National
Citizens in Charge Foundation, The New America Foundation, The Swiss Confederation and The American Consortium on EU Studies Center of Excellence
Invite you to a Roundtable Discussion
The Rise of Transnational Direct Democracy:
The European Citizen’s Initiative and
What It Means for the World
WHEN:Â Monday May 24, 2010
TIME: 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Here is this week’s ballot measure count and update from BallotPedia.org
Read more from BallotPedia.org
BallotPedia released their weekly ballot measure count and update yesterday. The count increased from 109 last week to 116 this week. You can view the report here.
Make sure to check out our new video on the Doe v Reed case that was argued before the Supreme Court at the end of April. This is a very important case moving forward for initiative & referendum around the country.
You can watch the video here.
To those of you who were able to make it to Tortilla Coast and help us celebrate our West Coast expansion, thank you. We were able to wish Amanda well as she heads to California to expand our role in making the initiative & referendum process more open & accessible from coast to coast.
Make sure to stay tuned for updates on our new adventures in California and if you haven’t already, signed up to attend the 2010 U.S. Conference on Initiative & Referendum. Registration is FREE!
Join us tonight to celebrate the expansion of Citizens in Charge’s West Coast network supporting citizen rights.
Our Executive Director Amanda Roman will be moving to California later this month to put a Citizens in Charge presence in the state and region. This move is a great opportunity for us to expand and protect citizen initiative rights from coast to coast.
Each Tuesday Ballotpedia releases an update on the number of measures on state-wide ballots around the country. This week the total is up to 109. Of that total 89 are on ballot by legislative referrel and 20 are citizen initiated ballot measures. We will keep you informed about what is on ballots around the country each Tuesday with an update from Ballotpedia.
Each Tuesday Ballotpedia releases an update on the number of measures on state-wide ballots around the country. This week the total is up to 109. Of that total 89 are on ballot by legislative referrel and 20 are citizen initiated ballot measures. We will keep you informed about what is on ballots around the country each Tuesday with an update from Ballotpedia.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments in the Doe v Reed case out of Washington State. The case will decide whether or not signers of an initiative petition have a right to privacy. The Doe side argues that signing a petition is protected free speech and the release of the names will result in intimidation from opponents. Reed argues that the release of the names is part of keeping government transparent and prevent fraud.
Join us this summer in San Francisco! Citizens in Charge Foundation is hosting the U.S. Conference on Initiative & Referendum. This will be a unique gathering of academics, journalists, activists, elected officials, think-tank leaders, political professionals and - best of all - citizens from all over the nation discussing ways to expand and protect citizen initiative rights.
Transcripts of the oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday in Doe v. Reed - a case dealing with voter privacy - have been made available. You can read the transcript from the Court’s website here.
In a hearing punctuated by sharp questions, U.S. Supreme Court justices Wednesday seemed skeptical that people who sign ballot petitions ”” including one that sought to overturn a gay-rights law in Washington state ”” should remain anonymous. “Running a democracy takes a certain amount of civic courage,” Justice Antonin Scalia said during oral arguments in a case brought by conservative groups trying to keep Referendum 71 petition signatures secret. “The First Amendment offers no protection against criticism or even nasty phone calls.”
Today the US Supreme Court heard arguments in the Doe v Reed case out of Washington State. The case pits the privacy of petition signers against transparency in the process. This is an important case that will set precedent on the issue and be highly influential in future ballot initiative campaigns and court battles.
The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in a major campaign disclosure case that tests whether the Constitution protects the anonymity of people who sign petitions to get an initiative on the ballot.
Last week Trevor Ford talked about New Jersey voters taking charge of their state using local initiative and referendum processes. What happened in New Jersey underscores how much power can be given to citizens when they have an accessible local process to initiate legislation and bring government matters to a vote.
The following states recognize some form of local initiative and referendum rights for more than half their citizens: