http://www.citizensincharge.org/news/newswire/index.html The latest news about initiative and referendum brought to you be the Citizens in Charge Foundation. en-us Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:12:14 -0500 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Movable Type 4 Next November, Massachusetts voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballot to abolish the state income tax. Secretary of State William Galvin Wednesday certified 12,000 signatures on a petition to put the initiative on the ballot. Though the requirement to appear on the ballot is 11,099 signatures, Carla Howell, the chairwoman of the Committee for Small Government and head of the movement, said her group far surpassed that criteria. "Today we turned in over 15,913 certified signatures," Howell told PolitickerMA.com. "We don't know what the final count will be [since Galvin has yet to release the total count certified signatures], but we expect it to be higher than that number." http://politicker.com/ballot-initiative-abolish-income-tax-will-appear-november-ballot http://politicker.com/ballot-initiative-abolish-income-tax-will-appear-november-ballot Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:12:14 -0500 Connecticut's form of government should be changed to allow direct referendum and initiative similar to California, according to a new group that's pushing for the first constitutional convention since 1965. The Constitution Convention Campaign, during a news conference Thursday attended by several members of the General Assembly, wants Connecticut to vote "yes" this fall to the statewide ballot question "Shall the state Constitution be revised or amended?" It would be a first step toward possibly persuading lawmakers to adopt referendum and initiative, to allow voters to petition for new laws on everything from capping local property tax rates to prohibiting gay marriage, or even legalizing the medical use of marijuana. In reaction to the announcement, a leading Democratic lawmaker said Thursday that the agenda for a convention would be dictated by the General Assembly, and he doesn't believe Connecticut needs a complete rewriting of its constitution. http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_9712729 http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_9712729 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:28:52 -0500 Port of Seattle Commissioner Pat Davis' defense against a recall petition in front of the state Supreme Court may hinge on a technicality. K&L Gates partner Suzanne Thomas told the court that Davis' signature on an Oct. 10, 2006, memo to former port Chief Executive Mic Dinsmore, extending his salary for up to one year after he retired, "was not based on a gift of funds but rather a transition process to keep Dinsmore in office until a successor was found." Justice James Johnson asked Thomas the question that recall petitioner Chris Clifford -- a teacher from Renton with a strong streak of open-government activism -- has been waiting to test for more than a year. "Isn't the jury the public, so don't you make that argument to the voters, not the court?" Johnson asked. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/368672_davis27.html http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/368672_davis27.html Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:16:35 -0500 There were ten, but now it looks like only one citizen's initiative remains in the running for a spot on the November election ballot. Of three constitutional amendments proposed by citizens, none will be on the ballot. Those measures would have addressed property tax increases, the rights of the unborn, and citizen hunting and fishing rights. Meanwhile, statutory initiatives dealing with specialized lotteries for wildlife, hunting and fish access rights, and home health care, all have been withdrawn. http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=8562371&nav=menu227_7 http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=8562371&nav=menu227_7 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:59:31 -0500 If you're not in favor of commercializing the Great Lakes, you won't be pleased by the water policy Michigan's Legislature has just enacted. The PR campaign would have you believe that the new laws are a giant breakthrough in the protection of Michigan and Great Lakes water. The reality: While the laws contain some worthwhile features, they establish a state policy that the water in Michigan's lakes and streams and springs can be sold; that our water can be exported in any volume as long as it goes out in containers of 20 liters or less; that up to 25% of any Michigan river or stream can be legally consumed by water exporters and others; and that groundwater, which supplies up to 50% of the flow to the rivers and Great Lakes that we enjoy for fishing, boating, swimming and drinking, is not protected by a public trust standard. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/OPINION02/807010325/1070/OPINION http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/OPINION02/807010325/1070/OPINION Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:02:43 -0500 Referring to opponents of voter initiative on the rail project as “enemies of democracy,” Stop Rail Now’s volunteer campaign manager Eric Ryan lashed out at high-ranking members of the local political scene for attempting to thwart the will of Oahu voters by intentionally undermining the petition process. In response to rail supporter State House Majority Leader Kirk Caldwell’s statement in Sunday’s edition of The Honolulu Advertiser, who said “Now is the time to fight the ballot initiative. A vote on rail could signal the death knell for the project”, Ryan accused Caldwell of intentionally turning a deaf ear to voters from Waimanalo to Manoa to Waianae. Ryan said, “These voters and taxpayers have rights under the City Charter and they are determined to exercise those rights because, even after all the lies told by the Hannemann administration, voters can see right through the get-rich-quick scheme that the rail project clearly is.” http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?ccb1a42e-2dae-49d5-9037-a7a3c6e05bea http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?ccb1a42e-2dae-49d5-9037-a7a3c6e05bea Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:26:34 -0500 Two voter initiatives designed to toughen Arizona illegal-immigration laws will not appear on the November ballot, the chairman of the campaigns told supporters late Tuesday night. Don Goldwater, a former GOP gubernatorial candidate, wrote in an e-mail that initiative campaigns working to strengthen the state's employer-sanctions law and require police officers to enforce immigration law each failed to collect the 153,365 petition signatures required to put the proposed measures before voters on Nov. 4.Both Goldwater and state Rep. Russell Peace, the Republican sponsor of last year's employer-sanctions legislation, launched the initiative drives in March 2007. But they lacked the financial support needed to hire paid signature gatherers. "In the end some would look at this as a defeat," Goldwater wrote. "I refuse to overlook our great victories and accomplishments and neither should anyone else." http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/02/20080702goldwater0702-ON.html http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/02/20080702goldwater0702-ON.html Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:00:39 -0500 Ardent special-interest groups are pushing to have the right of initiative written into the Connecticut Constitution — a formula for ill-conceived lawmaking that would wrest important policy considerations away from elected officials. The right of initiative is the right of citizens to propose laws or constitutional amendments that, if approved by a majority vote, have the force of law. Pressure for such a change in our constitution is rising because, in November, Connecticut citizens will vote on the question, "Shall there be a Constitution Convention to amend or revise the Constitution of the State?" The constitution requires such a vote every 20 years. A number of groups, The Connecticut Taxpayers Association among them, are seeking an affirmative vote on the question, which would open the constitution up for a right of initiative amendment. http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-commentarysatter0629.artjun29,0,856885.story http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-commentarysatter0629.artjun29,0,856885.story Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:06:14 -0500 The 32-year-old Jefferson Parish resident who filed a recall petition last week against Gov. Bobby Jindal said today he will drop the effort now that the governor has vetoed the legislative pay raise bill. Ryan Fournier, 32, is a Republican who voted for Jindal but was dismayed by the governor's refusal, until Monday, to stop lawmakers from more than doubling their pay. "I think we ought to throw in the towel as far as a recall," Fournier said this morning. http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/jefferson_resident_drops_jinda.html http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/jefferson_resident_drops_jinda.html Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:18:24 -0500 A citizen initiative designed to limit sprawl around Reno appears headed for the November ballot. Supporters on Friday turned in petitions with more than 28,000 signatures _ about 10,000 more than the 18,093 signatures required to qualify the measure for the ballot. If approved, the initiative would require growth in Washoe County to be based on sustainable water resources within the county and would ban the importation of water from outside the county. Officials said it would be the first binding question on growth limits to appear on a county ballot. "We have no illusions that this fight is just beginning," petition leader Bob Fulkerson said. "The monied interests and developers have us in their sights." Pamela Galloway of Voices for a Sustainable Washoe County said the petitions received broad support from Republicans and Democrats alike. She said the initiative would require regional planners to plan for 200,000 more people for a total population of 600,000. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jun/29/growth-plan-appears-headed-for-ballot-in-reno/ http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jun/29/growth-plan-appears-headed-for-ballot-in-reno/ Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:17:14 -0500 Delegates to the Republican State Convention have approved a resolution urging voters to reject a ballot measure billed as an attempt to create a clean and open government. The resolution opposing the ballot measure passed on a strong voice vote after some delegates said the proposed law would prevent many reputable organizations from lobbying the Legislature or local government, would bar thousands of people from donating to political campaigns and might be unconstitutional. But supporters of the ballot measure argue it would clean up government by prohibiting taxpayer-funded lobbying, barring bureaucrats and contractors from trading campaign contributions for lucrative government contracts and requiring state government to create a searchable Internet site with information about government contracts. http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=205724&section=News&freebie_check&CFID=49267646&CFTOKEN=48111491&jsessionid=8830cacc3a8c7a732b38 http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=205724&section=News&freebie_check&CFID=49267646&CFTOKEN=48111491&jsessionid=8830cacc3a8c7a732b38 Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:37:19 -0500 A group of Knox County citizens is pushing for change within the county government by collecting signatures from registered voters. Thursday, the group hit the streets shortly after it won approval from the election commission to begin the petition. Sundown in the City offered the usual fun, food, and music, in addition to the chance to begin changing Knox County's Government. The Charter Petition Group was on hand collecting signatures of registered voters in an effort to get their issues on the November ballot. Their issues are numerous, including one which isn't getting much opposition, and that would change the county charter to ban an elected official from helping a family member get a job within the county. Eric Henry signed the petition, and says, "It just seems there's a good ole boy in government and I think sooner we can stop that and get back to accountability in government." http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/20614634.html http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/20614634.html Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:45:06 -0500 A local anti-annexation group is launching an effort Monday to let voters decide whether to allow sales of liquor by the drink in Knox County outside the Knoxville and Farragut municipal limits. Knox County Election Commissioner Greg Mackay said he met with the group's leader and told him Tennessee law prohibits the sale of liquor by the drink outside the Knoxville or Farragut city limits. "State law says you can't do it in any County Commission district which has part of its boundaries in a municipality," Mackay said Friday afternoon. "Every (Knox) County Commission district has part of the city in it. How would you have a referendum on something you can't do? We talked it over with him a week or two ago." http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jun/21/liquor-petition-on-way/ http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jun/21/liquor-petition-on-way/ Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:41:34 -0500 Jack Fagan, Tim Eyman, Mike FaganIt appears increasingly likely that Washington state voters will have a chance to approve an anti-congestion initiative on the November ballot. Initiative 985 would remove profit from red light cameras, synchronize traffic lights and create a fund devoted to reducing congestion. Later today, activists representing the group Voters Want More Choices are planning planning to hand the Secretary of State's office more than 226,000 signatures -- exceeding the minimum required to certify the measure for the upcoming election. "We've cleared a huge initial hurdle, but we've got another final hurdle to go," lead activist Tim Eyman said in an email to supporters. "We need to turn-in a bunch of extra voter signatures -- a cushion -- to ensure we qualify I-985 for the ballot." http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/24/2431.asp http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/24/2431.asp Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:50:11 -0500 After two presidential runs in one year, former Senator Mike Gravel is setting his sites on New York City politics, specifically a grassroots effort to have New York City citizens vote to establish a new September 11th investigation commission. The petition drive needs at least 30,000 residents to give their signatures in order to place a potential amendment to the city charter on the November ballot. The former Alaska senator and lifelong political loose cannon threw his weight behind the effort to establish a second, privately funded investigation into the events of September 11th, in response to what he called a fatally flawed 9/11 Commission report. http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2008/06/frmr_senator_gr.php http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2008/06/frmr_senator_gr.php Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:52:47 -0500 An initiative to end bilingual education in Oregon has qualified for the November ballot, officials with the secretary of state's office said. If approved by voters, Initiative No. 19 — sponsored by Bill Sizemore — would ban bilingual education for all children in public schools learning English as a Second Language after two years of instruction. The proposed statutory amendment does allow for instruction of a foreign language to English-speaking students. http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080618/NEWS/806180427/1001 http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080618/NEWS/806180427/1001 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:05:41 -0500 There isn't much John Peyton can do on his own except speak, and soon he'll lose even that. The former Boeing computer programmer has Lou Gehrig's disease, which progressively paralyzes its victims. His doctor gives him three to six months to live. He is using his last months to oppose a ballot initiative that would allow physicians in Washington state to help terminally ill patients end their lives. Only Oregon has such a law. "What we're really doing I believe, is attempting to eliminate the sufferer so we don't have to deal with them," Peyton said. Supporters need to collect about 225,000 valid voter signatures by July 3 to get the "Washington Death with Dignity Initiative" on the November ballot. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gEOj2lhkuVJCGiPp-q1UD2ehPnEAD91B9BBG0 http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gEOj2lhkuVJCGiPp-q1UD2ehPnEAD91B9BBG0 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:56:12 -0500 The jury — 12 ordinary citizens gathered to weigh the facts and determine a defendant’s guilt or innocence — has served Oregon’s legal system since statehood. Now, a political reform group wants juries to help Oregon voters judge ballot initiatives. A pair who met in graduate school at the University of Oregon, Tyrone Reitman and Elliot Shuford, have formed Healthy Democracy Oregon, which plans to recruit citizens of various ages, party affiliations, education levels and geographic regions to serve on a 24-member citizens’ jury this fall. According to their plan, the jurors will spend several days at Salem’s Chemeketa Community College studying and discussing a yet-to-be-selected initiative and issue their independent assessment and recommendation to voters. http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=111988&sid=4&fid=1 http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=111988&sid=4&fid=1 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:24:47 -0500 The jury — 12 ordinary citizens gathered to weigh the facts and determine a defendant’s guilt or innocence — has served Oregon’s legal system since statehood. Now, a political reform group wants juries to help Oregon voters judge ballot initiatives. A pair who met in graduate school at the University of Oregon, Tyrone Reitman and Elliot Shuford, have formed Healthy Democracy Oregon, which plans to recruit citizens of various ages, party affiliations, education levels and geographic regions to serve on a 24-member citizens’ jury this fall. According to their plan, the jurors will spend several days at Salem’s Chemeketa Community College studying and discussing a yet-to-be-selected initiative and issue their independent assessment and recommendation to voters. http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=111988&sid=4&fid=1 http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=111988&sid=4&fid=1 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:24:47 -0500 Backers of a proposed November ballot initiative hope to make it much more difficult for Arizona voters to raise taxes, fees or spending. The initiative would require support from a majority of all registered voters - including people who didn't show up at the polls - before a tax-raising initiative could become law. Under current law, the majority of people who vote is sufficient. The measure, known as Majority Rule, would amend the state Constitution to affect any initiative that "establishes, imposes or raises a tax, fee or other revenue, or mandates a spending obligation." "Voters in Arizona have a long history of agreeing with the concept that there should be a very high threshold for raising taxes or mandating spending increases," said Nathan Sproul, whose Tempe-based firm is managing the Majority Rule campaign. http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/06/14/20080614spending-initiative0614.html http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/06/14/20080614spending-initiative0614.html Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:48:45 -0500 Organizers of three petition efforts say they likely won't gather enough signatures to get their issues on the November ballot. Citizens for a Free Nebraska - which included some former Elkhorn residents - was gathering signatures for two initiatives.One would prevent annexation of a city without a vote of the residents. The other would let cities swallowed up regain their freedom by a vote of residents. http://www.chadrad.com/newsstory.cfm?story=10041 http://www.chadrad.com/newsstory.cfm?story=10041 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:04:52 -0500 The United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 said Wednesday it is removing two of its four potential ballot questions, including one that would increase commercial property tax by 5 percent and another that would require employers to provide annual cost-of-living increases. The measures were filed in response to Amendment 47, a so-called right-to-work ballot initiative that would bar unions from collecting mandatory dues in workplaces that engage in collective bargaining. UFCW President Ernest Duran said he agreed to remove the two counter measures after the Public Affairs Committee of the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce voted to oppose the union-supported measures as well as Amendment 47. http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/06/09/daily32.html http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/06/09/daily32.html Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:12:00 -0500 Oregon elections officials said Tuesday that they expect an official recount of the votes cast for and against Ballot Measure 53 in the May 20 primary election to begin Monday and that the official recount results will be announced by June 30. In a tentative schedule announced by state Elections Division Director John Lindback, county elections officials will have until Friday, June 27, to complete their recounts. The Elections Division will then announce the results the following Monday, June 30. Lindback said the most recent count showed 489,445 votes for Measure 53 and 488,885 against, a difference of 560 votes. He said state law requires an automatic recount if the vote difference is within one-fifth of 1 percent. http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2008/06/measure_53_recount_set_1.html http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2008/06/measure_53_recount_set_1.html Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:30:24 -0500 The Alaska Supreme Court has dismissed one of two "clean water" ballot initiatives aimed at blocking development of the Pebble copper and gold prospect in Southwest Alaska. Justices on Monday agreed to dismiss a pending case disputing Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell's finding last year that the "Clean Water 1" initiative was unconstitutional. The initiative was one of two filed by Pebble opponents to limit water pollution discharges from large mines. http://newsminer.com/news/2008/jun/10/alaska-supreme-court-dismisses-pebble-initiative/ http://newsminer.com/news/2008/jun/10/alaska-supreme-court-dismisses-pebble-initiative/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:13:19 -0500 A man who has shown a video of what he claims is an alien visitor to earth to bolster his case for greater public scrutiny of UFOs is to take his campaign to the Democratic Party convention in August, where Barack Obama will formally win the presidential nomination. Jeff Peckman revealed a video of what he believes is an extra-terrestrial, at a press conference in Denver, Colorado. Mr Peckman, a website entrepreneur, is campaigning in support of a ballot initiative that would let the people of Denver vote in November on a plan to establish a city-wide extra-terrestrial affairs commission. Under his proposal, which he says would cost $75,000 (£38,000) a year, the new body would ensure that government offices, police and firefighters are trained to deal with extra-terrestrial visitors. It would also release details of UFO sightings which it judged to be credible. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2088554/Alien-video-man-Jeff-Peckman-asks-Barack-Obama-to-back-UFO-plan.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2088554/Alien-video-man-Jeff-Peckman-asks-Barack-Obama-to-back-UFO-plan.html Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:19:37 -0500 Private property owners, including the owners of shopping malls and free-standing stores, have a legal right to bar petition circulators and their opponents from their property, Attorney General Jon Bruning said Friday. Bruning's office issued a legal opinion about the issue in response to a request by Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood of Norfolk. "The law is clear," Bruning said. "Private property owners have a right to restrict who comes on their property." Neither the U.S. Constitution nor the Nebraska Constitution overrides that right, according to the opinion. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects free speech and free assembly from interference by the government, but not interference from owners of private property, the opinion says. The same goes for articles in the Nebraska Constitution that protect free elections and petition rights. http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10352006 http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10352006 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:52:27 -0500 Thirty years ago today, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 13 as a way to keep seniors from losing their homes to skyrocketing property taxes. But the 1978 vote also ignited a revolution that dramatically changed the way people across America look at government and taxes. The grassroots initiative has saved California property owners billions of dollars since it was passed, but the shackles Prop. 13 put on the ability of state and local governments to increase taxes could turn out to be its most important legacy. Even today, with the state facing a $17 billion budget shortfall, tax increases face certain opposition from many legislators and voters. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/05/MNN511423U.DTL http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/05/MNN511423U.DTL Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:48:07 -0500 Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood said Wednesday that he has asked for an attorney general's opinion on whether business owners can keep petition circulators and opponents off their property. Flood said he made the request because different cities are taking different positions on the question. Lincoln officials recently announced they would enforce trespassing laws against petition circulators and opponents who refuse to leave private property after being asked to do so. Omaha officials have followed that policy for some time. Flood said Norfolk has taken the position that it would not force circulators and opponents to leave. http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10350610 http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10350610 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:52:29 -0500 A video that purportedly shows a living, breathing space alien will be shown to the news media Friday in Denver. Jeff Peckman, who is pushing a ballot initiative to create an extraterrestrial affairs commission in Denver to prepare the city for close encounters of the alien kind, said the video is authentic and convinced him that aliens exist. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/29/evidence-of-space-aliens-promised/ http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/29/evidence-of-space-aliens-promised/ Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:32:35 -0500 Tri-City Healthcare District directors will ask voters to approve a $589 million bond issue in what could be the largest mail-in ballot measure in county history. The balloting will be done in August, for bonds intended to raise money for expansions and upgrades at Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside. The measure represents a third try for the public health care district that operates the Oceanside hospital. In two previous elections - in June and November 2006 - bond issues for $596 million each failed to receive the necessary approval of two-thirds of the voters. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20080530-9999-1mc30tri.html http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20080530-9999-1mc30tri.html Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:08:15 -0500 Attorney General Dustin McDaniel on Tuesday rejected the name and ballot title of a proposed constitutional amendment to repeal a 2003 law that loosened restrictions on what establishments qualify for a private club permit. McDaniel said the proposal was ambiguous and that the text of the amendment was not included in the request. "I must therefore return your submission and instruct you to submit the language of your proposed amendment together with a proposed popular name and ballot title," the attorney general said in an opinion. http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/06/04/News/346409.html http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/06/04/News/346409.html Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:05:39 -0500 Every word officially spoken by and to Oregon legislators since 1859 has been recorded, itemized and stored within the marble walls of the State Archives Building. But what about the paper trail left behind by Oregon’s other lawmakers — the ones who have since 1904 passed statutes and amended the state constitution through the initiative system? For decades, they’ve been boxed up in basements and storage units, or worse, destroyed by floodwaters and set on the curbside for the garbage truck to haul away. But the Ballot Measures Archives Project is working to change that. http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=104459&sid=4&fid=1 http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=104459&sid=4&fid=1 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:37:57 -0500 A Sacramento man is accused of using address information from petitions to pursue a romantic encounter with a woman without her consent, the office of Secretary of State Debra Bowen said. The District Attorney's office has charged petition circulator John Edward James of Sacramento with one count of misusing petition signatures and another charge of perjury for allegedly falsifying the signature collection date on one of his petitions. James was scheduled to be arraigned in Sacramento Superior Court on Friday afternoon. "By all accounts, this is an isolated incident of someone misusing signature information, but voters should know that elections officials vigorously guard their private information," Bowen said in a prepared statement. http://www.my58.com/news/16438502/detail.html http://www.my58.com/news/16438502/detail.html Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:38:00 -0500 A new law that at first blush appears to be upholding a societal good — telling the truth — but is actually the sledge hammer of the state coming down to swat a fly, became effective in Arizona last week. Most of House Bill 2288, which Gov. Janet Napolitano signed into law on Tuesday, reads as necessary housekeeping to the processes of initiative and referendum petitioning. One sentence, however, is troubling: “A person who is a circulator of an initiative or referendum petition and who induces any other person in the circulator’s presence to sign the … petition by knowingly falsely describing the general subject matter of the measure is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.” http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/117628 http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/117628 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:30:37 -0500 Gov. Bill Ritter on Friday issued his second veto of the year, striking down a bill that would have required paid signature-gatherers for candidates or ballot initiatives to be Colorado residents, free of certain felony records. The bill, House Bill 1406, also would have required the signature- gatherers to receive education on the measures for which they were collecting signatures. Sponsors said they hoped the bill would bring more credibility to the large petition drives that hunt for tens of thousands of signatures each election cycle to place a measure on the ballot. The requirements didn't apply to volunteer signature-gatherers, though, and Ritter cited that disparity as one of the reasons for his veto. He also referred to several court challenges Colorado has lost over the years on bills or constitutional amendments with similar requirements. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_9433798 http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_9433798 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:02:25 -0500 Most informed voters are aware that there are only two measures on the statewide ballot next week. Prop 98 is supported by the California Farm Bureau Federation, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, National Federation of Independent Business, the California Association of Realtors and a host of other interests seeking to preserve and defend property rights in California. The other measure, Prop 99, was put on the ballot through funding almost exclusively through associations of government entities -- the lion's share from the League of California Cities. The irony in this initiative battle is that the government interests have repeatedly accused the property rights interests of having a "hidden agenda" simply by including a phase out of rent regulations along with eminent domain reform. Rather than hidden, the provisions dealing with price controls on property are prominent and appear near the very beginning of the measure. Indeed, references to these provisions are replete through the ballot pamphlet. http://www.theonerepublic.com/archives/Columns/Coupal/20080527CoupalObscure.html http://www.theonerepublic.com/archives/Columns/Coupal/20080527CoupalObscure.html Wed, 28 May 2008 11:25:44 -0500 Minnesotans worried about the future of the state’s natural resources and its cultural institutions will pay more to protect them, predicted advocates of a constitutional amendment directing new tax revenue to those areas. Appearing at a picturesque lakeside park southwest of Minneapolis, the Vote Yes Minnesota coalition Tuesday kicked off its five-month campaign to build support for an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution raising the state sales tax to pay for outdoors initiatives and arts programs. http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=77723&section=news&freebie_check&CFID=40203200&CFTOKEN=20445151&jsessionid=8830d6b827ed103951a4 http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=77723&section=news&freebie_check&CFID=40203200&CFTOKEN=20445151&jsessionid=8830d6b827ed103951a4 Wed, 28 May 2008 11:11:02 -0500 A group opposed to same-sex marriage asked the California Supreme Court to delay the effect of its historic marriage ruling until after a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment in November. The Proposition 22 Legal Defense and Education Fund argued in its request for a stay that allowing gay and lesbian weddings before November "risks legal havoc" because the amendment, if approved, would overturn the court's ruling. http://www.nbc11.com/newsarchive/16373824/detail.html http://www.nbc11.com/newsarchive/16373824/detail.html Tue, 27 May 2008 14:55:54 -0500 This Nov. 4, you can vote on a ballot initiative that will end the Massachusetts state income tax, roll back state government spending from $28 billion a year to $17 billion a year, and give back $3,600 each to 3,000,000 Massachusetts workers and taxpayers. Should you vote for or against this ballot initiative? Should you vote to keep the Massachusetts Income Tax or end it? You probably want to make an informed decision. You want to make sure you hear both sides before you decide. But first, what does your vote decide? http://wbjournal.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3963&Itemid=139 http://wbjournal.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3963&Itemid=139 Mon, 26 May 2008 23:00:52 -0500 After two failed attempts, former assemblywoman Sharron Angle said Tuesday she filed enough signatures to qualify her property tax reform initiative for the Nov. 4 ballot. Angle could not give a solid number for the signatures she turned in to 17 county clerks but said it is more than the required 58,628. "We're over the minimum," she said. "We have a cushion in every county." Angle, who's opposing state Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, in the Aug. 12 Republican primary, was the only petition organizer to submit signatures Tuesday. http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/NEWS19/805210441/1321/NEWS http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/NEWS19/805210441/1321/NEWS Fri, 23 May 2008 13:02:35 -0500 The gauntlet has been thrown down. President Evo Morales has fixed 10 August as the date for the recall referendum that will decide his fate, and that of his vice-president and nine 'departmental prefects', the heads of regional government. He will hope for a victory that will silence the country's increasingly vocal right-wing opposition. It was the right who initiated the recall referendum, though it now seems the ploy may backfire. On 8 May, the bill introducing a referendum, originally a government initiative, was passed by the opposition-controlled senate. Opposition leaders believe that popular opinion is fast moving against the government and that the bill creates an opportunity to force Morales’ resignation. Rising to the challenge, Morales immediately signed it into law. http://www.newstatesman.com/200805160007 http://www.newstatesman.com/200805160007 Wed, 21 May 2008 13:38:58 -0500 There is an exchange program of sorts that takes place on either side of the Chattahoochee River at Columbus. On the Georgia side, Alabama residents come across the bridge to buy Georgia lottery tickets, while Georgians go on Sunday to buy package beer and wine at the Piggly Wiggly in Phenix City, Ala. Jim Tudor would like to see one part of that exchange, the Georgians buying beer in Alabama, come to an end. "It’s directly across the river," said Tudor, president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores. The association and other retailers have advocated a change in Georgia law to allow communities to decide on Sunday package alcohol sales. The idea gained some momentum in the Georgia House, but got nowhere in the Senate. Proponents considered Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle as a force of resistance on the bill. http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/archive/5522/ http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/archive/5522/ Tue, 20 May 2008 13:07:36 -0500 They gather where voters gather, hungry for signatures, eager to push their cause through direct democracy. They will be out in force, likely bearing clipboards, for Tuesday's election. Poll site canvassers use myriad approaches, but their goal is the same: To fill their petition with as many voter signatures as they can get. "We will be out there," said Jeannie Burlsworth, the chairwoman of Secure Arkansas, a group working to get a ballot initiative in front of voters at the November general election. The ballot measure wants to prevent people illegally in the United States from receiving public benefits. http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/05/16/news/051608fzpetititon.txt http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/05/16/news/051608fzpetititon.txt Sat, 17 May 2008 12:54:48 -0500 Opponents of abortion and race-based affirmative action have had more setbacks than victories so far this political season as they try to place measures with a strong pull for conservative voters on the ballots of numerous states this November. At least five of the proposals have failed, and others face legal challenges. However, a proposal to ban most abortions already has made South Dakota's ballot, and several of the other measures could ultimately advance — including two in the potential swing state of Colorado. The pending measures are the product of two separate multistate campaigns, one mounted by anti-abortion activists who want to define human life as beginning at fertilization, and the other led by California businessman/activist Ward Connerly, who opposes affirmative action programs based on race and gender. Connerly has prevailed three times in past elections, with voters in California, Michigan and Washington approving proposals banning government-sponsored race and gender preferences in public education, state hiring and public contracts. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gf5HBYTJTXebd3kVnFkXW_SAaowwD90LJFTG0 http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gf5HBYTJTXebd3kVnFkXW_SAaowwD90LJFTG0 Fri, 16 May 2008 22:21:32 -0500 Missouri senators rejected a proposal yesterday that would have prohibited initiative petition sponsors from paying circulators for each signature they collect. Senators stripped the pay-per-signature ban from a bill that imposes several other new restrictions on citizen initiatives. The election-year legislation comes after the supporters of several initiatives paid professional out-of-state petition circulators to solicit signatures from Missouri voters during the past several months. Some signature gatherers, holding several clipboards at a time, were accused of misleading people into signing petitions they didn’t necessarily support or understand. Still remaining in the bill are provisions that would bar non-Missourians from gathering signatures and stop people from passing around petitions for more than one ballot measure at a time. http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/May/20080513News012.asp http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/May/20080513News012.asp Fri, 16 May 2008 17:12:38 -0500 The old philosophical argument over whether the chicken or the egg first emerged from the primordial ooze has a political counterpart in California's circular debate over the initiative process. Is directly presenting proposed laws and constitutional amendments to voters a safety valve by which they can do what the Legislature is unwilling or unable to do, the cause of the Capitol's endemic inability to function effectively, or, perhaps, both a symptom of our political malaise and a cure that worsens the disease? It's been nearly a century since reformist Gov. Hiram Johnson and the Legislature adopted the initiative and other reforms to break the political stranglehold of the Southern Pacific Railroad - dubbed "The Octopus" in a muckraking novel of the era. But the initiative's use as a major policy tool is of much more recent vintage, dating from the enactment of Proposition 13, the landmark property tax limit measure, 30 years ago next month. http://www.sacbee.com/walters/story/928895.html http://www.sacbee.com/walters/story/928895.html Tue, 13 May 2008 10:21:44 -0500 A group of antitax activists launched a campaign over the weekend to abolish the state income tax, setting the stage for a contentious public battle if the measure is added to the ballot this fall. more stories like this After pushing a similar initiative that almost passed six years ago, a group called the Committee for Small Government is back for another round, asking voters to end the income tax and save the average taxpayer $3,600 a year. The group, led by libertarian Carla Howell, is almost certain to gather the 11,000 signatures needed to put a question on the November ballot. To say that state officials are worried about the prospect would be an understatement. http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2008/05/12/activists_push_to_repeal_state_income_tax/?page=full http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2008/05/12/activists_push_to_repeal_state_income_tax/?page=full Mon, 12 May 2008 12:37:26 -0500 Well-known local political consultants will square off over a ballot initiative that would increase oil and gas tax revenue and create a huge college scholarship fund. David Kenney, an influential political insider who backed Ritter and worked on John Hickenlooper's reelection campaign, will be the campaign manager for the initiative. He said the campaign will be called "A Smarter Colorado" and will be funded by conservation, renewable energy and education advocacy groups. The ballot initiative, introduced last week, would remove a state credit that saves oil and gas firms about $200 million a year in severance taxes. The additional funds would help communities affected by oil and gas drilling, pay for college scholarships and fund water and wildlife projects. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/01/big-guns-hired-severance-tax-fray/ http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/may/01/big-guns-hired-severance-tax-fray/ Fri, 09 May 2008 16:27:13 -0500 One of the most admirable traits of political reformers is their earnest optimism. I thought of this last week, when Bob Stern dropped by the office. Stern is the president of the Center for Governmental Studies, which is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, nonpartisan outfit that does research into various governmental and political issues and recommends ways to make them better. An attorney by trade, Stern was one of the guiding lights behind California's Political Reform Act of 1974 and was a longtime consigliere to the Fair Political Practices Commission. In other words, he knows something about the reform racket. Anyway, he was making the rounds of Capitol press corps offices, dropping off copies of a new 402-page tome called "Democracy by Initiative: Shaping California's Fourth Branch of Government." http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/921727.html http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/921727.html Thu, 08 May 2008 12:03:32 -0500 The Arkansas attorney general's office cleared the way on Wednesday for supporters of a ballot measure requiring government agencies to verify all those seeking public benefits in the state are legal U.S. residents to begin gathering signatures. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel approved the language of the proposed initiated act by Secure Arkansas, allowing the group to begin collecting the 61,974 signatures necessary to put it before voters in November. Jeannie Burlsworth, a chairwoman for Secure Arkansas, has said the group plans to collect many of the signatures at polling places during the state's May 20 primary. If approved by voters, the proposal would require those older than 13 seeking public benefits from a state agency to sign an oath saying they live legally in the country. The group says those who falsely fill out an affidavit could face perjury charges. Verification would not be required for emergency medical treatment, prenatal care or public school enrollment. Ark. AG certifies illegal immigration measure Ark. AG certifies illegal immigration measure Thu, 08 May 2008 10:13:15 -0500