in summary
Alabama: Basically all of Alabama's are boring, should pass easily. Most of Alabama's historic amendments are along the lines of "tell Random County (Pop : 12) they must rename the position of "Chief Dogcatcher" to "Dogcatcher-in-chief" or "remove Oxford comma in article 7, paragraph 4", so its no wonder the legislature has decided to clamp down on the previous requirement to hold statewide votes on random county issues with Amendment 3. RIP to that bloat. Oh yeah, and a vote on right to work (the state already has it, but eh, why not add it to the constitution?).
Alaska: automatic voter registration when Alaskans sign up for their oil money cheque. This makes sense in a state like Alaska, and is endorsed by Murkowski, Sullivan etc.
Arizona: Min wage + Marijuana
Arkansas: prevents the Lt Gov declaring a coup when Gov ambles across the state border, and also (for some reason) two medical marijuana bills, which by their powers combined ... are both failing badly. Sad!
California: Loads, pretty much all moronic, only placed on the ballot for political machinations or the work of crazy rich people and deep lobbies (who knew Big Plastic Bag was so devious?)
Colorado: although single-payer is predictably failing (COLORADONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO JUMP INTO THE MYSTERY VOID! YOU WILL END UP AS SWEDEN!), there is some interesting stuff. Like banning slavery (!) and legalising youth in asia. Also min wage, tobacco tax and open primaries.
Florida: Amendment to get medical weed (opposed by ever lovable plutocrat Sheldon Adelson) and a "pro-solar" amendment designed to strangle non-utility-owned solar power (like, literally a utility executive was leaked doing the whole "mwahaha I am fooling these fools" speech).
Georgia: nothing very interesting. An attempt to save failing schools, presumably by setting up a board of paid consultants to shake their heads and say "ah this is bad", some stuff about helping sexually abused children (presumably an attempt to estimate how many Georgians are irredeemable monsters who would vote NO, I guess) and taxing fireworks.
Hawaii: Two amendments. Both are very important issues that reflect the changing focus of the finances and ... zzzzzzzzzz
Idaho: giving the legislative branch more power over bureaucratic rules, backed by Otter, opposed by AG.
Illinois: blacks transport funds from being used for anything else. I always find these bills pretty dumb especially for a state in a budget crisis, but eh. I'm not a member of the Illliois State Legislature who has to deal with half the budget being locked up prematurely! I'd feel real bad for anybody who had to deal with that irl!
Indiana and Kansas: both states want to make it a protected right to f-ck animals. Oh wait, f-ck
with animals, sorry. They want to Hunting and Fishing to the constitution as a protected right.
Louisiana: bunch of amendments, none very interesting. setting a corporate flat tax? k.
Maine: fun wedge issues, like min wage, weed, IRV, universal background checks and income tax rise on all the rich people who decide to live in Maine (Stephen King, err, ...)
Maryland - vacancy filling stuff. not interesting.
Massachusetts: Some sexy topics here guys! Weed! Anti-Factory Farming! Casinos! more charter schools!
Minnesota - sets up one of those tedious legislative pay boards to rubber-stamp $500,000 salaries.
Montana: victim's rights bill, a ban on snares (the animal trap, not the drums; although I wouldn't be opposed to the latter), more medical memes
Nebraska: voters will probably block the legislature's repeal of the death penalty, something I knew even before I just looked up a poll.
Nevada: m a r i j u a n a, universal background checks, repeal of tax on medical equipment and a ban on energy monopolies.
New Jersey: more casinos (casinos? In New Jersey? What a novel idea!) but away from Atlantic City. Weirdly the added revenue would then be diverted
back to Atlantic City.
New Mexico: All bonds, aside from an amendment on bail reform that was neutered midway through by the industry.
North Dakota:
, raise the tobacco tax (how many states are basically financially dependent on chain-smokers now, anyway?), one of those silly laws that require state legislatures to live in their districts and not Norway or something etc.
Oklahoma: some classic stuff for the Oklahoma bashers of Atlas. A measure to enshrine the death penalty in the constitution ("Welcome to Oklahoma: We Will Kill You")? A "right to farm", whatever that means? Finally allowing full-strength beer in the state? And best of all, Question 790, which will "Repeal prohibition on public money being spent for religious purposes".
Oregon: 6 bills, nothing interesting aside from Measure 97, a huge rise on tax on big companies, which Governor Brown really wants passed. Oh yeah, and banning the trade of the products of 12 endangered species: rhino, cheetah, tiger, sea turtle, lion, elephant, whale, shark, pangolin, jaguar, ray, and leopard.
This is a pangolin btw:
what a cutie. if you vote against this after seeing him, you have no soul, soz.
Pennsylvania: judicial retirement age, lame.
Rhode Islands: bonds, casinos, and setting up an anti-corruption agency that will investigate legislators.
South Dakota: some interesting ones like a redistricting commission, introduction of non-partisan elections (which is opposed by the GOP, although state Dems have stayed silent), public financing of election, repealing right-to-work on the sly and regulation of payday loans.
Utah: This is a big one, folks. Amendment One will change the official Oath Of Office to mention the word "Utah" as opposed to "this state". You know, so elected officials don't accidentally think they've been elected in Ohio by mistake. They just want clarity!
Virginia: will push through right-to-work. Whether the state's new Democratic wave will bring about some new love for unions is anyone's guess. (I doubt it)
Washington: some new gun control, a carbon tax that has been abandoned by almost every state environmental group because they have "a better one" for the 2018 ballot, but has shuffled into the ballot via inertia anyway, "democracy vouchers" (basically public financing of campaigns), one of those quixotic attempts to change the federal constitution via state ballot (irt Citizen's United) and a minimum wage increase. There is also the latest chess move in a weird battle between libertarian think tank Freedom foundation and the trade union SEIU, about whether SEIU can keep their member list under wraps or something.
Wyoming: a bill to allow more state funds on the stock market. Thanks for the climactic finish Wyoming. Why did you get to be last in the alphabet anyway?
