All politics is local, or so the phrase goes. And while outsize attention will be on the balance of power in Congress throughout this midterm election, it’s worth watching some of the 100-plus measures on state ballots.
Those local initiatives could have a big impact on companies and workers across the nation.
In a handful of states, marijuana legalization is on the ballot. A pair of propositions in California could allow sports betting and another would reshape the state’s tax laws to fund environmental initiatives. A few states are considering raising the minimum wage, and many others will vote on whether to restrict access to abortion.
“There’s a direct connection between voting on a ballot measure and seeing a change in your community in a way that you often don’t get from voting for a candidate,” Kelly Hall, executive director of a progressive national non-profit called the Fairness Project, says.
Here are five issues that impact businesses on ballots.
Marijuana Legalization
In four historically red states and Maryland, voters will have the choice to legalize recreational marijuana.
While not legal on a federal level, 19 states and the District of Columbia allow recreational marijuana use. President Biden has said he’ll decriminalize the drug.
Legalization in all five states isn’t a sure thing. Polling indicates that measures in Maryland and Arkansas will pass. In North Dakota, Missouri, and South Dakota, polls suggest a tossup.
There is…
