Tax, cannabis initiatives qualify for Oregon ballot

Welcome to the Friday, August 9, Brew.

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

1. Tax, cannabis initiatives qualify for Oregon ballot
2. Decade-low number of candidates running for U.S. House in Hawaii
3. Did you know nine states prohibit foreign nationals or governments from contributing to ballot measure campaigns?

Tax, cannabis initiatives qualify for Oregon ballot

Oregon voters will decide on five statewide ballot measures, including two citizen initiatives and three legislative referrals this fall. That’s less than the 2010-2022 average of between six and seven ballot measures per year.

• Measure 118 would increase the corporate minimum tax by 3% on in-state revenue greater than $25 million in addition to the current minimum corporate tax, which varies based on that revenue. It would direct the Department of Revenue to distribute the revenue from the additional tax equally to Oregon residents who spend more than 200 days in the state.
• Measure 119 would require cannabis businesses to submit a signed labor peace agreement to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission with their licensure or renewal applications. The agreements would require businesses to remain neutral when labor organizations communicate with their employees about collective bargaining rights. Businesses that do not submit an agreement or do not adhere to an agreement they submit could have their licensure or certification applications denied or suspended.

The Oregon Legislature also voted to refer two constitutional amendments—Measures 115 and 116—and one state statute, Measure 117. Oregon has a Democratic trifecta. Democrats have a 35-24-1 majority in the House and a 17-12-1 majority in the Senate.

• Measure 115 would allow the Legislature to impeach elected state executives. Oregon has the only Legislature that cannot impeach state executive officials. The Legislature unanimously approved the proposed amendment.
• Measure 116 would establish an Independent Public Service Compensation Commission to set salaries for all statewide elected officials, legislators, judges, and other officials. For a comprehensive list of those who would be affected, click here. Currently, the Legislative Assembly determines these salaries.
• Measure 117 would establish ranked-choice voting (RCV) for elections to federal and state offices, including the president, Congress, governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, and commissioner of labor and industries. The measure would also require the secretary of state to establish a program to educate voters about ranked-choice voting. The law would take effect on Jan. 1, 2028. Oregon will be one of five states to decide on a ranked-choice voting ballot measure in 2024. Click here to learn more.

The number of state ballot measures in 2024 will be the highest since 2018 when there were 167 measures on the ballot.

As of Aug. 7, 140 statewide ballot measures have been certified in 39 states for elections in 2024. Twenty-six ballot initiatives are pending signature verification and could also appear on the ballot.

Decade-low number of candidates running for U.S. House in Hawaii

Continuing our coverage of statewide primaries, today we dive into elections in Hawaii. The state is holding primaries for congressional (U.S. Senate and House), state executive, state legislative, and municipal offices on Aug. 10. Voters will also decide on two statewide ballot measures.

Why it matters at the national level

In the U.S. Senate, Democrats currently have a majority. There are 47 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and four independents. Three independents caucus with the Democratic Party. Another independent, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, counts toward the Democratic majority for committee purposes. Thirty-four of 100 seats are up for election, including one special election. Of the seats up for election in 2024, Democrats hold 19, Republicans hold 11, and independents hold four. Both U.S. senators from Hawaii are Democrats.

In the U.S. House, Republicans currently have a 220-212 majority with three vacancies. Both members of Hawaii’s House delegation are Democrats.

Primary elections

U.S. Senate

Voters in Hawaii will elect one member to the U.S. Senate on Nov. 5. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D), Ron Curtis (D), and Clyde McClain Lewman (D) are running in the Democratic primary. Six candidates are running in the Republican primary: Melba Amaral (R), Paul Dolan (R), Adriel Lam (R), Bob McDermott (R), Arturo Reyes (R), Emmanuel Tipon (R). Hirono was first elected to the Senate in 2012.

U.S. House

Five candidates, including three Democrats and two Republicans, are running for Hawaii’s two U.S. House districts. This is the fewest candidates to run for the U.S. House in Hawaii in the last 10 years. Between 2014 and 2022, an average of 13.8 candidates ran for the House.

Here are some other highlights:

• Incumbents Ed Case (D-01) and Jill Tokuda (D-02) are both running for re-election. This is the only election cycle in the last 10 years with no open seats.
• The Democratic primary for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District is the only contested primary this year. Incumbent Ed Case (D) and Cecil Hale (D) are running for the Democratic nomination.
• At least one candidate is running in the Republican and Democratic primaries in both districts.

State executive

Hawaii is holding three contested top-two primaries for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. There are four seats up for election, including one open seat. Seventeen candidates are running, including:

• Seven candidates are running for the Office’s At-large Trustee.
• Two candidates are running for the Office’s Kauai and Niihau Resident Trustee.
• Four candidates are running for the Office’s Hawaii Island Resident Trustee.
• Four candidates are running for the Office’s Molokai and Lanai Resident Trustee.

State Legislature

Hawaii has 31 contested state legislative primaries– 26 Democratic and 5 Republican. An average of 37.4 state legislative primaries were contested from 2010 to 2022.

Fifty-eight incumbents are running for re-election, and 19 of them are facing primary challengers. That is the lowest number of contested incumbents since Ballotpedia started tracking in 2010. Among the contested incumbents, 18 are in the House, and one is in the Senate.

Four incumbents did not seek re-election in 2024, the fewest since 2016.

Did you know nine states prohibit foreign nationals or governments from contributing to ballot measure campaigns?

Those states are California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Washington. While the Federal Elections Campaign Act prohibits foreign nationals from donating to candidates, both the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the U.S. Supreme Court have held that it does not keep them from donating to ballot measure campaigns.

Ohio was the most recent state to pass a ban on foreign spending in ballot measure campaigns. The Ohio House of Representatives voted 64-31 to pass House Bill 1 on May 30, while the Ohio Senate voted 24-7 to do so on May 31. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed House Bill 1 on June 2.