In The News 
Ohio Payday-Loan Petition Circulators Accused of Misinforming Voters
A group supporting a crackdown on payday lenders charged yesterday that Ohio voters often are being misled by petition circulators working on behalf of those lenders.
South Dakota Abortion Vote Draws Attention
Two years after a strict abortion ban here was overturned by voters, backers have brought a similar measure -- but one laced with complexities that could bode well for its passage, and ultimately could bring about the challenge to Roe v. Wade desired by abortion foes nationwide. The referendum has sparked a door-to-door battle to persuade voters that is gaining national attention.
Colorado Personhood Law Backer Linked to Militant Anti-Abortion Groups
The path leading from James Patrick Johnston's activism in poor Appalachian Ohio to the hotbed of wealthy religious conservatism in Colorado exemplifies the fluid interchange between the more radical anti-abortion movement and those seeking to shield their past associations in order to appear more mainstream.
A Split on the Right
Colorado drive does not have the support of the National Right to Work Committee in the nation's capitol where a spokesman predicts the effort is "doomed to failure."
Both Sides in Affirmative Action Battle Say Pace Might Pick Up
The two groups fighting over the future of affirmative action in Nebraska have already spent almost $1 million combined, according to campaign finance reports. By Nov. 4, when Nebraska voters could decide the affirmative action ban, the $1 million amount may seem small. Leaders of both the pro- and anti-affirmative action groups said Thursday they expected fundraising and spending to increase starting next month if it's clear that the issue is headed to the ballot.
OH Sick-Day Petitions Awash in Signatures; Verification Next
A union-led coalition that needs 120,683 valid signatures to give voters the chance to decide whether full-time workers get at least seven sick days a year submitted nearly 242,000 names.
Both Udall, Schaffer Oppose Abortion Measure
Neither U.S. Senate candidate supports Amendment 48, a November ballot measure that would ban abortion by defining personhood as beginning at fertilization.
Oil Companies Spend Big to Fight Colorado Severance Tax
State voters this November may face a ballot measure that would raise the state tax on oil, gas and other mineral extraction, devoting most of the additional revenue to scholarships for students who attend state colleges and universities. Energy companies do not like the idea, and an opposition group named Coloradans for a Stable Economy is building a big war chest to fight the Ritter plan, presumably with a barrage of TV ads later this fall.
Oil Firms Pull Out Big Bucks to Fight Severance Tax
Big money is rolling in from major oil companies to fight a proposed ballot measure that would increase state tax revenues from the oil and gas industry.
Florida Builders Hear Sides of Tax Swap Proposal
Florida's homebuilders were told Saturday that a proposal to slash property taxes raised for schools in exchange for other new revenue will boost home sales and help an industry that's suffering through an economic downturn.
