2015 United States ballot measures

2015 United States ballot measures

April 7 to November 3, 2016
Part of the 2015 United States elections

In 2015, there were several important propositions on the ballot across the United States.

By state

Colorado

Origin	Status	Measure	Description (Result of a "yes" vote)	Date	Yes	No
Legislature	Approved	Colorado Marijuana TABOR Refund Measure, Proposition BB	Allow the state to retain $66 million in collected marijuana tax revenue.	Nov  3	847,380 69.39%	373,734 30.61%

Louisiana

Origin	Status	Measure	Description (Result of a "yes" vote)	Date	Yes	No
Legislature	Failed	Louisiana Budget and Transportation Stabilization Trust, Amendment 1	Rename the Budget Stabilization Fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund, to the Budget and Transportation Stabilization Trust (BTST) and subdivide it into two subfunds. Ensuring that after the state collected $750 million from mineral taxes and royalties in a fiscal year, revenue would then have gone into the first subfund, the Budget Stabilization Subfund, until it reached $500 million. Once fully filling this first subfund, further revenue would have been deposited into the second subfund, the Transportation Stabilization Subfund, at the beginning of the next fiscal year until it reached $500 million. After the second subfund was full, any excess revenue would have been deposited into the state's general fund.	Oct  24	466,140 47.49%	515,366 52.51%
Legislature	Approved	Louisiana Transportation Infrastructure Bank, Amendment 2	Establish a state transportation infrastructure bank, allowing the transportation infrastructure bank to loan, pledge, guarantee or donate public funds to transportation projects.	Oct  24	528,863 52.86%	471,636 47.14%
Legislature	Failed	Louisiana Content of Fiscal Legislative Sessions, Amendment 3	Replace the Legislature's ability to "dedicate revenue" during fiscal legislative sessions with the broader "legislate with regard to the dedication of revenue". Additionally, replace the Legislature's ability to "levy or authorize a new tax, increase an existing tax, and legislate with regard to tax exemptions, exclusions, deductions, reductions, repeals, or credits" with the broader "legislate with regard to taxes... [and] rebates."	Oct  24	452,260 45.70%	537,391 54.30%
Legislature	Approved	Louisiana Taxation of Property Owned by Another State, Amendment 4	Provide that property and land within Louisiana owned by states and local governments other than Louisiana and its political subdivisions do not receive the public property exemption from ad valorem property taxation.	Oct  24	509,647 51.42%	481,488 48.58%

Maine

Origin	Status	Measure	Description (Result of a "yes" vote)	Date	Yes	No
Legislature	Approved	Maine Question 1, Changes to Clean Election Act and Campaign Finance Measure	Increase funding for the Maine Clean Elections Fund, increase penalties for violating campaign finance disclosure rules, adjust political ad disclosure rules and allow candidates to qualify for additional funds.	Nov  3	119,992 54.96%	98343 45.04%
Bond Issue	Approved	Maine Affordable Housing for Low-Income Seniors Bond, Question 2	Issue a $15 million bond for housing construction projects for low-income seniors.	Nov  3	151,695 69.31%	67,160 30.69%
Bond Issue	Approved	Maine Transportation Bond, Question 3	Issue a $85 million bond for transportation projects.	Nov  3	159,050 72.74%	59,595 27.26%

Michigan

Origin	Status	Measure	Description (Result of a "yes" vote)	Date	Yes	No
Legislature	Failed	Michigan Sales Tax Increase for Transportation Amendment, Proposal 1	Increase revenue for transportation funding by increasing the fuel tax to 41.7 cents or 14.9 percent of a gallon of fuel's base value, whichever is greater. Require revenue from the fuel tax to be allocated to the transportation fund, eliminated registration fee discounts, increased heavy commercial vehicle registration fees and created an electric vehicle surcharge. eliminate the sales and use tax on fuel for vehicles. Increase the sales and use tax on non-fuel items from 6 percent to 7 percent. Allow municipalities to finance road projects through competitive bidding, required performance-based evaluations for state projects, and required warranties for road construction projects costing more than $1 million. Increase the state's Earned Income Tax Credit from 6 percent to 20 percent.	May  5	349,862 19.93%	1,406,019 80.07%

Mississippi

Origin	Status	Measure	Description (Result of a "yes" vote)	Date	Yes	No
Citizens	Failed	Mississippi Public School Support Amendment	Signifies that the voter wanted either Initiative 42 or Alternative 42 to pass.	May  5	332,738 48.34%	355,566 51.66%
Citizens	Approved	Mississippi Public School Support Amendments, Initiative 42 and Alternative 42	Yes signified that the voter approved of Initiative 42 - which would have required the state government to establish, maintain and support "an adequate and efficient system of free public schools," enforced by the state's judicial system - over Alternative 65A, would have required the state legislature to establish, maintain and support "an effective system of free public schools" at the legislature's own discretion.	Nov 3	323,805 59.04%	224,634 40.96%

Ohio

Origin	Status	Measure	Description (Result of a "yes" vote)	Date	Yes	No
Legislature	Approved	Ohio Issue 1, Redistricting Commission Amendment	Create the seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission, responsible for adopting state legislative districts, and establishing requirements regarding minority party support.	Nov  3	2,126,822 71.47%	849,043 28.53%
Legislature	Approved	Ohio Issue 2, Ballot Initiatives to Create Monopolies Amendment	Prevent Issue 3 from taking effect—had it been approved—and allowed the Ohio Ballot Board to regulate future ballot measures dealing with monopolies.	Nov  3	1,621,329 51.33%	1537261 48.67%
Citizens	Failed	Ohio Issue 3, Marijuana Legalization Initiative	Legalize the limited sale and use of marijuana and creating 10 facilities with exclusive commercial rights to grow marijuana.	May  5	1,166,692 36.35%	2,042,902 63.65%

Texas

Origin	Status	Measure	Description (Result of a "yes" vote)	Date	Yes	No
Legislature	Approved	Texas Homestead Exemption for School District Property Taxes Amendment, Proposition 1	Increase the homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000.	Nov  3	1,369,813 86.38%	216,032 13.62%
Legislature	Approved	Texas Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouses of Disabled Veterans Amendment, Proposition 2	Extend the applicability of the homestead exemption law beyond January 1, 2010, the date the law originally took effect.	Nov  3	1,433,837 91.40%	134,885 8.60%
Legislature	Approved	Texas State Capital Residency Repeal Amendment, Proposition 3	Repeal the constitutional requirement that statewide-elected executive officials live in the state capital.	Nov  3	1,022,525 66.09%	524,625 33.91%
Legislature	Approved	Texas Sports Team Charitable Foundation Raffles Amendment, Proposition 4	Authorize professional sports team charitable foundations in existence on January 1, 2016, to operate charitable raffles.	Nov  3	1,074,485 69.41%	473,460 30.59%
Legislature	Approved	Texas Population Requirement for Private Road Work Amendment, Proposition 5	Increase the population size for counties allowed to perform private road construction and maintenance from 5,000 to 7,500.	Nov  3	1,278,829 82.74%	266,782 17.26%
Legislature	Approved	Texas Right to Hunt, Fish and Harvest Amendment, Proposition 6	Add text to the state constitution preserving the right to hunt and fish, and recognized such activities as the preferred methods for wildlife management.	Nov  3	1,260,763 81.04%	294,973 18.96%
Legislature	Approved	Texas Sales and Use Tax Revenue for Transportation Amendment, Proposition 7	Supply funding to the State Highway Fund from two tax revenue sources: the sales and use tax and state motor vehicle sales and rental tax.	Nov  3	1,295,248 83.24%	260,810 16.76%

Washington

Origin	Status	Measure	Description (Result of a "yes" vote)	Date	Yes	No
Citizens	Approved	Washington Initiative 1366, Sales Tax Decrease or Two-Thirds Vote for Tax Increase Measure	Lower state sales taxes from 6.5 to 5.5 percent if the Legislature declines to change how tax increases are approved.	Nov  3	760,518 51.52%	715,684 48.48%
Citizens	Approved	Washington Animal Trafficking, Initiative 1401	Amend penalties for trafficking certain endangered species or their products.	Nov  3	1,043,773 70.29%	441,170 29.71%
Advisory Question	Approved	Washington Oil Spill Prevention Taxes Advisory Vote No. 10	Advise the Legislature to leave current laws unchanged; in particular, retaining both the oil response and oil spill administration taxes.	Nov  3	737,273 51.32%	699,275 48.68%
Advisory Question	Approved	Washington Medical Marijuana Patient Database Fee Advisory Vote No. 11	Advise the Legislature to leave current laws relating to the one dollar fee for marijuana recognition cards as they are.	Nov  3	852,735 58.73%	599,324 41.27%
Advisory Question	Failed	Washington Gas Tax Increase Advisory Vote No. 12	Advise the Legislature to maintain the 11.9 cent gas tax increase.	May  5	513,742 35.63%	928,324 64.37%
Advisory Question	Failed	Washington Elimination of Tax Preferences for Manufacturing Advisory Vote No. 13	Advise the Legislature to leave current laws unchanged and retain current manufacturer tax preferences.	May  5	521,096 36.59%	903,222 63.41%

Wisconsin

Origin	Status	Measure	Description (Result of a "yes" vote)	Date	Yes	No
Legislature	Approved	Wisconsin Question 1, Supreme Court Chief Justice Amendment	Provide for an election of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice by a majority of the justices serving on the court to serve for a two-year term.	Apr  7	433,533 53.00%	384,503 47.00%