Voters left no doubt on Nov. 7 about where they stand when it comes to a decent minimum wage and well-supported schools and other public services. Initiatives to raise the minimum wage were successful in all six states where they were on the ballot—Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and Ohio. The tidal wave of support bodes well for the new Congress, which has placed an increase in the federal minimum wage at the top of its agenda.

Voters in Maine, Nebraska and Oregon chose good government over tax rebates, soundly rejecting so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) ballot initiatives to limit the size and scope of funding for public services and programs. And in Colorado, a misleading ballot measure that would have required every school district to spend at least 65 percent of its budget on "classroom instruction" was overwhelmingly defeated.

"Americans have once again sent the clear message that well-funded, high-quality public services are essential to the health, safety and prosperity of states and communities," said AFT president Edward J. McElroy in a statement.

On a par with the Election Day defeat of TABOR: Its supporters failed to get the measure on the ballot at all in more than 20 states in 2006. AFT locals played a significant role in defeating these attempts with grass-roots member education as well as participation in legal challenges to the validity of petitions, citing fraud and other irregularities.

The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, a progressive Washington, D.C.-based think tank, describes TABOR as a "radical anti-tax ideology." TABOR ballot initiatives seek to amend state constitutions to limit government spending and growth to a rigid formula (commonly the rate of inflation plus population growth) and require voter approval for tax and fee increases. Colorado is the only state having a TABOR amendment, which voters suspended in November 2005 because of its harmful effects on public services—most notably higher education and social/medical services for children, the elderly and the disabled.

Critics note that the inherent inflexibility of TABOR impedes the ability of policymakers to respond to public needs, including homeland security or public health emergencies.

In Colorado, almost two-thirds of the voters rejected Amendment 39, which uses the same narrow and misleading definition of instruction as other "65 percent solution" proposals that have popped up around the country recently. "Colorado voters sent a clear message that the needs of students—not an arbitrary, one-size-fits-all mandate—should drive education-spending decisions," McElroy said in a statement. "Voters recognized that Amendment 39 would have hurt kids, forcing deep cuts in school services—such as nursing, transportation, building maintenance, school security and nutrition programs—that are essential to students' health, safety and academic success."

The national union and AFT Colorado worked hard, as part of a coalition that included the NEA and the state's school boards and administrators associations, to educate members and the broader public about the dangers of the proposal. The loss in Colorado continues a growing tide against the so-called 65 percent solution. McElroy said he hopes the Colorado results help the idea die "a well-deserved death," because it faces "near-universal condemnation from policymakers, education groups, editorial boards and individuals across the political spectrum."

One major loss did occur in Michigan, where voters approved a constitutional amendment to ban affirmative action at state colleges and government agencies. AFT-Michigan was part of One United Michigan, a large coalition of unions, churches and higher education organizations that fought the amendment. These opponents vow to continue their fight to have the amendment nullified, due to irregularities in the petitioning process that placed the initiative on the ballot.

November 14, 2006