1979 ballot measures
This page provides a list of statewide ballot measures that appeared before voters in 1979.
In the United States, a ballot measure is a law, issue, or question that appears on a statewide or local ballot for voters of that jurisdiction to decide.
- HBM Factbooks
- List of ballot measures by state
- Other years
Historical Ballot Measure Factbooks
The inventory of statewide ballot measures is part of Ballotpedia's Historical Ballot Measure Factbooks, which document nearly 200 years of direct democracy in the United States. This ongoing research effort will provide an unparalleled resource for researchers, reporters, and voters on how ballot measures have evolved, the issues they've covered, and the role they have played in our civic life. Click here to access the state historical ballot measure factbooks.
List of ballot measures by state
California
See also: California 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 1 | Education; Race and ethnicity issues | Amend the state constitution to provide that desegregation through busing are only required in cases where the federal constitution requires it |
| 2,433,312 (69%) | 1,112,923 (31%) | |
| Proposition 2 | Business regulations | Establish provisions related to interest rates on loans. |
| 2,256,767 (65%) | 1,238,633 (35%) | |
| Proposition 3 | Veterans policy | Change the property value assessment ratio from 25% to 100% and requires the veterans' exemption to be adjusted to reflect any changes to the assessment ratio made by the state legislature |
| 2,523,766 (76%) | 799,948 (24%) | |
| Proposition 4 | State and local government budgets, spending, and finance | Limit growth in annual government spending financed from tax revenue and certain fee revenue |
| 2,580,720 (74%) | 891,157 (26%) |
Kentucky
See also: Kentucky 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four Amendments Referendum | State legislative authority |
| 187,933 (58%) | 137,053 (42%) | |
| General Assembly Election Years Referendum | State legislative elections |
| 183,056 (60%) | 124,318 (40%) |
Louisiana
See also: Louisiana 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Taxes | It proposed to raise the property tax assessment on public service properties, excluding electric cooperatives, to 25 percent. |
| 447,588 (60%) | 298,860 (40%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Juvenile criminal justice | This measure proposed that, under certain conditions, juveniles may be tried as adults. |
| 502,241 (69%) | 221,752 (31%) | |
| Amendment 3 | Public education governance; Administrative organization | It proposed that the term for members of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education be set at four years, concurrent with the governor's term. |
| 433,116 (61%) | 276,549 (39%) |
Maine
See also: Maine 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Bond issues; Highways and bridges | Issue $16.5 million in bonds for highway and bridge improvements |
| 187,734 (72%) | 72,817 (28%) | |
| Question 2 | Ports and harbors; Bond issues; Fisheries and fishing regulations; Airport infrastructure; Railways | Issue $11.81 million in bonds for public fish piers, airports and other transportation improvements |
| 173,349 (67%) | 85,086 (33%) | |
| Question 3 | Energy conservation and efficiency; Bond issues | Issue $2.5 million in bonds for energy conservation improvements for local government buildings |
| 156,968 (61%) | 99,157 (39%) | |
| Question 4 | Literacy, poll tax, and property voting requirements | Repeal the literacy requirement for voting |  | 84,971 (33%) | 170,267 (67%) | |
| Repeal of Returnable Container Law Initiative | Environment | Repeal the Returnable Container Law, which provided incentives for the reuse and recycling of beverage containers | | 41,480 (15%) | 226,687 (85%) |
Mississippi
See also: Mississippi 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Redistricting policy | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended: Section 152. The amendment proposed that the legislature would reapportion itself in the second year following the 1980 census and every ten years thereafter. |
| 223,799 (77%) | 68,380 (23%) | |
| Amendment 2 | State judiciary | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended: Article 6. The amendment proposed that the legislature would establish a commission on judicial performance. |
| 223,572 (77%) | 65,409 (23%) |
Missouri
See also: Missouri 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Sewage and stormwater; Bond issues | Authorize an issuance of a maximum of $200,000,000 in bonds to fund sewage treatment facilities |
| 437,345 (70%) | 187,463 (30%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Administrative organization; Transportation taxes and fees; Highways and bridges; Restricted-use funds | Authorize a consolidation of the highway and transportation departments, change distribution of road funds, and require that one-half of existing sales tax on motor vehicles and any future increase in vehicle license fees be used to fund road and transportation purposes |
| 455,943 (74%) | 163,937 (26%) |
Nevada
See also: Nevada 1979 ballot measures
June 5
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Tax and revenue administration; Food and beverage taxes; Sales taxes | Exempt certain foods from the sales tax and restore legislative control over tax administration. |
| 62,618 (78%) | 17,470 (22%) |
New Jersey
See also: New Jersey 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Question 1 | Bond issues | An act authorized $475 million in bonds for repairs and improvements of the state's highways, county and municipal roads and public transportation facilities. |
| 747,272 (54%) | 638,758 (46%) | |
| Public Question 2 | Bond issues | The New Jersey Higher Education Facilities Construction Act of 1979 would have authorized $95 million in bonds for higher education facilities. | | 611,639 (45%) | 748,737 (55%) |
New York
See also: New York 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Public economic investment policy | Increase the state loan guarantee limit for the Job Development Authority to finance industrial or manufacturing projects. | | 1,149,429 (47%) | 1,277,476 (53%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Parks, land, and natural area conservation; Public land policy | Allow land exchanges in the state forest preserve for equal acreage in Hamilton County. |
| 1,203,753 (51%) | 1,170,181 (49%) | |
| Amendment 3 | State legislative processes and sessions; Tax and revenue administration | Allow the legislature to incorporate federal tax laws into state tax law by reference without restating them in full. | | 1,009,232 (43%) | 1,327,008 (57%) | |
| Proposal 1 | Public transportation; Energy conservation and efficiency; Bond issues | Authorize $500 million in state bonds for transportation improvements to promote energy conservation. |
| 1,491,964 (55%) | 1,201,530 (45%) |
Ohio
See also: Ohio 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverage Container Deposit and Pull-Tab Ban Initiative | Business regulations; Environment | Require a $0.10 refundable deposit on beverage containers | | 768,898 (28%) | 2,019,834 (72%) |
Oklahoma
See also: Oklahoma 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Question 539 | Taxes | Allow individual taxpayers to deduct federal income tax paid from their state gross income over three years. | | 202,380 (49%) | 211,768 (51%) |
Pennsylvania
See also: Pennsylvania 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | State judiciary | authorize an increase to the number of judges of the Superior Court, make changes to judges' initial terms, and provide for the selection of the president judge of the Superior Court |
| 793,474 (53%) | 703,736 (47%) | |
| Question 2 | State judiciary | provide that the procedures for retention elections applied to justices and judges also apply to justices of the peace | | 730,122 (49%) | 754,755 (51%) |
Rhode Island
See also: Rhode Island 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal 1 | Bond issues | The measure would have authorized $25 million in bonds for the purchase and development of sites to sell or lease. |
| 30,366 (62%) | 18,334 (38%) | |
| Proposal 2 | Sewage and stormwater; Bond issues | The measure authorized $15 million in bonds for state assistance of the construction of sewage treatment facilities. |
| 36,148 (73%) | 13,155 (27%) | |
| Proposal 3 | Administration of government | The measure authorized the Rhode Island Industrial Building Authority to insure mortgage loans contingent on renovating industrial buildings. |
| 31,024 (64%) | 17,645 (36%) |
Texas
See also: Texas 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 1 | Administration of government | Provide for the appointment of notaries public for terms between two and four years |
| 291,006 (65%) | 153,371 (35%) | |
| Proposition 2 | Administration of government | introduce legislative review of rules made by executive agencies | | 208,169 (48%) | 227,290 (52%) | |
| Proposition 3 | Property; Bond issues | Guarantee loans to purchase farm and ranch real estate and authorize a sale of $10 million in bonds to finance loan guarantees |
| 240,605 (54%) | 201,212 (46%) |
Washington
See also: Washington 1979 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initiative 61 | Pollution, waste, and recycling policy | Provide a requirement of a minimum five cent recycling deposit on soft drinks and alcohol containers. | | 380,247 (42%) | 517,177 (58%) | |
| Initiative 62 | Revenue and spending limits; Tax and revenue administration | Provide limitations on the growth of general state tax revenues to the growth rate of state personal income. |
| 588,724 (68%) | 272,761 (32%) | |
| Referendum 37 | Healthcare facility funding; Bond issues | Provide $25 million in state general obligation bonds to fund facilities aiding mentally and physically disabled people. |
| 576,882 (67%) | 286,365 (33%) | |
| SJR 110 | State legislative processes and sessions | Require a regular legislative session every year and provide for special sessions to be called upon by the governor or the legislature |
| 508,063 (61%) | 331,391 (39%) | |
| SJR 112 | State legislative elections; Salaries of government officials | Permit legislators to assume civil offices without receiving increases in compensation for that office passed during their legislative term |
| 469,049 (57%) | 355,088 (43%) | |
| SJR 120 | Energy conservation and efficiency; Utility policy | Permit municipal utilities to assist resident owners in financing energy conservation measures |
| 526,349 (63%) | 311,768 (37%) |
Wisconsin
See also: Wisconsin 1979 ballot measures
April 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | State executive official measures | Define that a vacancy in the office of Governor should be filled by the Lieutenant Governor, followed by the Secretary of State |
| 538,959 (74%) | 187,440 (26%) | |
| Question 2 | State legislatures measures; State executive official measures | Provide that the state legislature must approve governor-appointed successors to vacancies in the Lieutenant Governor |
| 540,186 (75%) | 181,497 (25%) | |
| Question 3 | State legislatures measures | Eliminate the Lieutenant Governor's role as presiding officer of the Wisconsin State Senate |
| 372,734 (53%) | 327,008 (47%) | |
| Question 4 | Constitutional wording changes; State executive elections; State legislative elections | Clarify wording about constitutional officers' four-year terms |
| 533,620 (76%) | 164,768 (24%) |
Other years
Click on a year in the following table to view that year’s state ballot measures.
See also
Footnotes
