Citizens in Charge

This week, Citizens in Charge Foundation President Paul Jacob traveled to Pierre and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to release an 18-page report on the prosecution of Dr. Annette Bosworth by South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, warning at a news conference in Sioux Falls that it may have “a chilling effect on political participation.”

“We want the law to be enforced and people held accountable,” said Jacob, “but the severity of this penalty goes too far and threatens to scare citizens away from getting involved in politics.”

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel (D) says Arkansans can have faith in our election system but he adds, that doesn’t mean changes aren’t needed.

Joined by Senate and House members on Thursday, Mcdaniel unveiling a push for election and ballot reform.

The package of three separate bills SB 343, SB 821 and SB 822 targets everything from fake signatures on ballot initiatives to criminal background checks for candidates.

A bill changing the state’s petition process could make it harder for voters to bring controversial laws to referendum. The Referendum Integrity Act will be among numerous bills debated in Annapolis Thursday that could fundamentally change state election law.

Three paid signature gatherers apparently committed extensive fraud while collecting support for two Washington initiatives, elections officials said Wednesday.

The Secretary of State’s Office said many of the 8,000 signatures submitted by the collectors were invalid. The problematic filings were linked to a measure that would extend the time for initiative signature collection, and another proposal that would require companies to label genetically modified food.

Both initiatives are still valid because the remaining signatures were sufficient to get the measures certified.

Read more here: The News Tribune

 

An Oregon editorial is calling for Governor Ted Kulongoski to veto a dangerous bill that recently passed the state legislature. House Bill 2005 imposes heavy fines that can be used to harass petition sponsors and will chill the petition process.