On March 23, the North Dakota House amended SCR 4013 and passed it. It had already passed the Senate, but it must return to the Senate because the House changed it. The bill raises the number of signatures for a constitutional amendment from 4% of the population, to 5%. It says constitutional amendments must appear both on the primary ballot and the general election ballot, and they must pass in both elections in order to take effect. It says only North Dakota residents may circulate any type of initiative petition, statutory or constitutional.
But it deleted some harsh features from the Senate version, such as a requirement that all circulators must have lived in the state for four months before the petition starts to circulate, and that constitutional amendments need 67% of the vote in order to pass.
Another North Dakota bill involving initiatives, HCR 3031, was defeated in the House on March 14 by a vote of 29-63. It would have allowed electronic signatures on initiative petitions but would have increased the number of signatures needed for all types of initiative.
Legislators are elected and paid to legislate. Let them do their jobs. Division of labor is a good thing.
If it weren’t for the initiative, there wouldn’t be any legislative term limits laws. Sometimes legislators have a conflict of interest; they have their own personal interests which may be contrary to what the public feels it needs and wants.
Also, the initiative process has been used to ease ballot access restrictions. And it has been used to require redistricting to be done by neutral bodies. Other democratic countries always have the district boundaries drawn up by bodies that are distinct from the national legislature. They think we are nuts that we haven’t done that.
Richard, these so called “independent commissions” always favor Democrats. That’s why you love them so much, admit it.
The initiative and referendum process was created by the legislature.
Rick, the California initiatives to have an independent redistricting commission were put on the ballot by Charles Munger, who was an official of the California Republican Party at the time. The California Democratic Party fought those initiatives tooth and nail. The Republican Party endorsed them.
Term limit laws are bad. They limit voter choice for arbitrary reasons.
Richard, the world doesn’t revolve around California you dolt. Every other state it’s Democrats who push this. That’s why you support it. You keep dodging that.
Democrat = Communist!!!!
TERM LIMITS —
MORON REMEDY FOR MINORITY RULE GERRYMANDERS AND SOP VIOLATIONS
—
NOOO TERM LIMITS
PR
APPV
TOTSOP
Term limit should be one term. Getting elected again takes up too much representative time.
AZ is contradicting himself again. Classic troll.
Rick, can you give any examples?
Michigan comes to mind.
“Independent” commie commissions!