We’re just weeks away from election day and while it’s been a pretty quiet cycle here in North Dakota that doesn’t mean we won’t be free from the usual last-minute “gotcha” claims. Case in point, the press release below from Raise it for Health ND – the folks behind Measure 4 on the November ballot…
Audio: Vaping Advocate Blasts Measure 4, Says “Modern Tobacco Prevention Is About Puritanism”
In November the voters here in North Dakota will decide the fate of Measure 4, a massive 400 percent tax increase on cigarettes and a similarly large hike in taxes on tobacco products. And lumped into the definition of tobacco products? Vaping products. A question for many is why the ballot measure would apply a…
Audio: Cass County States Attorney Says Marsy’s Law the Idea of a “Rather Eccentric Billionaire”
Cass County States Attorney Birch Burdick joined me on my radio show today to talk about Marsy’s Law, also known as Measure 3 on your November ballot. I had intended this segment to be a debate between the two sides of the issue, but the Marsy’s Law proponents declined to participate. I’m told they’ve been…
Audio: Measure 4 Opponent Says Cigarette Tax a Bad Way to Fund Veterans
One of the selling points of Measure 4 on the November ballot, which would hike taxes on cigarettes in North Dakota by 400 percent, is that some of the funding would go to veterans. In fact, per the fiscal impact statement for Measure 4 released by the Secretary of State’s office, if passed the measure…
LaFaive and Nesbit: There Will Be Harsh Consequences for Raising North Dakota’s Tobacco Tax
The Nov. 8 North Dakota ballot initiative to raise cigarette excise taxes by 400 percent will — if adopted — increase cigarette smuggling and cause other unintended consequences. We have studied cigarette evasion and avoidance (what we call “smuggling”) around the United States for a decade and have developed a statistical tool for measuring the…
Measure 4 Tax Hike Is Wrong to Lump in Vaping
A group calling itself Raise It for Health put Measure 4 on our statewide ballot for November. The title of the group speaks to the measure’s intent, which is to promote public health through tax hikes on tobacco products, including a massive 400 percent increase in taxes on cigarettes. But is it really about health?…
House Passes Amendment Forcing "Major" Spending Measures To General Election Ballot
In 2014 one of the eight (!!!) ballot measures North Dakotans voted on was Measure 4, a constitutional amendment passed by the Legislature which did two things. First, it required that measures with a significant fiscal impact be placed on the general election ballot. Second, it prohibited constitutional amendments which would require the legislature to…
State House Resurrects Amendment On Expensive Ballot Measures
On election day 2014 the North Dakota delivered a bloodbath for eight measures on the statewide ballot. All but one of them failed, including Measure 4 which would have amended the state constitution to require a) that measures with a “significant” cost in tax dollars go on the general election ballot and b) constitutional amendments…
LegitSlater: 2014 Mid Term Election Reflection
It’s finally over. The ads have grown annoying, even for the candidates and measures I support. I am worn out from debating the issues in this election. I can only imagine how the candidates and committees feel as they have been living it for the past several months. As I write this (it’s Tuesday night,…
LegitSlater: My Take on the Measures- 7 and 8
This post wraps up my take on the initiated measures on the November ballot. In week 1 I addressed Measures 1, 2, and 3 (Yes, Yes, and Yes). Last week I covered Measures 4, 5, and 6 (Yes, No, and Yes). This week I’ll finish up with 7 and 8. MEASURE 7 What it says: This initiated…