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Government and Politics Issues

Citizen's Initiatives Under Fire

The right of citizens to place initiatives on state ballots is as popular with voters as it is unpopular with legislators who, political observers report, see a challenge to their power. As a result, moves are afoot in some legislative chambers to put obstacles in the way of the initiative process. One dozen states have made it more difficult for voters to place initiatives on the ballot. The use of initiatives to impose term limits is reportedly leading legislators in the rest of the 24 states that allow initiatives to contemplate further curbs. Experts report most free nations allow for some form of direct democracy. Supporters of the initiative process point to three examples this year alone in California that they say demonstrate the value of the system. The approaching vote to roll back bilingual education forced the legislature to consider the matter. The threat of an initiative to expand charter schools resulted in a compromise in the legislature that gave business leaders and other charter supporters most of what they wanted. A proposal for an initiative to repeal the state's 2 percent annual tax on a car's market value was enough to persuade Gov. Pete Wilson to put forth his own plan to cut the tax by 75 percent. Supporters point out that California isn't the only state where the people have resolved issues their legislatures refuse to address. In Oregon, examples include giving women the vote, controlling pollution, redistricting the legislature, permitting assisted suicide and limiting property taxes. Source: John H. Fund, "Will Politicians Take the Initiative?" Wall Street Journal, June 1, 1998.

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