Breaking ballot news...
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| Arizona: Like popcorn popping
The Stop Illegal Hiring Initiative has joined the hit parade turning in signatures for the November ballot in Arizona. It's an immigration reform initiative, and one that is less harsh than two that threw in the towel earlier this week.
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| Nevada justice: Term limits law is clear
Nevada Supreme Court justice Jim Hardesty said Tuesday that the state's rule on term limits for elected officials is unambiguous, agreeing with arguments that 12 years in office means just that. His comments came in response to a lawsuit filed by several Nevada politicians, arguing that Nevada's successful 1996 term limits initiative is unconstitutional, and they should be allowed to run again for office this year. ...more
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| Arizona initiatives grab for the brass ring
In Arizona, with a July 3 deadline fast approaching, signatures have now been filed for the Homeowners Bill of Rights, Payday Loan Reform Act, the No New Homes Tax Initiative, and the Medical Choice Initiative. Meanwhile, on the last day of its session, the Arizona state senate narrowly approved placing a Gay Marriage Ban on the fall ballot, bringing to four the number of this year's active marriage-related ballot measures and initiatives.
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| Are tax funds being used to lobby for an initiative?
In Colorado, former state senator Mark Hillman says he thinks tax funds might have been used to draft Initiative 113 -- a measure that would raise taxes on gas and oil -- and has filed a CORA request to find out. Initiative supporters deny the charges. ...more
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| California school board members recalled in a landslide
By nearly 70%, voters in the 51,000-student Capistrano Unified School District have recalled long-time school trustees Marlene Draper and Sheila Benecke. Recall supporters cited "gross financial mismanagement" and other issues. ...more
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| Arkansas Lottery initiative submits signatures
Supporters of the State Lottery Initiative in Arkansas submitted about 138,615 signatures on June 26 to qualify for the November ballot.......more
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| Beleaguered Nebraska affirmative action measure hit with charges
The Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative, one of five in the Super Tuesday for Equal Rights play, has been going toe-to-toe with opponents who are determined to keep the measure from reaching the ballot. The latest sally has opponents unveiling footage to reporters that appears to show circulators leaving petitions unattended and filling in lines for signers. Initiative supporters deny the accusations. ...more
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| Not on ballot: Montana Right-To-Life, Home Health Care
CI-100, the Montana right-to-life initiative, didn't get enough signatures to qualify for the fall ballot, while the SEIU-backed I-159 was withdrawn, citing a desire to instead work next year with state legislators and others to pass similar legislation.
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| Ballotpedia launches "Ballot Initiative Report 2008"
Ballot Initiative Report, 2008 is a new page on Ballotpedia that pulls together in one place lists of which ballot measures are qualified for the ballot, which initiatives have a signature deadline around the corner, initiatives where signatures have been filed but not yet certified, initiatives facing lawsuits and much more. Help keep the handy mega-list current! Ballotpedians have also introduced a feature on the California 2008 ballot measures page--a comparison of how much supporters spent on signatures.
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| more initiative news
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Six states with petition deadlines July 3-7
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For petition companies and the initiative supporters that pay the bills, things are coming down to the wire in the six states with signature deadlines between July 3-7.
Legal news
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| Lawsuit filed against Arizona Civil Rights Initiative
Opponents of the Arizona Civil Rights Initiative filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court on June 30 to keep the initiative off the November ballot. The claim opponents are making is that the state's election law was violated by petition circulators for the measure, who are alleged to have misrepresented the purpose of the initiative. ...more
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| Legal challenge to California marriage initiative
A petition has been filed with the California Supreme Court, asking the court to strike the Marriage Initiative from the November ballot. Multiple grounds for doing so were cited in the 55-page petition.
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| Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment supporters file lawsuit
On June 11, 2008, supporters of Florida's Hometown Democracy Amendment filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Miami challenging the irregularities in the petition-checking process caused by failure to keep the state's voter database current, as well as different counties using different standards for determining a signature's validity. The lawsuit attacks the practice of disqualifying inactive voters from signing initiative petitions, and also the practice of letting voters remove their signatures after the petition has been filed. The case is Florida Hometown Democracy v. Browning. Ballot Access News
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| ...more ballot law information
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Ballotpedia Community News
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