1985 ballot measures

1985 State Ballot Measures
1986 » « 1984
Part 1: Overview
Measures by state
Measures by topic
Measures by year
Current measures
2024 measures
2024 Scorecard
2024 Tuesday Count
Measure Monthly

By state

Alabama

See also: Alabama 1985 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Gov't Finances	Concerning the creation of The Alabama Trust Fund	a
LRCA	Amendment 2	Resources	Concerning soil, water and forest improvement	a
LRCA	Amendment 3	Food & Agri	Concerning the cattle industry in Alabama	a

Maine

See also: Maine 1985 ballot measures

November 5

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
IndISS	Issue 1A: Initiated Bill	Nuclear	Requires citizen vote on any plan for the storage or disposal of low-level radioactive waste	a
	Issue 1B: Legislative Bill	Nuclear	Requires vote on any site for disposal of low-level radioactive waste if not disposed of outside of Maine or at the Yankee site	d
	Issue 1C: Against Bills	Nuclear	Denies both legislative and initiated bills	d
BI	Bond Issue 2	Utilities	Issues $15 million for construction of sewage and water facilities and for the cleanup and restoration of oil contaminated water	a
BI	Bond Issue 3	Development	Issues $4.3 million in bonds to build and equip centers for advanced technology	d
BI	Bond Issue 4	Transportation	Issues $20 million in bonds for improvements to highways, bridges and airports	a
BI	Bond Issue 5	Transportation	Issues $850,000 in bonds for the acquisition of rail lines	a
BI	Bond Issue 6	Culture	Issues $2 million in bonds for the restoration and preservation of historic buildings	a
BI	Bond Issue 7	Education	Issues $2.2 million in bonds for the purchase of equipment and land for vocational-technical institutes	a
LRCA	Constitutional Amendment 8	Legislatures	Allows legislators to be appointed to civil office as long as they resign from the legislature	d
LRCA	Constitutional Amendment 9	Term Limits	Extendes the tenure for sheriffs from 2 years to 4 years	a

New Jersey

See also: New Jersey 1985 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
BI	Question 1	Bond issues	Authorizes $190 million in bonds for municipal water treatment projects.	a
BI	Question 2	Bond issues	Authorizes $85 million for resource recovery and solid waste disposal.	a
BI	Question 3	Bond issues	Authorizes $30 million for infrastructure systems in the pinelands area.	a
LRSS	Question 4	Bond issues	Allows money paid back for loans from the natural resources fund created in 1980 to go into the fund created by the act in Question 2.	a
LRSS	Question 5	Gambling	Allows racetracks to send and receive video of horse races for betting purposes.	a
LRCA	Question 6	Taxes	Ends the use of money from the casino revenue fund to finance senior and disabled homestead rebates after June 30, 1985.	d
LRCA	Question 7	Administration of government	Allows the legislature to invalidate state executive rules and regulations by resolutions.	d

New York

See also: New York 1985 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Proposal 1	Bond issues	Permits the legislature to increase the amount the state may guarantee for bonds issued by a public corporation	a
LRCA	Proposal 2	Taxes	Permits the legislature or government to incorporate any federal laws into state laws relating to reviving a tax	d
LRCA	Proposal 3	State judiciary	Expands the jurisdiction of the court of appeals	a
LRCA	Proposal 4	Bond issues	Authorizes municipalities or school districts to issue sinking fund bonds	a
LRCA	Proposal 5	Taxes	Repeals the part of a section of the Constitution limiting the amount that can be raised through real estate taxes by school districts	a

Ohio

See also: Ohio 1985 ballot measures

November 5, 1985

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Bonds for Coal Research Amendment	Allow the issuance of bonds to fund coal research.	a	1,439,344 (64%)	807,647 (36%)

Oklahoma

See also: Oklahoma 1985 ballot measures

April 30

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	State Question 586	Labor	Sets limits on the amount of recoverable damages for injuries resulting in death	a
LRCA	State Question 587	Gov't Finances	Revises the procedure for revenue estimates and prohibits creating certain debts	a
LRCA	State Question 588	Taxes	Provides an ad valorem tax exemption for manufacturing facilities	a

Oregon

See also: Oregon 1985 ballot measures

September 17, 1985

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Measure 1	Education; Taxes	Implement sales tax up to five percent to fund educational institutions and reduce income, property and timber taxes.		189,733 (22%)	664,365 (78%)

Pennsylvania

See also: Pennsylvania 1985 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Question 1	Voting	Requires the state legislature to provide for absentee voting	a
LRCA	Question 2	Veterans	Provides a property tax exemption for the primary residences of surviving spouses of a veteran	a

Rhode Island

See also: Rhode Island 1985 ballot measures

November 5:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Proposal 1	Bond issues	Authorizes $5.5 million in bonds for restoration of the statehouse	a
LBM	Proposal 2	Bond issues	Authorizes $5 million in bonds to continue accessibility of state facilities for the handicapped	a
LBM	Proposal 3	Bond issues	Authorizes $16 million in bonds for capital development in transportation	a
LBM	Proposal 4	Bond issues	Authorizes $9 million in bonds for capital development relating to heritage properties and natural and recreational areas	a
LBM	Proposal 5	Bond issues	Authorizes the refinancing of up to $40.7 million in bonds first issued in 1981	a
LBM	Proposal 6	Bond issues	Authorizes $1.5 million in bonds to replace underground storage tanks for petroleum products and hazardous waste	a
LBM	Proposal 7	Bond issues	Authorizes $2 million in bonds for the acquisition of development rights to farmlands	a
LBM	Proposal 8	Bond issues	Authorizes up to $12.68 million for group facilities for the mentally disabled and chronically alcoholic	a
LBM	Proposal 9	Bond issues	Authorizes up to $20 million in bonds for asbestos removal	a

South Dakota

See also: South Dakota 1985 ballot measures

November 12

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
AQ	Question 1	Nuclear issues	Asks for voter approval of a radioactive waste management compact	d

Texas

See also: Texas 1985 ballot measures

November 5, 1985

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Proposition 10	Property; Bonds	Authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds to finance state assistance of farm and ranch land purchases	a	461,483 (51%)	442,407 (49%)
LRCA	Proposition 11	Trials	Change the method in which a person is charged with a crime and alter requirements relating to state writs and processes	a	606,333 (69%)	278,595 (31%)
LRCA	Proposition 12	State judiciary	Allow the Supreme Court of Texas and Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas to address state law questions upon request from federal courts	a	647,276 (73%)	238,802 (27%)
LRCA	Proposition 13	State judiciary; Redistricting	Allow either the judicial districts or legislative redistricting board to reapportion judicial districts and establish constitutional courts' administration and jurisdiction	a	496,189 (58%)	360,555 (42%)
LRCA	Proposition 14	Local government	Abolish county treasurer positions in Andrews and El Paso Counties, and county surveyor positions in Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Henderson, and Randall Counties	a	584,641 (70%)	251,483 (30%)
LRCA	Proposition 1	Water; Bonds	Authorize $980 million in additional water development bonds, create special funds for various water policies, authorize a bond insurance program, and clarify the purposes for issuing water development bonds	a	705,878 (74%)	251,031 (26%)
LRCA	Proposition 2	Water; Bonds	Authorize $200 million in agricultural water conservation bonds and clarify their purposes, creating special funds for water policy and authorizing a bond insurance program	a	651,699 (70%)	284,552 (30%)
LRCA	Proposition 3	Budgets; Water; Local government	Authorize localities to use public funds for the replacement or relocation of water laterals on private property	a	498,902 (54%)	425,698 (46%)
LRCA	Proposition 4	Education	Authorize the use of proceeds from the sale of land by the permanent school fund for the acquisition of other land	a	628,246 (68%)	299,020 (32%)
LRCA	Proposition 5	Healthcare	Authorize the legislature to regulate the provision of health care services within hospital districts	a	524,151 (57%)	396,943 (43%)
LRCA	Proposition 6	Prisons	Allow for the placement of prisoners in other states penal facilities pursuant to interstate agreement	a	663,478 (71%)	274,527 (29%)
LRCA	Proposition 7	State judiciary; Local government	Increase the maximum allowable number of justice of the peace precincts in Chambers County from five to six	a	544,991 (64%)	302,288 (36%)
LRCA	Proposition 8	Veterans	Provide $500 million in extra bonds for veterans' housing assistance, allowing the legislature to define eligible veterans for land and housing programs through legislation	a	600,117 (65%)	328,834 (35%)
LRCA	Proposition 9	Budgets	Permit the legislature to require state agencies to seek approval prior to making an emergency transfer of funds	a	518,021 (57%)	384,987 (43%)

Washington

See also: Washington 1985 ballot measures

November 5, 1985

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	HJR 12	Budgets	Permit investment in State industrial insurance (Worker's Compensation) Funds.	a	582,471 (71%)	233,628 (29%)
LRCA	HJR 22	Education; Taxes; Elections	Remove voter turnout requirements for voter approval of excess property tax levies for schools, except the 60% yes vote requirement.		369,852 (44%)	463,391 (56%)
LRCA	HJR 23	Economic development; Property; Taxes	Permit local governments to finance development projects through creating districts and tax revenues from increased property values.		337,015 (41%)	476,600 (59%)
LRCA	HJR 22	Food and agriculture	Permit agricultural commodity commissions to engage in promotional hosting to develop agricultural trade.	a	536,528 (68%)	250,936 (32%)

If you know of a statewide measure that is not listed here or if you notice an error, please email [email protected].