States Pressured To Fund Voter Initiatives, Including Those for Health Programs, Despite Budget Deficits

Ballot initiatives passed by voters in the past decade are forcing lawmakers in many states to "struggle to fund ways to adhere to the popular will" despite the "crushing deficits" that some of them face, the New York Times reports. In the 24 states that allow ballot measures, Democrats used such means to establish new programs, including a number of health care initiatives, and Republicans used the measures to reduce taxes or limit the ability of states to raise taxes. Many voters "punched yes for both sides," hampering state budgets, the Times reports. In Arizona, for example, voters passed a state constitutional amendment in 1992 "making it almost impossible" for the state to increase taxes. But in the late 1990s, they also passed a ballot measure that mandated additional funding for health care programs. In part, as a result of the ballot measures, health care facilities in Arizona "fell apart," and the state faces a $2 billion deficit over the next two years. Phil Talmadge, a former Washington state Supreme Court judge and lawmaker, said, "[T]he same voter who wants unlimited services also does not want to pay for it. There's a disconnect" (Egan, New York Times, 3/2).