initiative process
The Second House Amendment Committee, a new group formed by initiative rights activists in Nebraska, filed an initiative constitutional amendment this week to lower the signature requirements for qualifying citizen initiatives. The group also filed a campaign finance registration, which is required once at least $5,000 has been raised by a ballot committee.
“I am confident that with the dedication of our volunteers and the commitment I have secured from people who are friends to petition rights, this issue will be on the November ballot,” committee member Kent Bernbeck told reporters.
Here at Citizens in Charge Foundation we are very happy that our recently departed Communications Director Bettina Inclan has started a great new endeavor in California. While we were sad to see her go, she will be doing great work on the West Coast. Check out a few news articles on her new adventure here, here and
As pundits continue to look at the value of the ballot initative process its refreshing to get a real prespective, that of the voter. Here is a comment from a reader of Paul Jacob’s Sunday column “Do California politicians have too little power?”
Political pundits are always trying to figure out what is “wrong” with things. They attempt to point the finger at what they don’t like to explain their point of view is correct.
It is no secret many people upset with the results of the California’s most recent ballot measures and are blaming the process. We all know “spendaholic” politicians and activists don’t like the initiative process because they can’t use taxpayer funds with unlimited discretion.
Oregon lawmakers gave final approval Monday to a bill sponsors say will curb abuses of Oregon’s century-old initiative system that lets citizens put proposed laws on the ballot.
The bill will allow state election officials to prohibit someone from registering as a paid signature gatherer if they’ve been convicted of fraud or forgery.
California’s ballot measures have received a lot of media attention in the last few months. Some want to blame the state’s problems on the initiative and referendum process. Paul Jacob disagrees.
In his Common Sense commentary, Prop 13 Declared Innocent, he explains why.
Prop 13 Declared Innocent.
Voters in Nevada are under attack by their state legislature.
Recently the Nevada legislature voted to make the ballot initiative process much, much harder. New legislation would effectively shut out regular citizens out of the process.
In his daily commentary, Common Sense, Paul Jacob discusses the actions in Nevada in A Law to Be Named Later. He writes:
Citizens for Limited Taxation, which has been involved in numerous ballot referendum efforts, called on lawmakers Wednesday to kill three bills that the group says will make it harder for activists to put questions before voters.
Today the Buffalo News reported citizens in New York are taking charge of their government. The state has made it easier to bring issues to a vote.
The author of the bill, Attorney General Andrew Cuomos hopes the legislation will empower voters and create a more efficient local government.
The article states:
Citizens will find it easier to bring petitions to merge or abolish local governments — from villages to fire districts to sewer agencies — under legislation that won final legislative approval Wednesday night in the State Senate.
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.
Citizens in New York are looking for ways to reform the state’s political process.
State Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, D-Queens, and Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, R-Amherst have introduced legislation to enact an initiative and referendum process in New York.
Today Charles Roda writes an editorial on the why voters should embrace the process. He argues the state’s current system is broken:
Much has been made about the results of California’s ballot measures. Some articles denounce the system as convoluted, and others praise it for providing the people a voice. Californian voters sent a loud message to the government: deal with the budget. Others unhappy with the result want a constitutional convention to do away with the system.
What do you think should happen?
Some interesting articles:
In a few hours California voters will take to the polls and decide the fate of their state. Using the initiative and referendum process millions of people will weigh on important measures. In Paul Jacob’s weekly column he writes how he is “jealous” of Californian’s power.
Californians live in one of 24 states that have the power of initiative and referendum. While he agrees the process is not perfect but states it provides people with options.
A coalition of same-sex marriage opponents and taxpayer groups is trying to persuade voters to approve a state constitutional convention in the hopes of bringing the initiative petition process to Connecticut.