Apartment Trends Magazine September 2016 | Page 35

n Your Ballot?
Initiative 145: Medical aid in dying
Initiative 145 would allow terminally ill individuals (with a prognosis of six months or less to
live) to self-administer medical aid-in-dying
medication in order to voluntarily end his or her
life. It also authorizes a physician to prescribe the
medication for the patient under certain conditions.

Initiative 96: Requirements for initiated
constitutional amendments
This initiative has been dubbed ‘Raise the Bar’.
It would require that a certain number of signatures
be gathered from each state senate district in order
to place a constitutional initiative on the ballot. More
specifically, of the total signatures, some must be
collected from each of the state’s 35 senate districts

in an amount of at least 2 percent of the registered
voters in each district. This would also increase the
threshold that changes to the constitution must reach
for passage. Under current law, changes only require
a simple majority. This would change the requirement
to 55 percent of all votes cast.

two initiatives, 78 and 79. Depending if they
qualify, they may or may not be on the ballot.

The Apartment Association has adopted a
support position.

This is one of two oil and gas initiatives that
could potentially be on this November’s ballot.
Initiative 75 would allow county and municipal
governments to enact more restrictive regulation
on oil and natural gas development and production
than what is currently imposed by the state. This
could mean limiting, delaying and outright prohibiting development. The proponents did not state
how many signatures were turned in.

Initiative 98: Open primary elections
Open primaries, or initiative 98, would create
an open primary election process in Colorado that
would allow unaffiliated voters to vote in a nonpresidential primary election of a single political
party. It would also allow political parties to ‘opt
out’ of holding an open primary election and instead
choose to nominate candidates by assembly or
convention.

Initiative 140: Presidential primary
election initiative
This initiative would establish a presidential
primary election in Colorado that allows participation by unaffiliated voters.

Initiative 143: Tobacco tax increase
Initiative 143 would increase the state tax on
a pack of cigarettes from $0.84 to $2.59. It would
also increase the state tax on ‘other tobacco products’
from 40 percent to 62 percent of the price. The new
tax money is to be used for medical research, tobacco-use prevention, doctors and clinics in rural
or low-income areas, veterans’ services and other
health-related programs. It is project to be a $315.7
million tax increase.
We are still awaiting the official validation of
signatures from the Secretary of State’s office on
www.aamdhq.org

Initiative 75: Local control of oil and
gas development

The Apartment Association has adopted a
position of opposition.

Initiative 78: Mandatory setback from
oil and gas development
This is the second of two oil and gas initiatives
that turned in signatures to the Secretary of State.
It would require that all new oil and natural gas
facilities be located at least 2,500 feet from any
occupied structure of area of concern. The COGCC
produced a study that showed, if passed, this initiative would prohibit new drilling for 90% of the
surface area in Colorado. Studies have also shown
the tremendous negative impacts that this could
have to our economy. Again, the proponents did
not state how many signatures were turned in.
The Apartment Association has adopted a
position of opposition.
It’s good to be prepared and to have your voice
heard. If you haven’t registered to vote, now is the
time. November will soon be here.

SEPTEMBER 2016 • TRENDS | 33