Citizens in Charge

Former University of Colorado, Boulder Senior Instructor Emeritus professor of in political science and initiative rights activist Thaddeus Tecza writes in a letter to the Denver Post:

Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 currently is before the state Senate. This referendum would directly make the constitutional initiative process more difficult and indirectly discourage all initiatives. It is based upon a misunderstanding of the difference between the national government, which is one of delegated powers, and state governments, which have plenary powers.

Moreover, there is no evidence that citizens pass an inordinate share of proposed initiatives, that initiatives are more influenced by “special interests” than acts of legislatures, or that measures passed through initiatives are less beneficial to citizens. To the contrary, states with a vigorous initiative process have higher levels of civic engagement and higher levels of citizen knowledge of political issues.

Significantly, SCR 1 does not require the 60 percent supermajority for passage that it places on all subsequent initiatives and referendums. It is simply an expression of the disagreement of elites with recent citizen efforts. It deserves to be defeated.

The resolution passed a Senate committee vote earlier this week.