The Propositions

Aside from the headline-grabbing right-to-work issue in six states, voters in most states had a yes-or-no say last week on assorted other public questions, ranging from whether to use state funds to build a nuclear-research reactor (Rhode Island--yes) to whether to legalize horse-race betting (Utah--no). In Colorado, Nebraska and various communities in New York and Delaware, voters decided to make an exception to antigambling laws and let churches, veterans' organizations, etc., hold bingo lotteries. Louisiana voters approved a state constitutional amendment to permit use of school funds to aid children attending private segregated schools; California voters smothered an amendment that would have taken away the tax-exempt status of private schools.

As usual, many of the amendments and propositions involved spending more of the taxpayers' money or getting more money from taxpayers, and the voice of the people did not always give the obvious, pocketbook answers. California roundly rejected a labor-sponsored constitutional amendment to trim state sales taxes and make up the difference by upping income taxes on the higher income groups. Arkansas, by an astonishing margin of 5 to 2, voted to keep the state sales tax at 3% rather than lower it to 2%. Arkansans also voted to raise the salaries of state legislators from $1,200 a year to $3,600, but Texas and Oregon overwhelmingly rejected proposals to raise legislative pay. In the same frugal mood, Illinois voted against a state bonus for Korean war veterans.

Several ballot questions involved voting requirements. South Dakota voted no on lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. Missouri decided to allow new residents to vote for the two national offices, President and Vice President, after only 60 days in the state, instead of the previous minimum of one year (but kept the old requirement for state and local offices). And New Hampshire, 38 years after the Nineteenth Amendment went into effect, finally got around to legalizing regular practice by amending the state constitution so as to recognize the right of women to vote.

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