Brandon’s blog
Kim R. Burningham, chair of Utahns for Ethical Government, explains the latest controversy surrounding signatures on the group’s petition in the Salt Lake Tribune:
The Tribune’s Aug. 19 editorial (“Ethics initiative: Lawmakers should follow lead”) says that while our initiative contains needed substance, it can’t go on this year’s ballot and Utahns for Ethical Government should trash more than 115,000 signatures we’ve submitted, starting over to guarantee “freshness.”
Audrey Wall from the Council of State Governments talks about the poll recently conducted by Citizens in Charge Foundation, as well as the success of the 2010 US Conference on Initiative & Referendum and the 2010 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy.
Federal District Court Judge Philip Brimmer has put another nail in the coffin of the Colorado General Assembly’s attempt to silence the state’s voters. Back in June the judge issued a preliminary injunction against part of HB 1326 - which passed overwhelmingly in 2009 - that restricted how ballot initiative campaigns could pay their workers.
In recent years, widespread allegations of petition signature fraud have been used as justification for a number of legislative changes to the citizen initiative process. These changes have in turn sparked controversy, culminating in court challenges over regulations that initiative proponents contend are unconstitutionally restrictive.
The following alert has been circulating amongst good-government groups in Massachusetts. If you live in Massachusetts, please contact your legislators and tell them to vote no on SB 23 / HB 3537:
After months of litigation surrounding allegations of signature fraud, the Maryland Court of Appeals has ruled that the Arundel Mills Slots Referendum will go on the Anne Arundel County ballot in November.
After a hearing last week in Omaha, U.S.
Montana elections officials have found forged signatures on petitions for a proposed measure dealing with wildlife in at least four counties.
Pensacola, Florida now joins a list with Big Spring, Texas; Howard County, Maryland; and North Platte, Nebraska.
Nebraska’s Secretary of State says he has “every confidence” that the state’s requirement that people who collect signatures on a petition live in the state will be upheld in federal court. The only problem is, residency requirements have been ruled unconstitutional at least eleven times since 1997.