Archive for Connecticut
Recent Stories for Connecticut
Fighting A Ballot Question
Category: Initiative and Referendum · State: Connecticut · Source: Hartford Courant
Tens of thousands of dollars is being raised in an effort to persuade Connecticut voters to reject a proposal on the November ballot to reopen the state constitution. The state's largest teachers union, the Connecticut Education Association, has contributed $40,000 to the group "Vote No: Protect Our Constitution." Planned Parenthood of Connecticut has given $5,000 to the same cause, according to filings with the State Elections Enforcement Commission. That news prompted one member of the group pushing to change the constitution, the Connecticut Constitution Convention Campaign, to send out e-mails urging its members to contribute. The campaign is a coalition of groups that wants voters to approve a state convention so the Connecticut constitution can be changed. The Connecticut Constitution Convention Campaign has raised $1,110.
Our View: Ballot initiatives could give voters greater voice
Category: Initiative and Referendum · State: Connecticut · Source: Norwich Bulletin
Should Connecticut citizens have the right to petition issues onto a ballot for a statewide vote? That’s the question that will be asked if voters approve a referendum question in November calling for a constitutional convention. Thirty-one states now allow ballot initiatives, whereby citizens can bypass the legislative process and petition to have referendum questions on issues put directly to voters for approval or rejection. There are several groups in the state that support amending the state constitution to allow ballot initiatives — and hope a constitutional convention will serve as the vehicle for that.
Group Seeks to Win Right to Petition
Category: Initiative and Referendum · State: Connecticut · Source: Connecticut Post
Connecticut's form of government should be changed to allow direct referendum and initiative similar to California, according to a new group that's pushing for the first constitutional convention since 1965. The Constitution Convention Campaign, during a news conference Thursday attended by several members of the General Assembly, wants Connecticut to vote "yes" this fall to the statewide ballot question "Shall the state Constitution be revised or amended?" It would be a first step toward possibly persuading lawmakers to adopt referendum and initiative, to allow voters to petition for new laws on everything from capping local property tax rates to prohibiting gay marriage, or even legalizing the medical use of marijuana. In reaction to the announcement, a leading Democratic lawmaker said Thursday that the agenda for a convention would be dictated by the General Assembly, and he doesn't believe Connecticut needs a complete rewriting of its constitution.
Opinion: Why Voters Shouldn't Pass Laws
Category: Opinion · State: Connecticut · Source: Hartford Courant
Ardent special-interest groups are pushing to have the right of initiative written into the Connecticut Constitution — a formula for ill-conceived lawmaking that would wrest important policy considerations away from elected officials. The right of initiative is the right of citizens to propose laws or constitutional amendments that, if approved by a majority vote, have the force of law. Pressure for such a change in our constitution is rising because, in November, Connecticut citizens will vote on the question, "Shall there be a Constitution Convention to amend or revise the Constitution of the State?" The constitution requires such a vote every 20 years. A number of groups, The Connecticut Taxpayers Association among them, are seeking an affirmative vote on the question, which would open the constitution up for a right of initiative amendment.
Monthly Archives for Connecticut
- August 2008 (2)
- July 2008 (2)