new america foundation
While around the United States legislators and special interests seek to restrict citizens’ initiative & referendum petitioning rights, the European Union is expanding them. Joe Matthews of the New America Foundation notes:
The news here are the choices the Europeans appear to be making about how to structure the new signature gathering process. In almost every way, their process represents a vast improvement on what we have in California.
Joe Matthews from the New America Foundation offers his Cliff’s Notes on California Constitutional Convention Initiatives at the Blockbuster Democracy Blog.
As the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether signatures on the Referendum-71 petition in Washington state should be made public, a public opinion battle is heating up. Compelling arguments are surfacing on both sides of the issue, with each side calling on the High Court to rule in their favor.