Two years from now, Maine could be transformed into a state where adults can smoke legal, recreational marijuana and elect their leaders without fear of “wasted votes.” The lowest paid employees would make substantially more than they earn today and will keep more of that money because of the elimination of the income tax.
That’s all because of the growing number of groups pushing citizens’ initiatives and other ballot measures for 2016. Those activists already are out there, gathering petition signatures to place a variety of policy proposals to voters.
The process requires gathering more than 60,000 certified signatures before Jan. 22, 2016. None of the efforts has yet been certified. But given the political muscle behind the following campaigns, each one has a better than decent shot of ending up on the ballot.
Here’s a look at several issues Mainers could decide on Nov. 8, 2016.
Legalized weed. It’s likely voters will have at least one chance to legalize recreational marijuana use in 2016. Two groups — one spearheaded by a former lobbyist for Maine’s medical marijuana caregivers and the other backed by the nationally powerful Marijuana Policy Project — separately are gathering signatures for placement on the 2016 ballot. The plans aren’t identical, but both would result in adult Mainers gaining access to legal ganja. If both proposals end up on the ballot and are approved by voters, the Legislature would need to hash out the differences between the bills to create one new policy for the state.
Increased minimum wage. Given the divided Legislature and Gov. Paul LePage’s disapproval, it’s unlikely Maine’s $7.50 per hour minimum wage will be boosted by policymakers in Augusta. But Maine People’s Alliance, the state’s leading progressive group, and the Maine AFL-CIO are angling for a citizens’ initiative to increase the minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2020 and index it to the cost of living thereafter. If there’s one thing those two groups can do, it’s get bodies in the streets to gather signatures, so the odds are good you’ll see this one on the ballot.
Ranked-choice voting. A current House representative from Portland and a former senator from Yarmouth are spearheading an initiative to establish ranked-choice voting for all state-level elections, starting in 2018. Proponent say the system, which allows voters to rank candidates and chooses a winner via instant runoff, would allow Mainers to vote their conscience without fearing their vote would be wasted on a candidate with little chance of winning. The group missed the January deadline to get ranked-choice voting on the ballot this year but should have no trouble getting on the ballot in 2016.
Killing the income tax. LePage is pushing a bill through the Legislature that would amend the Maine Constitution to eliminate the income tax by 2020, and the governor has indicated he wants the issue on the ballot in 2016 instead of this year. Because a constitutional amendment requires two-thirds support of both chambers of the Legislature — and Democrats who oppose the plan control the House — the amendment is unlikely to pass. But, LePage has indicated that if the Legislature refuses to act, he’ll go straight to voters. The Maine Republican Party’s executive director, Jason Savage, said in an interview Wednesday the party would consider “all the options” to ensure voters have the choice to kill the income tax once and for all in 2016. He also said getting the tens of thousands of signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot would be easy for the party.
That’s not all. There’s still nine months before the deadline to get a citizens’ initiative to voters in 2016. The potential for bond questions approved by the Legislature next year means the ballot could become even more crowded.
Oh, and we’ll help elect a new president, two members of Congress and a new state Legislature, too.
Follow Mario Moretto on Twitter at @riocarmine.
