Voters within the District of Columbia had a déjà vu expertise this yr with Initiative 82, a poll measure to section out the town’s subminimum wage for restaurant servers and different tipped staff. Again in 2018 they’d overwhelmingly permitted a just about an identical measure — solely to have the highly effective restaurant trade foyer achieve getting the DC Council to overturn it.
As soon as once more, DC residents voted to eliminate the tipped wage, this time by an overwhelmingly 74-26 margin. If this victory sticks, the town’s tipped wage, presently $5.35 per hour, will rise progressively till it matches the native common minimal wage by 2027. Eight states have eradicated the subminimum wage for tipped staff, and a latest One Fair Wage analysis discovered that restaurant staff in Seattle, the place the minimal wage for all is now $15.75 — earn 23 % greater than their DC counterparts.
Andy Shallal, the proprietor of 9 Busboys and Poets eating places within the DC space, applauded the victory. “I’ve respect for my fellow restaurateurs however I actually consider they’re on the fallacious facet of historical past on this one,” Shallal wrote in a statement. Phasing out the tipped wage, Shallal consider, “will deliver us one step nearer to being a extra equitable society.”
Cities in Maine, California, and Missouri Tackle Housing Prices
After efficiently passing hire management measures in 2020, voters in Portland, Maine voted in a brand new slate of tenant protections. Query C — permitted by 55 % of metropolis residents — strengthens protections for tenants by making certain they obtain at the very least 90 days discover for lease terminations and hire will increase. The initiative additionally restricts safety deposits to quantities equal to at least one month’s hire and prohibits charges for functions, credit score experiences, and background checks.
In California, San Francisco voters permitted Proposition M — a groundbreaking “empty houses tax” to fund inexpensive housing. By taxing items which might be vacant for almost all of the yr, the town will generate tens of thousands and thousands in annual income to put money into housing inventory acquisition and rental subsidies for aged and low-income residents. Contending with the Bay Space’s parallel emptiness and homelessness crises, the measure’s victory will assist “restore the ability of democracy and our political establishments to the individuals,” said area director Gwen McLaughlin.
A measure in Los Angeles, ULA, is on monitor to institute an analogous mannequin — taxing actual property transfers value over $5 million at 4 % and properties over $10 million at 5.5 %. The income, which might reach over $1 billion per yr, would additionally fund a set of affordability options: creating extra inexpensive housing inventory, instantly subsidizing hire, and offering authorized sources for low-income tenants. Typical enterprise pursuits vociferously oppose ULA, spending thousands and thousands towards its grassroots coalition of renters, staff, and anti-homelessness specialists. However as pandemic-era eviction protections close to expiry, Angelenos are choosing individuals energy over the actual property foyer.
And in Missouri, Kansas Metropolis voters passed a $50 million bond to create a fund for constructing and revitalizing hundreds of items, priced to be inexpensive for these making not more than 30 % of the realm’s median revenue.
South Dakota Expands Medicaid
As soon as once more, atypical of us on this deep purple state have finished an finish run round their elected officers and used direct democracy to assist their economically deprived neighbors. Again in 2016, a bipartisan coalition with sturdy religion group assist pulled off an unbelievable victory towards monetary predators, profitable a ballot measure to impose a strict rate of interest cap on payday loans.
This yr, an analogous grassroots campaign received a constitutional amendment forcing their state to broaden Medicaid eligibility. Beneath the 2010 Inexpensive Care Act, the federal authorities will cowl 90 % of the prices if states agree to supply protection to extra low-income residents. However South Dakota and 11 other states have refused to take action. The poll measure will change that, extending Medicaid protection to an estimated 42,500 working class South Dakotans.
Arizonans Crack Down on Predatory Medical Debt
Over 72 % of Arizonans voted in assist of Proposition 209 — a groundbreaking poll measure designed to crack down on predatory medical debt. The initiative caps rates of interest at 3 % on new medical debt and will increase the quantity of dwelling fairness, private property, property, and revenue shielded from sure collectors.
“Prior to now, voters had by no means taken up medical debt on a statewide poll measure, however Arizonans have charted a path ahead to tackle predatory lenders by direct democracy,” said Kelly Corridor, government director of the Equity Undertaking — a nationwide non-profit which helped fund and set up across the initiative. “We’re trying ahead to working with residents in different states who wish to move extra poll measures to guard working households from exploitative lending practices.”
Greater than 100 million Individuals have medical debt, in accordance with a recent investigation by NPR and Kaiser Well being Information. The toll is particularly exhausting on Black communities, with 56 % of Black adults owing cash for a medical or dental invoice, in comparison with 37 % of white adults.
New Mexico Makes Pre-Ok a Common Proper
After federal actions to fund early childhood schooling stalled within the Senate earlier this yr, over 70% of voters in New Mexico permitted a poll measure that may make the Southwestern state the primary within the nation to enshrine a proper to early childhood schooling in its structure.
The measure would authorize lawmakers to attract from a state sovereign wealth fund to pay for common preschool and baby care. The state structure obligates that 5 % of the fund — presently valued at $26 billion — be withdrawn yearly to assist public colleges, hospitals, and universities. The passage of this poll measure would pull an extra 1.25 % yearly for schooling, directing roughly $150 million to early childhood schooling and one other roughly $100 million for Ok-12.
Arizona and Oakland Tackle Darkish Cash in Elections
As a handful of Individuals (people and particular pursuits alike) flooded the midterms with untraceable billions, inequality threatened to additional distort our democracy. In response, voters rebuked darkish cash and defended the ability of their very own ballots.
Arizona voters, for instance, overwhelmingly permitted Proposition 211, referred to as the Voters’ Proper to Know. The measure would require public disclosure of donors who give over $5,000 to impartial marketing campaign expenditures of over $50,000 in statewide campaigns (or half that quantity in different campaigns). In an in any other case extremely polarized state, Arizonans discovered frequent floor by their disdain for darkish cash and need for political transparency.
Voters in Oakland, California additionally opted to require donor disclosure on political adverts. Town’s profitable Measure W will even prohibit former elected officers’ lobbying capability, cap marketing campaign contributions, and allocate democracy vouchers to native voters, who can then publicly finance candidates at their discretion.
