, know as the blue book, because, according to the plaintiffs, the legislative committee struck final draft key language in the section describing arguments in support of the initiative. The lawsuit was, reportedly, dismissed due to a “jurisdictional issue”.^[9]

Supporters of the North Dakota Medical Marijuana Initiative sue for ballot access: Supporters of the measure filed a lawsuit directly with the North Dakota Supreme Court on Friday, September 14, 2012, asking that the measure be placed on the ballot. The measure was previously kicked off the ballot after North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger determined that a number of the signatures were faked by petition gatherers. Supporters claim that Secretary Jaeger failed to follow constitutional and statutory legal requirements by rejecting whole pages of petitions containing fraudulent signatures rather than investigating each name.^[10]

August 31, 2012

By Bailey Ludlam

Campaigns in support of marijuana initiatives in Washington and Colorado have raised an estimated $3 million. A total of six marijuana-related ballot measures have thus far been approved to appear before voters in elections this year.^[1]

According to the most recent campaign finance reports, $2 million has been raised for Washington Initiative 502.^[1] The proposed measure would legalize the production, possession, delivery and distribution of marijuana. The initiative would regulate the sale of small amounts of marijuana to people 21 and older. According to reports, marijuana grow farms and food processors would be licensed by the Washington State Liquor Control Board.^[2] Additionally, the measure would make it illegal for a motorist to have more than 5 nanograms of THC (an active ingredient of marijuana) per milliliter of blood in their system.^[3] The initiative is supported by a group called New Approach Washington.^[4]

On the other hand, the Colorado initiative, Amendment 64, has raised an estimated $1 million.^[1] The initiative asks whether to legalize the use and possession of, at most, an ounce of marijuana for residents who are 21 and older. In addition, it would allow the state to regulate retail sales of the drug.^[5]

Below is a list of all currently certified ballot measures that relate to marijuana, in no particular order: