1987 ballot measures
From Ballotpedia
This page provides a list of statewide ballot measures that appeared before voters in 1987.
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 Factbook
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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
Louisiana
See also: Louisiana 1987 ballot measures
November 21
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | State judiciary | It proposed that the Louisiana supreme court should have sole authority to appoint temporary judges for municipal, traffic, parish, city and family courts. |
| 426,461 (59%) | 297,160 (41%) | |
| Amendment 2 | State and local government budgets, spending, and finance | This measure proposed to give constitutional status to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Fund. It was aimed at preventing the legislature from diverting revenue from the fund or using revenue in the fund for purposes other than conservation. |
| 473,618 (67%) | 229,813 (33%) | |
| Amendment 3 | State and local government budgets, spending, and finance | It proposed that all state retirement systems should be soundly funded and that their debt should be paid off within 40 years. |
| 498,757 (68%) | 234,228 (32%) | |
| Amendment 4 | Public education funding | It proposed that the legislature must provide sufficient funding to meet the needs of the state minimum foundation program. The Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education would develop the minimum foundation program, defining the requirements for education in the state. |
| 385,267 (56%) | 308,749 (44%) | |
| Amendment 5 | Civil service | It proposed that St. Mary's Dominican College be removed from the group of private institutions of higher learning that nominated individuals for the New Orleans civil service commission. The member who would have been nominated by St. Mary's would be replaced by an individual nominated by the employees of the city of New Orleans. |
| 353,518 (52%) | 330,402 (48%) |
Maine
See also: Maine 1987 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Nuclear energy | Allow for continued generation of electricity by nuclear fission and for the Maine Yankee power plant to remain in operation, with high-level nuclear waste as a waste product of that process |
| 235,069 (59%) | 162,902 (41%) | |
| Question 10 | Bond issues; Parks, land, and natural area conservation | Issue $35 million in bonds to fund the acquisition of public lands for natural and wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation |
| 246,257 (69%) | 113,017 (31%) | |
| Question 11 | Pollution, waste, and recycling policy; Bond issues | Issue $6 million in bonds to fund the detection and removal of asbestos hazards in state facilities and public schools |
| 211,650 (56%) | 162,960 (44%) | |
| Question 12 | Firearms policy | Edit the wording of the right to keep and bear arms |
| 215,370 (58%) | 158,753 (42%) | |
| Question 13 | State legislative elections | Require candidates for the state House of Representatives to live in their district when they run for office |
| 300,069 (80%) | 73,092 (20%) | |
| Question 2 | Water; Bond issues; Environment | Issue $8 million in bonds to clean up and close solid waste landfills that posed a hazard to public health and water quality |
| 273,837 (70%) | 115,727 (30%) | |
| Question 3 | Bond issues; Environment; Utility policy | Issue $8.3 million in bonds for the construction of sewage treatment facilities throughout the state |
| 217,274 (57%) | 166,381 (43%) | |
| Question 4 | Bond issues; Public economic investment policy | Create Maine Job Development program and authorize the state to issue $6 million in bonds to fund the program |  | 129,040 (34%) | 250,703 (66%) | |
| Question 5 | Higher education funding; Bond issues | Issue $3.1 million in bonds for pier reconstruction at the Maine Maritime Academy | | 182,851 (47%) | 202,255 (53%) | |
| Question 6 | Pollution, waste, and recycling policy; Bond issues | Issue $3 million in bonds to fund the removal of oil storage tanks and related groundwater infrastructure restoration |
| 210,830 (55%) | 171,266 (45%) | |
| Question 7 | Pollution, waste, and recycling policy; Bond issues | Issue $8 million in bonds to fund improvements and repairs to state facilities, including the removal of asbestos | | 146,975 (39%) | 233,738 (61%) | |
| Question 8 | Public education funding; Bond issues | Issue $5 million in bonds to fund the purchase of school buses for Maine public schools |
| 205,582 (53%) | 179,173 (47%) | |
| Question 9 | Bond issues; Highways and bridges; Airport infrastructure | Issue $26.5 million in bonds to fund transportation infrastructure |
| 231,739 (62%) | 142,038 (38%) |
Mississippi
See also: Mississippi 1987 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Property | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended via House Concurrent Resolution No. 7. The amendment proposed to amend Section 270, which allows a person to bequeath all or a portion of their estate to a charitable, religious, education or civil institution, subject to any statutory rights of the survivors. It proposes to increase to 180 days the minimum time before the testator’s death that will containing such a bequest must be executed in order to be valid. |
| 367,450 (73%) | 135,049 (27%) | |
| Amendment 10 | Business regulations | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended via Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 551. The amendment proposed to repeal: Section 189, which required that every corporate charter granted to a private corporation shall be recorded with the chancery’s office of the county in which the entity is located. |
| 335,119 (70%) | 145,427 (30%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Public education governance | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended via House Concurrent Resolution No. 9. The amendment proposed to repeal Section 205, which allowed the legislature to abolish public schools in the state and authorizes the legislature to force counties and school districts to abolish their public schools. The amendment proposes Section 201 provided for the establishment, maintenance and support of free and public schools. |
| 353,317 (71%) | 142,211 (29%) | |
| Amendment 3 | Family-related policy; Race and ethnicity issues | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended via House Concurrent Resolution No. 13. The amendment proposed to repeal Section 263, which prohibited the marriage of a white person with an African American or a person having a certain percentage of African American blood. |
| 264,064 (52%) | 246,135 (48%) | |
| Amendment 4 | Higher education funding; Higher education governance | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended via House Concurrent Resolution No. 19. The amendment proposed to allow the legislature to appoint a trustee to the La Bauve Fund from the board of trustees of the state institutions of higher learning for the perpetuation of the fund. |
| 341,692 (71%) | 139,540 (29%) | |
| Amendment 5 | State legislative elections | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended via House Concurrent Resolution No. 41. The amendment proposed to amend: Section 41, which would require that candidates reside in the district in which they are seeking office. |
| 382,632 (78%) | 106,456 (22%) | |
| Amendment 6 | Criminal trials; Bail policy | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended via Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 534. The amendment proposed to amend: Section 29, which would provide that county or circuit court judges may deny bail for offenses punishable by imprisonment for 20 years or more, when the proof is evident or the presumption that the release of the person would pose a danger to other persons. |
| 394,100 (80%) | 99,521 (20%) | |
| Amendment 7 | Bond issues | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended via Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 548. The amendment proposed to amend: Section 196, which would prohibit transportation corporations from issuing stocks or bonds without receiving money, property or labor in return. The amendment would also prohibit the fictitious increase of stock or indebtedness. |
| 344,430 (72%) | 134,220 (28%) | |
| Amendment 8 | Business regulations | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended via Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 549. The amendment proposed to amend: Section 178, which would delete the provision that charters for private for-profit corporations shall not be granted for than 99 years and would delete the provision which provided for taxing the increased value of the property and the franchise of a corporation with a charter of longer than 99 years. |
| 333,905 (70%) | 142,954 (30%) | |
| Amendment 9 | Business regulations | The amendment proposed that the constitution be amended via Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 550. The amendment proposed to repeal: Section 194, which required that every corporate stockholder shall have a number of votes equal to the number of shares they hold for as many directors as there are to be elected. |
| 336,138 (70%) | 141,153 (30%) |
Missouri
See also: Missouri 1987 ballot measures
April 7
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition A | Fuel taxes; Fees, licenses, and charges; Highways and bridges | Fund road and bridge repairs through increased truck fees, administrative cost limits, and a $0.04 fuel tax increase |
| 459,760 (56%) | 359,215 (44%) |
New Jersey
See also: New Jersey 1987 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Question No. 1 | Bond issues | The Correctional Facilities Construction Bond Act authorized $198 million in bonds for the construction of state and county correctional facilities. |
| 824,570 (60%) | 546,790 (40%) | |
| Public Question No. 2 | Bond issues | The New Jersey Green Acres, Cultural Centers and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 1987 authorized bonds of $40 million for cultural center projects, $25 million for historic preservation projects and $35 million for municipal acquisition of land for recreational and conservational purposes. |
| 857,096 (62%) | 516,971 (38%) | |
| Public Question No. 3 | Bond issues | The New Jersey Baseball Stadium Bond Act of 1987 would have authorized $185 million in bonds for construction of a stadium in the event of a commitment by a Major League Baseball team to relocate to New Jersey. | | 473,704 (33%) | 972,783 (67%) | |
| Public Question No. 4 | Bond issues | The Farmland Preservation Bond Act of 1981 was amended to allow the state to use allocated bond money to purchase farmland for resale with preservational intent, and to increase the proportion of bond money used on the purchase of farmland development easements from 50 to 80 percent, if not 100 percent in an emergency. |
| 934,903 (69%) | 421,918 (31%) | |
| Public Question No. 5 | Bond issues | 10 million in bonds unused after the passage of the New Jersey Public Purposes Buildings Construction Bond Act of 1980 were directed towards the construction and improvement of facilities for the mentally ill. The act originally directed the money towards a loan guarantee fund for the development of nursing homes, which never came to fruition. |
| 955,124 (71%) | 397,533 (29%) | |
| Public Question No. 6 | Law enforcement officers and departments | The amendment would have extended the terms of sheriffs elected in or after the 1988 general election from three years to five. | | 537,798 (41%) | 767,601 (59%) |
New York
See also: New York 1987 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Civil service; Veterans policy | Provide civil service credits to lawful resident aliens who served in wartime and removing the residency-at-enlistment requirement for veterans. |
| 1,219,180 (70%) | 519,769 (30%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Athletics and sports; Parks, land, and natural area conservation | Increase ski-trail mileage and width on specified peaks, remove South Mountain’s ski-trail authorization, and align Whiteface’s facilities with other forest preserve ski areas. |
| 881,350 (52%) | 806,091 (48%) |
North Dakota
See also: North Dakota 1987 ballot measures
March 18
| Type | Title | Subject | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measure 1 | Taxes |
| 66,687 (57%) | 50,991 (43%) | |
| Measure 2 | Income taxes |
| 62,635 (51%) | 59,340 (49%) |
Ohio
See also: Ohio 1987 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue 2 | Bond issues; Sewage and stormwater; Highways and bridges; Pollution, waste, and recycling policy | Allow the state to issue up to $1.2 billion in general obligation bonds to assist local governments in funding public infrastructure projects |
| 1,674,913 (71%) | 689,383 (29%) | |
| Selection of Supreme and Appellate Court Judges Initiative | State judicial selection | Change the system of selecting state Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges from a direct election system to an appointment system. | | 878,683 (35%) | 1,600,588 (65%) | |
| State Lottery Funds for Education Amendment | Gambling policy; Public education funding | Require all net proceeds from the state lottery to be used for education. |
| 1,984,905 (78%) | 564,421 (22%) |
Oregon
See also: Oregon 1987 ballot measures
May 19
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measure 1 | Nuclear energy; Federal government issues | Direct state officials and agencies to continue challenging the federal selection process for high-level nuclear waste repositories |
| 299,581 (75%) | 100,854 (25%) | |
| Measure 2 | Taxes; Property; Education | Authorize school districts to levy property taxes up to the last voter-approved amount and require them to adjust budgets if funds are insufficient. |
| 223,417 (56%) | 178,839 (44%) |
Pennsylvania
See also: Pennsylvania 1987 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Agriculture policy; Bond issues | issue $100,000,000 for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements |
| 1,172,483 (67%) | 575,330 (33%) |
Texas
See also: Texas 1987 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 1 | State and local government budgets, spending, and finance; Agriculture policy | Create a five million dollar grain warehouse fund to protect farmers and depositors of grain in public warehouse facilities. |
| 1,162,195 (55%) | 948,051 (45%) | |
| Proposition 10 | Taxes | Provide ad valorem tax exemptions for property temporarily located in Texas. | | 993,889 (49%) | 1,043,986 (51%) | |
| Proposition 11 | Taxes | Exempt non-income-producing personal property from ad valorem taxes. |
| 1,066,476 (51%) | 1,014,318 (49%) | |
| Proposition 12 | Property | Allow spouses to hold community property with right of survivorship. |
| 1,823,183 (85%) | 328,391 (15%) | |
| Proposition 13 | Administration of government | Allow the creation of emergency services districts and a voter-approved supporting property tax. |
| 1,339,654 (64%) | 743,806 (36%) | |
| Proposition 14 | Criminal trials | Provide the state a limited right to appeal in criminal cases. |
| 1,417,545 (68%) | 668,786 (32%) | |
| Proposition 15 | Local government officials and elections | Remove the office of county treasurer in Gregg, Fayette, and Nueces counties. |
| 1,324,009 (69%) | 582,472 (31%) | |
| Proposition 16 | State judiciary | Allow certain justice of the peace precincts to contain more than one justice of the peace court. |
| 1,366,576 (66%) | 693,717 (34%) | |
| Proposition 17 | State legislative authority | Authorize the legislature to define the governmental and proprietary functions of a municipality. |
| 1,083,139 (54%) | 904,989 (46%) | |
| Proposition 18 | Prison and jail funding; Corrections governance | Provide for the creation, operation, and financing of jail districts. |
| 1,134,209 (56%) | 903,072 (44%) | |
| Proposition 19 | Bond issues | Authorize bonds to fund a superconducting super collider research facility. |
| 1,347,362 (64%) | 754,445 (36%) | |
| Proposition 2 | Local government finance and taxes | Increase the maximum allowed tax rate from $0.03 to $0.06 per $100 valuation for rural fire protection districts. | | 1,010,704 (48%) | 1,098,623 (52%) | |
| Proposition 20 | Taxes | Provide ad valorem tax relief for certain inactive offshore drilling equipment. |
| 1,032,013 (50%) | 1,026,768 (50%) | |
| Proposition 21 | State legislatures measures; Administration of government | Allow the speaker of the house of representatives or the speaker's appointee to serve in an executive agency or committee. | | 857,837 (43%) | 1,140,646 (57%) | |
| Proposition 22 | State executive official measures | Limit the authority of an outgoing governor to fill vacancies in state and district offices. |
| 1,287,090 (61%) | 806,419 (39%) | |
| Proposition 23 | Bond issues; Water | Authorize an additional $400 million of Texas Water Development Bonds for water supply, water quality, and flood control purposes. |
| 1,348,332 (64%) | 755,791 (36%) | |
| Proposition 24 | Administration of government | Permit counties to perform work, without compensation, for another governmental entity. | | 1,005,039 (49%) | 1,036,342 (51%) | |
| Proposition 25 | Local government organization | Allow Amarillo Hospital District to serve Randall County residents, with financial support from Randall County, and allow hospital districts to alter jurisdiction with voter approval. |
| 1,358,338 (72%) | 541,344 (28%) | |
| Proposition 3 | Taxes | Limit school tax increases for surviving spouses aged 55 years or older. |
| 1,858,769 (85%) | 338,387 (15%) | |
| Proposition 4 | Public economic investment policy | Authorize the legislature to create economic development programs and to make loans and grants for such programs. |
| 1,089,136 (52%) | 1,019,428 (48%) | |
| Proposition 5 | Bond issues; Transportation | Aid turnpikes, toll roads, and toll bridges by guaranteeing bonds issued by the Texas Turnpike Authority. | | 951,130 (46%) | 1,111,903 (54%) | |
| Proposition 6 | State and local government budgets, spending, and finance | Authorize the legislature to provide state financing for the development and production of Texas products and businesses. | | 986,500 (47%) | 1,121,792 (53%) | |
| Proposition 7 | Bond issues | Authorize bonds to finance certain local public facilities. | | 827,235 (40%) | 1,251,876 (60%) | |
| Proposition 8 | Bond issues | Authorize up to $500 million in bonds for correctional or mental health facilities. |
| 1,389,479 (66%) | 725,482 (34%) | |
| Proposition 9 | State legislatures measures; Administration of government | Prevent legislators serving in another state office from receiving salary increases for that office during their legislative term. | | 977,464 (47%) | 1,112,888 (53%) |
Virginia
See also: Virginia 1987 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Lottery Measure | Gambling policy | Establish a state-operated lottery |
| 791,518 (57%) | 607,884 (43%) |
Washington
See also: Washington 1987 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HJR 4212 | State legislative term limits | Provide for an increase of legislative representatives' terms to four years and senators' terms to six years | | 283,742 (33%) | 567,782 (67%) | |
| HJR 4220 | Property taxes; Public education funding | Provide authorization to implement a 15-year state property tax for the construction of schools | | 283,118 (33%) | 568,196 (67%) | |
| Initiative 92 | Public health insurance; Business regulations | Prohibit physicians from charging patients on Medicare more than Medicare's reasonable charges | | 315,792 (36%) | 572,813 (64%) | |
| Referendum 41 | Federal government issues | Require the legislature to seek U.S. Supreme Court review of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Federal Reserve System’s authority | | 282,613 (34%) | 541,387 (66%) | |
| SJR 8207 | State judicial authority; State judiciary structure | Authorize retired superior court judges to continue to oversee pending cases they made discretionary rulings for prior to retirement |
| 495,273 (59%) | 346,428 (41%) | |
| SJR 8212 | Public land policy | Remove state constitutional restrictions that prevented investment of some permanent public land funds in stocks and private lending | | 260,620 (32%) | 551,408 (68%) |
Wisconsin
See also: Wisconsin 1987 ballot measures
April 7
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Gambling policy | Permit pari-mutuel on-track betting but prohibit the state from owning, operating, or leasing land for any such enterprise or location |
| 580,089 (52%) | 529,729 (48%) | |
| Question 2 | Gambling policy | Permit the creation of a state lottery |
| 739,181 (65%) | 391,942 (35%) |
Other years
Click on a year in the following table to view that year’s state ballot measures.
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