Proposition 203 — Medical marijuana

This initiative would permit patients diagnosed with one of eight specific debilitating diseases — including cancer, glaucoma, AIDS or Alzheimer's — or others with side effects — such as nausea, pain and muscle spasms — to buy up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana every two weeks from a nonprofit dispensary. A patient who lives more than 25 miles from the nearest authorized dispensary may be allowed to cultivate up to 12 marijuana plants in an "enclosed, locked facility" for personal use. Arizona's Department of Health Services would be charged with developing a system for regulation.

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Proposition 19 — Legalize marijuana
California was one of the first states to permit the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, but that 1996 initiative was foiled when federal officials continued to prosecute users. Justice Department officials no longer enforce federal laws against medical marijuana users in the state, but Proposition 19 would permit any Californian age 21 or older to use and grow marijuana for his or her private use. It would permit individuals to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow just enough plants to produce that amount. It also would permit local governments to license retail stores to sell marijuana to adults.

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Amendment 63 — Repeal federal health insurance requirement
This constitutional amendment would prohibit anyone from being forced to participate in a public or private health insurance plan or from being penalized for buying their own health care plan . Proponents argue it is necessary to prevent the new federal health care law from trampling personal rights. Opponents say the amendment would increase health care costs for those who are insured and do nothing to help those who are not.

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Gov. Crist dropped out of the primary for the GOP nomination to run as an independent, but the strategy has not helped him against Rubio. Rubio continues to lead the race in recent polls, with Meek trailing far behind. Crist accused Rubio of planning to balance the federal budget on the back of seniors and wanting to privatize Social Security. Rubio insists he has dropped his early support for private savings accounts.

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The three leading candidates – Republican Paul LePage, independent Eliot Cutler and Democrat Libby Mitchell – have all proposed comprehensive healthcare plans.  LePage’s plan would seek to instill more competition in Maine’s health insurance and healthcare markets by allowing residents to purchase health care policies available in other New England states and cracking down on medical malpractice lawsuits. Cutler’s plan would emphasize education about healthier lifestyles and expand preventive care, provide financial rewards for the highest-quality care, train more healthcare workers and leverage the state’s purchasing power to create alternatives to current insurance plans. Mitchell proposes creating public/private partnerships to implement the new federal health care law by setting an overall spending target, creating a wellness tax credit to encourage businesses to provide wellness programs to their employees and use exchanges among businesses to hold down costs.

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Frank has rarely been seriously challenged since first elected in 1980, and as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, he's acquired significant power and seniority. But Republicans are bullish enough about taking back the House to throw extra money into this race in hopes of pulling off an upset. Frank gave his campaign $200,000 to counter outside spending. Bielat, a business consultant and former Marine, argues that Frank is out of touch with the district. After getting 7 percent of the vote in the 2008 general election, Allen again is on the ballot.

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This is a rematch of their close 2008 election, when Schauer was the challenger and Walberg the incumbent. Schauer defends his votes for the stimulus and health care reform bills while accusing Walberg of favoring the privatization of Social Security. Walberg denies the charge, noting his introduction of legislation to separate Social Security dollars from the general federal budget. Schauer says the health care law was needed to stop an unsustainable increase in health care spending; Walberg says he would vote to repeal the law.

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Angle made the repeal of the new federal health care law a key issue from the beginning, and Tea Party activists hope to make Majority Leader Reid their biggest victim of the year. Angle argues that "Obamacare" should be replaced by laws that allow citizens to buy insurance across state lines, get tax credits to buy insurance and tighten medical malpractice lawsuits. Reid defends the law, noting its increased coverage for uninsured Americans and provisions to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Angle also proposes that Social Security revenue be placed in a lock box separate from general revenues and that younger Americans be allowed to set up personalized retirement accounts.

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When he decided not to run for the seat of retiring Sen. Byron Dorgan (D), Pomeroy was seen as opting for a safer re-election bid. But GOP state Rep. Berg has made this race tough. Pomeroy is one of the few Democrats to air a television ad defending the federal health care law and his vote for it. Berg criticizes what he calls "the Obama-Pomeroy nationalized health care bill" because of the tax increases and Medicare cuts it contains. Pomeroy is chairman of the House Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security and vows to defend the program against attempts at privatization, which he implies Berg would support. Berg says that necessary changes must be made without raising payroll taxes, reducing benefits, increasing the retirement age or privatizing the system.

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This constitutional amendment would add a provision to prohibit residents or employers from being forced to participate in any health care system while allowing individuals to pay for their treatment directly and for health care providers to accept payment directly. It also allows the sale of health insurance in private health care systems. Like proposals in other states, it would likely run afoul of federal law.

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Measure 74 — Farmers can be licensed to grow pot for marijuana dispensaries
Oregon already permits the use of medical marijuana, so this initiative is aimed at improving the supply of the drug by directing the state to license and regulate dispensaries. It also would permit farmers to grow marijuana to supply the dispensaries. Producers and dispensaries would pay a 10 percent fee on their gross revenue to pay for the system of regulation.

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Spratt, chairman of the House Budget Committee, stresses the projects he has brought to the district. Mulvaney accuses him of losing his connection with this conservative district. Because Spratt's chairmanship makes him part of the House Democratic leadership team, Mulvaney has criticized him for voting for stimulus, cap-and-trade energy and health care bills. This is the first re-election bid for Spratt since announcing earlier this year he is in the early stages of Parkinson's disease.

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This initiative would permit the possession, use and cultivation of marijuana by patients whose need for the drug are certified by physicians and are registered with the state health department. The patient using the drug may designate someone else to cultivate the drug for his or her use, but that grower cannot have more than five registered users. Use would be permitted for only a few specific diseases such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV-AIDS or a chronic or debilitating disease or condition that results in severe pain and nausea. Marijuana must be kept in an "enclosed, locked facility," and users must have no more than one ounce of the drug or six plants.

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This proposed constitutional amendment is about as simple as they come. It repeals the sentence in the Virginia Constitution that limits the eligibility of homeowners 65 and older or permanently disabled for property tax breaks to those who bear "an extraordinary tax burden." That should expand the number of eligible households, but the amendment also would permit local governments to set income or financial worth restrictions on who qualifies for the benefit.

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Until mid-July, this was supposed to be a cakewalk for Feingold. Johnson, however, began to spend his personal fortune and tap into conservative dissatisfaction. The race quickly became a tossup. Johnson, a millionaire from the privately held specialty plastics manufacturing firm he started with his brother-in-law, was motivated to run by his opposition to the federal health care law, which he wants to repeal. Feingold defends the law, noting it should prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to individuals when they get sick, curb rising health care costs and hold down increases in premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

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