# State ballot measures **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 21, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524 "2016-09-21T19:29:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/21 "2016-09-22T19:37:14Z")
From [Ballotpedia: > [@](#): > > Four measures are certified to appear on the Nevada ballot on November 8, 2016. > > One measure, a veto referendum concerning solar energy utility rates, qualified for the ballot but was removed by the Nevada Supreme Court. > > Question 1 would require that an unlicensed person who wishes to sell or transfer a firearm to another person conduct the transfer through a licensed gun dealer who runs a background check. > > Question 2 would legalize marijuana for adults and put the tax revenue from the sale of the drug toward education funding. > > Question 3 would eliminate energy monopolies and minimize the regulatory burden. > > Question 4 would require that certain types of equipment, including durable medical equipment, mobility enhancing equipment and oxygen delivering equipment, be exempt from the sales and use tax. > > Question 5 was a veto referendum that would have retained or repealed the section of Senate Bill 374 that established a fixed fee for solar customers that differed from the fixed fee for other ratepayers. The Nevada Supreme Court removed it from the ballot on August 4, 2016. The court ruled that the measure’s description contained biased language. ]([Nevada 2016 ballot measures - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Nevada_2016_ballot_measures)) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/22 "2016-09-22T21:56:18Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Seems somebody’s upset that something got passed because folks in the big cities wanted it… It just seems weird that Mesa County (District 7) could stop a proposed amendment from even being voted on statewide. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/23 "2016-09-23T01:30:03Z")
Additional information on California’s Prop 61. Veterans are advertising against it. They say that, while drug manufacturers may be willing to give vets a discount, they’ll balk at giving a discount to a larger (not said: less worthy) group. They assume that if the law passes, their discounts will evaporate. Seems like a rational fear. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/24 "2016-09-23T01:38:19Z")
Not when the federal government in the person of the VA has all of the clout it has to negotiate prices. I saw a pro-61 ad from the AARP today. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/25 "2016-09-23T02:15:11Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Ohio doesn’t have anything for a change. There were several proposals, but their backers failed to buy enough signatures. They were mostly pretty asinine (one was double-super-stupid term limits instead of our current normally-stupid term limits), so it’s good that they failed. > > It is instant runoff voting. I thought we were having another go at legalizing marijuana this year? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/26 "2016-09-23T04:18:15Z")
> [@Lok](#): > > I thought we were having another go at legalizing marijuana this year? They failed to buy enough signatures. I think they’re going to try again next year. (This is why I thought it was foolhardy for marijuana supporters to refuse to back the monopoly-for-pot-barons proposal last year. Signatures are just a proxy for cash, and grassroots movements don’t have a lot of that.) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/27 "2016-09-23T04:55:04Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > From [Ballotpedia:](https://ballotpedia.org/Nevada_2016_ballot_measures) Looks like my Roku knows where I live, so I just saw my first scaremongering ad on Youtube! Basically, they’re claiming that poison control calls in Colorado went up 5 fold since they legalized it. Cue scary music. Poe’s law in effect. I can’t seem to find it through search, but its beautifully retarded. > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Actors in adult films must wear condoms in sex scenes Sounds like Europe’s industry could get a boost of juice (sorry). > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Background check would be required to purchase gun ammunition, and commercial sellers would require a Department of Justice license How’s that different from the recent non-ballot law? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/28 "2016-09-23T06:04:08Z")
There are 5 states with recreational marijuana on the ballot: CA, AZ, NV, MA and ME. If they all pass, it’ll double the number of states that have it. There’s about 4 more with medical MJ, including a couple in the South (FL and AR, IIRC). It won’t increase the total number by much (currently half the states have medical MJ), but virtually none in the South do. Other than that, the other ballot measures that I think are interesting is one in Colorado that legalizes physician-assisted suicide and a local one in West Haven, Florida that will allow them to test a new technology to eradicate the mosquitoes that spread Zika. The technology releases male mosquitoes whose offspring will die almost immediately. The controversy is that these are genetically modified mosquitoes. Horrors :rolleyes: People, it’s not like anyone is asking you to eat the damn things! Male mosquitoes don’t even bite people; only female ones do that. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/29 "2016-09-23T06:27:48Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > That’s not how I read it. Only the second one repeals the ban (and since the ban is not in effect yet and the title says “ban on single-use bags,” I don’t think that many people are going to be confused); the first one says that if the ban is put in place, the money collected from selling (e.g.) paper bags would have to go to the state to be put into an environmental fund. If the both pass, and the one that specifies the ban gets more votes than the environmental fund one, then the money from selling bags is kept by the markets that sold them. > I don’t think anything will top the three petitions that were circulating involving something called the Sodomy Suppression Act: > > 1. The act itself, which required not just a death sentence for anyone convicted of sodomy, but that it be carried out “with bullets” (the petition was withdrawn after a court ruled that such a law would be illegal) > 2. A law saying that anyone who submits anything along the lines of the Sodomy Suppression Act be fined and be required to take some sort of anti-homophobic training; > 3. A law banning the sale and consumption of shellfish (which is mentioned in Leviticus along with the “ban” on homosexuality). > > Meanwhile, in San Francisco, in addition to the soda tax, there are some other interesting propositions: > A ban on tents on public sidewalks > Lowering the voting age to 16 for local elections > Allowing non-citizens who are parents/guardians of children 18 and younger to vote in school board elections The initiative which would place money from selling bags into an environmental fund wouldn’t directly repeal the ban, but that is the intention. The goal is to make grocers, who currently keep the money, come out strongly in favor of repeal because of their loss of revenue. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/30 "2016-09-23T15:30:50Z")
Maryland just has one this year, it adjusts the way vacancies for attorney general and comptroller, requiring that if there is a vacancy and the governor is of the opposite party of the previous office holder, then he must choose a replacement from a list of candidates from the opposing party. Its an obviouslky partisan piece of legislation given that the comptroller and atourney general are almost guaranteed to be Democrat, while the governor is occasionally a Republican (as he is now). I’ll probably vote for it both because it helps my favorite party and also because I think it better expresses the will of the people. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/31 "2016-09-23T15:55:14Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Maryland just has one this year, it adjusts the way vacancies for attorney general and comptroller, requiring that if there is a vacancy and the governor is of the opposite party of the previous office holder, then he must choose a replacement from a list of candidates from the opposing party. Its an obviouslky partisan piece of legislation given that the comptroller and atourney general are almost guaranteed to be Democrat, while the governor is occasionally a Republican (as he is now). I’ll probably vote for it both because it helps my favorite party and also because I think it better expresses the will of the people. I feel like the danger with that would be political patronage. Instead of proposing the best person for the job, the party appoints the most loyal party member. That doesn’t mean I have a better solution and I do get the problem it’s trying to fix. I suppose the requirement of a list of candidates makes it not so bad. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/32 "2016-09-23T19:53:59Z")
The condom requirement for the porn industry in California probably has the Las Vegas business community hoping it will increase their numbers. Are there corporate taxes in Nevada? They could get a boon if all of the porn production companies move to Vegas out of the San Fernando Valley. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/33 "2016-09-23T20:02:45Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The condom requirement for the porn industry in California probably has the Las Vegas business community hoping it will increase their numbers. Are there corporate taxes in Nevada? They could get a boon if all of the porn production companies move to Vegas out of the San Fernando Valley. Minimal. No straight franchise or income tax but it looks like there’s a 1.17% gross tax over a certain exemption limit. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/34 "2016-09-23T22:20:35Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I miss being in California where they have all the good propositions. Emphasis on the **all**. I just got the document explaining them today. I took a look at them and then went back to Ulysses which I’m reading now for something easy to understand. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/35 "2016-09-26T17:35:47Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > I feel like the danger with that would be political patronage. Instead of proposing the best person for the job, the party appoints the most loyal party member. > > That doesn’t mean I have a better solution and I do get the problem it’s trying to fix. I suppose the requirement of a list of candidates makes it not so bad. I agree, but as you say the issue of patronage is pretty much unavoidable. In the current situation the Governor would just choose the person most loyal to him. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/36 "2016-10-14T15:58:33Z")
Illinois has a ballot measure to amend the state constitution so that funds gained for transportation purposes can only be used on transportation. I guess the state has dipped into the road fund for other reasons before. I am opposing it on the general principle grounds that I oppose constitutional amendments for things that should really be handled at the state legislative level. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/37 "2016-10-14T16:14:44Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > I feel like the danger with that would be political patronage. Instead of proposing the best person for the job, the party appoints the most loyal party member. This is obviously purely partisan and even though it’s favored by “my team,” I don’t care for it, for exactly the reason you describe. I want the most qualified people, regardless of political affiliation. Also, I feel like this is not a scenario that comes up very often, and Dems pushing this through is fighting a battle just to win a battle, no matter how trivial. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/38 "2016-10-14T16:23:42Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Maryland just has one this year, it adjusts the way vacancies for attorney general and comptroller, requiring that if there is a vacancy and the governor is of the opposite party of the previous office holder, then he must choose a replacement from a list of candidates from the opposing party. Its an obviouslky partisan piece of legislation given that the comptroller and atourney general are almost guaranteed to be Democrat, while the governor is occasionally a Republican (as he is now). I’ll probably vote for it both because it helps my favorite party and also because I think it better expresses the will of the people. You should look at this again. Per the official ballot statement, there is no “opposite party” stipulation. The nominations must come from the previous office-holder’s party, if they were a party member, period. It constrains both Democratic and Republican governors, no matter how great their popular mandate, giving that power instead to unelected private bodies. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/39 "2016-10-14T16:32:12Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > You should look at this again. Per the official ballot statement, there is no “opposite party” stipulation. The nominations must come from the previous office-holder’s party, if they were a party member, period. It constrains both Democratic and Republican governors, no matter how great their popular mandate, giving that power instead to unelected private bodies. It’s also primarily only for _unexpected_ vacancies due to “death, resignation, removal from the State, or from office, or other disqualification.” ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524/40 "2016-10-14T16:35:47Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > It’s also primarily only for _unexpected_ vacancies due to “death, resignation, removal from the State, or from office, or other disqualification.” Right. It seems appropriate to me that popularly-elected governors have broad discretion in such appointments. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/state-ballot-measures/766524.md?page=3)