Political opposites unite to protect citizen initiative process
The League of Women Voters of Florida calls Proposal 97 “the worst of the worst,” and contends that it will “make it close to impossible for the constitution to be changed by initiative, by the Legislature or by any commission in the future.”
Proposal 97, one of more than 30 constitutional amendmsnts Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission is considering placing on the 2018 ballot, would count voters who vote neither yes nor no on a ballot measure as a NO vote against the meassure. Already, Florida requires a supermajority 60 percent vote to pass a ballot measure.
The case will be appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court, but a district judge has decided, reports the Las Vegas Review Journal, “that forms submitted by people asking for their signatures to be removed from the recall petitions targeting Democratic state Sens. Joyce Woodhouse (District 5) and Nicole Cannizzaro (District 6) must be counted — a move that puts the recalls at risk.”
Republican recall proponents pledged to appeal the ruling. If the two Democractic Party state senators were successfully recalled, Republicans would gain the majority.