JOHNSON ON CURRENT BALLOT ISSUES

HELENA—Today Secretary of State Brad Johnson announced the latest list of statewide ballot initiatives that are qualified for signature gathering.

“Every other year, numerous ideas come before the people as ballot issues. As a state, we’re rightly proud of our initiative and election process. Now is the time to take part in that process. Montanans are likely to see people gathering signatures for these petitions as they register to vote or go about their business. I urge everyone to make informed decisions when that happens.”

The initiatives are qualified for signature gathering, meaning that supporters are permitted to gather signatures to get these issues on the November ballot. None are yet actually qualified for the ballot.

The ballot issues approved for signature gathering are:

Constitutional Initiative Number 99: CI-99 amends the Montana Constitution to limit increases in a homeowner’s residential property tax to no more than 1.5% a year. The limit continues to apply after a home is transferred to the owner’s spouse, child or grandchild. When a home is transferred to anyone else, the home is valued for tax purposes at either the purchase price or the assessed value, whichever is greater. CI-99 is effective January 1, 2009.

Constitutional Initiative Number CI-100: CI-100 amends the Montana Constitution’s Declaration of Rights to provide that all persons have a paramount and fundamental right to life. It extends constitutional rights to all persons from the moment of conception. It adds a definition of “person” that includes all stages of development, including fertilization. The definition of “person” also includes all stages of life regardless of age, health, level of functioning or condition of dependency.

Constitutional Initiative Number 101: Under Montana law, the state owns wild fish and wild game for the benefit of the people of the State of Montana.  CI-101 amends the Montana Constitution to prohibit any law that conflicts with public ownership of wild fish and wild game. It also requires the state’s management of wild fish and wild game to benefit the people more than any corporate or commercial interest.

Initiative Number 155: I-155 establishes the Healthy Montana Kids plan to expand and coordinate health coverage for uninsured children under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Montana Medicaid Program, and employer-sponsored health insurance. The State Health Department may: raise income eligibility levels for children under CHIP and Medicaid; simplify transitions between CHIP and Medicaid coverage; provide assistance for children in employer-sponsored insurance; and work with health care providers, schools, organizations, and agencies to encourage enrollment of uninsured children. Funding for I-155 will come from a share of the insurance premium tax and federal matching funds.

Initiative Number 156: I-156 prohibits political contributions by persons and organizations with certain state or local government contracts until two years after the end of the contract. It prohibits political contributions by labor unions that have collective bargaining agreements with state or local governments. It prohibits political contributions by persons or organizations awarded state or local government contracts without the solicitation of at least three bids. It requires persons with state or local government contracts exceeding $25,000 (or $75,000 of building contracts) to file public reports with the Commissioner of Political Practices.

Initiative Number 157: I-157 allows nonprofit corporations established for the purpose of acquiring or enhancing access to land and wildlife or habitat to conduct lotteries.  A nonprofit corporation conducting a lottery under I-157 must obtain a permit from the Department of Justice.  The nonprofit corporation cannot spend more than 18.5% of the funds raised on administrative expenses. I-157 will cost $10,000 of state funds annually for issuing lottery permits, overseeing permittees, and enforcing permit requirements.  Permit fee revenues may offset these costs, according to the fiscal statement prepared in conjunction with the initiative.

Initiative Number 158: I-158 prohibits landowners and others from reducing public access to wildlife by buying, selling, trading in, or bartering for access to land for hunting or fishing.

Initiative Number 159: I-159 establishes a program to provide home care services to low-income disabled and elderly persons by individual home care providers.  These services now are provided only by home care businesses.  Both programs are paid for by government funds. Under the new program, a home care recipient chooses an individual home care provider who is trained and certified by the state.  Individual home care providers may collectively bargain with the state, but only through a statewide union exclusively composed of individual providers, and they may not strike.

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