Daily Archive
Stories Posted on May 16, 2008
Mixed Results for Divisive Ballot Measures
Category: · State: · Source: Associated Press
Opponents of abortion and race-based affirmative action have had more setbacks than victories so far this political season as they try to place measures with a strong pull for conservative voters on the ballots of numerous states this November. At least five of the proposals have failed, and others face legal challenges. However, a proposal to ban most abortions already has made South Dakota's ballot, and several of the other measures could ultimately advance — including two in the potential swing state of Colorado. The pending measures are the product of two separate multistate campaigns, one mounted by anti-abortion activists who want to define human life as beginning at fertilization, and the other led by California businessman/activist Ward Connerly, who opposes affirmative action programs based on race and gender. Connerly has prevailed three times in past elections, with voters in California, Michigan and Washington approving proposals banning government-sponsored race and gender preferences in public education, state hiring and public contracts.
Senate Pulls Pay-Per-Signature Ban From Measure
Category: Initiative and Referendum · State: Missouri · Source: Columbia Tribune
Missouri senators rejected a proposal yesterday that would have prohibited initiative petition sponsors from paying circulators for each signature they collect. Senators stripped the pay-per-signature ban from a bill that imposes several other new restrictions on citizen initiatives. The election-year legislation comes after the supporters of several initiatives paid professional out-of-state petition circulators to solicit signatures from Missouri voters during the past several months. Some signature gatherers, holding several clipboards at a time, were accused of misleading people into signing petitions they didn’t necessarily support or understand. Still remaining in the bill are provisions that would bar non-Missourians from gathering signatures and stop people from passing around petitions for more than one ballot measure at a time.