I am glad to see some sunlight on these legislatures and governors. Up here in Wisconsin, Walker and the legislature have been doing it wholesale overriding or rolling back regulation state wide on a variety of issues that were passed by the voters some of them decades ago. Luckily, we live in an area where the people are ignoring Madison and waiting to see when Walker will send out the troops.
3
Thank you, Mr. Williams.
The same fetid stuff is being sold in Texas, which has never been known as a progressive state in any form.
3
I have no idea who Senator Curd's "critters" are, but every voter I talked to, regardless of political persuasion, had plenty of angst about the Republican repeal of Initiated Measure 22, the way IM-22 was deemed "unconstitutional," and the devious manner in which the repeal was accomplished.
I witnessed IM-22 being brought up over and over again by attendees at several subsequent legislative town hall meetings (called either "legislative coffees" or "cracker barrels" here in SD). A couple of times, it was a challenge for the moderators to maintain decorum.
We were just plain angry. And we still are.
We're voting now. We look forward to a win for Amendment W and an end to the decades-long GOP stranglehold on our state government. Turning SD blue!
6
I find that initiatives provide ballot measures that I like. Republican politicians ignore these at their peril.
3
The "representatives" seem to feel that they represent moneyed interests, and not the voters. The voters are just being uppity if they oppose rule by the "better people."
2
"Lawmakers point out, though, that many ballot initiatives are driven not by ordinary residents but by special interest groups, often from somewhere else."
Citizens point out, though, that many LAWS are driven not by ordinary residents but by special interest groups, often from somewhere else― like the Republican-run and arch-conservative ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, funded by Koch Industries and headed by Arthur Laffer.
Does the hypocrisy never end?
21
This is a perfect summary of what has been happening in Michigan. It's also an interesting tie-in to the other article on populism / nationalism. Nothing makes humans angrier that to be totally disrespected and devalued. Politicians have gone so far into not even pretending they represent anyone but the contributors, while firing up their "base" to assure continued living off the people and the corporations.
In fairness to all concerned, these politicians should at least be forced to literally wear the marks of their funders so they walk around in full disclosure like a NASCAR.
9
"Lawmakers point out, though, that many ballot initiatives are driven not by ordinary residents but by special interest groups, often from somewhere else."
As if lawmakers themselves are immune to special interest groups and lobbyists...not.
Once more, get out the vote---and get the legislators out.
2
This is nothing new for the GOP. Here in deep red WY, we overwhelmingly voted for term limits for state legislators back in the 1970's. We had them for about two months- until the legislature came back in session and undid it.
3
This article touches on it but does not get to the heart of the matter. When our governments gerrymander their districts so that they pick their voters instead of voters picking their representatives, it leave voters with no choice to govern by initiative. While I agree with the governor of Maine's assessment that is a poor way to run a government, what real alternative do the public have when it no longer becomes possible for the majority to vote out people who refuse to represent their interests?
3
Here in Michigan, we're well aware of how the Republican-led state government voids citizen initiatives what with emergency manager laws, straight-ticket voting and new this year, increased minimum wage.
2
The states are the most corrupt level of government as they pretty much operate without any oversight by the public. Citizens can tell if their local government isn't doing its job. and it is economically cheap for major news organizations to cover Washington. Bur they are not going to spend their resources , nor are reporters going to beg to be sent to state capitals like PIerre. It's been a license to steal for lobbyists
5
This happened in my hometown. We had a vote on whether to ban marijuana businesses at a town meeting. Town meeting rejected the prohibition. The board of selectmen brought it back because they didn’t like the results and said people were “confused.” Second time around people who hadn’t come to the first vote showed up in droves to vote for prohibition of shops and manufacturers. Now there are budget shortfalls that could have been averted with the tax revenue from a marijuana manufacturing or research facility.
2
It would be nice if the people in state and federal government learned how to read and then read the Constitution of the United States.
I think it starts out with something like "We the People", but the people in office think that it reads "We the politicians" and South Dakota isn't the only state to suppress voter initiatives.
However the "People" of SD are correct in trying to stop or limit lobbyists and it would be a good thing at the federal level as well.
The best thing that could come from a voter initiative would be to have term limits on all offices of the government, the politicians did it for the president, but god forbid that they should have to do it also.
5
If my representative were to ever refer to me as a "critter," I would feel empowered to take a generous bite out his or her backside in retaliation for the slur.
Dorothy Brewick, quoted in this article has characterized quite accurately the attitude of elected officials across the country: they believe they are self-employed and, as such, are looking out themselves first, second, third and last. I do know that my US Representative, John Ratcliffe, has said in public that he does not consider any one who lives in his district and who did not vote for him as a constituent, and he will not expend any effort on their behalf.
6
After gerrymandering themselves and their cronies into perpetual office, the politicians can't understand why they aren't allowed to reap the personal benefits of doing the public's business. The politicians are working hard, very hard, as we see in Georgia most recently, to choose the voters. Some people used to think that "democracy" meant that was supposed to be the other way around, but "they were hoodwinked". Sure, there's a lot of social invitations and parties for the busy busy busy legislators to attend in their 38-day session in South Dakota, but somehow those dedicated legislators find time to do what's good for the voters, even if the voters themselves don't see it that way. Voters are so easily "hoodwinked" these days... its up the dedicated politicians to put them in their places.
There is ultimately one democracy override that the voters can do to impress their will upon the dedicated party-hard legislators of South Dakota, and elsewhere. The legislators will do well to remember it -- voters can choose someone else, and they will if you keep ignoring them. Ignore the will of the people at your own risk, politicians.
3
@Jim Brokaw I would be nice if it really worked that way. However, when you want to remove one of these "politicians" who won't listen to the people who pay him you get another identical politician cut with the same cookie cutter from the same dough. It is almost impossible to get good people who are going to listen and then actually do the things they promise when they get to office because they know they are going to get publically shredded by the opposition who favor the status quo. Every little detail and utterance in their life is going to be put up for public ridicule. Who wants to suffer that? We did this to ourselves by putting up with it. It's not Fake News when this happens, it's not "News" at all. It's a profit engine that has to be stopped if we're to save ourselves. News, like healthcare, should be be subjected to the profit motive, ever.
4
All of you gullible voters. It is now Trumps America. Believe what he says, not what you see or hear. This applies to down ballot ( state and local) issues as well. How dare the voters pass anything that the power brokers in statewide offices haven't sanctioned. Silly citizens. You are not allowed to think or act unless your thoughts and actions have been vetted by the legislatures in various states. In my home state of NC, if a municipality tries to do anything not sanctioned by the state government, the legislature will change the towns and/or county council and method of electing said councils. According to the Uber patriots in charge, this is just fine and preferable to actual voters wishes.
3
There is way to stop politicians from undoing a passed intiative- bring up the same initiative again to the voters along with another proposition to ban the legisalture and/or governor from overturning or altering the propostion. It's been done before but often voters reject an iniative like that, so it's the voters who are responsible for the legislators overturning the law. And of course the voters can kick out those legislators and governors who overturn a ballot initiative.
Citizens propose referendum questions when their legislature or governor refuses to do its job and fails to represent them. In Maine, we voted to expand Medicaid after the legislature repeatedly listened to its constituents and approved expansion but the governor dismissed us and vetoed it. The referendum passed, and then Gov. LePage refused to implemtment expansion. He was sued, and he finally submitted the request to expand to the federal government ...along with a letter asking the Feds to reject his application!
Believe me, no one loves government by referendum. It requires enormous time and energy to pass a referendum question, and the process is messy. If our elected officials would actually jobs, we wouldn't need to govern ourselves this way.
15
MO does this all the time but the voters keep re-electing them.
2
What about when the judiciary overturns ballot measures?
In 1994, 60% of California voters passed prop 187, which was designed to reduce the population of people there illegally--then 1.3 million.It was purportedly about the cost of providing services to them but many saw it as racist.
President Bill Clinton said there was nothing wrong with them wanting to discourage illegal immigration, but they should let the federal government handle it.
After a lawsuit was filed, the proposition was found unconstitutional by a federal court and overturned.
4
Voter approved initiatives can't override the Constitution. I don't know why that would surprise anyone.
The courts acted properly in this instance. The state of NC has passed numerous laws that were blatantly unconstitutional. For the NC legislature this seems to be a point of pride.
2
I’m not a fan of the initiative process.
I will agree that it is important for the people be heard and there are some laws, such as the anti-corruption effort highlighted in this article, that you can’t trust a legislature or a city council to implement.
However, most initiatives are completely inappropriate for direct voting. They often involve large sums of money and complicated legalese. We’re always criticizing our congressional representatives for not reading the bills but we don’t do it either and we don’t even have the time to.
Running a government requires experts. Making decisions about how to spend and how to raise large amounts of money requires experts. I have no concept of what a 100 million dollars in bonds will do to the state budget but I’m routinely asked to approve such expenditures at the ballot box and I don’t really have time to read up on all the details of how that money will be spent. I might decide it’s a worthy cause and vote for it, but I cannot evaluate whether we’re getting good value for the money the way a true expert could.
When we elect representatives, we’re trying to pick someone who shares our values so that they can spend the time analyzing the issues, become the expert or at least consult experts, and make practical decisions while staying true to those shared values. That can be a much more functional system than direct voting, but we need to do a better job of mitigating corruption.
2
Thank god these voter now clearly see the GOP con job at work.
Don't give up my friends, vote these hypocrites out of office in November!
30
“The average critter" says the Republican leader. Just a folksy way of talking or a little window into how he regards his constituents?
26
Democracy as an idea was invented in ancient Greece about 2,500 years ago.
Governor LePage needs to go back to a 7th grade history class.
From past statements he has already proven himself to be a racist, now he seems to be campaigning to be an ignoramus as well.
Fortunately, he's is term limited and will soon be relieved of the title of governor.
23
So, Mr.Curd, the N.Dakota Senate majority leader, refers to his constituents as 'critters'. Also an orthopedic surgeon, one wonders how in private he refers to his patients.
31
Mr. Curd refers to his constituents as "critters" rather than "citizens." That kinda says it all.
56
use the RECALL option.
10
I'm just curious. What party are the politicians and elected officials affiliated with that are offended by referendums that are voted into law by their constituents? Seems like they are all Republicans. Democracy is good only when it favors your views. Isn't that interesting?
14
@Dennis W Please remember the referenda to ban gay marriage or affirmative action. Wasn’t Republicans who opposed them.
Politicians claim that these referendums being passed by the voters are really promoted by “special interest groups” and don’t have the best interests of the public in mind....
well if that’s not the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is!
With this reasoning I suppose 3 million Hillary voters, (ie the majority), can then claim that by electing Trump into office, those voters were “hoodwinked” by special interests groups...for instance the KGB, and the Dems have a legitimate right to overturn that election result.
We truly are living in the end times of our democracy.
17
"lobbyists in the state play an important role in educating legislators about topics in which lobbyists have expertise." Really, legislators always trust information from lobbyists with a distinct interest in having a particular bill passed to the point of writing it up for them? How often do these legislators, at any level of the government, come out of their shells to listen to the effect these laws or roll back of laws will have on their constituents lives? GOP or Democrat the answer is the same: almost none of them bother to listen to the people who elected them. They do what's best for their rich sponsors.
Government of, by, and for the people has virtually vanished from present day America. Our government has, for the last 30 years or more, worked harder for the richest corporations, families, and individuals than it has for we, the people. In fact, most of our elected officials have no idea of how the rest of us live.
How do we know that? Their inane and ill informed statements/tweets/emails show it. 47% of us don't pay taxes. We're all subject to sales taxes, gas taxes, etc. People on unemployment are living like they are on vacation so we don't need to extend unemployment benefits for long term unemployed people. Wrong: many long term unemployed people can't find jobs because of real problems like ageism, can't relocate, need to be retrained, etc.
If our legislators refuse to work for us it's no surprise people try to pass things without them.
19
It is the rare initiative or proposition in California that is a grassroots effort, that is not written by and for special interests, that is not deceptively promoted, or that is written so as to avoid legal disputes. Even well intentioned proposals are often useless as legislation. Of course, that characterizes much of the work of elected legislators and governors, too.
3
@MEM Let's take the initiative that legalized marijuana. Was this supported by "special interests? Probably. Was it opposed by other "special interests"? Wouldn't be surprised.
So what? The voters made up their own minds. I really doubt that advertising and all that made any difference.
This was a situation which voters understood very well. There are others where the voters may be a bit out to lunch and here the "special interests" have more to work with. But there are usually people on the other side.
Is the Sierra Club a "special interest"? If it is it's a special interest I personally like. I probably don't agree with all their stands but I am very happy they have the where with all to make their voice heard. We know the Koch Brothers do.
Why didn't the state legislature legalize marijuana? Too many members were afraid it could be used against them. But a strong majority of voters supported legalization. That is the crux of the problem: one way or another legislatures don't do what the voters want. That's a failure of democracy. What remedies, other than initiatives, do you recommend.
11
Voters should only support candidates who will get corporate money out of politics and enact term limits. Otherwise we will continue to see the same old, same old.
14
We live in a representative democracy. Legislators are the representatives. In an ideal world, this works as intended. Voters have the opportunity to vote out representatives that vote for their benefit instead of of their constituents.
The issue is people love their representatives but hate the legislative body. They hate the “other representatives, the ones voted in by others. Incumbents get re-elected at every election cycle and nothing changes.
When people say they hate the legislatures they must vote out their own representatives, regardless of party affiliation. People must understand that their own representatives are part of the problem, not the solution.
5
Actually, many voters live in such gerrymandered districts that they have absolutely no choice in who represents them. My state of Michigan is a prime example, allowing the GOP to run the state as they please.
When voters were impudent enough to put proposals on the ballot to increase the minimum wage and require a modest amount of sick time, the legislature simply adopted them. And why did they do this? Because they can then gut them with a simple majority instead of the 2/3 requirement to overrule a successful ballot proposal.
Gerrymandering, voter suppression and unlimited spending have destroyed democracy in this country.
21
Our country is being run by an authoritarian government. One party rules and that same party has been taken over successfully by a dictator and his loyalist. The new party has cleaned out it's old moderate leaders and replaced them with loyalist to dictator trump. We, the people will fight back for our freedoms.
23
@Deborah Harris: Definitely. Lets call We the People the Freedom Warriors.
1
I'm just shocked, shocked I tell you, that the Koch brothers would oppose legislation designed to fight corruption. Who could have ever seen that coming?
Referendums are a staple of our democratic republic, and if you take them away and keep the electoral college, you might as well drop that "democratic" aspect.
19
Missing from our democracy is the ability to hold referendums at the federal level. There are many national issues for which a large majority of Americans agree on solutions: restricting campaign finance, reforming immigration, closing background check loopholes on gun sales, etc. Yet Congress can't bring itself to even vote on these. To vote would be to expose themselves to being held accountable for such votes.
We need to amend the U.S. Constitution to permit a critical mass of citizens - say, 10% of people in 33% of the states - to propose a ballot initiative. If it passes with a simple majority of votes at the next election, it's the law.
I'd much rather trust a majority of voters than a majority of Congress to solve some of these problems.
15
@Ken L The problem with your idea is that the politicians would have to vote for the amendment. They would only do so if there was a "gun" pointed at their heads. Where to find that gun?
1
@Ken L
I can see it now, national ballot questions:
"Would you like to lower your taxes?" YES
"Would you like Soc. Security benefits to be raised?" YES
"Should we spend billions on renewable energy?" YES
But you can't ask ballot questions about how to cut 50-100 other programs to pay for these great ideas. Easy to ask simple questions, but hard to find good solutions to nuanced problems. These initiatives will end up doing the same things the politicians have been doing - avoiding tough questions and failing to find middle ground to come up with best solutions.
4
@Ken L: Especially if it will cost the filthy rich sponsors of all politicians a penny each.
Sez Daid Owen: "lobbyists in the state play an important role in educating legislators about topics in which lobbyists have expertise."
Yes, it takes an expert to properly convey the virtues of of ice cream, roast hog, and beer. Given the massive growth of lobbying at the local, state, and federal level, we should have the best educated legislators in 15,000 years, right?
23
@Laura K. Sez Daid Owen: "lobbyists in the state play an important role in educating legislators about topics in which lobbyists have expertise."
Translation: "We know what benefits us, and we want to make absolutely sure the legislators know who cuts the checks around here."
6
A few years ago the voters in Florida approved a medical marijuana initiative by a large margin. State and local officials are doing all they can to thwart the will of the people.
25
Sounds like Michigan. This year, citizens put forth the signatures for a referendum for $15 minimum wage and mandated sick leave. The Republican majority voted it into law before it went to the ballot (whereafter it would require three quarters of the state legislature to alter) so that they can gut it in December during the lame duck. So much for the will of the people
16
"Vote me into office, but after that stay out of it."
17
Whatever happened to the idea government for, of and by the people?
Over the years, we the people have surrendered our democracy to politicians.
Dentists like to say, "Ignore your teeth and they'll go away." Ignore your country and government and both will go away.
13
Just like Periodontal disease, it's happening before our eyes. If we don't stop it soon, we won't have the teeth to do it later. Hail Putin!
2
Campaign finance reform would solve so many of our political problems.
43
@Joyce Ice At this point even if Congress passed that the right-wing infiltrators who have taken over our Supreme Court would throw it out. So if voters keep voting for Republicans it'll never happen.
6
@Joyce Ice I strongly agree.
As well as voting for a new ethics reform referendum S.D. voters should vote out any legislator who voted to repeal the previous referendum. We either have government of by and for the people or we don’t.
28
I have mixed feelings about this. I think there are probably times when referendum initiatives are poorly thought out. The legislature needs to be able to modify or vote down crazy ideas.
Our constitution was written by an educated “elite” who distrusted pure Democracy. They well knew that many voters were poorly educated and easily hoodwinked by the excellent but not always ethical salesmen who embody so much of the American Dream. The general electorate gave us Trump and the current rabid GOP disasters. On the right they buy anything Fox and Breitbart tell them. On the left they choose idealistic purity over common sense and do things like refusing to vote altogether if they don’t get the candidate they want.
If the legislature that was voted in abuses their power they can be voted out of office and/or the referendum can be repeated. That is what seems to be happening and is how the system is supposed to work. Even gerrymandering is not a problem if the electorate wakes up. Gerrymandering works on the assumption that people are too hidebound or too stupid to ever change parties. But it doesn’t affect primaries and at that level people still have real choices and can vote in ways that can transform their party. They transformed the GOP into a socially conservative fiscally irresponsible juggernaut and they can reverse that trend if they wake up. Which is probably why moderate Democrats should go out and register Republican to take the primaries back.
2
@Alexandra Hamilton: I’m a registered ‘unenrolled’ (formally ‘independent’, don’t ask why). I can vote in any primary. I voted republican for the last presidential primary, just to vote against trump. But, they lie to voters. One women said before the election that local republicans convinced her to register republican & vote trump. That she by then didn’t want to vote trump, but, said she was told it was the law. She had to. How many decent folk were hoodwinked like that. No one could convince her otherwise. Not even republican lawyers who offered to come to her & show her it was a lie.(they were very honest people, when I was convinced all republicans were crooks. I finally said,because she was so upset, then don’t vote at all. She said she’d been told she’d be arrested if she didn’t vote, & as she had registered, they would know. It was in the south which isn’t a surprise. Oh, she was old, & WHITE. But no republican would come pick her up to go to the polls,told her to spend her money on a taxi, money she didn’t have, said she’d have to walk. They really care don’t they?
The general electorate did not give us Trump. Trump is a legacy of the "elite" who didn't trust democracy.
How dare those citizens demand that their Republican congressmen and women have ethics.
How dare they?
Vote them out. Vote them out. Vote them out.
33
Here in Florida the legislature is ignoring the marijuana laws that were overwhelmingly passed as well as the law requiring that land be bought for conservation. In the latter case they are using the money any away they please.
I only hope that the devastation that happened in the panhandle will surpress their traditionally right wing vote there.
17
@Paulie Unless the gerrymandering is really bad there it ounds like there's a bunch of voters who voted both for the marijuana initiative and also for the legislators who refuse to do what the voters called for.
Throw the bums out! If gerrymandering prevents that y'all need to make a very big push to elect a Democratic governor who will veto any gerrymander.
3
@Paulie: It won’t, as the destruction, without help in the reconstruction, will allow the filthy rich to buy land for pennies, that is worth thousands, & force out the real people of this country. That is a given. The only ones left will be those unable to leave, who will either work for the rich in anyway they are told to, for any amount the rich are willing to pay (not much) or they will be allowed (encouraged) to starve.
15,000–14,700 years ago (13,000 BC to 12,700 BC): Earliest supposed date for the domestication of the pig.
11
In Arizona, several out of state groups have come here to have dangerous ballot initiatives that could devastate the Arizona economy. This year they sought to double the income tax rate on wealthier families and raise it on everyone else (AZ already has one of the highest income taxes in the nation), require the state, regardless of the cost to Arizonans, to produce 50% of its power from solar - expected to raise costs $1,200.00 per family. And in Arizona, a ballot initiative cannot be overturned by the legislature under any circumstance. These initiatives are often supported by outside or marginal groups that have much to gain if they pass but do not have the compromises needed to be fair in practice but they market them as if they were good. So, the ballot initiative process is no panacea.
The US constitution promises a representative form of gov’t. That means you get to vote for a representative who serves its constituents. everyday people often are surprised to find what is hidden inside these initiatives and they get a short sentence to review while standing over the ballot itself and without knowing who really will be the winners and the losers in passing complex legislation.
Our democracy is not perfect but look around the world and the history of human governments. Ours is the best form going. Let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
1
uhh...Arizona needs to produce 100% of it's energy from solar power. So maybe the people are smarter than their elected Representatives
4
@Stunned, nice try. AZ, according to the tax Institute has one of the lowest income tax rates. I'm sympathetic, but as liberal as Washington state gets painted, it has no income tax and the most regressive systems in the country, relying heavily on property and sales tax to fund things. It's a disgrace. Hardly progressive. And, if voters really want to "drain the swamp", the quickest way is exactly what SD citizens are doing, get the $ out of politics.
10
Instead of throwing out the ability of voters to put forward ballot initiatives, make it a better, more open process that improves the communication of the Pros & Cons and who the funders are. Our problem is that SCOTUS has opened the flood gates of dark money to malign the good, and hide the bad and the ugly.
Also, It's become too easy for corruption to flourish because too many politicians conduct business under-the-table to benefit their campaign donors due to lack of accountability. Prime Example: Our president and his coterie of thugs...to include the Republican party.
3
It would be good if "ethics" was defined as "humanitarian" and brought to the attention of our population. We have a large contingency of the "religious right" who are being asked to overlook ethics violations by their elected officials in order win at all costs. Perhaps they should ask themselves "what would Jesus do?"
This is not to say politicians on the left are not infected with the "money over people" philosophy that would herd us all into their schemes. We need to look up from our screens long enough to consider our vote at the local, state and federal level very carefully.
36
@betty durso: No one can truly believe in morals, unless they practice them & expect their elected official to. So winning at all costs is immoral & WWJD is forgotten. But, that’s only human.
Please note that these actions are happening in states under Republican mis-governance. Keep electing Republicans and the Koch related ALEC will be writing your laws.
83
@David Gregory: Not "will"..."are" writing our laws.
3
@David Gregory
You must have missed this sentence "Attempts to repeal or weaken voter-approved measures have taken place in both conservative-leaning and liberal-leaning states, from Arkansas and Florida to California and Massachusetts."
Special interest group, horrific, hoodwinked, voters did not understand, these are the key words used by politicians to justify their non compliance to the democratic will of the people. They will not say it straight, but what they really mean is that people are so stupid that they can not see the evil agenda of those "special interest groups" and therefore the result of those pesky referendums have to be overturn. Of course the lobbyists whom are legally bribing them do not represents "special interest groups" but the will of the people or their constituants. After all it is so much easier for those politicians to listen to the lobbyists than to the people.
51
"Referendum,” Mr. LePage said, “is pure democracy, and it has not worked for 15,000 years.”
What a load of garbage. Has he ever even cracked a history book, or has he always been too busy trying to consolidate power to do something useful to his constituents?
101
Critters? What?
35
“The average critter that I run into on a daily basis doesn’t have that angst,” he said.
“The average critter...” Really? “Critter”? Does this guy consider his constituents some kind of animal or insect? What the heck is he thinking?
76
South Dakotans ... Want "ethics" in their Republican "Supermajority" Legislature? Vote the GO/Tea Out of Office this November!
Okay ... solved ... next!
30
Arizona passed an initiative to prohibit lawmakers from tinkering with or repealing initiatives passed by voters in 2006.
AZ has been under GOP rule for decades.
So the Governor, GOP, packed the State Supreme Court with anti-initiative judges.
This year, one of the most popular initiatives in state history was tossed off the ballot because the court said it was "too confusing."
Problem solved for the GOP.
82
From the article:
"Lawmakers point out, though, that many ballot initiatives are driven not by ordinary residents but by special interest groups, often from somewhere else. In many cases, the organizations have a stake in the outcome, and are willing to bankroll the costs of paying petition drive companies to collect signatures and then advertising statewide to build support."
This sounds pretty much like the same dynamic behind how bills are written in state and federal legislatures: lobbyists provide language and money, and representatives vote based partly on that support. Seems like lawmakers are happy to point out the corrupting influence of special interests, unless it benefits them, in which case, move along, nothing to see here.
99
@Joe....BUT...BUT the Voters don't seem to mind..?
@Joe
ALEC anyone??????
Around where I live, our ballot initiatives have little or nothing to do with national politics. Every topic is about local issues. They are very much about state politics and citizens are very much engaged. People get upset when single party rule encroaches on their daily lives. The anger is worse when people realize the majority party is exercising outsized influence entirely thanks to gerrymandering.
The ballot initiative we should pass is an amendment making legislative interference with public referendums unconstitutional. If lawmakers want to change or dilute a public referendum, they'll need to make their case before the public. That effort probably won't end well when you have politicians like Paul LePage spouting blatant historical inaccuracies as his defense.
Do you know what was happening 15,000 years ago? America was still in last the ice age. The land bridge hadn't even melted yet. You might notice Athenian democracy, the model for our own democratic institutions, came very much later. Greece also did quite well for themselves for about two hundred years under strictly democratic rule.
Attacking referendums is entirely about attacking public power and insulating minority rule. Anyone with LePage's point of view needs to get thrown out.
119
Was it democracy when the citizens were all wealthy males? Or was it a republic by default? Of course, I’m in favor of ethics laws, and we shouldn’t allow the foxes to guard the hen house, but ancient analogies to small city states obscure the issue.
2
@Andy your representative is elected by a majorityof citizens. That is not minority rule. The public retains all the power it needs to effect public policy.
@Gavan. That's the point - obscuring the issue.
1
1. Thanks to the work-around political donation laws, and income inequality, the United States system has a mis-representative democracy.
2. Thanks to our mis-representative democracy, the United States has accelerating income inequality.
3 . Go back to 1. and repeat.
66
As a SD former Dem, I was appalled by the "ethics" initiative. It was unconstitutional, as it included funding for campaigns. It was promoted with out-of-state money. It was a bad and dumb initiative.
I also ran for the State Legislature unsuccessfully. Legislators make $8000 per year - it's basically gas money from your home to Pierre. A bill last year raised it to $10,000. The legislature meets for 40 days - it's well below part-time and the pay is ridiculously small. Having a party with free beer samples is barely corrupt - it may be more to do with survival in Pierre, which is a dump even by SD standards.
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@GeorgePTyrebyter
Perhaps if state legislators received hourly compensation for their work at the lowest legal hourly wage in their state, legislators would comprehend and empathise with the lived experiences of their least powerful constituents.
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@Susan If my math is correct, they are currently paid $31.25/hour for 320 hours of work per year. I hope they also do some work in their own districts in addition to the 40 days in Pierre, annually.
@GeorgePTyrebyter
"...Pierre, which is a dump even by SD standards."
With that kind of attitude about S. Dakota (and perhaps its residents as well?), I guess it's no mystery why the run for the legislature was unsuccessful.
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