Referendum & Initiative

Of all the referendum and initiative measures in dozens of states last week, none was more bitterly fought or attracted more attention than California's Proposition 14 to repeal the Rumford Act (TIME, Sept. 25). Californians, by a vote of 3,656,000 to 1,894,000, overwhelmingly approved the proposition.

With that, the Rumford Act, a prohibition against discrimination for reasons of race or creed in the sale or rental of much state real estate, was wiped from the books. Moreover, future attempts to act against any sort of housing discrimination-whether by state, city or county officials-was in effect forbidden. Proposition 14 affirms the right of any Californian to sell or rent his home to whomever he pleases.

Predictably, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People moved to challenge the proposition in the courts. Californians also rejected a plan to legalize a statewide lottery, which was to be operated by American Sweepstakes Corp. in return for 13% of the total proceeds, and approved a proposition that bans pay television in the state (see SHOW BUSINESS).

In other contests: > Minnesota approved a state constitutional amendment to guarantee producers of taconite, a low-grade iron ore that is plentiful but expensive to refine, that their taxes will be increased no more than taxes on other industries over the next 25 years. With such enticements, the state hopes to attract new mining operations to spur revival of the sagging economy of northeastern Minnesota and the once flourishing Mesabi Range.

> Massachusetts okayed an increase in the span of the Governor's term from two to four years, thereby ensuring a 1966 statehouse scramble even more spirited than usual.

>New Hampshire finally rid the state constitution of a pre-Civil War section giving draftees the option of buying their way out of military service; because the Federal Government has long since taken over the draft, the section was meaningless anyway.

> Oregon abolished capital punishment. As a result, the sentences of three prisoners awaiting the state's gas chamber were commuted by Governor Mark Hatfield to life imprisonment.

> Rhode Island called a December constitutional convention to reapportion the legislature as required by the U.S. Supreme Court. Two consecutive sessions of the state legislature failed to reach agreement on reapportionment.

> North Dakota turned down a proposal to abolish the state personal-property tax and overturned an old law that forbade drinking at a restaurant table even if the place has a bar just a few steps away.

> Voters in 23 states approved bond issues worth $2.2 billion in the second-largest borrowing referendum in history (see U.S. BUSINESS).

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