State Ballot Measure Monthly: March 2024

2024 U.S. state ballot measures
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March 13, 2024

By Ballot Measures Project Staff

This edition of the State Ballot Measure Monthly covers the certifications of state ballot measures, as well as notable ballot measure news, from February 7 through March 12.

HIGHLIGHTS

Alaskans will decide on a ballot initiative to repeal top-four ranked-choice voting, which was adopted in 2020, as well as one to increase the minimum wage and require employers to provide paid sick leave.

In Washington, the Let's Go Washington PAC submitted six initiatives; three of which the legislature approved—the most in state history. The other three of which will appear on ballots in Nov.

Wisconsin voters to decide on constitutional amendments to limit the governor's power to appropriate federal funds and mandate legislative approval.

2024 ballot measures

Overview: Nationally, 76 ballot measures have been certified in 29 states for elections in 2024.

Signatures submitted: Signatures have been submitted and are pending verification for the following citizen-initiated ballot measures:

• California Require Personal Finance Course for High School Graduation Initiative (2024)
• Michigan $15 Minimum Wage Initiative (2024)
• North Dakota Congressional Age Limits Initiative (2024)

Certified to the legislature: Signatures have been verified for the following indirect initiatives. The legislature has the option to approve them before certification:

• Maine Campaign Contribution Limits Initiative (2024)
• Massachusetts App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative (2024)
• Massachusetts Authorization of State Auditor to Audit General Court Initiative (2024)
• Massachusetts Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Initiative (2024)
• Massachusetts Regulated Access to Psychedelic Substances Initiative (2024)
• Massachusetts Repeal Competency Assessment Requirement for High School Graduation Initiative (2024)
• Massachusetts Unionization and Collective Bargaining for Transportation Network Drivers Initiative (2024)

Changes in 2024 ballot measure numbers

Comparison to earlier years

So far, 76 state ballot measures have been certified for 2024. From 2012 through 2022, an average of 74 state ballot measures through the first week of February of a general election year. An average of 157 total ballot measures were certified for even-numbered year ballots from 2012 through 2022.

2024 certifications

See also: Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2024

From February 7 through March 12, 19 statewide measures qualified for the ballot in nine states—Alaska, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

February 14

• New Mexico Judicial Nominating Commission Amendment: The ballot measure would allow for changes to the nominating commission for appellate judges. As of 2024, the commission is composed of certain individuals, including the dean of the University of New Mexico School of Law, who serves as the commission's chair and tiebreaker. The ballot measure would allow the dean to designate a person to serve in his or her place on the commission. The designee would need to be an associate dean, a faculty member, a retired faculty member, or a former law school dean.

• New Mexico County Officer Salaries Amendment: Currently, the state legislature is responsible for setting county official salaries. The ballot measure would provide that county boards of commissioners are authorized to set salaries for county officers.

February 22

• Wisconsin Senate Joint Resolution 84: The joint resolution, SJR 84, contained two related ballot measures, which were referred to the ballot for November 5. Both relate to the governor’s and legislature's powers to appropriate federal funds given to the state. Legislative Democrats and Republicans were divided on SJR 84; Republicans supported the amendments, while Democrats opposed them.

• Prohibit Legislature from Delegating Appropriations Power Amendment: The ballot measure would amend the state constitution to prohibit the legislature from delegating its power to appropriate money.
• Require Legislative Approval for State Expenditure of Federal Funds Amendment: The ballot measure would amend the state constitution to require legislative approval via a joint resolution before the governor can expend federal money appropriated to the state.

February 23

• Virginia Property Tax Exemption for Veterans and Surviving Spouses Amendment: The ballot measure would amend language in the Virginia Constitution regarding property tax exemptions for veterans and surviving spouses to say died in the line of duty rather than killed in action. The proposal received unanimous support from legislative Democrats and Republicans, minus absent or abstaining members..

February 27

• South Dakota Medicaid Work Requirement Amendment: In 2022, voters approved South Dakota Amendment D, which expanded Medicaid under the ACA, also known as Obamacare. The South Dakota State Legislature passed a constitutional amendment to allow the state to enact a work requirement for persons who are not mentally or physically disabled to receive Medicaid under the expansion. Legislative Republicans supported the work requirement amendment, while Democrats opposed it.

March 4

• Arizona Property Tax Refund for Non-Enforcement of Public Nuisance Laws Measure: The ballot measure would allow for property owners to apply for a property tax refund if the city or locality in which the property is located does not enforce laws or ordinances regarding illegal camping, loitering, obstructing public thoroughfares, panhandling, public urination or defecation, public consumption of alcoholic beverages, and possession or use of illegal substances. In the Arizona State Legislature, legislative Republicans supported referring the measure to the ballot, and Democrats opposed it.

March 6

• Florida Annual Inflation Adjustment for Homestead Property Tax Exemption Value Amendment: The ballot measure would provide for an annual inflation adjustment for the value of the homestead property tax exemption that applies to non-school taxes. In the House, Democrats voted 5-29, and Republicans voted 81-0. In the Senate, Democrats voted 0-12, and Republicans voted 25-3.

• Florida Repeal Public Campaign Financing Option Amendment: The constitutional amendment would eliminate Florida's public campaign finance system. In 2010, a ballot measure to eliminate the system was defeated. It received 52% of the vote but failed to meet the state's 60% threshold for constitutional amendments. In the Florida State Legislature, the 2024 amendment was largely passed along party lines. One Senate Republican joined the majority of legislative Democrats to oppose the amendment, and one Senate Democrat and one House Democrat joined the majority of Republicans to support it.

• New Mexico Bond Issues: Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed House Bill 308 (HB 308), which referred four bond issues, totaling $290.6 million, to the ballot for November 5. HB 308 received unanimous support in the New Mexico State Legislature.

• Public Education Bond Issue: The ballot measure would authorize the state to issue $230.26 million in general obligation bonds to fund public higher education institutions, special public schools, and tribal schools.
• Public Libraries Bond Issue: The ballot measure would authorize the state to issue $19.31 million in general obligation bonds to fund public libraries.
• Senior Citizens Facilities Bond Issue: The ballot measure would authorize the state to issue $30.76 million in general obligation bonds to fund senior citizens' facilities.
• Public Safety Radio Communications Systems Bond Issue: The ballot measure would authorize the state to issue $10.30 million in general obligation bonds to fund senior citizens' facilities.

March 6

• Alaska Minimum Wage Increase and Paid Sick Leave Initiative: The ballot initiative would increase the minimum wage in Alaska to $15 per hour in 2027 and require employers to provide employees with paid sick leave. The ballot initiative would also prohibit employers from taking adverse action against employees who refuse to attend employer-sponsored meetings regarding religious or political matters. The campaign submitted 37,349 valid signatures; 26,705 needed to be valid.

March 7

• Let's Go Washington PAC Initiatives: Let's Go Washington, a political action committee, submitted signatures for six indirect initiated state statutes. As the initiatives were indirect, the Washington State Legislature had the option to approve them, rather than having them appear on the ballot. Legislators approved three—Washington Initiative 2081, Initiative 2111, and Initiative 2113. The state legislature did not vote on three of them, meaning they will appear on the ballot in November 2024.

• Washington Initiative 2109, Repeal Capital Gains Tax Initiative: The ballot initiative would repeal the capital gains excise tax on long-term capital assets by individuals with capital gains over $250,000.
• Washington Initiative 2117, Prohibit Carbon Tax Credit Trading and Repeal Carbon Cap-and-Invest Program Measure: The ballot initiative would prohibit any state agencies from implementing a cap and trade or cap and tax program and repealing the 2021 Washington Climate Commitment Act (CCA), a state law that provided for a cap and invest program designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 95% by 2050.
• Washington Initiative 2124, Opt-Out of Long-Term Services Insurance Program Initiative: The ballot initiative would allow employees and self-employed individuals to opt out of the state's long-term services and supports trust health care program.

March 8

• Alaska Repeal Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative: The citizen-initiated ballot measure would repeal provisions of Measure 2 (2020), which created an electoral system that combined top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting (RCV) general elections. The campaign Alaskans for Honest Elections submitted 37,043 verified signatures, according to the Alaska Division of Elections. At least 26,705 were needed. The ballot initiative is the first statewide measure to attempt to repeal RCV.

March 9

• West Virginia Amendment 1, Prohibit "Medically-Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia, and Mercy Killing" Measure: The ballot measure would amend the West Virginia Constitution to prohibit people from participating in "the practice of medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing of a person." While several states have decided on ballot measures to legalize physician-assisted death, West Virginia would be the first to explicitly prohibit the practice in its state constitution.

Headlines

Washington State Legislature passes three indirect initiatives—the most for a single year in state history

Overview

The Washington State Legislature adjourned this year’s legislative session on March 7. Legislators passed three citizen-initiated measures into law—the most ever for a single year. From 1912, when the state’s initiative process was established, to 2023, just six Initiatives to the Legislature have received legislative approval. With three approved this year, the total increases to nine, a 50% increase.

An Initiative to the Legislature, or ITL, is what the state of Washington calls indirect initiated state statutes. While a direct initiative is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of valid signatures, an indirect initiative is first presented to the state legislature. Legislators can adopt the indirect initiative into law. Should legislators take no action or reject the initiative, the initiative is put on the ballot for voters to decide.

The state legislature passed three of them this year, and an additional three did not receive legislative votes. Those three will appear on the general election ballot on November 5.

The PAC Let’s Go Washington was behind the six Initiatives to the Legislature. State Rep. Jim Walsh (R-19), who is also chairperson of the Washington Republican Party, filed the initiatives. Brian Heywood, CEO of Taiyo Pacific Partners, founded the PAC.

Democrats control both chambers of the Washington State Legislature. Legislative Republicans were unanimous in their support for the three initiatives, while Democrats were divided. However, a majority of Democrats supported each of the three. The three approved initiatives remove restrictions on police vehicular pursuits; prohibit income taxes; and designate specific parental rights related to education, including opting children out of sexual education.

History of Initiatives to the Legislature

From 1912 through 2023, 2,133 Initiatives to the Legislature have been filed. Thirty-two (32) have appeared on the ballot. Voters approved 17 (53%) and rejected 15 (47%). Nine received approval from the legislature, including this year’s three measures. The other six initiatives that the legislature approved are described below:

• Initiative 2 (1935): The legislature approved the initiative to establish blanket primaries. Democrats controlled both chambers of the legislature at the time. Charles Hodde, who lobbied for the initiative, said, “The papers had freely predicted that it would have to go to a vote of the people, that you’d never get the politicians in office, that got elected under the old system, to go for a new system. … It actually passed the House rather easily, something like eighty percent of them voted for it [and] in the Senate it was extremely close.”

• Initiative 12 (1943): The initiative allowed for joint public utility districts. Democrats controlled the state House and Senate. A veto referendum was then filed to overturn the legislature’s approval of the initiative, which was successful, resulting in the measure being invalidated.

• Initiative 99 (1989): The initiative provided for presidential preference primary elections to determine each presidential candidate's percentage of delegates to major party national conventions. The state legislature was divided at the time. Republicans controlled the Senate, and Democrats controlled the House.

• Initiative 159 (1995): The divided legislature approved two indirect initiatives. Democrats controlled the Sentate, and Republicans controlled the House. Initiative 159 increased penalties and sentencing standards for crimes involving a firearm and also made sentences and plea agreements public records.

• Initiative 164 (1995): The initiative required the government to pay for property value reductions attributed to government land use regulations. A veto referendum was then filed to overturn the legislature’s approval of the initiative, which was successful, resulting in the measure being invalidated.

• Initiative 1000 (2019): Before 2024, the most recent indirect initiative to be approved by the Washington State Legislature was Initiative 1000 in 2019. Initiative 1000 was designed to allow affirmative action without the use of quotas. Democrats controlled both chambers of the state legislature, and the indirect initiative was passed along partisan lines. A veto referendum was then filed to overturn the legislature’s approval of the initiative, which was successful, resulting in the measure being invalidated.

Initiatives in 2024

In 2024, Democrats controlled the Washington State Legislature. With the approval of three of Let’s Go Washington’s indirect initiatives, House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-27) said, “Part of it is, I think we don't want to subject voters to big campaigns on things that don't do a whole lot.” Each of the three initiatives received unanimous support from legislative Republicans, while Democrats were divided. However, a majority of Democrats supported each one.

Rep. Jim Walsh (R-19), who sponsored the initiatives, said, “I understand the political logic that the speaker and the Senate leader may have to pass that into law now and get it off the ballot in November. So there's a certain calculation, get the most popular one off the ballot so that it's not a factor in voter turnout.”

The following are the three indirect initiatives that legislators approved:

• Initiative 2111 prohibited the state from implementing an income tax. Washington does not have an income tax. The initiative was adopted with unanimous support from Republican legislators. In the House, Democrats were divided 37-21. In the Senate, Democrats were divided 18-11.

• Initiative 2113 removed restrictions on when a police officer can engage in a vehicular pursuit. In the House, Democrats were divided 38-20. In the Senate, Democrats were divided 16-13.

• Initiative 2081 received the most support, of the three initiatives, from Democrats. Initiative 2081 provided parents with specific rights surrounding their children's education, including the right to review materials, be notified of medical treatments offered or arranged for students, and the right to opt out of instruction on topics related to sexual activity. Democratic legislators said parents already have the rights under state and federal law that the initiative enumerates. In the House, Democrats were divided 43-15. In the Senate, Democrats were unanimous in their support.

The six indirect initiatives were presented to the state legislature this year after sponsors submitted a combined 2,662,425 signatures. At least 324,516 valid signatures were required for each initiative.

The Let’s Go Washington PAC has received $7.82 million through March 11. Brian Heywood has provided $6.24 million to the PAC. Let's Go Washington expended $9.28 million, including $6.69 million on signature gathering, which is about $3.44 per required signature.

The three initiatives that did not receive legislative approval—none of them received a vote—will appear on the ballot for November 5. These initiatives are:

• Initiative 2109 would repeal the capital gains excise tax on individuals’ long-term capital assets with capital gains over $250,000.

• Initiative 2117 would prohibit carbon tax credit trading and repeal provisions of the 2021 Washington Climate Commitment Act (CCA), a state law that provided for a cap-and-invest program intended to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 95% by 2050.

• Initiative 2124 would allow employees and self-employed individuals to opt out of the state’s long-term services and supports trust health care program, known as WA Cares.

There has not been an Initiative to the Legislature on the ballot in Washington since 2019, when voters approved Initiative 976, which limited vehicle registration renewal fees to $30. The Washington Supreme Court blocked that initiative from taking effect.

See also

• 2024 ballot measures
• Ballot initiatives filed for the 2024 ballot
• Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2024
• Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2024

Related articles

• State Ballot Measure Monthly