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initiative, referendum, and recall

Are They Out of Session Yet?

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While Americans readily share power with their representatives, those representatives tend to resent sharing power with the people who choose them.

Need proof? Take Colorado. Last year, legislators passed a statute to restrict the petition process that Governor Ritter had to veto. Then legislators offered up Referendum O, to make it tougher for citizens to place initiative amendments on the ballot. Voters defeated it.

Now, Colorado legislators — including legislative leaders of both parties — fast-track a new bill to again restrict the initiative process.

In Nevada, the federal courts struck down a requirement that initiative sponsors collect signatures in 13 of 17 counties. Legislators then came back with a new law to force initiative proponents to gather signatures in all 17. That too was struck down. But now legislators propose that petitions must be gathered in all 42 state legislative districts.

In Missouri, Rep. Mike Parson pushes a bill to restrict the petition process. Though Parson admitted in a public hearing that part of his bill is probably unconstitutional, that part remains.

I have an idea. Let’s require that legislators gather a few thousand signatures to gain their own spot on the ballot. And let’s mandate that any restrictions they place on citizens petitioning to put issues on the ballot must also apply to them.

Oh, we might also need to send some of these scheming legislators packing at the next election.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

2 replies on “Are They Out of Session Yet?”

I DISAGREE- send SOME of these legislators packing.

SEND THEM ALL.

Vote AGAINST EVERY INCUMBENT.

Regardless of party.

Look atthe money spent to get elected- for jobs that pay a fraction (of what they spend-of their own money, as well as money raised)- are they ALL SO ALTUSITIC?

I DOUBT IT.

My 5 cents.
J

I agree with Joel. Fire them all.

We should also introduce constitutional amendments that require all governors and other state officers, members of the legislature(s) and judges post publically copies of their actual tax returns from the most recent and extending back at least five years. Every candidate for these offices should also be required to post copies of actual tax returns including all schedules and attachments.
This way, before we entrust them with our hard-earned incomes and taxes, we should see how THEY earned their incomes, and how they distributed their monies.
Why, for example, should we allow them to use our monies to support causes that they don’t support with their own monies.

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