1989 ballot measures

1989 State Ballot Measures
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Seventy-seven statewide ballot measures were on statewide ballots in 1989 in 13 states.

By state

Louisiana

See also: Louisiana 1989 ballot measures

April 29:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Taxes	Concerning a number of changes to tax and fiscal policy	d

October 7:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Taxes	Concerning ad valorem tax on improved property	a
LRCA	Amendment 2	Resources	Concerning conservation of wetlands	a
LRCA	Amendment 3	Taxes	Concerning the taxation of inventory	d
LRCA	Amendment 4	Law Enforcement	Concerning drug trafficking	a
LRCA	Amendment 5	Judiciary	Concerning supreme court districts	d
LRCA	Amendment 6	Judiciary	Concerning subdistricts for district and appeals courts	d
LRCA	Amendment 7	Admin of Gov't	Concerning the appointment of members to the board of ethics	d
LRCA	Amendment 8	Property	Concerning donation of property by local government	d
LRCA	Amendment 9	Legislature	Concerning organizational sessions and veto power	a
LRCA	Amendment 10	Taxes	Concerning municipal property taxes	d
LRCA	Amendment 11	Taxes	Concerning fees for automobile licenses	a
LRCA	Amendment 12	Taxes	Concerning property taxes for improved properties	d
LRCA	Amendment 13	Taxes	Concerning severance taxes	d

Maine

See also: Maine 1989 ballot measures

November 7

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
IndISS	Question 1	Elections	Establishes a voluntary system of public financing of gubernatorial campaigns	d
IndISS	Question 2	War & Peace	Directs governor to persuade the federal government to stop testing of cruise missiles in Maine's airspace	a
BI	Question 3A	Prisons	Issues $14.5 million to build and repair correctional facilities, primarily for juvenile corrections	a
BI	Question 3B	Prisons	Issues $35 million in bonds to build, repair and renovate adult correctional facilities	d
BI	Question 4	Environment	Issues $5 million to fund grants to solid waste regional commissions and municipalities for recycling equipment	a
BI	Question 5	Education	Issues $20,210,600 for capital improvements to all campuses of the Maine Vocational Technical Institute System	a
BI	Question 6	Utilities	Issues $4.4 million in bonds to build sewerage facilities	a
BI	Question 7	Transportation	Issues $21 million in bonds for highway, state and local bridges, harbor and airport improvements	a
BI	Question 8	Healthcare	Issues $7 million in bonds to provide funds in the forms of grants and a loan fund for programs serving people with mental illnesses	a
BI	Question 9	Bonds	Issues $12 million for detection and removal of asbestos in state facilities and public schools	a
BI	Question 10	Environment	Issues $6 million in bonds to clean up and close solid waste landfills that posed a hazard to public health and to ground water quality	a
BI	Question 11	Housing	$15 million in bonds to enhance affordable housing opportunities	a
LRCA	Question 12	Housing	Insures the payment of mortgage loans for affordable housing for Maine citizens with a limit of $25 million in the aggregate	d
LRSS	Question 13	Nuclear	Approves disposal of low-level radioactive waste at an existing facility in Beatty, Nevada	a

Michigan

See also: Michigan 1989 ballot measures

November 7, 1989

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Proposal A	Increase the state sales and use tax to fund local schools		514,407 (28%)	1,341,292 (72%)
LRCA	Proposal B	Increase the sales and use tax, reduce school property taxes, and establish school funding		436,958 (24%)	1,392,053 (76%)

Nevada

See also: Nevada 1989 ballot measures

May 2

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Question 1	Taxes	The measure allows the legislature to tax the net proceeds of mines at a different rate than other industries	a
LRCA	Question 2	Bond issues	Allows the Constitution to be amended to increase the bonding capacity of the state	a

New Jersey

See also: New Jersey 1989 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
BI	Question 1	Bond issues	Authorizes $300 million in bonds to acquire land for recreation and conservation.	a
BI	Question 2	Bond issues	Authorizes $125 million in bonds for facilities for developmentally disabled and mentally ill.	a
BI	Question 3	Bond issues	Authorizes $50 million in bonds for stormwater management and sewer overflow abatement.	a
BI	Question 4	Bond issues	Authorizes $115 million in bonds for the rehabilitation of bridges and acquisition of railroad rights-of-way.	a
LRSS	Question 5	Bond issues	Expands the allowable uses of bonds previously sold for hazardous discharge clean-up.	a

New York

See also: New York 1989 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Proposal 1	Law enforcement	Makes a county responsible and liable for the acts of its sheriff.	a

North Dakota

See also: North Dakota 1989 ballot measures

December 5

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Measure 1	State Exec	Creates new executive branch article mandating branch reorganization	d
VR	Measure 2	Legislature	Allows state legislators to participate in public employee retirement program	d
VR	Measure 3	Taxes	Increases motor vehicle fuel and special fuel tax rates	d
VR	Measure 4	Taxes	Increases sales, use, motor vehicle excise and aircraft excise tax rates	d
VR	Measure 5	Transportation	Requires use of safety belts	d
VR	Measure 6	Gambling	Allows use of electronic video gaming devices to conduct games of chance	d
VR	Measure 7	Taxes	Increases individual income tax rates	d
VR	Measure 8	Healthcare	Provides a comprehensive health education program	d

Ohio

See also: Ohio 1989 ballot measures

November 3, 1987

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Issue 2	Allow the state to issue up to $1.2 billion in general obligation bonds to assist local governments in funding public infrastructure projects	a	1,674,913 (71%)	689,383 (29%)
CICA	Selection of Supreme and Appellate Court Judges Initiative	Change the system of selecting state Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges from a direct election system to an appointment system.		878,683 (35%)	1,600,588 (65%)
LRCA	State Lottery Funds for Education Amendment	Require all net proceeds from the state lottery to be used for education.	a	1,984,905 (78%)	564,421 (22%)

Oklahoma

See also: Oklahoma 1989 ballot measures

March 14, 1989

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
CICA	State Question 620	Legislatures	Set the legislature to meet annually from February to May, with a one-day session in January during odd years.	a	136,930 (75%)	44,872 (25%)

Oregon

See also: Oregon 1989 ballot measures

May 16, 1989

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Measure 1	Education; Taxes	Revise the tax base limits of school districts and allow school districts to combine their tax bases if they merge.		183,818 (41%)	263,283 (59%)

June 27, 1989

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Measure 1	Property	Allow the state to use proceeds from forfeited property as designated by the Legislative Assembly.	a	340,506 (71%)	141,649 (29%)
LRCA	Measure 2	Natural resources; Business	Prohibit the sale or export of timber from state-owned lands unless that timber is processed in Oregon.	a	446,151 (90%)	48,558 (10%)

Pennsylvania

See also: Pennsylvania 1989 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Pennsylvania Replace Residential Property Tax Revenue with Income Tax Revenue Amendment	Taxes	Authorizes local governments to replace revenue from real estate taxes with revenue from personal income taxes	d

Texas

See also: Texas 1989 ballot measures

November 7, 1989

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Proposition 10	Trials	Allow courts to inform juries on the impact of good conduct time, parole, or mandatory supervision on a defendant's incarceration period for a criminal offense.	a	901,279 (79%)	239,714 (21%)
LRCA	Proposition 11	Legislatures; Salaries	Change legislators' compensation from $30 maximum per diem to the maximum per diem allowed for federal income tax deduction.		531,550 (47%)	592,412 (53%)
LRCA	Proposition 12	Local school bonds; Budgets	Allow the use of the permanent school fund to guarantee state bonds to aid school districts.	a	628,812 (56%)	495,090 (44%)
LRCA	Proposition 13	Law enforcement	Provide a bill of rights for crime victims and allow laws to limit the liability of legal professionals and law enforcement for not upholding these rights.	a	819,399 (72%)	317,111 (28%)
LRCA	Proposition 14	Local government	Require district attorneys serving in Fort Bend County to be elected and serve a term.	a	704,699 (68%)	338,529 (32%)
LRCA	Proposition 15	Gambling	Authorize the legislature to permit and regulate raffles conducted by nonprofit organizations for charitable purposes.	a	704,694 (62%)	423,699 (38%)
LRCA	Proposition 16	Administration; Healthcare	Allow the people to decide whether to create and maintain hospital districts in a manner independent of the legislature.	a	776,806 (70%)	332,298 (30%)
LRCA	Proposition 17	Budgets	Authorize state financial aid for local fire departments to acquire equipment for compliance with federal and state laws and to train their members.	a	665,913 (59%)	462,686 (41%)
LRCA	Proposition 18	Water; Bonds	Remove the four-year limitation on the issuance of agricultural water conservation bonds.	a	537,990 (50%)	535,724 (50%)
LRCA	Proposition 19	Budgets	Authorize local governments to invest their funds as provided by law.	a	658,826 (60%)	431,794 (40%)
LRCA	Proposition 1	Salaries	Limit lieutenant governor and speaker of the house salaries at half the governor's and legislators' at one-fourth the governor's.		424,704 (37%)	732,417 (63%)
LRCA	Proposition 20	Local government	Eliminate the office of county surveyor in Cass, Ector, Garza, Smith, Bexar, Harris, and Webb counties.	a	736,963 (71%)	302,617 (29%)
LRCA	Proposition 21	Education; Bonds	Issue $75 million in college savings bonds to provide educational loans to students.	a	682,251 (61%)	435,182 (39%)
LRCA	Proposition 2	Water; Bonds	Authorize an additional $500 million in Texas water development bonds for water supply, water quality, and flood control purposes.	a	686,735 (60%)	460,472 (40%)
LRCA	Proposition 3	Economic development; Budgets	Authorize the legislature to finance Texas product and business development for state economic recovery and growth.	a	597,178 (52%)	543,631 (48%)
LRCA	Proposition 4	Veterans; Taxes	Provide exemption from ad valorem taxation for property of nonprofit veterans organizations.	a	603,333 (53%)	539,012 (47%)
LRCA	Proposition 5	Taxes	Provide tax exemption for personal property temporarily in Texas that was intended for eventual transport outside the state.	a	742,405 (65%)	408,573 (35%)
LRCA	Proposition 6	Healthcare; Term limits	Authorize hospital district board members to serve four-year terms.	a	710,018 (63%)	411,778 (37%)
LRCA	Proposition 7	Administration; Government accountability	Replace elected officials' bribery-related oral oath with a signed statement confirming no involvement in bribery to obtain office.	a	796,323 (69%)	353,661 (31%)
LRCA	Proposition 8	Prisons; Bonds	Issue $400 million in general obligation bonds for projects relating to corrections, mental health, and law enforcement facilities.	a	658,826 (60%)	431,794 (40%)
LRCA	Proposition 9	Administration; Law enforcement	Authorize the legislature to organize and combine state agencies that performed criminal justice functions.	a	794,006 (71%)	323,831 (29%)

Washington

See also: Washington 1989 ballot measures

November 7, 1989

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
ITL	Initiative 102	Education; Taxes; Welfare	Increase funding for children and family services and K-12 education programs by $360,000,000 through new taxes.		349,357 (34%)	688,782 (66%)
LRCA	SJR 8200	Law enforcement; Trials	Provide victims of felony crimes the rights to attend the trial and court proceedings that the defendant can attend.	a	789,266 (78%)	221,179 (22%)
LRCA	SJR 8202	Judiciary	Increase Judicial Conduct Commission membership by two and provide clearer processes and authority for removing a judge.	a	804,199 (83%)	162,135 (17%)
LRCA	SJR 8210	Environment; Water	Permit local governments to fund private water conservation initiatives by utilizing revenues generated from water sales.	a	622,494 (64%)	350,876 (36%)

Wisconsin

See also: Wisconsin 1989 ballot measures

April 4, 1989

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Question 1	Allow the state to provide property and sales tax relief through tax credits and refunds		405,765 (50%)	406,863 (50%)

External links

• Oregon ballot measures, 1988-1995 from the Oregon Blue Book
• Analysis of proposed amendments on the 1989 ballot in Texas
• State of Washington 1989 ballot measure election results