INSTANT SURVEY VOTE ON – POLL s536:

Should the Chicago Waterway System locks remain open for commerce?

Background: In July, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit in federal court to force the closure of the Chicago Waterway System locks in an effort to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan.

The court is scheduled to hear arguments in the case on September 7. A coalition of businesses and government agencies in Illinois, called Unlock Our Jobs, says the locks closure would have a crippling impact on Chicago and the entire Midwest region.

Unlock Our Jobs plans to testify against the lawsuit and argues that alternative measures stand a better chance of keeping the carp out of the Great Lakes.

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INSTANT SURVEY VOTE ON – POLL s535:

Should counties have the option to tax an elaborate deer stand?

Background: Jeff Hardy, of Randall, Minn., has a deer stand on his 40-acre property in Morrison County. Hardy’s deer stand is a bit more elaborate than most, measuring 8 x 16 feet, with vinyl siding, a shooting deck and room to sleep a couple hunters. The county says it’s a bunkhouse, not a deer stand, and as such it is subject to property tax assessment.

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