Montana

Montana

Speed cameras on U.S. highways?

Thu, Jun 4 2009 — Source: CNN

Lawmakers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Montana and Mississippi failed to get a freeway speed camera measure onto a ballot, but points to Maryland as an example of lawmakers’ success. He says 13 states have specific laws banning freeway cameras, but he sees a natural progression from states using red-light cameras to using freeway speed cameras.

Read the story from CNN

Those who oppose abortion and failed to get enough signatures for an anti-abortion constitutional initiative for last year’s election in Montana have submitted the paperwork to try again.

Read the story at Montana News Station

The Montana House failed to come up with the votes Tuesday to put a constitutional amendment calling for annual legislative sessions on the 2010 ballot.

Read the story from the Missoulian

A group of Missoula, MT citizens has begun a petition against proposed zoning changes in the city. The changes would allow for more development and higher density.

Read the story from New West Development

History

Mon, Feb 16 by Anonymous

Montana’s Populist governor Robert B. Smith, elected in 1896, and his
successor, Joseph K. Toole, elected in 1900, both called for I&R, but
neither made much headway until December 1903, when the reformer F.
Augustus Heinze organized and “Anti-Trust Democratic Party” and an “Ant-
Trust Republican Party.” These groups, combining their efforts with those of
the very vocal “seven or eight men” from the state’s Direct Legislation
League, were able to push an I&R amendment through the legislature.

Grade

Mon, Feb 16 by Anonymous

State Balloting Process

Mon, Feb 16 by Anonymous

Proponents submit the full text of the initiative to the
Legislative Services for its review. Within 14 days after receiving the
measure, the Legislative Services staff must make recommendations for
changes in the text or a statement that no changes are recommended.
Proponents must consider the recommendations and respond in writing to
Legislative Services accepting, rejecting or modifying each
recommended change.

Ballot Qualifications & Schedule

Mon, Feb 16 by Anonymous

Date Initiative language can be submitted: Anytime

Signatures are tied to vote of which office: Governor

Next Gubernatorial election: 2012

Votes cast for governor in last election: 486,730

Net number of signatures required: For a constitutional amendment, 10%
of votes cast for governor in last gubernatorial general election (48,673).
For a statute initiative, 5% of votes cast for governor (24,336)

You have full Initiative & Referendum rights. Citizens can pass laws they write or suspend a statute passed by the Legislature by collecting enough petition signatures to place the statute on the statewide ballot for a decision by the voters. Voters can also initiate constitutional amendments by Initiative.

Poll:

See the results of a poll on support for statewide initiative & referendum here.

A judge this week rejected a lawsuit that aimed to stop two tax-lowering ballot initiatives in the Mehlville Fire Protection District.

Mehlville resident Dennis Skelton sued the district’s board of directors, claiming the ballot measures were illegal.

The board of directors voted Jan. 23 to place two measures on the ballot for the April 7 election.

A special election on whether to recall embattled Big Horn County Sheriff Lawrence “Pete” Big Hair will be held on the same day as the Nov. 4 general election.

County Clerk and Recorder Cyndy Maxwell said Tuesday that voters would get a separate paper ballot to decide whether to recall Big Hair. The ballots will be hand-counted separately from the general election ballot, she said.

Only one citizen initiative qualified for the November ballot in Montana - I-155, identified in its short title as the Healthy Montana Kids Plan Act.

In addition to I-155, there will be two ballot issues referred by the Legislature on the ballot. They are LR-118, identified in its first section as a tax levy for the university system, and C-44, a constitutional amendment affecting the way in which certain public funds are invested.

There were ten, but now it looks like only one citizen’s initiative remains in the running for a spot on the November election ballot.

Of three constitutional amendments proposed by citizens, none will be on the ballot. Those measures would have addressed property tax increases, the rights of the unborn, and citizen hunting and fishing rights.

Meanwhile, statutory initiatives dealing with specialized lotteries for wildlife, hunting and fish access rights, and home health care, all have been withdrawn.

Changes will be made in a proposed 2008 ballot measure to extend health coverage to thousands of uninsured children in Montana, as Gov. Brian Schweitzer and state Auditor John Morrison try to agree on what they’ll support.

State Rep. Rick Jore of Ronan, a staunch abortion opponent, hopes to have Montana voters decide next year whether the state constitution should define “person” in such a way as to outlaw abortion.