FAQ
Frequent Questions About I&R
What is an initiative?
An initiative is a proposal to change a law that is initiated by the citizenry. Instead of relying on the legislature to make all of the laws citizens can use the initiative process to implement laws on their own.
What is a referendum?
A referendum is similar to an initiative in that it is a citizen led effort. The difference is that the citizens vote to approve or veto legislation that has already passed the legislature.
Isn’t it the legislature’s job to make laws?
State legislatures do make most of our laws and that will most likely always be the case. However, when a legislature is unresponsive to the wishes of the people that elected them the people need the ability to act. Too often legislators are influenced more by well financed special interest groups and are not listening closely enough to the people that elected them. I&R provides citizens with a way to “right the ship” when legislators step out of line.
How many states have I&R?
Currently 24 states have some form of I&R.
Why doesn’t my state have I&R?
Most of the states that have I&R included the process in their state constitutions when the achieved statehood. Now to include I&R in a state constitution the state legislature must “refer” the idea to the voters. Some state legislators see I&R as a threat to their monopoly on power and are not willing to risk giving the people a vote.