On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court released its opinion in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, 19-1392. It says that the U.S. Constitution has no applicability to any ban on abortion whatsoever. The decision leaves state legislatures the power to outlaw all abortions, even from the point of conception. If a legislature provides no exceptions whatsoever, even concerning the life or health of the pregnant woman, the Constitution has nothing to say about that.
Public opinion polls recently have shown substantial support for allowing early abortion, yet many state legislatures are, or have recently, shown that they want to ban even the earliest abortions. Therefore, it is somewhat likely that there will soon be many initiative petitions to repeal state legislative restrictions on certain abortions. But, the statewide initiative only exists in 22 states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Some might list Illinois, but realistically, Illinois does not have the statewide initiative process.
Democratic Party legislators are almost entirely pro-choice. Democratic state legislators also tend to be opposed to the initiative process. But as the initiative process becomes an important arena for pro-choice activism, this may lead more Democratic politicians to support the initiative process. States without the statewide initiative process, but which have Democratic majorities in both houses of the legislature, are Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois realistically, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Perhaps a movement to create a national initiative process will arise.
I think I’ll finally just kill myself if a nationwide initiative process becomes a thing
A national initiative and referendum process would need to have very strict limitations on it, in my opinion.
mere laws useless
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18 States with voter petitions for State Const Amdts.
http://www.iandrinstitute.org/states.cfm
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ALL 50 States have ANTI-Democracy minority rule legislatures — due in part to SCOTUS hacks/morons in 1964-2019.
1/2 or less votes x 1/2 rigged packed/cracked districts = 1/4 or less CONTROL
Super-worse primary math.
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NOOO mention of ballot access and secret ballots and many other *rights* in the USA Const —
to be attacked by such ANTI-Democracy state legis ??? Duh.
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FULL force of 19 Amdt about to happen ???
TOTAL sex/vote WAR also ??? — as if left commie v right fascist control freaks are not evil enough.
https://www.scotusblog.com
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• Twenty-six states are expected to ban all or nearly all abortions in the wake of Friday’s ruling.
How many Trump win States in 2016 and 2020 ??? Duh.
https://www.scotusblog.com/2022/06/supreme-court-overturns-constitutional-right-to-abortion/
longer
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Also NY Gun case today — 2 amdt — ie subject mentioned in USA Const
This has nothing to do with ballot access. Winger is just trying to say murder should be legal.
The post relates to ballot access for initiatives. This website has always been pro-initiative.
It would be easier to amend the constitution to allow abortion than to amend constitution to allow Initiative and Referendum. I don’t think allowing the people to directly amend the national constitution would be a prudent thing. Actually states should have a higher threshold to amend their state constitutions.
Democracy = Majority Rule
— regardless of ALL the math morons who love the current minority rule gerrymander systems in the USA regime and in ALL 50 State regimes.
PR
APPV
TOTSOP
IMO, any national referenda should only have the same effect as a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The Senate should retain the power to reject any referendum, as they represent states, and not population, and the President should retain veto power over an bill so passed.