Subject: Taxes, AIDS, Nuclear Power Plants on the Ballot This Year Date: Published: 11/1/88 122 lines Source: Wall Street Journal. Copyright Dow Jones & Co. Inc. Politics & Policy: Taxes, AIDS, Nuclear Power Plants Lead List Of Questions on the Ballot in States This Year ---- A Wall Street Journal News Roundup The presidential race has claimed the most attention this election year, but voters also will be deciding issues ranging from rolling back property taxes in Colorado to closing nuclear power plants in Massachusetts to divulging the names of AIDS patients in California. The issue of taxes, as might be expected, dominates the field, with more than a dozen states planning ballot measures on state levies. But in the 41 states that have constitutional amendments, initiatives and referendums on the ballot, variety is the keyword. Here's a roundup, by no means all-inclusive, of crucial issues that will be decided Election Day: Taxes The hottest ballot question in the Southwest and Rocky Mountain states is Colorado's Amendment 6, a comprehensive tax proposal to reduce income and property taxes, increase agricultural property taxes and require voters to approve virtually every tax increase in the state. The measure, placed on the ballot in a drive led by Colorado Springs investor Douglas Bruce, would also require approval by two-thirds of the voters for any new debt issue. Government spending could rise only at the same rate as the Consumer Price Index, unless two-thirds of the voters approve a higher rate. Income taxes would be cut by 10%, to 90% of the 1987 level; property taxes would be limited to 1% of assessed value. The state estimates that these measures would reduce taxes by more than $700 million. Agricultural land would be taxed at its market value rather than its production value, which would rearrange state aid to all of Colorado's schools. Business groups, who favor state spending on economic development for the troubled region, have pledged to raise $250,000 to fight the measure and the state's current and former governors have come out against it. Standard & Poor's Corp. has put about $2 billion in Colorado agencies' general obligation and certificate of participation issues on CreditWatch with negative implications because of the proposal. At one time, polls showed about 60% of voters favored Amendment 6, but support is now about 51%. A similar, but less severe proposal was defeated in 1986. In South Dakota, Proposition 2 would limit property taxes to 1% of the 1984 full value of farm land, and to 2.5% of the 1984 full value of non-agricultural land. Also, it would require two-thirds approval of the state legislature for any state or local property tax increases. A similar ballot question in Arkansas would require a 60% vote of both houses of the legislature to approve any tax increase. Sales-tax increases now require only majority approval while all other tax increases require a 75% approval. Insurance California has four propositions on auto insurance, with each partly or completely contradicting the others. The one with the most votes prevails, but other winning propositions with provisions that don't contradict those of the most popular measure could become law. Proposition 104, backed by the insurance industry, would establish no-fault insurance in California. Proposition 101, also backed by the insurance industry, would cut the bodily injury portion of automobile insurance claims 50%, but would also limit claims for non-economic damages to 25% of economic losses, and limit attorney contingent fees to 25% of economic losses. Proposition 100, backed by trial lawyers, would reduce insurance rates for good drivers 20%, allow banks to sell insurance and eliminate the state antitrust exemption for insurers. Proposition 103, backed by consumer groups, would slash rates for all drivers 20% for two years and require future rate increases to be approved by an elected insurance commissioner. According to the latest California Poll, conducted by the Field Research Organization of San Francisco, voters continue to be confused by the welter of proposals. Still, they favor 103 by the widest margin, 45% to 26%. They also favor 100 by 38% to 29%. They oppose 104, 35% to 32%, as well as 101, 36% to 25%. Some insurers say approval of Proposition 103 would drive them either out of business or out of the state. Lawyers are deeply concerned about Proposition 101's call for cuts of their contingency fees. But they are even more worried about another proposition, 106, that would limit contingency fees in injury awards to only 10% of amounts above $100,000, compared with the 30% to 40% range common now. Voters favored that measure by a 37% to 30% margin in an Oct. 24 poll. Health Care California's hotly contested Proposition 102 would require doctors to report to public health authorities the names of anyone carrying the AIDS virus. It would also require anyone who has or is "reasonably believed" to have the virus to divulge a list of sex partners or face misdemeanor charges. Willful transmission of the disease would be a crime. Insurance companies would be allowed to test applicants for the virus, and doctors could test for the virus without the patient's permission. Opponents say the measure represents the most sweeping legal backlash in the nation against the disease's carriers, and they fear similar measures could be placed on other states' ballots in the future. But voters apparently approve of Proposition 102's core provisions: reporting and contact tracing. An Oct. 25 California poll showed the provisions were favored by 44% of those sampled and opposed by 32%; 24% were undecided. [96 lines irrelevant to AIDS have been removed. -- sysop] [This article is made available here by Dow Jones Co. for the personal and non-commercial use of callers to this bbs, in the hope that it will be of some help to those who are suffering from the disease and others who are seeking to help them.]