Daily Archive
Stories Posted on October 7, 2008
Voters to settle 270-plus issues
Category: Initiative and Referendum · State: Illinois · Source: IL State Journal-Register
There’s a little something for every voter with something to say this election, from recall and constitutional rewrites to alcohol sales and higher local taxes. Those are among more than 270 ballot questions voters throughout the state will see Nov. 4 when they go to the polls, according to a tally by the State Board of Elections. That’s below the referendum totals for other general elections in the past decade, the board says. It could be the product of fewer questions about local tax and fee increases in a slowing economy. “Why put it on if it’s going to go down?” said Dianne Felts, director of voting systems and standards for the state board.
Trial opens on ballot measure to ban affirmative action
Category: Affirmative Action · State: Nebraska · Source: Omaha World-Herald
Backers and opponents of a ballot measure to ban affirmative action in Nebraska presented opening arguments Monday on a lawsuit that seeks to keep the proposed ban out of the state constitution. Opponents of Initiative 424 said the proposed constitutional amendment should be rejected because thousands of signatures on the initiative petition were collected through fraud and other illegal acts. Supporters of the measure, also known as the Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative, said instances of fraud should be addressed through criminal prosecution — not by rejecting legitimate petition signatures. Their arguments came at the beginning of what is scheduled to be a three-day trial before Lancaster County District Judge Karen Flowers. The trial will include testimony about the fraud allegedly committed by organizers and circulators of the petition that put the issue on the Nov. 4 ballot. Both sides already have presented briefs laying out their legal arguments. Nebraska law requires such cases to be heard and decided by the court as quickly as possible. Appeals must be filed within 10 days after a decision is issued. If the case is decided before the election in favor of the opponents, votes on the affirmative action measure would not be tabulated. If it is decided after the election and the measure had passed, it could be thrown out.
OEA puts $4 million into ballot measure fight
Category: Bill Sizemore · State: Oregon · Source: The Oregonian
If you think you've seen a lot of campaign ads so far, get ready for a lot more. The Oregon Education Association has donated another $2.1 million to the coalition opposing most of the ballot measures on the Nov. 4 statewide ballot. That means the state's largest teachers union has contributed a total of $4.1 million to the coalition this year, far outstripping all other donors for and against this year's measure campaigns. That also means a ton of money for campaign ads, particularly on television. The OEA most recently gave $2.1 million to Defend Oregon, the coalition reported to the state Elections Division on Friday. That comes two months after the union gave $2 million to the coalition on Aug. 8. The OEA has more than 45,000 members, mostly K-12 teachers.