Newswire
This is the second month that paid petition gatherers have been required to turn in their signatures to the Oregon secretary of state’s office - and at this point there are just three initiatives that you can say are clearly on a trajectory to make the November ballot. The ones that appear headed to the ballot would raise penalties for sex crimes and drunk driving, liberalize medical marijuana laws and extend Oregon Lottery funding for parks and habitat protection.
The fate of a citizen petition drive to land its expansive ethics-reform initiative on November’s ballot is still unclear, though Thursday was the deadline for the 95,000 valid voter signatures to be turned into county clerks across the state. Leaders of the effort could not say whether they met the threshold or not, only that it was “close.” But a second petition drive fell short — this one to create an independent commission to help in redrawing voting boundaries in the once-a-decade task of redistricting.
Having failed, so far, to convince the City Council to enact a ban on smoking inside apartment units, Rent Control Board Commissioner Robert Kronovet is planning to take his pitch for stricter smoking laws directly to the voters. Kronovet on Tuesday filed papers with the City Clerk’s Office declaring his intention to begin gathering signatures needed to place a multi-unit residential smoking ban on the November ballot.
In no uncertain terms, community leaders at the Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council urged business people and residents to sign a petition that will put an initiative on the November ballot to prevent the state from taking locally generated funds. “It’s a very important measure to keep the state from stealing our money,” City Councilman Ed Grimes said. “That’s exactly what what they do. They’re stealing our money.”
Only 255 of Louisburg’s 3,700 voters turned out April 6. City Manager Jeff Cantrell said he’s not surprised at the low participation. “The city council positions were unopposed, which didn’t raise interest in voting,” he said. “(The voters seem to think) the incumbents are doing a good job and are going to stay in office.” The 1/4-cent sales tax increase on the ballot last week passed with 131 “yes” votes and 124 “no” votes, but the results were not official until Tuesday morning when the Louisburg City Council instated the infrastructure initiative with a vote.
A proposed ballot measure supporters say is intended to restrict abortions in North Dakota would make it a felony to decapitate or crush the skull of a fetus. Secretary of State Al Jaeger said the proposed initiative petition was turned in to his office late Tuesday. He has until April 22 to review the measure and approve it for circulation.
A Lancaster ballot measure asking voters to approve city officials’ policy of opening meetings with prayers appeared headed to a solid victory in early returns Tuesday.
South Carolina Republicans will unveil plans for a ballot initiative as they deal with questions about spending. State party chairman Karen Floyd’s news conference on Wednesday comes as Republicans try to generate more interest in their party’s June 8 primary. GOP candidates are vying for the state’s top political jobs with no incumbents running for governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, attorney general and state education superintendent. Meanwhile, the party has primaries for all four of the U.S. House seats it holds and a primary for U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint’s seat.
Residents of Arcadia and Sierra Madre will cast their votes Tuesday in general municipal elections to fill three council seats in each city. Voters in both cities can choose up to three candidates to fill three open seats on each City Council. Sierra Madre residents will also have the opportunity to vote on Measure ED, which if passed, would prohibit the city from exercising, facilitating or funding the power of eminent domain for private purposes without the property owner’s consent. The measure was submitted by the City Council.
The state Legislature is asking voters to support energy-efficiency renovations at schools around the state. The measure sends about $500 million in bonds to the November ballot. The House gave final legislative approval to the bill on a a 59-38 vote Monday night.