National
Recall Fever is sweeping the nation, Paul Jacob explains in today’s edition of Common Sense:
One of the checks MisÂsouri votÂers have on the power of state politiÂcians is in jeopÂardy: Sen. Jolie JusÂtus (D–Kansas City) is takÂing aim at the initiative-petition process, which allows MisÂsouriÂans to band together to put laws and conÂstiÂtuÂtional amendÂments on the statewide ballot. This is incredÂiÂbly imporÂtant, because some polÂicy changes that would greatly benÂeÂfit MisÂsouri can be so politÂiÂcally unviÂable that politiÂcians won’t proÂpose them. PetiÂtions cirÂcuÂlatÂing this year would limit emiÂnent domain and impose term limÂits on top state officials.
We have long seen the value of protecting the right to petition, but now special interests and lawmakers have come around, too!
[Click to Watch!]
Ok, maybe not.
For those of you who are Irish and those of you who are not, Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
I haven’t been able to find anything about St Patrick’s day that’s related to initiative & referendum yet, but if you know of anything feel free to pass it along.
Eirinn go Brach!
Citizens in Charge has a new video up on our YouTube channel. We talked with some of our board members about why they support citizen initiative rights and Citizens in Charge.
If you weren’t able to make it to the 2010 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy and U.S. Conference on I&R last summer in San Francisco but still want to hear all the great speakers and debate, now is your chance.
The 8 part DVD series is available for purchase here.
With a constitutional amendment that would make it far more difficult to enact future constitutional amendments – especially through Colorado’s citizen initiative process – already passed by the State Senate and now pending on the floor of the House of Representatives, Citizens in Charge Foundation, a national voter rights group (and a partner organization to Citizens in Charge), today issued a report entitled, “Five Facts about Amending Colorado’s Constitution.”
National group U.S. Term Limits has joined the broad coalition of voices denouncing the Colorado General Assembly’s special interest-fueled attack on citizen initiative rights. From a statement released yesterday:
If you happen to be in DC this Thursday through Saturday make sure to come say hello and grab some information from our booth at CPAC 2011. We’ll be there all three days in the exhibition hall talking with citizens about initiative & referendum rights and how they can use them.
Hope to see you there.
Here’s one for the Gipper! Today, the late former President Ronald Reagan would have been 100 years young.
To celebrate his birthday, we at Citizens in Charge highlight his support for initiative and referendum. In 1980, in a letter to New Jersey activist Sam Perelli, Reagan wrote, “George Bush and I congratulate you on your efforts to attain, for the people of New Jersey, the right to initiative and referendum. We urge you to keep up your fight and we endorse your efforts.”
In a story out of Oklahoma, a state representative is proposing a bill that would force those looking to put a measure on the ballot to also propose how to fund the measure. From the Tulsa Beacon:
State Question 744 could not have reached the ballot if legislation filed this month by state Rep. Pat Ownbey had been in place.
House Bill 1225 would require initiative petitions that mandate new spending to identify a funding source. Those submitting the petition would have to include a statement “outlining all sources of funding to be used in the measure.”
If you’re interested in watching The Commonwealth Foundation 2011 Policy Summit going on in Harrisburg, PA you can do so here. They’ll be discussing Pennsylvania’s future regarding school choice, budgets and other state issues.