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Statewide Bond Measures on the 2008 Ballot

November 13, 2008, Jennie Drage Bowser
Ballot Measures Overview
2008 Ballot Measures Results

What's on the ballot this year?

Voters in eight states will consider 15 statewide bonding proposals totaling just under $18.4 billion this November 4.  The proposals deal with fairly typical projects for statewide bonding proposals -- transportation infrastructure, water projects, education and health care facilities, environmental protection, and smaller-scale infrastructure improvements for libraries and senior citizen facilities.  One of the more controversial bonding proposals this year is a California initiative proposing $5 billion in bonds for consumer rebates for the purchase alternative fuel vehicles as well as funding for renewable energy research.

$16.83 billion (91.6 percent) of this year's total statewide bonding is proposed in California alone.  Besides the alternative fuel vehicle and renewable energy research bonds, California voters will consider $900 million in bonds for loans to veterans to purchase homes and farms, $9.95 billion to fund a high speed passenger train, and $980 million for capital improvements to children's hospitals.

An additional measure in New Jersey would require voter approval of future state bond issues.

Statewide Bond Measures on the 2008 Ballot
State	Measure #	Topic Area	Typea	Pass/Fail
Alaska	Bond Measure	$315,050,000 - transportation	L	Pass
Arkansas	Ref. Question 1	$300,000,000 - water, waste disposal & pollution abatement	L	Pass
California	Proposition 10	$5,000,000,000 - alternative fuel vehicles & renewable energy	I	Fail
California	Proposition 12	$900,000,000 - loans for veterans' home and farm purchases	L	Pass
California	Proposition 1A	$9,950,000,000 - high speed passenger train	L	Pass
California	Proposition 3	$980,000,000 - children's hospitals capital improvements	I	Pass
Maine	Question 3	$3,400,000 - water projects	L	Pass
New Mexico	Bond Question 1	$14,725,000 - senior citizen facilities	L	Pass
New Mexico	Bond Question 2	$11,019,000 - library acquisitions	L	Pass
New Mexico	Bond Question 3	$57,925,000 - health facility improvements	L	Pass
New Mexico	Bond Question 4	$140,133,000 - higher education & special schools improvements	L	Pass
Ohio	Issue 2	$200,000,000 - environmental revitalization & conservation	L	Pass
Pennsylvania	Bond Question	$400,000,000 - water & sewer improvements	L	Pass
Rhode Island	Question 1	$87,215,000 - transportation	L	Pass
Rhode Island	Question 2	$2,500,000 - open space & recreational development	L	Pass
Total bonding proposed in Nov. 2008		$18,361,967,000
Total approved by voters		$13,361,967,000 (72.8%)

a) Type:         L = legislative referendum
                      I = citizen-initiated

How does this compare to previous years?

In 2006, voters in five states considered just under $43.4 billion in statewide bonding proposals.  All but one proposal passed -- the only question to fail was a $4 million state parks proposal in Rhode Island.

In 2004, the last presidential elections, voters in five states considered 20 bonding proposals totaling in excess of $4.4 billion.  Just four measures failed to pass -- three in Rhode Island and an initiative proposal in Utah dealing with natural resources and environmental protection.  The Utah initiative included a sales tax increase to fund repayment of the bonds.

Links to More NCSL Information

State Budgets and Taxes

Contact for More Information

Jennie Drage Bowser, NCSL's Denver office