Developers and slow-growth activists from around the nation will be keeping an eye on the fate of Arizona's Proposition 202, the first proposal in US history that would impose strict growth controls across an entire state. Prop. 202, which some economists estimate would immediately cost the state more than 200,000 jobs--mostly in the building industry. This initiative would force cities to establish growth boundaries based on 10-year population projections and slap a two-year moratorium on all new construction while cities are defining boundaries. The cost of any infrastructure development outside those lines would be borne completely by developers.

The measure was written with the help of the Sierra Club. It is opposed by most developers and other real estate interests, who have been joined by many banks, labor unions and even farmers.

Meantime, voters in Maricopa County will decide the fate of a local measure that would raise millions of dollars to build a new football stadium for the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals, construct youth sports facilities and promote tourism. If Proposition 302 fails, the Cardinals may well move to another city—perhaps Los Angeles.