State Spending Limits Are Defeated, but Debate May Not Be Over

By KARIN FISCHER

The defeat of ballot initiatives in three states last week to limit government spending may have taken the wind out of the sails of national antitax efforts, but political observers agree that there could still be pockets of support across the country for more-stringent budget caps, particularly if elected officials do not move to curb taxes and expenditures.

Higher-education leaders had closely watched proposals in Maine, Nebraska, and Oregon that would have limited increases in