Michigan voters will be faced with only two initiatives in the ballot box this November — proposals on medical marijuana use and stem cell research.
In other states, ballots are thick with both big-picture questions and picayune special interest initiatives. The National Council of State Legislatures counts more than 120 statewide proposals on ballots nationwide.
Ballots elsewhere this fall will provide key readings of the public’s take on numerous Common Ground agenda items developed through the Michigan’s Defining Moment Public engagement campaign.
Examples…
“NORTH COAST” QUALITY OF LIFE: MDM participants say they want protection of Michigan natural resources and vibrant communities that can attract a talented, 21st Century workforce. In Georgia, Arkansas, and Ohio, voters will be asked to approve hundreds of millions of dollars in bond funding and/or new taxes for environmental protection, forest preservation, and other conservation issues. In Minnesota, voters are asked to increase their sales tax by 3/8ths of one percent to fund both natural resources and arts funding. Michigan is likely to see a somewhat similar environmental bond proposal in 2010.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: Voters in Connecticut and Hawaii will decide whether to hold conventions to rewrite their state constitutions. Michigan voters face the same question in 2010.
HOT-BUTTON REFORM ISSUES: California voters will consider redistricting legislative seats and easing prison sentences to save on corrections costs. Colorado considers a right-to-work law. South Dakota considers whether to repeal eight-year term limits for legislators. And Maine voters are asked to veto a beverage tax meant to pay for health care.
To delve into all ballot issues nationwide, go here.
