More than 200 statewide ballot initiatives will be put to voters next month. Voters in Alabama will consider amending the state constitution to remove a provision banning interracial marriage. Nevada and Nebraska will consider measures banning gay marriage. Ballot initiatives give voters a direct voice on issues that politicians frequently find hard to solve. The most striking debates are taking place in South Dakota and Montana, where voters are being asked to consider repealing local estate and inheritance taxes.
Estate taxes are a major point of contention between the two parties nationally.
But the issue is still politically potent, and the GOP-led Congress and Mr. Bush are pushing for full repeal. Mr. Gore opposes the notion, arguing that full repeal of the levy would primarily benefit the wealthy. President Clinton this year vetoed legislation that would have accomplished the GOP's goal. Echoes of the national debate can be found in rural Montana, where the ballot initiative is popular, reflecting concerns that estate taxes make it harder for individuals to pass along small businesses and family farms to their heirs. It provides a very significant sentiment of public sentiment.