Know Your Ballot: Propositions & Amendments
Absentee voting for the November 8th general election began in Missouri last Tuesday, but since I’m still researching items on the lower part of the ballot I haven’t voted absentee yet. I decided to start at the bottom and work my way up, so this post is my initial research on ballot issues. Most are statewide, but even the first applies to St. Charles County, St. Louis County, and the City of St. Louis:
Proposition S — senior services
Voters in 3 counties will vote on identical measures.
A November ballot measure seeks to create senior citizen service funds in St. Charles County, St. Louis County and St. Louis that together would raise about $18 million a year in property taxes to help people stay in their homes longer.
More than 50, mainly small, Missouri counties already have created similar programs to help provide transportation, food, health care and other services. If the new measures pass, they would be the largest of their kind in the state.
Proposition S would levy a 5-cent property tax on every $100 of assessed value, which boils down to $9.50 a year on a home worth $100,000. Local boards would decide which needs are a priority for residents who are at least 60 years old. (Post-Dispatch)
I’ll probably vote yes on this. It is often better for seniors to be able to stay in their homes as they age — it’s also cheaper on taxpayers. This is a good investment, assuming the local boards are well-managed. This is on the ballot because of Seniors Count St. Louis.
Proposition A/Constitutional Amendment 3 — cigarette/tobacco taxes
Regular readers know I’m a non-smoker who supports prohibition of smoking in public. I’ve also pointed out how low Missouri’s cigarette taxes are compared to neighboring states. So, you might think I’d be happy to see two ballot issues that raise taxes on cigarettes/tobacco. Wrong.
The campaigns behind both of the competing tobacco tax increase measures on the ballot were largely funded by tobacco companies. Large tobacco companies, in general, backed Amendment 3, the 60 Cent Cigarette Tax Increase Initiative, while some smaller companies and wholesalers supported Proposition A, the smaller tax increase.
Reynold’s American Inc. gave over $2 million to Raise Your Hand for Kids, which is supporting Amendment 3, the 60 Cent Cigarette Tax Increase Initiative. The drafters of Amendment 3 included a 67-cent-per-pack fee on wholesale tobacco sellers, raising the total state tax for smaller companies to $1.27 per pack. This added tax for small companies was designed to close an alleged loophole that allowed small companies to evade making payments to 46 states mandated by a multi-state court settlement to help offset Medicaid costs. Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster had been pressuring the Missouri General Assembly to end this loophole and demand lost payments from small companies totalling $50 million annually.
Smaller companies such as Cheyenne International, LPC Inc., and Xcaliber International donated toward the Proposition A, the 23 Cent Cigarette Tax Increase Initiative, largely to oppose the Amendment 3. Chuck Hatfield, lawyer for Cheyenne, said that the Amendment 3 was “about Big Tobacco wanting to tax their competitors. That’s what this has always been about.” (BallotPedia)
Given this information, I’ll be voting no on both.
Constitutional Amendment 6 — Voter ID
Voter ID laws in other states have been controversial and ruled unconstitutional, but that didn’t stop the Republican-controlled legislature from overriding the veto to place this on the ballot. Their intent is very clear — discouraging/preventing African-Americams from voting. Period. What about the 78th House Dist race? A voter ID wouldn’t have made a difference, the St. Louis Board of Elections had created a secondary process for absentee ballots that was abused.
In January a Missouri State Senator argued in favor of such a law:
Kraus said Missouri needs a voter I.D. law because there have been more than 16 cases of “some type of voter fraud” in Missouri. That number isn’t wrong, but it doesn’t support Kraus’ assertion that photo identification would solve the problem — or that there is a problem of people impersonating voters.
Kraus’ statement is partially accurate but takes things out of context. We rate his claim Half True. (PolitiFact Missouri)
I’ll be voting no.
Constitutional Amendment 4 — banning new sales/use tax on services
More states are looking to tax services, so some in Missouri are trying to stop it from happening here:
Could Missouri tax haircuts, veterinary services, pedicures and yoga classes? Missouri voters will have their say this November at their polling place with Amendment 4.
The “Taxpayer Protection Amendment” was certified for the ballot this month. If approved by voters it would ban a sales tax on services.
The amendment would prevent the state from taxing such services as car repairs, tattoos and lawn care.
Currently, consumers don’t pay taxes on those services. Inconvenienced travelers pay a sales tax on a new tire but not on the service of replacing a flat.
But despite Missouri’s current lack of a sales tax on services, Amendment 4’s supporters – primarily the Missouri Association of Realtors, which circulated the initiative petition – see trouble on the horizon. (Missouri Times)
Taxing service transactions could be a headache for those providers, but this might also help budgets in areas heavy on service but low on retail. Hmm…
Retired financier Rex Sinquefield is a potential adversary, especially because he’s advocated for replacing Missouri’s income tax with an expanded sales tax. An e-mail to one of Sinquefield advisors wasn’t returned about whether he’d actively oppose Amendment 4. (St. Louis Public Radio)
This might force sales taxes to go up even more — an unintended consequence. I’m not sure yet how I’ll vote on this issue.
Constitutional Amendment 2 — campaign limits
Big money flowing into politics is something I generally favor trying to limit/stop:
The measure would cap donations to candidates at $2,600 per election and to political parties at $25,000. It also would impose other campaign finance restrictions aimed at preventing political committees from obscuring the source of their money.
In November 1994, 74 percent of Missouri voters approved a ballot measure limiting contributions to state candidates. The Republican-led General Assembly repealed contribution limits in 2008, which at the time stood at $1,350 for statewide candidates, $675 for Senate candidates and $325 for House candidates. (Kansas City Star)
Even though the person behind this is anti-abortion, I’ll likely vote yes.
Constitutional Amendment 1 — renew tax for soil/water conservation
This measure has been renewed in the past:
Amendment 1, upon voter approval, would renew the existing sales and use tax of 0.1 percent for 10 years. The revenue from the tax goes toward conservation efforts, and the measure was designed to “continue to generate approximately $90 million annually for soil and water conservation and operation of the state park system.”
Constitutional Amendment 1 was automatically referred to the 2016 ballot. This measure originated with a 1984 constitutional amendment. Due to the wording of this original amendment and subsequent iterations, the measure must be reapproved by voters. It is automatically referred to the ballot every 10 years. Previous versions of this amendment were approved in 1988, 1996, and 2006. If Amendment 1 is not approved in 2016, it will not be referred to future ballots. (BallotPedia)
I’ll vote yes to continue this tax.
Next week I’ll post on judges up for retention.
— Steve Patterson
LOL! I’ll never understand how/why requiring anyone to prove identity and residency is directed toward any one race to discourage voting. When I board an airplane, I present my ID. So does the African American in front of me. The same rule applies to both of us: no ID, no board. The system seems to be working. When I cash a check at a bank or in a grocery store, I present my ID. So does the African American in front of me. No ID, no cash. Often when I use my credit card in a foreign country and in several larger cities in the US, I’m asked to present my ID. So does the African American in line ahead of me. For both of us, the rule is the same: No ID, no purchase. If I want to drive a vehicle, I have to get a driver’s licence–which is a driver’s ID. No ID, no driving! Why is voting any different? I applaud the legislature for their tenacity and for their efforts to safeguard the electoral system.
Senior Services: Sorry, but isn’t it the responsibility of the homeowner to plan for his own retirement? When is government going to step out of our lives and let us live it on our own? You’d think by the time a person reaches 60, he’d have acquired the self-control to live a fiscally-conservative lifestyle if he cannot afford to live otherwise, especially knowing that retirement is in the near horizon. If you participate, you win a prize; if you cross the finish line last, you get the same prize that was given to the winner. Now, under this proposition, if you manage to live your life to age 60, you are automatically entitled to another boost from the government, despite how fiscally irresponsibly you might have lived during your first 59 years. Cecil gets a new blanket even though he has squandered a linen-closet full of them because it’s easier to throw them out when spring arrives than to launder them….especially knowing that gov’t will be at his doorstep in early October with a replacement!
I’ve got to go to work so that I can pay for all this nonsense….as well as support MY OWN family–MYSELF!
I feel that getting an ID shouldn’t be too much of a burden, but then again I don’t know what its like to live in poverty. Also, data show that such laws reduce turnout in many low income communities most of which tend be minorities and tend to vote democrat, hence the fact that republicans are almost always the one to suggest such legislation. Additionally, many of the activities you listed (e.g., riding planes, using credit cards, driving or owning a car) are not things able to be done by many poor people for whom this law would be most burdensome and are not rights like voting is. This seems even more political to me when there is no evidence that suggests that people are going to the polls and voting under other peoples names consistently, let alone happening on large enough of a scale to swing election results.
You think if it were so important to safeguard against voter impersonation, then the state would also do something to help disadvantaged people get photo IDs.
On another topic, does anyone know why everything is proposed as constitutional amendment here in Missouri? Seems a bit unnecessary.
Because, once it’s in the constitution, it’s much harder to change or remove!
Colorado is saddled with several competing constitutional amendments, some that mandate things (like spend in money on schools) while others mandate reductions in revenues (like “no new taxes” and spending tied to inflation). In and of themselves, they’re all good ideas (and salable to the voters), but combined, they create a huge conundrum on how to deliver all the other services government provides.
Amendment 4 falls into this category, of basically “protecting” one group’s own interests. In a perfect world, the legislature would act responsibly and fairly every year, when it comes to approving the state budget. But, as we all know, we do NOT live in a perfect world, and special interests tend to rule the roost in Jeff City, which is the big reason we’re seeing more and more efforts to amend the constitution!
Democratic committeemen and aldermen arrange for transportation to and from the polls on election day, for anyone in need of their services. In an effort to put this voter registration issue to bed, I would think the democrats would make arrangements to provide transportation to those who need to pick up proper voter ID. Who knew 6 months ago that the Hubbard-directed absentee voter scandal was so widespread. Who knows today that people aren’t similarly scamming the system right in the polling buildings. Why not require IDs and put this thing to bed!
I am in support of requiring photo identification as proof of residence insomuch as it’s a way to highlight and refocus individual civic responsibility. To stand up and be counted is, arguably, one of the citizenry’s most important roles, but it’s one that is often neglected.
With that said, in order to maintain equality, the existing charge for a state-issued photo ID would need to be removed (you can still charge for a Driver’s License though, since driving is not an inalienable right, last time I checked).
If you want to go after voter fraud, it would be far better to focus on absentee ballots / stuffing the ballot box, and on gerrymandered districts, where one party is pretty much guaranteed a “safe” seat. Both of these have a far greater impact on results than the tiny minority of voters that can’t produce some form of identification.
Bigger picture, Colorado has been relying on more all-mail-in elections for close to a decade, now, and they’re starting to see an increase in fraud where family members are voting for other family members, who are deceased, “too old”/senile and/or simply don’t care. It’s a situation where an attempt to increase voter turnout (by making it easier to vote) is having some significant unintended consequences. And that’s probably why there’s such a reluctance to go to online voting – having someone show up, and being checked off of the roll of registered voters, whether they have an ID or not, is probably the “safest” way to run any election.
…..and almost (almost) fooproof with an official photo ID….
The American history you learned in Alabama was biased….
The 15th Amendment to the Constitution had prohibited racialized denial of the vote for nearly a century, so white Southerners dreamed up other barriers designed to keep blacks from the booth.
Literacy tests that were impossible to pass. Poll taxes were usury and random. And none of it was applied to whites, who were exempted or “grandfathered” by rules that allowed even illiterates or tax dodgers to vote if they could trace their heritage to eligible white voters.
Blacks were turned away, because the rules were drawn to disqualify them, specifically.”
http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/columnists/stephen-henderson/2016/08/06/voter-id-jim-crow/88279764/
Just walked in the door, having worked all day to support myself and my family…as well as those who don’t work for a living because they’re either too lazy or incapable. I don’t begrudge my tax dollars supporting those who are incapable of working.
Actually, I didn’t study a lot of history when I lived in AL. Our teachers concentrated on math, science, and English. Didn’t study much history until I moved to Indiana.
What happened in Alabama’s history has had little if any effect on me. By association, I am not guilty of Alabama’s past sins just because I am an Alabamian. Likewise with you. Just because Democrats run some of the highest crime cities in America due to their close-mindedness, stupidity and penchant to allow entangling alliances to interfere with their better judgement, I would not necessarily infer that you are close-minded, stupid or allow friendships to interfere with your good judgement. There is a common denominator, though, when you look at the administrations of Detroit, Oakland, St Louis, Cleveland, Memphis, Milwaukee, Newark and BIRMINGHAM….and it has to do with crime You and I both know exactly what that common denominator is.
It’s interesting, isn’t it, that Birmingham is located in ALABAMA, is run by a Democratic administration AND is listed among the cities with the highest crime rates. Mmmmmm! Not all Alabamians–black or white–are created equal!
But if you drive 267 miles south of Birmingham to Foley, Gulf Shores, Elberta, Spanish Fort, Daphne you’ll find those cities are Republican run and that the crime rates are among the lowest in the Nation. Just saying. Just wanted to mention it!
My real point is that ALL of Alabama is not involved in racial segregation and denial .. You should visit South Alabama some time, where you’ll see blacks and whites living next to one another in much greater numbers than you’ll find in St Louis or Milwaukee, LA or even Des Moines. We don’t have police shootings in South Alabama. (The last one I can recall happened when the Elberta Police Chief thought he needed to be better recognized and rewarded, so he shot at himself one afternoon and actually hit the target.)My father’s cardiologist is a black guy that graduated 3 years before me from Elberta High School. You’ll find pockets of black and whites who don’t necessarily live on the same block, but in many cases there are only 2 or 3 blocks separating them. And you’ll find whites and blacks in So. Alabama who DO live on the same block. They play together at the city parks, swim together at the city pools, play football together on Friday nights…and there are only negligible numbers of stabbings, shootings or fist fights. It really just doesn’t happen much here. All of Alabama is not filled with prejudice.
Just as all democrats are probably not stupid or close-minded or have a selfish agenda, believe me when I say that all Alabamians are NOT created like George Wallace or Chief Justice Roy Moore. Many of us take great satisfaction working hard so that we can earn our own way, and we cherish friendships with similar Alabamians who also contribute to society in a meaningful way… And we can’t understand nor do we accept those who’d rather stand in line for a handout, when it would be so much easier just to get a job. Zero tolerance in South Alabama for those who are lazy, dull and sleepy.
Requiring “the blacks” and “the whites” to carry voter ID cards is not meant to disqualify them. It is meant to safeguard their vote so that it actually means something.
Almost from Day 1, beginning in the early grades in elementary school, our kids are taught that “others” will be there share responsibility for personal failures and shortcomings. Teachers “teach” tests, and even that isn’t enough! So they change answers on the tests when they’re grading them! So “students” (pupils?) wake up the next morning and congratulate themselves for suddenly becoming so brilliant overnight. Yet they still don’t understand the difference between natural numbers, whole numbers and integers….and never will as long as the teacher continues to maintain the “look out” role.They can’t write intelligently or even speak intelligibly. We are becoming a society of 5-toad sloths–a radical but explainable metamorphosis! And we should blame ourselves.
Yes, Amendment 3 should be a “NO” vote. Not only is it really about Big Tobacco squeezing out Little Tobacco, but it introduces a lot of language into the Missouri constitution about stem cell research and abortion that could be construed as ambiguous and will engender many lawsuits. In addition, it sets up a separate non-elective education bureaucracy which bypasses elective school boards for managing the funds for early childhood education. Finally, it is one measure that is opposed by both candidates for Missouri governor, Chris Koster and Eric Greitens.
Good information / analysis – thanks!