Posted on 07/21/2011 3:33:00 PM PDT by newzjunkey
Legislators are forever looking for ways to "improve" the initiative process. And why not? Direct democracy infringes on their power. California needs fewer ballot propositions, not more. The system needs an overhaul. But Gov. Jerry Brown should veto Senate Bill 168, on his desk, a veiled attempt to limit initiatives in a loaded manner...
Supporters include organized labor, which long has made heavy use of direct democracy. Unions could rely on members and their family and friends to sign petitions, and perhaps could gain an advantage over rivals if the pay-by-signature system were outlawed.
The California Chamber of Commerce and other business groups that also are major users of direct democracy oppose the measure. But wealthy businesses would be able to pay to place measures on the ballots. The groups that may be disadvantaged are smaller ones.
The initiative system is flawed. But the bill by Corbett would make a bad system worse by raising the cost of qualifying measures, freezing out less wealthy groups, and making direct democracy more of a captive of well-heeled interest groups...
(Excerpt) Read more at fresnobee.com ...
Other parts are intimidation of voters and gatherers from union thugs and signature fraud.
As a native Californian, I wouldn't want to see the initiative process meddled with, if only because We The People of California used it to rid ourselves of the odious State Supreme Court Chief Justice Rose Bird!
Incorrect. Rose Bird, Maurice Grodin and Cruz Reynoso were denied reconfirmation in a general election. The initiative process had nothing to do with it.
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