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State Ballot Measure Monthly: October 2021
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By Ballot Measures Project staff
This edition of the State Ballot Measure Monthly covers certifications and a selection of notable ballot measure news from Sept. 17 through Oct. 21.
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Number of certifications in past years
Odd-numbered years:
- An average of 31 statewide measures were eventually certified for odd-year ballots from 2011 to 2019.
Even-numbered years:
- An average of 45 measures were certified for the following even-year ballots by this point from 2011 through 2019.
- An average of 172 statewide measures were eventually certified for even-year ballots from 2012 to 2020.
2021 certifications
Statewide ballot measures for 2021 are finalized. No new measures will be certified.
2022 certifications
- See also: Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2022
From Sept. 17 through Oct. 21, one statewide measure was certified for the 2022 ballot in Texas.
Oct. 18:
- Texas Proposition 2, Increased Homestead Exemption for School District Property Taxes Amendment (May 2022) - This amendment would increase the homestead exemption for school district property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. It would take effect for the 2022 tax year. The Legislative Budget Board estimated that the increase would cost the state $355 million in fiscal year 2023.
- The amendment was approved by both chambers unanimously. The enabling legislation, Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), also received final approval on the last day of the session. State Senator Paul Bettencourt (R), the author of the amendment, said, “People see the need for property tax relief, and Texans are going to cry out for that continuously. This is a great way to bring that home to all of the taxpayers of Texas.” Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Chris Turner (D) said, “Texas House Democrats have been fighting for an increase in the homestead exemption for decades. While Republicans pushed for property tax rate cuts that largely benefit corporations, we have championed legislation that puts money directly into Texas homeowners’ pockets. Today, our longstanding efforts pay off under SJR 2. We are grateful our Republican colleagues have joined us to provide meaningful property tax relief to Texas homeowners.”
- Texas voters last approved an increase to the homestead tax exemption in 2015 with the passage of Proposition 1. The amendment increased the exemption from $15,000 to $25,000. It was approved by a margin of 86.4% to 13.6%.
- The Texas Legislature generally puts constitutional amendments on the ballot for odd-year elections. This amendment was approved in 2021—too late for it to go on the Nov. 2 ballot. It will appear on the May 2022 ballot. Between 1995 and 2019, 167 of 169 (99 percent) statewide ballot measures appeared on odd-year ballots. Two measures appeared on even-year ballots.
Ballotpedia’s top 15 ballot measures to watch on Nov. 2
Of the 39 ballot measures appearing on statewide ballots in 2021:
- 24 measures are on the Nov. 2 ballot;
- 4 measures are on the Nov. 13 ballot in Louisiana;
- 4 measures were on the ballot on May 18 in Pennsylvania and were approved; and
- 7 bond measures were on the ballot on March 2 in Rhode Island and were approved.
Below are the 15 ballot measures we are watching closely on Nov. 2, including nine statewide measures and six local ballot measures. For the full report published on Oct. 21 including details about each measure and context, click here.
Statewide measures:
- Maine Question 1, Electric Transmission Line Restrictions and Legislative Approval Initiative (2021)
- Colorado Proposition 119, Creation of Out-of-School Education Program and Marijuana Sales Tax Increase Initiative (2021)
- New York Proposal 2, Environmental Rights Amendment (2021)
- Maine Question 3, Right to Produce, Harvest, and Consume Food Amendment (2021)
- Texas Proposition 6, Right to Designated Essential Caregiver Amendment (2021)
- New York Proposal 1, Redistricting Changes Amendment (2021)
- New York Proposal 3, Remove 10-Day-Advance Voter Registration Requirement Amendment (2021)
- New York Proposal 4, Allow for No-Excuse Absentee Voting Amendment (2021)
- New Jersey Public Question 1, Sports Betting on State College Athletics Amendment (2021)
Local measures:
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, Question 2, Replace Police Department with Department of Public Safety Initiative (November 2021)
- Austin, Texas, Proposition A, Police Policies on Minimum Number of Officers, Training Requirements, and Demographic Representation Initiative (November 2021)
- Detroit, Michigan, Proposal R, City Reparations Committee Advisory Question (November 2021)
- Detroit, Michigan, Proposal E, Decriminalization of Entheogenic Plants Measure (November 2021)
- Columbus, Ohio, Issue 7, Create Energy-Related Funds and Allocate General Fund Revenue Charter Amendment Initiative (November 2021)
- Denver, Colorado, Initiated Ordinance 303, Require Enforcement of Unauthorized Camping and Authorize the City of Denver to Create Four Camping Locations on Public Property Initiative (November 2021)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoes pay-per-signature ban
On Oct. 5, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed Senate Bill 660, which would have banned paying initiative, veto referendum and recall signature gatherers based on the number of signatures collected, a practice called pay-per-signature. The legislature passed the bill in early September, with the Senate approving it 26-11 and the Assembly voting 51-18 in favor.
The California Legislature passed a bill in 2019 banning pay-per-signature and requiring 10% of signatures required for a ballot initiative to be collected by volunteer circulators. Newsom vetoed that bill as well. The legislature also passed pay-per-signature bans in 2018 and 2011, but both were vetoed.
Nineteen of 26 states with statewide processes for initiatives or veto referendums allowed pay-per-signature. The remaining seven prohibit pay-per-signature. The most recent states to ban paying circulators on a per-signature basis were Florida (in 2019) and Arizona (in 2017).
See also
- 2021 ballot measures
- 2022 ballot measures
- List of ballot measures by state
- List of ballot measures by year
- Ballot initiatives filed for the 2021 ballot
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2021
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2022
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2021
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2022
Related articles
Footnotes
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