Archives for January 2009

You’re cordially invited…

You're invited!

Shredding the Constitution Declared” Emergency in Maine”: State Rep”s anti-initiative legislation is facially unconstitutional

Citizens in Charge Foundation, a national ballot initiative rights group, in an open letter called on Maine State Representative Mark Bryant (D) to withdraw his recently introduced “emergency” legislation, LD 28, which would unconstitutionally restrict citizen participation in ballot initiatives in the state.

Along with Oklahomans for Initiative Rights (OIR), Citizens in Charge Foundation sponsored &qot;Reforming the Reform Process: How to Restore Oklahoma’s Initiative,&qot; a public seminar in Oklahoma City on November 15. The seminar brought together state and national experts on I&R, activists, political figures and scholars to discuss ways to make Oklahoma’s I&R process more usable.

Oklahoma’s “Reforming the Reform Process” event is only one example of how Oklahomans are rolling up their sleeves to protect the once vibrant state initiative process. Oklahomans clearly see that the initiative process is the best tool available for reforming government and holding it accountable.

The Common Sense Initiative

Thu, Jan 22 2009 by Staff

Most would agree that the government is no longer of the people, for the people and by the people. The citizen-led reform process of initiative and referendum is the best tool that Americans have to allow their voices to be heard and thus remains overwhelmingly popular.

As a case from Arizona concerning a ban on non-residents circulating petitions is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, the High Court just last week denied the State of Ohio’s appeal of a federal court ruling that the state’s ban on per signature payments to petition circulators is unconstitutional.

No National Trend In Voter’ Decisions

In recent election cycles, initiatives have been perceived to seriously impact the presidential contest or congressional races. The marriage amendments or same-sex marriage bans passed in a number of states in 2004 were believed to have assisted President Bush in winning the critical state of Ohio, for instance. Victories for term limits initiatives in 1992 and 1994 no doubt also helped Republicans sweep into Congress, then for the first time in 40 years.