2008 General Election Ballot Measures: Taxes
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| Massachusetts Question 1 - State Personal Income Tax |
Summary: This proposed law would reduce the state personal
income tax rate to 2.65% for all categories of taxable income for the tax year
beginning on or after January 1, 2009, and would eliminate the tax for all tax
years beginning on or after January 1, 2010.
Click here for full text |
| North Dakota Statutory Measure No. 2 |
Summary: This initiated measure would amend
sections of the North Dakota Century Code
for tax years beginning after December
31, 2008 by lowering the state corporate income tax rates by
fifteen percent and the adjusted state
income tax rates by fifty percent, except for one taxpayer bracket where the
reduction would be forty-five percent and for two other brackets where some
income would not
be taxed.
Click here for full text |
| Oregon Measure 59 - Creates an Unlimited Deduction for Federal Income Taxes on Individual Taxpayers' Oregon Income Tax Returns |
Summary: Would require that for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2010, no Oregon taxpayer shall be required to pay the state, a local government, or other taxing district, an income tax of any kind on money paid to the federal government as federal income taxes. The money paid as federal taxes shall be fully deductible against income on the taxpayers' Oregon income tax return. This does not apply to corporate income taxes or corporate excise taxes.
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Property Taxes |
| Arizona Proposition 100 - Protect Our Homes |
Summary: A proposed constitutional amendment that
would prohibit any level of government from imposing an new tax, fee, or other
assessment on the sale, purchase, transfer or other conveyance of of any
interest in real estate.
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| Florida Amendment 3 - Changes and Improvements not Affecting the Assessed Value of Residential Property |
Summary: Authorizes the Legislature, by general law,
to prohibit consideration of changes or improvements to residential real
property which increase resistance to wind damage and installation of renewable
energy source devices as factors in assessing the property's value for ad
valorem taxation purposes. Effective upon adoption, repeals the existing
renewable energy source device exemption no longer in effect.
Click here for
full text |
| Florida Amendment 4 - Property Tax Exemption of Perpetually Conserved Land; Classification and Assessment of Land Use for Conservation |
Summary: Requires Legislature to provide a property
tax exemption for real property encumbered by perpetual conservation easements
or other perpetual conservation protections, defined by general law. Requires
Legislature to provide for classification and assessment of land used for
conservation purposes, and not perpetually encumbered, solely on the basis of
character or use. Subjects assessment benefit to conditions, limitations, and
reasonable definitions established by general law. Applies to property taxes
beginning in 2010.
Click here for full text |
| Florida Amendment 6 - Assessment of Working Waterfront Property Based Upon Current Use |
Summary: Provides for assessment based
upon use of land used predominantly for commercial fishing purposes; land used
for vessel launches into waters that are navigable and accessible to the public;
marinas and drystacks that are open to the public; and water-dependent marine
manufacturing facilities, commercial fishing facilities, and marine vessel
construction and repair facilities and their support activities, subject to
conditions, limitations, and reasonable definitions specified by general law.
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| Oklahoma State Questions No. 735 |
Summary: An amendment to
the constitution that would create an exemption from personal property tax. The
exemption would be for the full amount of taxes due on all household personal
property. The exemption would apply to certain injured veterans and would also
apply to those veterans’ surviving spouses.
Click here for full text |
| Oklahoma State Question No. 741 |
Summary: An amendment
related to exemptions from property taxes. It would require a person or
business to file an application for an exemption. No exemption could be granted
prior to filing an application. The Legislature may write laws to carry out the
provisions of this section.
Click here for full text |
| Oregon Measure 56 - Amends Constitution: Provides that May and November Property Tax Elections are Decided by Majority of Voters Voting |
Summary:This measure creates a new section to be added to Aritlce XI of the Constitution. It eliminates voter turnout requirements for property tax elections held in May and November. The current requirements are that at least 50 percent of
qualified voters must vote, and a majority of those voters must approve the
measure, in order to pass a local property tax measure. Property tax elections held in any other month besides May and November would still be subject to the current requirements.
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Sales Taxes |
| Colorado Amendment 51 - State Sales Tax for Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities |
Summary: An amendment to
increase state taxes by $186.1 million annually after full implementation. The
increase in state sales and use tax would provide funding for long-term
services for persons with developmental disabilities. The sales and use tax rate
would increase by one-tenth of 1 percent in each of the next two fiscal years,
beginning July 1, 2009.
Click here for full text
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| Florida Amendment 8 - Local Option Community College Funding |
Summary: Proposing an amendment to the State
Constitution to require that the Legislature authorize counties to levy a local
option sales tax to supplement community college funding; requiring voter approval
to levy the tax; providing that approved taxes will sunset after 5 years and
may be reauthorized by the voters.
Click here for full text |
| Minnesota HF 2285 - Clean Water, Wildlife, Cultural Heritage, and Natural Resources |
Summary: Would increase the sales and use tax rates by 3/8 of 1 percent beginning July 1, 2009 until June 30, 2034. Money from the increase would be dedicated to the following funds: 33 percent to the outdoor heritage fund only to be spent to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game and wildlife; 33 percent to the clean water fund only to be spent to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams and to protect groundwater from degradation, and at least 5 percent must be spent to protect drinking water sources; 14.25 percent to the parks and trails fund only to be spent to support parks and trails of regional or statewide significance; and 19.75 percent to the arts and cultural heritage fund only to be spent for arts, arts education, and arts access and to preserve state history and cultural heritage.
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Severance Taxes |
| Colorado Amendment 52 - Severance Tax - Transportation |
Summary: An amendment concerning the allocation of revenues from the state
severance tax imposed on minerals and mineral fuels other than oil shale. Would
require half of the revenues to be credited to the local government severance
tax fund and the remaining to be credited first to the severance tax trust fund
until an annually calculated limit is reached. After that, the remaining will
be credited to a new Colorado transportation trust fund.
Click here
for full text |
| Colorado Amendment 58 - Severance Tax |
Summary: An amendment to
increase state severance taxes on oil and gas extracted in the state by $321.4
million annually for taxable years commencing on or after Jan. 1, 2009; changes
the tax to 5% of total gross income from the sale of oil and gas when the
amount of annual gross income is at least $300,000; eliminates a credit against
the severance tax for property taxes paid by oil and gas producers and interest
owners; reduces the level of production that qualifies wells for an exemption
from the tax; exempts revenues from the tax and related investment income from
state and local government spending limits; and requires the tax revenues to be
credited as follows: a. 22% to severance tax trust fund b. 22% to local government
severance tax fund and c. 56% to a new severance tax stabilization trust fund.
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for full text |
| Louisiana Amendment 4 |
Summary:
To increase the maximum amount of severance tax imposed and collected on
natural resources for certain parishes. It would increase maximum amounts
remitted in severance taxes, defines “excess severance tax,” and provides
specific guidelines and percentages for the use of the collected severance taxes and excess severance taxes.
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THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS 
