Press Releases

For Immediate Release:

Friday, March 15, 2013

Contact: Paul Jacob or Neal Hobson at (571) 327-0441

National Referendum Group Goes on Offense

With Targeted Mailer Against Leudtke’s Bill

(LAKE RIDGE, VA) – Citizens in Charge, a national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, has gone on offense and gone straight to the voters to protect referendum rights in Maryland with a targeted mailer against House Bill 493, naming its chief sponsor, Montgomery County Delegate Eric Leudtke.

(LAKE RIDGE, VA) – Citizens in Charge, a national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, today called on Californians to contact their legislators and demand they defeat legislation that would require people who gather petition signatures on citizen-initiated ballot measures to wear large signs or “badges” on their chest.

“The people of California face many problems,” said Citizens in Charge President Paul Jacob. “But perhaps the most serious is having a majority of legislators with the arrogance to actually force citizens to wear a sign on their chest when petitioning to put an initiative on the ballot.”

(OMAHA, NE) – Tomorrow, Citizens in Charge, a national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, will hold a news conference to discuss the progress of Citizens in Charge v. Gale, a case that will be heard by Chief Judge Joseph F. Bataillon in U.S. District Court at 9:00 am the same day. The lawsuit seeks to reverse three restrictions placed on the citizen initiative process in the state.

(LAKE RIDGE, VA) – Today, Citizens in Charge, a national voter rights lobby, joined a group of Colorado-based policy organizations and individuals active in recent state ballot initiatives in sending a letter to new Secretary of State Scott Gessler, officially petitioning his office to engage in rule-making to clarify the state’s initiative and referendum process, which has recently been declared “dead” due to an ongoing lawsuit that threatens to bankrupt initiative sponsors.

“We call on Secretary Gessler to act promptly to clarify the rules in a way that protects the First Amendment rights of all Coloradoans to petition their government,” said Citizens in Charge President Paul Jacob. “The current legal limbo is killing the state’s initiative process.”

(LAKE RIDGE, VA) – Today, Citizens in Charge, a national voter rights group focused on protecting the ballot initiative and referendum process, began running a radio ad in Oklahoma urging citizens to vote ”˜YES’ on State Question 750.

“Oklahoma is currently the most difficult state in the country for voters to place an initiative on the ballot,” said Citizens in Charge President Paul Jacob. “State Question 750 is an opportunity to make Oklahoma’s initiative and referendum process more open and accessible to citizens.”

(PHOENIX, AZ) –  Citizens in Charge, a national voter rights group focused on protecting the ballot initiative and referendum process, today blasted Proposition 109 as “a sneaky power grab” taking away the initiative rights of Arizona voters as the group’s president, Paul Jacob, travels across Arizona this week urging voters to reject the measure on this November’s ballot.

(LAKE RIDGE, VA) – Today, Citizens in Charge, a transpartisan national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, urges Maine Governor John Baldacci to veto LD 1730, which passed the Maine House on Monday, and is currently on his desk. If signed into law, LD 1730 would require anyone who intends to pay campaign workers to collect signatures on a petition to register with the state.

(Salt Lake City, Utah) – Today, Paul Jacob, President of Citizens in Charge, the only national transpartisan voter rights group dedicated to protecting and expanding the ballot initiative process, spoke at a press conference with Utahns for Ethical Government on the steps of the capitol rotunda in Salt Lake City, Utah and called on Governor Herbert to protect the initiative rights of Utah citizens by vetoing House Bill 112. This bill will have a chilling effect on the initiative process in Utah, and make it more difficult to get a measure placed on the ballot.

(Salt Lake City, Utah) – Paul Jacob, President of Citizens in Charge, the only national transpartisan voter rights groups dedicated to protecting and expanding the ballot initiative process, will be speaking at a press conference in the Utah Capitol Rotunda at noon today, March 29, to call on Governor Herbert to protect the initiative rights of Utah citizens by vetoing H

(Augusta, ME) - Today several of Maine’s grassroots activists and community organizers united in protest to an unconstitutional bill moving through the state legislature which would hinder Mainers’ initiative & people’s veto referendum rights.

Mary Adams, Chair of the 2006 Taxpayer Bill of Rights Referendum, and Dana Cote, President of the National Worksite Benefit Group are among the state leaders who have sent a coalition letter to the Maine legislature asking them to vote “no” on LD 1730, and vote “yes” for Maine’s First Amendment rights.