On April 28, the First Circuit refused to re-hear Del Gallo v Parent, 08-1511. The original decision, issued on February 25, equated petitioning for a candidate on interior post office sidewalks with “campaigning”, and then went on the uphold the Post Office regulation against campaigning on postal interior sidewalks. The ACLU will decide soon whether to appeal this to the U.S. Supreme Court.
National
On our last survey we asked, “Do you think public officials should be able to weigh in on ballot initiatives?”
The results were pretty clear, 73% of respondents said Yes, government officials should make their positions known on important issues.
The question arose around story about Alaska’s Governor Palin. Critics were upset at her vocal support for some ballot measures in the state.
Here are some of the comments from the survey:
Today Citizens in Charge Foundation officially launced a new website called BallotBoxNews.com, a newswire providing the latest information about ballot initiatives and government reform from around the country. Sing up for national or state specific news feeds. You can also follow BallotBoxNews on twitter.
We at Citizens in Charge Foundation focus on expanding and protecting the initiative and referendum process at the local and state level. We educate voters on the process in their home state and local communities.
There are several groups out there like Vote.org who want to make the initiative and referendum a national process. Using the model of Switzerland, activists want to promote I&R in the USA as a way to reform the political process.
Recently Ralph Nader spoke out endorsing a national initiative process.
Former independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader has endorsed a national ballot initiative process in a recent video.
Read the story and watch the video from Independent Political Report
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger discussing the results of the California ballot measures.
From MSNBC:
“Don’t come to us for extra help. That was the message,” Schwarzenegger said after a meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
“And you know something. I appreciate that when you hear that from the people. It gives us a chance to go and adjust, and say ‘OK, we went in the wrong direction. Now lets go in the right direction and lets go do what the people want.’ “
The movement for ballot initiative rights keeps building around the country as activists in several states work to roll back attacks on their rights and push forward with efforts to expand them.Â
A broad coalition of groups ranging politically from left to right have teamed up to fight Senate Bill 212 in Nevada. Twice, the Nevada legislature has enacted a requirement that petition signatures be collected in certain areas of the state.
Brad Ashwell Legislative Advocate for the Florida Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), has been named as the May 2009 recipient of the John Lilburne Award. He is being honored for his work in defeating anti-initiative legislation and defending the rights of Florida voters.
Recently Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been in the news again, this time for taking a position on ballot initiatives in her state.
According to Politico:
“The Alaska Public Offices Commission found Friday night that she did not violate state election laws by announcing her position on a controversial ballot measure requiring tougher environmental standards for new mines.”
We hope you can join us for today for Citizens On Tap, an informal gathering of friends and colleagues seeking mutual understanding over a pint of beer (or wine…?) If you are in the D.C. metro area, please stop by and enjoy the fun today, Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at Tortilla Coast. Meet us at the bar and check in. The first round is on us.
Please RSVP to Trevor@CitizensInCharge.org
Residency requirements are one of the most frequently imposed restrictions on the initiative process. These laws require that someone circulating a petition for an initiative, referendum, or recall effort be a resident of the state, county, or locality that the petition is aimed at. Supporters of such requirements claim that they are needed to reduce fraud and insure that circulators can be found if signatures are challenged.
Reason Magazine’s May issue highlights Citizens in Charge Foundation’s President Paul Jacob. In an article entitled “List: Citizen Empowerment” it asks what are the “three barriers to citizen participation in politics.”
Jacob provides three basic challenges activists have encountered and how to overcome them.
He describes the first barrier as:
Paul Jacob, president of the Citizens in Charge Foundation, did jail time in the 1980s for refusing to register for the draft. Since then he’s been working to curb politicians’ power via term limits. Last year he was indicted for allegedly violating Oklahoma rules barring nonresidents from circulating ballot petitions. A federal appeals court struck down those rules in December. In February reason asked Jacob to list three barriers to citizen participation in politics.
1.) Initiatives, referenda, and recalls ar…
Citizens in Charge Foundation is looking for leaders to become Citizen State Coordinators to help organize grassroots activists in their state. http://www.CitizensInCharge.org
As a Citizen State Coordinator you will engage in activities at the local and state level to protect and defend ballot initiative and referendum (I&R), the process which allows citizens to hold government accountable and reform it when necessary.