By now you know the House remains in Republican control, the Senate remains in Democratic control, and President Obama won the White House for four more years. But what about other important ballot initiatives on the state level?

Let’s take a look:

NEW JERSEY EMPOWERED THE LEGISLATURE TO CUT SPENDING BY MODIFYING JUDICIAL SALARIES AND BENEFITS.

States continue to struggle to afford pension benefits and New Jersey citizens gave the legislature the power to address pension and health care reform.¹

VOTERS APPROVED CERTAIN INITIATIVES THAT WILL LEAD TO NEW SPENDING.

Alabama approved more spending for a plan to entice businesses to the state while New Mexico approved several new spending initiatives on education and libraries.²

IMAGINE THIS: A LOWER DEBT LIMIT.

Voters in Washington State approved a measure that would lower, yes lower, it’s constitutional debt limit.³

SUPERMAJORITY VOTE TO RAISE TAXES.

Voters in Florida and Michigan rejected efforts to require taxes to be raised by a supermajority legislative vote.⁴

2012 General Election Ballot Guide (Statewide Measures)

            From: The National Taxpayer’s Union 2012 General Election Ballot Guide

Alabama

Amendment 2: would allow for a $750 million debt increase as part of a plan to entice businesses to Alabama.

APPROVED (link)

Amendment 6: would prevent any person, employer, or health care provider from being compelled to participate in any health care system.

APPROVED (link)

Amendment 8: would set a legislator’s base pay at the State’s median household income and ensure that compensation paid to legislators, who work no more than 105 days per year, does not increase during term of office. If approved, the average legislator’s salary would be reduced from $53,388 to $45,980.

APPROVED (link)

Alaska

Bonding Proposition A: authorizes more than $453 million in general obligation debt for state transportation projects.

YET TO BE CALLED

Arkansas

Issue 2: would allow local governments to create “redevelopment districts” and raise taxes and issue debt in these areas to pay for unfunded pension liabilities.

YET TO BE CALLED

California

Proposition 30: would raise taxes on Californians for seven years by an estimated $6.8 billion to $9 billion annually. The base sales tax rate would rise from 7.25 percent to 7.5 percent, and four high- income tax brackets would be created. The “millionaire’s tax” on high- income earners would jump from 10.3 percent to 13.3 percent.

REJECTED (link)

Proposition 31: would establish a two-year budget cycle and prohibit the State Legislature from “creating expenditures of more than $25 million unless offsetting revenues or spending cuts are identified.” State sales tax revenues would decrease by $200 million annually. Prop 31 would also require performance reviews of all state programs and performance goals in state and local budgets. Bills would have to be published at least three days prior to a vote in the State Legislature. While there are pro-taxpayer reforms in this measure, some citizen activists are concerned that this measure would effectively prohibit the State from cutting taxes and create adverse consequences for intergovernmental fiscal relations.

REJECTED (link)

Proposition 38: would increase taxes on most Californians and is expected to reel in an estimated $10 billion per year. Most of this revenue would be earmarked for public schools and early childhood development programs.

REJECTED (link)

Proposition 39 (“Income Tax Increase for Multistate Businesses Initiative”): would raise taxes on some California businesses with sales in multiple states. These businesses would no longer be able to choose 1 of 2 methods to determine their California taxable income. Half of the increased tax revenue over the next 5 years will go toward energy efficiency and alternative energy projects.

APPROVED (link)

Florida

Amendment 3 (Florida State Revenue Limitation Amendment): modeled after Colorado’s “Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights” and would limit revenue growth to increases in inflation and population. Excess receipts would be deposited into a budget stabilization fund, and once filled, further receipts could be used to fulfill certain education funding requirements and provide tax relief. The limit could increased by a “supermajority” vote of the Legislature (in most cases two-thirds) or by a 60 percent vote of the people.

REJECTED (link)

Illinois

HJRCA 49  (Illinois Public Pension Amendment): intended to make it more difficult to increase benefits for already-generous public sector pensions. Fiscal analysts with the Illinois Policy Institute and other organizations believe that this amendment would have a minimal impact on the troubled Illinois pension system, which is currently plagued by $200 billion in debt. Some have referred to it as the “do nothing” amendment.

REJECTED (link)

Maine

Higher Education Bond: would add $11.3 million in new debt to expand the community college system.

YET TO BE CALLED

Water/Sewer Bonds: would authorize $7.92 million in new debt to fund sewer projects.

APPROVED (link)

Transportation Bond: would add $51 million in additional debt to address road and bridge repairs.

APPROVED (link)

Research & Development Bond: would issue $20 million in new debt in an attempt to create science and technology jobs in the State.

APPROVED (link)

Land for Maine’s Future Bond: $5 million in debt to assist an existing land conservation program.

APPROVED (link)

Michigan

Proposal 1: a referendum on a 2011 law, which expanded the powers of emergency managers in cities in financial turmoil.  Emergency managers are appointed by the Governor and given the ability to reorganize local governments and clean up financial problems. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a nonpartisan statewide think tank, has noted that granting such power to appointed officials is far from ideal, but it may be the only way for some cities to avoid fiscal collapse.

REJECTED (link)

Proposal 3: would mandate that 25 percent of the State’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2025. According to an analysis by the Beacon Hill Institute, this measure could increase electricity prices in the State by 16 percent or more, and impose net costs on the economy of more than $2.5 billion.

REJECTED (link)

Proposal 5: would require any increase in state taxes to be approved by 2/3 “supermajority” in the Legislature or statewide vote. The Michigan Supreme Court has held that the measure cannot amend or abrogate the terms of the 1978 Headlee Amendment to the State Constitution stipulating that a majority of voters must approve statewide tax increases.

REJECTED (link)

Missouri

Proposition E (the Health Care Exchange Question): would prohibit the creation of a health insurance exchange unless created by the Legislature, initiative, or referendum. This measure was drafted in response to the government-run health care exchanges that are a part of the federal Affordable Care Act.

APPROVED (link)

Montana

LR-122 (the Montana Health Care Measure): would allow Montana residents to decide if they want health insurance or not and prohibit the state or federal government from imposing penalties for not complying with the mandate.

YET TO BE CALLED

Nebraska

Amendment 4 (Nebraska Legislative Salary Amendment): would raise lawmaker salaries by over 166 percent to $32,000 per year.

REJECTED (link)

New Hampshire

CACR 13: a constitutional amendment banning the implementation of an income tax. The measure requires a two-thirds majority to win passage.

YET TO BE CALLED

New Jersey

A proposed amendment to the New Jersey Constitution: would allow the Legislature to modify judicial salaries and benefits and thus, apply last year’s pension and health care reforms to judges. New Jersey’s state pension system is severely underfunded and advocates of this measure con- tend that significant reforms are essential to the State’s fiscal health.

APPROVED (link)

New Jersey State College Bond Issue: would increase debt by $750 million. The money would be spent on upgrades for the State’s colleges.

APPROVED (link)

New Mexico

Bond Question A: would increase debt by as much as $10.3 million. The money would be spent on facilities for the elderly.

APPROVED (link)

Bond Question B (New Mexico Library Acquisition and Construction Bonds): would increase debt by up to $9.83 million. The funds would be used to buy more library books and resources.

APPROVED (link)

Bond Question C (New Mexico Higher Education and Special Schools Bonds): would add up to $120 million in new debt in an attempt to improve colleges and special schools.

APPROVED (link)

Oklahoma

State Question 758 (Property Tax Amendment): would put a 3 percent annual cap on future property tax increases.

APPROVED (link)

Question 764: amends the State Constitution to allow the Water Resources Board to increase debt by $300 million to pay for sewage treatment.

APPROVED (link)

State Question 766: would eliminate property taxes on intangible personal property such as patents, inventions, licenses, land leases, software, and brand names.

APPROVED (link)

Oregon

Measure 84: would phase out estate and inheritance taxes, saving taxpayers $132 million through 2016 and approximately $120 million per year after that, depending on real estate growth.

REJECTED (link)

Measure 85: eliminates tax refunds or “kickers” for corporation income and excise taxes.

APPROVED (link)

Rhode Island

Question 3: would allow the State to add up to $50 million in new debt to make improvements to facilities at Rhode Island College.

APPROVED (link)

Question 4: would increase debt by up to $94 million in order to build a new Veterans’ Home and to repair existing ones.

APPROVED (link)

Question 5: puts taxpayers on the hook for $20 million in additional debt to pay for water projects.

APPROVED (link)

Question 6: adds another $20 million of debt to pay for environmental projects.

APPROVED (link)

Question 7: would increase debt by $25 million to build additional public housing.

APPROVED (link)

South Dakota

Constitutional Amendment N: would allow legislators to set their own travel reimbursement rate. Currently, the rate sits at a taxpayer-friendly 5 cents per mile.

REJECTED (link)

Constitutional Amendment P: amends the State Constitution to expressly require a balanced budget and would prohibit spending that exceeds anticipated and existing tax revenue.

APPROVED (link)

Initiated Measure 15: raises the state sales tax from 4 to 5 percent. The additional revenue is to be used on two programs that are already large recipients of funding: education and Medicaid.

REJECTED (link)

Washington

Senate Joint Resolution 8221: would reduce Washington’s constitutional debt limit. This amendment would adhere to the recommendations of the Commission on State Debt that would lower the debt ceiling (now among the 10-highest in the nation) from 9 percent to 8 percent by 2034, thereby reducing the debt burden on taxpayers.

APPROVED (link)

Wyoming

Constitutional Amendment A: would declare that no person, employer, or health care provider can be forced to participate in any health care system.

APPROVED (link)

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