initiatives
Paul Jacob, President of Citizens In Charge Foundation, responds to a participants concerns on individual/constitutional rights with regards to the initiative and referendum process. http://www.youtube.com/CitizensInCharge
What is wrong with California politics? Is it the politicians, the voters, the balance of power?
Yesterday in TownHall.com Paul Jacob discussed the results of the California ballot measures and tries to answer the question, “Do California politicians have too little power?”. What are your thoughts?
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.
Paul Jacob, President of Citizens in Charge Foundation, http://www.CitizensInCharge.org, spoke at the National Taxpayers Union’s conference about the power of initiative and referendum for grassroots organizations, California’s Proposition 13 and tax payer bill of rights.
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:
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.’ “
As anyone who follows ballot measures knows, the language in a ballot questions matters a lot.The Maine Secretary of State just released the language that will be on the ballot there if opponents assemble the necessary 55,087 certified signatures.
After voting absentee in an election that will go a long way in determining the state’s finances, Schwarzenegger flew to Washington to meet with President Barack Obama as he announced higher fuel-efficiency standards.
One of the big political stories of 2009 has been the surge in American public approval for gay marriage and the growing number of states - including the heartland bastion of Iowa - that have legalized the practice, but here in Pennsylvania the pages of this political thriller are still blank.
If California voters defy expectations and pass the half-dozen propositions on the May 19 ballot, it will be a start toward filling the yawning hole in the state’s budget. But it’s only a start.
Gov. O’Malley also signed a bill that authorizes the use of speed monitoring cameras around
the state. Opponents of the new law are attempting to challenge it through a statewide referendum initiative.
Morning voters in West Lampeter Township leaned toward lifting a 74-year-old ban on alcohol sales in their municipality, an informal survey of early balloting found.
In decisive but not overwhelming numbers, early-morning voters told the New Era they believe alcohol sales would “bring the township into the 21st century” and provide additional tax revenue and jobs.
Just hours ago Washington governor, Chris Gregoire signed into law a bill that will afford certain elderly domestic couples as well as same sex couples all of the same legal rights and benefits as any married couple in the state. The bill falls short of recognizing same sex marriage and places no obligations on the state’s churches to do so.
With time running out, a group backed by the Culinary Workers Union is again asking the Nevada Supreme Court to order two anti-redevelopment measures to be placed on the June 2 municipal ballot.
Yesterday, Citizens in Charge Foundation President Paul Jacob was in Missouri testifying against House Bill 228. The legislation would harm the initiative and referendum process by imposing a residency restriction, banning the payment of petition circulators on a per signature basis and prohibiting citizens from carrying more than one petition at a time.