Propositions

In 2020, the backers of Prop 208 (almost all from outside Arizona) spent $20 million. Nothing comes close in 2022. Both the Save our Schools and Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections propositions failed to get enough signatures.

Constititutional Amendments: 128, 129, 130, 131, and 132

Prop 128: gives the Legislature power to override initiatives or referenda that are found by either the US or Arizona Supreme Courts to contain illegal or unconstitutional language. Anything that discourages initiatives is good. Vote ‘Yes.’

Prop 129: limits initiatives to a single subject and requires that subject to be in the title. Here are the arguments. One of arguments ‘against’ is:

“Proposition 129 is a direct attack on our ability to make change through the ballot initiative process.”

That, for me, is an argument ‘for.’ Vote ‘Yes.’

Prop 130: corrects language in the Constitution that prevents honorably-discharged veterans from receiving a property tax exemption. Gives power to the Legislature. Vote ‘Yes.’

Prop 131: creates a Lieutenant Governor, to run on the same ticket as the Governor. Under present law, the Secretary of State succeeds the Governor. There are too many elective offices and this profusion makes the officers less, not more accountable to the voters. It also makes our ballots too complicated. I hope this is a move in the direction of Governor-appointed Secretaries of State, Attorneys General, and Superintendents of Public Instruction. Vote ‘Yes.’

Prop 132: requires a majority of 60% for any constitutional amendment that enacts a tax. Vote ‘Yes.’

Citizen Initiatives: 209 and 211

The content of these initiatives doesn’t matter. Laws passed this way are impossible to amend. Vote ‘No’ and force the Legislature to deal with these questions.

Legislative Referrals: 308, 309, and 310

Prop 308: makes in-state tuition available to illegal immigrants under some conditions. Vote ‘No.’

Prop 309: requires additional ID to be submitted with mailed-in ballots; requires photo ID for in-person voting. (Present law requires only a signature to validate mail-in ballots and permits in-person voting with no photo ID as long as you can supply two pieces of ID with the same address. As a pollworker, I was forced to let someone vote once with a utility bill and a Starbucks loyalty card.) These are improvements but we cannot allow this band-aid to replace real reform. Vote ‘Yes’ and keep fighting for something like HR2289 (one day, no machines).

Prop 310: proposes a dedicated 0.1% state sales tax for the benefit of fire districts. Dedicated taxes are almost always a bad idea. Vote ‘No’ and make the firefighters go through the appropriations process like everyone else.