Emma Cohn, Jennifer Sherer
Economic Policy Institute
In this year’s election, voters given the opportunity to weigh in directly on questions of economic justice showed policy preferences far more progressive than those reflected in many national and state election outcomes.
Citizen-led ballot measures in recent years have been used in various states to expand Medicaid, preserve abortion rights and raise minimum wages. The most common topic for veto referendums over the years has been taxation.
Organized labor was the “backbone” of the opposition to the Republican attempt to throttle voters’ agency to amend the Ohio state constitution and maybe a harbinger of a major realignment in America’s rustbelt.
Ohio will be voting on a measure that makes it harder to amend the constitution in a high-stakes election – and the Republican proposal is ‘minority rule’, experts say.
The stakes could hardly be higher, and campaigners on both sides are scrambling ahead of referendums in Kentucky, Montana, California, Vermont and Michigan. Can Kansas inspire other pro-choice wins?
On Nov. 3, voters in many states and cities approved a variety of inequality-related proposals, from taxing the wealthy to increasing the minimum wage and tenant protections.
Curtis Black (The Chicago Reporter), Tex Cox (One Illinois)
The Chicago Reporter, One Illinois
Two articles: The Fair Tax Amendment: Why the ‘Illinois Exodus’ Could Be a Red Herring (The Chicago Reporter), Flat tax: 'Subsidy for Wealthiest Illinoisans' (One Illinois)
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