The Tuesday Count: sports arena question scores a spot on the 2012 ballot
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March 22, 2011
By Bailey Ludlam
The Tuesday Count continues to climb. While the 2011 count remains rock solid, 2012's count received a boost from the state of Nevada. A total of ten questions are currently certified for spots on six statewide ballots in 2012.
This week Nevada certified it's first measure for the 2012 election season. A measure that would allow a 20,000-seat sports arena on the Las Vegas Strip will appear on the ballot on November 6, 2012. The indirect initiated state statute required a minimum of 97,002 valid signatures and a review by the Nevada State Legislature. On Thursday, March 17 the state Senate rejected the measure; automatically sending it to the statewide ballot for a public vote. In addition to allowing a 20,000-seat sports arena on the Las Vegas Strip, the initiative would impose a 0.9 cent sales tax in a taxing district near the proposed arena. The revenue would finance bonds to construct the arena.
Certified measures for upcoming ballots cover a wide array of topics. The same can be said for the growing number of ballot measure proposals, both from the legislature and citizens.
Collective bargaining disputes are rising in at least three states. If successful to qualify for the ballot, voters might get a chance to cast their vote on the heated topic in both 2011 and 2012.
In Idaho, two veto referendum proposals have been filed. One measure would repeal a newly passed law that relates to teachers' collective bargaining agreements. According to reports, the law ends tenure and removes issues like workload and class size from contract negotiations. The second referendum was filed to repeal a similar law also dealing with collective bargaining. The proposed veto referenda were filed with the Idaho election's office on March 18, 2011. A third veto referendum may be filed if a pending third education-related law is signed into effect.[1][2]
In Michigan, two measures are also currently pending. One is proposed by the legislature and calls for guaranteeing the right to collectively bargain for all employees, either in the public or private sectors. The second is citizen initiative that would ban collective bargaining for state employees, require the Civil Service Commission to set pay rates for all positions at the market rate and cancel all current employment agreements with state employees.
The topic may be brought to voters as soon as 2011 in the state of Ohio. Ohio Collective Bargaining Limit Repeal, a veto referendum, would repeal a measure that limits collective bargaining for public employees in the state. The full text of the bill that this would repeal can be found here - Senate Bill 5.
RECENT PROPOSALS:
- Washington State Liquor Sales, Initiative 1157 (2011) - would allow stores with a 5-year record of no public safety violations to sell liquor. The proposal is similar to a 2010 proposal to privatize liquor. The new proposal, however, implements "stricter criteria to get a license to sell spirits" and would preserve existing statutory taxes.
- Georgia Horse Race Gambling Measure (2012) - would establish a nine-member racing commission and establish how parimutuel betting would be regulated in the state of Georgia. Generated funds would be directed towards college scholarships, pre-Kindergarten and trauma care.
- Missouri Vote by Secret Ballot Amendment (2012) - would guarantee the right of individuals to vote by secret ballot.
- Missouri Decrease Number of Representatives Amendment (2012) - would reduce the Missouri House of Representatives from 163 members to 103 members.
SPOTLIGHT:Local Illinois levy question puzzles voters and officials
On April 5 Oak Park voters will cast their ballots on a District 97 Levy Increase. With weeks to go before the local election, the question continues to raise a number of questions. According to reports, the tax formula used to reflect the impact of the proposed measure is in error. Some estimate that the cost reflected on the ballot may be three times cheaper than the actual cost. On the ballot it states that homeowners would pay on average $150 a year when current reports state that the cost would be closer to $500. The error resulted after a property tax equalizer, required by a Cook county law, was not taken into account. The school district has reportedly issued information with the corrected tax assessment.
See also
| 2011 ballot measures |
| Tuesday Count • 2011 Scorecard |
Footnotes
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