Colonial Pipeline Explosion And Fire Kills Worker, May Cause Gas Supply Issues

Hey, remember just just over a month ago when the Colonial fuel pipeline shut down, cutting gas supplies to the Southeast and leading to shortages at gas stations? The same pipeline, which is the nation’s biggest and brings gasoline from Houston to New Jersey with many stops along the way, will be shut down again after a fire that killed one worker and hospitalized five.

Reuters reports that the pipeline could close down for up to a week, and the site of the fire is “several miles” from the September breach. A source told the news service that fuel companies expect the pipeline to be down for about a week, and the smaller adjacent pipeline that carries diesel and jet fuel to shut down for four days, since it wasn’t directly affected by the fire.

While cities farther east and closest to ports have easier access to gas during a pipeline issue like this one, alternative delivery methods can mean higher prices. Still, that’s better than actual shortages, which consumers in inland markets in the Southeast can expect if the pipeline is out for long enough.

Colonial gasoline line may be shut at least a week after explosion [Reuters]
Largest U.S. Fuel Pipeline Shuts After Workers Trigger Blast [Bloomberg]

Toyota Testing Keyless Car-Sharing Program With Getaround

Days after Toyota announced it would follow in the footsteps of other carmakers like BMW and General Motors by investing in the car-sharing game, we’re learning a bit more about what the company plans to do with its new stake in San Francisco-based Getaround. Here’s a hint: it doesn’t involve keys. 

That’s because the carmaker will use part of its $10 million investment to test a system — dubbed Smart Key Box — that allows users to unlock and start Getaround vehicles with just their smartphones, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Under the system, users of Getaround will receive codes on their smartphone that will provide access to the smart key box inside the car-sharing vehicle. When a user gets close to the car, the codes will be verified via Bluetooth.

Tests of the Smart Key Box, expected to start in San Francisco in January, will be functional only on Lexus and Toyota Prius models made available on Getaround, a spokesperson for the carmaker says.

Unlike other car-sharing services like Zipcar, Getaround is a true peer-to-peer car-sharing service that allows owners of vehicles to essentially rent their cars to others using the service. The cost, generally around $5/hour, is then split between the service and the car’s actual owners.

Toyota says that it is working on a system that would allow owners of vehicles send car-sharing income to Toyota Financial Services to make payments, the Detroit Free Press reports. So essentially, this could serve as a way for the carmaker to sell or lease more vehicles.

Toyota to test peer-to-peer car-sharing system that doesn’t use keys [Detroit Free Press]

FCC: No, Our Rules Are Not An Excuse For AT&T To Block Google Fiber In Louisville

Despite recently putting many Fiber plans on hold, there’s still a decent chance Google might bring its high-speed internet service to Louisville. And where there’s the possibility of competition, lawsuits arrive to stop it. Some of those complaints invoke the FCC, but the Commission has now chimed in — and it’s saying, basically: Hey, not so fast! Leave us out of this; you’re on your own.

AT&T sued the city of Louisville way back in February, after the city passed an ordinance that would make it easier for competitors to come to town. (Charter, not wanting to feel left out, filed a very similar lawsuit in October.) The rule in question, a one-touch make-ready ordinance, is basically the same kind of law that’s being challenged in Nashville as well.

One-touch laws basically make it so anyone stringing up new cables on an existing utility pole can do it with, well, one touch: the new folks can literally touch and move an existing cable to make room for their own, as long as they give fair warning first, and so long as they don’t actually interfere with the cable or the service it provides. (You can move ’em, not cut ’em.)

Cities that want to woo Google Fiber to town routinely start with an ordinance like that, if they don’t have one, because without it, a new company (Google) would need to have someone come out from AT&T and Charter — and anyone else in town, like the electric utility — to come handle every single cable that needs moving at all on every single pole in the city they need to access. Multiply all those people times the 30, 45, or 60-day windows they usually have to make good on each request, and you can see that the timeline for installing new service would stretch out not just by months but by years or decades.

So that makes the flip side also true: if you can block the one-touch law, you may be able to block the entrance of a new competitor into your market, and keep all those juicy customer dollars for yourself.

Which brings us back to AT&T’s lawsuit. When you’re trying to block a law you don’t like, it makes legal sense to make as many different arguments as you can for why that rule shouldn’t be allowed. So in broad strokes, AT&T is making three different claims about the Louisville ordinance: that it breaks two different existing Kentucky state laws, and one federal one.

In the original complaint (PDF), AT&T contends that the FCC’s pole attachment regulations draw “specific lines to weigh and balance various competing interests,” and that the ordinance passed in Louisville conflicts with those procedures. Therefore, because of federalism and all, since the Louisville ordinance is in violation of a superseding federal law, it’s unconstitutional.

Yesterday, however, the FCC formally sent a letter (PDF) to the Justice Department requesting that it, in turn, file a statement in the case explaining why the existing FCC regulations have nothing to do with it.

In fact, the letter says, the FCC has routinely found that it is exactly this make-ready delaying tactic that prevents competition from being built swiftly, forming “significant obstacles” for new entrants. Those incumbent companies “have little incentive to cooperate, especially if the applicant will be a competitor,” the FCC notes. And since one of the FCC’s mandates is to protect and promote competition, helping block it would be a bit counterintuitive to say the least.

The FCC did create national-level guidelines about pole access and make-ready work, the letter continues, but Congress explicitly authorized individual states that have adopted their own policies to opt out of the federal ones. There are 20 of those states (plus D.C.) that have opted out in this “reverse pre-emption,” the FCC notes — and Kentucky is indeed one of them.

In short, the Commission notes, the federal pole attachment regulations “do not apply here.” And moreover, the one-touch make-ready ordinance directly supports the goals Congress has given the FCC to “encourage the deployment of advanced telecommunications capability” to all Americans in a “reasonable and timely basis,” so… they’re in favor.

The letter concludes simply: “For the reasons stated above, there is no conflict between the federal pole-attachment regulations and the Louisville ordinance,” the end.

That does mean one leg of AT&T’s three-legged legal stool is now swept out from under them in Louisville. However, they do still have the two claims about violation of state law to pursue. And in that, they can stay in company with Charter — the latter’s lawsuit makes note on page 20 that Kentucky has indeed participated in reverse pre-emption since 1981.

[via Ars Technica]

Dad Hands Out Candy On Flight So Daughter Won’t Miss Trick-Or-Treating

Imagine telling your child they won’t be able to go trick-or-treating. Not a fun image, right? One dad managed to turn a potentially unfortunate situation into a super sweet one, when he made sure his daughter didn’t miss out on Halloween’s biggest tradition just because she was stuck on a plane.

On a Virgin America flight last night from Boston to San Francisco, a father passed candy out to all passengers with a note explaining what he was trying to do for his three-year-old daughter, who was dressed as a donut, reports FOX 61.

He wrote that his daughter was “bummed that she wouldn’t be able to go trick-or-treating this year due to this flight… so I decided to bring trick-or-treating to her. If you are willing, when my little donut comes down the aisle, please drop this in her basket. You’ll be making her Halloween! If you’re unwilling, no worries, just pass the treat back to me. Thanks so much!”

He walked her down the aisle, sending hearts soaring and fingers flying to share the experience on social media.

OMG, my heart is exploding right now. Dad of the year just passed out candy to everyone on the flight so his 3 year old could trick or treat http://pic.twitter.com/vfsAcYNrhr

— Stephanie Kahan (@stephaniekahan) November 1, 2016

Dad, make sure to bring this one up when she turns 16 and tells you you’re the worst person ever for not letting her [insert inappropriate weeknight activity for a teenager] on a school night.

Some Student Loan Borrowers Improperly Denied Payment Assistance

Each year, more than five million student loan borrowers are better able to manage their debts thanks in part to government-based loan repayment plans. But yet another report has found that not all students qualified to participate in these income-driven repayment plans are able to, though at no fault of their own. 

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Monday released its 13th supervisory report [PDF] and found that, once again, many qualified students were blocked from participating in affordable loan repayment plans because loan servicers hired by the government failed to enroll them in the plans, despite meeting all the qualifications to do so.

Borrowers of federal student loans are eligible to enroll in income-driven repayment programs that cap a borrower’s student loan payment at a percentage of their monthly income. Additionally, borrowers who make payments under income-driven plans can have their debts forgiven after a minimum of 20 years of payments.

According to the report, many student loan borrowers may face needless hurdles and wrongful rejections when trying to enroll in these plans, either by servicers illegally denying applications or failing to inform borrowers of the option in the first place.

These practices could trap borrowers in payment plans they cannot afford, delay access to important benefits, increase costs for consumers, and contribute to avoidable defaults, the CFPB says.

“In light of this unfair practice, Supervision has directed one or more servicers to remedy borrowers who were improperly denied, and significantly enhance policies and procedures to promptly follow-up with consumers who submit applications that are incomplete, prioritize applications that are approaching recertification dealings, and implement a monitoring program” to ensure applications are handled properly, the Bureau reports.

Examiners also identified issues with the way in which servicers applied payments to borrower accounts that included more than one loan and how payments in excess of the current month due were applied to the loan balance.

While the Department of Education has issued guidance saying servicers must be more actively engaged with borrowers who do not have complete applications, the CFPB has also revised the exam procedures for student lending and servicing.

The Bureau’s revised exam procedures enhance those that were devised in 2013 to address servicing practices that can prevent borrowers from receiving needed relief. The exams, the CFPB says, will serve as a roadmap for state and local partnerships to work on implementing student loan servicing oversight.

In addition to addressing student loan borrower issues, the CFPB’s report also addressed other examiner findings related to auto loans and debt collection.

Bureau examiners found that one or more auto loan servicer illegally refused to return personal belongings from a borrower’s repossessed car unless the borrower paid a storage fee.

If borrowers did not pay the fee in the allotted time, usually 30 to 45 days, the companies would dispose of the property instead of returning it to the borrower.

As for debt collection issues, the Bureau’s examiners found that one or more debt collectors charged illegal payment processing fees and placed misleading collection calls about consumers’ credit scores or reports. In one case, a debt collection employee misled borrowers by falsely claiming immediate payments were needed to prevent damage to the consumer’s creditworthiness.

The CFPB also found one or more collectors revealed information about debts to consumers’ friends and family during debt collection attempts, and failed to investigate consumer reporting disputes.

The CFPB says that these actions violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

While many of the issues identified by CFPB examiners were eventually resolved without enforcement action, others were not. To that end, the CFPB says it returned more than $11 million to some 225,000 consumers through enforcement actions.

Get Ready For Cashew Prices To Go Up Amid Spike In Popularity

The good news, for cashews, is that they’ve recently become a lot more popular than other tree nuts like pistachios and walnuts (sorry, pistachios and walnuts). But the bad news, for consumers, is that that spike in popularity is putting a strain on the global cashew supply, which could cause an uptick in prices for consumers.

Global demand for cashews has been growing faster than any other tree nut, including almonds, Bloomberg reports: demand has grown by 53% since 2010, and outstripped production in at least four of the past seven years. A drought in Vietnam, the world’s largest exporter, is stirring worries that supplies will be tight enough to push prices up.

This year’s cashew harvest in Vietnam is down by 11%, and prices in that country have already gone up by as much as a third, according to estimates from a growers’ group, which mean trouble ahead stateside: the U.S. is the biggest importer — bringing in about a quarter of all cashew shipments — with folks eating them as snacks or using them to make protein bars and cashew milk.

“There’s been no year like this year,” Nguyen Duc Thanh, chairman of the Vietnam Cashew Association, told Bloomberg.

He says prices will probably stay high until the next harvest comes in early 2017.

Although Vietnam exports about 58% of the world’s cashews, the country isn’t totally dependent on its own growers: about two-thirds of the cashews it processes were grown somewhere else — like West Africa, which has seen a big jump in production — and are then processed in Vietnam.

That being said, high demand is still putting stress on the processed nuts market, with export prices jumping 22% this year through August, Thanh said, and other experts say global demand will keep rising this year, against supply that will remain flat or slightly below last year.

Cashew Prices Are About to Go Nuts [Bloomberg]

The Consumerist Guide To Your 2016 Ballot Initiatives

We’re almost there: at long last, after one of the frankly just-plain weirdest years of news most of us can remember, Election Day is finally drawing nigh nationwide. And while the candidates at the top of the ticket have definitely captured most of the metaphorical air in the national room, there’s far more than just that at stake this year for most voters.

In addition to selecting candidates for dozens of federal, state, and local offices, voters have a wide array of state and local ballot initiatives to choose from this year. Many of those directly address major consumer issues of many kinds. So we’re helping you break those down, with a state-by-state guide.

Right up top, let us mention: this guide is not fully comprehensive. Many states have state-level constitutional amendments or other state-level questions and initiatives not related to consumer issues on their ballots, which we do not include. This is not a full breakdown of every ballot, and county, municipal, or other local-level issues may appear on your ballot too.

Likewise, Consumerist does not intervene in any political campaign, either on behalf of or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. We’re not talking about the people you could vote in or out.

We strongly encourage you to use your state Board of Elections or Secretary of State website — or a site like Ballotpedia — to look up your full, local-level sample ballot before you vote. Wherever possible, we have linked directly to the official tools or instructions each state provides for doing that.

If your state, county, or town resources are less-than-helpful in retrieving your sample ballot, you can also just straight-up try Google. Searching Google for [state name] sample ballot or even just 2016 sample ballot in the U.S. will bring up a retrieval box to let you find yours, like so:

What Google retrieves may not be as comprehensive as official government-provided tools, but it’s better than nothing.

So, with all that said, after casting a high-level eye over the U.S., what are we seeing?

The hottest question this year is most definitely the topic of who can toke. Initiatives to decriminalize, regulate, tax, or legalize either medical or recreational marijuana use are popping up all over. State-wide initiatives related to marijuana appear on the ballot this year in nine states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, and North Dakota.

Also a pressing issue for 2016? Minimum wage increases. Four states — Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and Washington — have ballot measures this year seeking to raise the minimum wage in the state to $12 or higher.

Other consumer topics we’re seeing addressed at the state level this year include energy/utility regulation (Florida and Nevada), predatory lending (South Dakota), shopping bags (California), and animal (livestock) welfare (Massachusetts). Want to know what’s on tap in your home turf this year? We’ve had a look at all 50 states and D.C., so scroll on down.

STATE BY STATE

ALABAMA
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Alabama ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Alabama residents can use the county-level links on the AL Secretary of State site to look up full local ballots for 2016.

ALASKA
None of the state-level questions on the Alaska ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Alaska residents can view their sample ballot, sorted by House District, on the AK state government site.

ARIZONA
Arizona has two initiatives on the statewide ballot. Both are consumer-issues items.

Proposition 205 proposes to legalize the recreational use and ownership of marijuana by adults ages 21 and over, and to create a regulatory body and a taxation scheme for marijuana sales and use. A YES vote supports enacting the law, which would permit sales beginning March 1, 2018. A NO vote does nothing and maintains the status quo.

Proposition 206 proposes raising the minimum wage gradually to $12 by the year 2020 (starting on Jan. 1, 2017), and also guarantees all workers in the state a right to a certain amount of paid sick leave per year. A YES vote supports enacting the law. A NO vote does nothing and maintains the status quo.

Arizona residents can view state voter information on the AZ Secretary of State site or search for [county name] Arizona sample ballot online for local information.

ARKANSAS
Arkansas has five questions on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Issue 6 proposes to amend the state constitution to legalize medical use of marijuana for 17 specific health conditions, create a state commission, and set up a taxation scheme for it. A YES vote supports the amendment and makes it effective as of November 9 (with each provision having between 45 and 180 days to become effective thereafter). A NO vote does nothing and maintains the status quo.

Issue 7 also proposes to legalize the medical use of marijuana, but without amending the state constitution. The statute that would be enacted by Issue 7 would legalize medical marijuana as a treatment for 56 health conditions, would make it regulated by the Department of Health, and would set up a different taxation scheme for it than Issue 6 would. A YES vote supports the law. A NO vote does nothing and maintains the status quo.

Should both Issue 6 and Issue 7 pass, the one with more votes wins and supersedes the other.

Arkansas residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

CALIFORNIA
California has 18 questions on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Proposition 64 seeks to legalize the use of recreational marijuana for adults ages 21 and over, and to establish a regulatory body, licensing criteria, and taxation scheme for cultivation and sales. A YES vote supports the law, most provisions of which would start on January 1, 2018. A NO vote changes nothing and maintains the status quo.

Proposition 67 is a veto referendum determining whether an existing state law on the books, pertaining to mandatory fees for the use of plastic shopping bags, can go into effect. A YES vote keeps the law in place and supports enacting it. A NO vote supports overturning the law.

California also has a second bag-related question on the ballot this year, Proposition 65, which proposes redirecting the revenue generated by bag taxes to a special fund.

California residents receive sample ballots by mail, or can view most county-level sample ballots online.

COLORADO
Colorado has nine questions on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Amendment 70 proposes to amend the state constitution in order to raise the minimum wage gradually to $12 by 2020. A YES vote adopts the amendment, to become effective within 30 days of the election. A NO vote rejects it, and maintains the status quo.

Colorado residents can view state voter information on the CO state government site or search for [county name] Colorado sample ballot online for local information.

CONNECTICUT
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Connecticut ballot.

Connecticut residents can visit the CT Secretary of State site to view town-level full local ballots for 2016.

DELAWARE
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Delaware ballot.

Delaware residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (WASHINGTON, DC)
None of the not-quite-a-state-level questions or referenda on the D.C. ballot pertain to consumer issues.

District of Columbia residents can view sample ballots for all wards in this document (PDF).

FLORIDA
Florida has four proposed constitutional amendments on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Amendment 1 pertains to the use and subsidization of solar energy. A YES vote supports adding language to the state constitution banning state or local laws that subsidize home solar energy use. A NO vote changes nothing and maintains the status quo.

Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of Consumerist’s parent company, Consumer Reports, opposes Amendment 1, arguing that it is funded by large utility companies, is misleading, and would create significant barriers to home solar adoption.

Amendment 2 proposes expanding the state’s medical marijuana laws to explicitly allow doctors to prescribe marijuana as a treatment for patients suffering from a broader range of illnesses and conditions than currently. A YES vote supports adding the language to the state constitution. A NO vote changes nothing and supports the status quo.

Florida residents can use the county-level links on the FL Secretary of State site to look up full local ballots for 2016.

GEORGIA
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Georgia ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Georgia residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

HAWAII
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Hawaii ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Hawaii residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

IDAHO
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Idaho ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Idaho residents can view state voter information on the ID Secretary of State website, or search for [county name] Idaho sample ballot online for local information.

ILLINOIS
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Illinois ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Illinois residents can view state voter information on the state’s Board of Elections website, or search for [county name] Illinois sample ballot online for local information. Voters registered in Chicago can also visit the city’s Board of Elections site.

INDIANA
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Indiana ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Indiana residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

IOWA
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Iowa ballot.

Iowa residents can view state voter information on the IA Secretary of State website, or search for [county name] Iowa sample ballot online for local information.

KANSAS
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Kansas ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Kansas residents can view state voter information on the KS Secretary of State website, or search for [county name] Kansas sample ballot online for local information.

KENTUCKY
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Kentucky ballot.

Kentucky residents can use the KY Secretary of State site to look up full local ballots for 2016.

LOUISIANA
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Louisiana ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Louisiana residents can use these tools on the LA Secretary of State site to retrieve their full local ballot for 2016.

MAINE
Maine has six referendum questions on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Question 1 proposes to legalize recreational marijuana use and ownership up to 2 1/2 oz for residents ages 21 and up, and would create a regulatory and taxation scheme under which recreational marijuana could be sold and used in the state. A YES vote supports enacting the proposed law 30 days after the election. A NO vote does nothing and maintains the status quo.

Question 4 proposes to raise the state minimum wage gradually to $12 by 2020, including increases in the minimum wage for workers who receive tips, bringing tipped and non-tipped workers to wage parity eventually. A YES vote supports enacting the proposed law 30 days after the election. A NO vote does nothing and maintains the status quo.

Maine residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

MARYLAND
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Maryland ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Maryland residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts has four referendum questions on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Question 3 proposes to prohibit raising certain farm livestock from being held or raised in tightly confined spaces. A YES vote approves of the measure and kicks it to the legislature. A NO vote does nothing and maintains the status quo.

Question 4 proposes to legalize recreational use and ownership of marijuana in certain amounts (1 oz in public, 10 oz at home) and to create a commission to tax and regulate it similarly to state regulation of alcohol. A YES vote supports the proposal, which would, if enacted, take effect in December. A NO vote opposes it, and maintains the status quo.

Massachusetts residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

MICHIGAN
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Michigan ballot.

Michigan residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

MINNESOTA
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Minnesota ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Minnesota residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

MISSISSIPPI
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Mississippi ballot.

Mississippi residents can view their sample ballot for 2016 on the MS Secretary of State site.

MISSOURI
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Missouri ballot directly pertain to consumer issues.

Indirectly, however, the Missouri ballot has several measures on it related to sales and use taxes. Amendment 3, which seeks to increase the cigarette tax by $0.60, and Proposition A, which seeks to increase the cigarette tax by $0.23, are in direct conflict. The Missouri attorney general believes that, if both pass, the court will sort it out.

Missouri residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

MONTANA
Montana has four referendum questions on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Initiative 182, the Montana Medical Marijuana Initiative, proposes to repeal the existing three-patient limit on medical marijuana providers in the state and would permit more physicians to prescribe marijuana to more patients. A YES vote refers the issue to the state legislature to take up and create law on. A NO vote does nothing and maintains the status quo.

Montana residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

NEBRASKA
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Nebraska ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Nebraska residents can retrieve their full 2016 sample ballots on the NE Secretary of State site.

NEVADA
Nevada has four referendum questions on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Question 2 would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the amount of one ounce or less, for adults ages 21 and over. A YES vote sends the proposal to the state legislature to consider making law. A NO vote does nothing and maintains the status quo.

Question 3 would deregulate the Nevada electric utility market through an amendment to the state constitution. A YES vote approves of the measure and would force it to appear again on the 2018 ballot before becoming approved. A NO vote does nothing and maintains the status quo.

Nevada residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the New Hampshire ballot.

New Hampshire residents can use the NH Secretary of State site to look up their full local ballot for 2016 by town.

NEW JERSEY
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the New Jersey ballot pertain to consumer issues.

New Jersey residents can view the full voters’ guide to their ballots on the NJ Secretary of State website, search for [county name] New Jersey sample ballot online for local information.

NEW MEXICO
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the New Mexico ballot pertain to consumer issues.

New Mexico residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

NEW YORK
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the New York ballot.

New York residents can view state voter information on the state’s Board of Elections website, or search for [county name] New York sample ballot online for local information. Voters registered in the five boroughs of New York City can also visit the city’s Board of Elections site.

NORTH CAROLINA
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the North Carolina ballot.

North Carolina residents can use the state board of elections site to look up their full local ballot for 2016; there are instructions here for the necessary steps.

NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota has two constitutional measures and three initiated constitutional measures on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Initiated Statutory Measure No. 5 would legalize strictly regulated medicinal use of marijuana. Qualified patients could purchase amounts up to 3 oz or, if living more than 40 miles from the nearest registered dispensary, grow small amounts legally at home. A YES vote approves the law; a NO vote rejects it and maintains the status quo.

North Dakota residents can view state voting information on the ND Secretary of State site or search for [county name] North Dakota sample ballot online for local information.

OHIO
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Ohio ballot.

Ohio residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma has seven questions on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

State Question 779 proposes to amend the state Constitution in order to raise the state sales and use tax by 1% to fund education in a specific way. A YES vote approves of the proposal and adds the language; a NO vote maintains the status quo.

State Question 792 proposes to repeal a section of the state Constitution pertaining to alcohol sales and to restructure alcohol sales laws so that beer and wine can be sold in grocery stories and to revamp alcohol licenses in the state. A YES vote approves of the proposal; a NO vote maintains the status quo.

Oklahoma residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

OREGON
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Oregon ballot pertain to consumer issues, although at least four counties do have measures pertaining to marijuana sales and/or taxation on theirs.

Oregon residents can view the full voters’ guide to their ballots on the OR Secretary of State website.

PENNSYLVANIA
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Pennsylvania ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Pennsylvania residents can view state voter information on the state’s voter resource center website, or search for [county name] Pennsylvania sample ballot online for local information.

RHODE ISLAND
None of the state-level questions or referenda on the Rhode Island ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Rhode Island residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

SOUTH CAROLINA
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the South Carolina ballot.

South Carolina residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota has three statewide initiated measures and two referred laws on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Initiated Measure 21 proposes to prohibit state-licensed payday, title, and other short-term loan lenders from imposing interest rates greater than 36%. A YES vote enacts the law and imposes penalties; a NO vote maintains the status quo.

Additionally, proposed state Constitutional Amendment U also seeks to restrict the interest rates on all lending to 18% if no written agreement exists. Where a written agreement does exist, the amendment would not restrict the terms. A YES vote changes the language in the state constitution; a NO vote maintains the status quo.

South Dakota residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

TENNESSEE
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Tennessee ballot.

Tennessee residents can use this tool (also in app form) to look up their local ballot for 2016.

TEXAS
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Texas ballot.

Texas residents can visit the TX Secretary of State elections website to look up their ballot for 2016.

UTAH
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Utah ballot.

Utah residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

VERMONT
There are no state-level consumer-issues questions or referenda on the Vermont ballot.

Vermont residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

VIRGINIA
None of the state-level questions on the Virginia ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Virginia residents can use this tool to look up their full city or county ballot for 2016.

WASHINGTON
Washington has six statewide initiatives and two advisory votes on the statewide ballot. The consumer-issues items include:

Initiative Measure No. 1433 proposes to increase the state minimum wage gradually to $13.50 by 2020. A YES vote enacts the law and increases minimum wage; a NO vote maintains the status quo.

Initiative Measure No. 1501 proposes to increase the penalties for identity theft and consumer fraud targeted at seniors or vulnerable individuals. A YES vote enacts the law and increases the penalties; a NO vote maintains the status quo.

Washington residents can look up their full local ballot information for 2016 on this site.

WEST VIRGINIA
There are no state-level consumer issues questions or referenda on the West Virginia ballot.

West Virginia residents can visit the WV Secretary of State website to read more about their local ballot for 2016.

WISCONSIN
There are no state-level consumer issues questions or referenda on the West Virginia ballot.

Wisconsin residents can use this tool to look up their full local ballot for 2016.

WYOMING
None of the state-level questions on the Wyoming ballot pertain to consumer issues.

Wyoming residents can visit the WY Secretary of State website to read more about their ballot for 2016.