Recent Election Updates

This week, multiple elections across the United States resulted in firsts for minority legislators. While the 2016 presidential election echoed the wants of the white working class, the most recent elections have shown a rise in a likely alliance among minorities.

Among the winners were Vietnamese, Latina, and transgender women who were elected to state legislatures, a black transgender woman who was placed on the Minneapolis City Council, two black candidates who were elected to the position of lieutenant governor in Virginia and New Jersey, and a Sikh man, Hispanic woman, and Liberian refugee whom were all elected as mayors across the United States.

These results might indicate a Democratic resistance to the Republican controlled government.

Locally, two pieces of tax legislation were not passed in the special election: Proposition 1 for Columbia, and Proposition U for Booneville.  According to the Missourian, “Proposition 1 is a ballot issue that would raise the hotel and motel lodging tax to 5 percent from 4 percent. The proposition was put on the ballot by a May vote of the Columbia City Council, and revenues would help finance a new terminal at Columbia Regional Airport.” Proposition U on the ballot of Boone County stated the county would “impose a tax on out-of-state purchases at the same rate as the total local sales tax rate, provided that if the local sales tax rate is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax rate shall also be reduced or raised by the same action.”