On July 15, Maryland elections officials announced that a statewide referendum had qualified for the 2012 ballot. Maryland does not have the statewide initiative process, but it does have procedures for statewide referendums. Proponents need a petition signed by 3% of the registered voters.

The particular referendum that qualified asks the voters if they wish to repeal the “Dream Act”, which lets long-time residents of Maryland receive the in-state tuition rate even if they are illegal aliens. This is the first statewide referendum to qualify in Maryland in 20 years. Proponents make extensive use of the internet. No one could sign the petition electronically, but individuals could download the petition form and circulate it. Thirty percent of all the signatures on the petition were gathered that way.

On July 14, the California Assembly passed SB 168, which prohibits paying people to circulate initiative, referendum and recall petitions on a per-signature basis. Similar laws in five other states have been declared unconstitutional. No Republican voted for the bill, and two Democrats voted against it. Now the bill goes to the Governor.

SB 205, a bill to outlaw paying voter registration workers on a per-registration basis, has a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on August 17.

On July 15, a U.S. District Court in Washington state issued an injunction against a state law that says no one may contribute more than $800 to a recall campaign. The case is Farris v Seabrook, w.d., 11-5431. The case turned on the point that there is no evidence that the plaintiffs, who have been trying to recall the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer, were tied to any particular potential candidate for that office. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the news.