Citizens in Charge

The signature gathering in Wisconsin to recall Governor Walker began in earnest nearly two weeks ago, and already they’ve collected quite a few signatures.

The United Wisconsin coalition claims to have collected 300,000 signatures in just 12 days, which puts them over halfway to the roughly 540,000 needed to force a recall election. When collecting signatures it’s not unusual for some of them to be thrown out as incorrect or unidentifiable. However, even with the bad signatures taken out the coalition to force a recall is off to a pretty effective start.

What do you think? Will those seeking to recall the governor of Wisconsin be successful in their efforts?

Citizens in Charge and Citizens in Charge Foundation would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope your day is filled with good food, family, and friends. It is a day to celebrate and remember the rights we have, but let us never forget that our work continues to protect and exand citizen initiative rights around the country.

Oh, and if you’re deep-frying your turkey try not to let this happen…

The campaign to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker gets most of the media’s attention around the state and country. However, there is another recall effort currently underway in the city of Sheboygan, Wisconsin:

In an important decision for initiative rights, the California Supreme Court today unanimously told the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that the proponents of initiatives in California have a legal right to defend their voter-enacted measures against legal challenges:

…the justices sided with Proposition 8 sponsors, who’ve argued they should be able to appeal a federal judge’s decision last year striking down the same-sex marriage ban because the governor and attorney general have refused to defend the voter-approved law. The state Supreme Court overwhelmingly agreed that Proposition 8 backers can go it alone in trying to preserve the gay marriage ban.

In what is sure to be a hard-fought and intense process, the recall campaign against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker began yesterday across the state:

Jubilant opponents of Republican Gov. Scott Walker launched their effort Tuesday to try to recall him from office, starting a 60-day blitz to gather more than half a million signatures to force an election next year.

Citizens in Charge and Citizens in Charge Foundation would like to thank our veterans and active duty military personnel. All of what we work for here would not be possible without their service and sacrifice. Thank You.

A judge recently changed the wording on a ballot measure in Philomath, Oregon regarding whether or not the city should put flouride in the drinking water. This is not a nationally covered, and it really only affects those in one city, but it brings ups an interesting topic. How much should a judge be able to alter ballot measure wording? From an article on the wording changes:

Yesterday in a number of states across the nation, citizens headed to the polls to vote on a variety of issues.

In Mississippi, there were three measures on the state-wide ballot for voters, two of which passed. Initiative 27 which would require an ID at the polls to vote, and Initiative 31 which prevents government from using eminent domain to acquire private property both passed by significant margains. Initiative 26, the personhood amendment defining life as beginning at fertilization was defeated by a smaller but still wide margin.

Today, two big ballots in two different states should give us an idea of where Americans stand on the political spectrum. In Mississippi, voters will decide when life begins and when a person becomes a person. In Ohio, voters will decide whether or not to keep Governor Kasich’s union reform law.

The citizen-initiated referendum on Ohio Governor John Kasich’s public sector union law will be tested at the polls tomorrow across the state. Citizens utilizing their First Amendment petition rights could very well determine the fate of the governor’s political future:

A lot has happened in Missouri over the last few years regarding its citizen initiative process. The will of the voters was overturned by a vote in the Legislature, a campaign sprung up to change the law in order to protect citizen passed ballot initiatives, and now…a Republican state representative is proposing additional changes to the way Missouri handles ballot initiatives:

If you’re in the Chicago area tonight come check out the 35th Anniversary celebration for Taxpayers United of America. Our very own Paul Jacob will be a featured speaker at the event:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2nd, 2011
Contact: Jim Tobin (773) 354-2076 | Christina Tobin (312) 320-4101

CHICAGO””Taxpayers United of America (TUA), one of the largest taxpayer organizations in the country and founded in 1976 by Jim Tobin, will hold its 35th anniversary celebration on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011. The event will be at the University Club of Chicago, 76 E. Monroe St., Chicago, and will start at 6 pm.

Members of the media are invited. (The University Club requires jackets, ties optional, and no denim.)

Speakers include: