State Legislatures Attempting to Limit Voter Power by Making Citizen Ballot Initiatives Harder to Win

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
WOSU - Ohio Republicans continue pursuing plan to raise ballot amendment threshold
Ohio Capital Journal (Commentary)  - In 1912, Ohio voters asserted their democratic authority. Now Ohio Republicans want to rip it away
Idaho Capital Sun - Idaho Senate OKs proposed constitutional amendment on initiative and referendums

IVN Network - Missouri Lawmakers Are Once Again Targeting the Ballot Initiative Process
Democracy Docket - Utah House Passes Bill To Raise Threshold for Certain Ballot Initiatives
Florida Bar - MEASURE TO REQUIRE TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY TO AMEND CONSTITUTION CLEARS HOUSE COMMITTEE
Democracy Docket - Republicans Hint at Why They Are Restricting Ballot Measures in These States
Center for Media & Democracy - ALEC Resolution to Reform the Ballot Initiatives Process Exposed
NBC News - After string of abortion-rights wins, conservatives look to curtail the ballot measure process

Groups Taking Action:

The Fairness Project, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, League of Women Voters US, ACLU 

Today's Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

In our January 2023 predictions for state anti-voter legislation, we anticipated efforts to make citizen ballot initiatives harder, to keep voters from passing reforms that political parties & legislatures don’t like.  Sorry to say, we were right.   

WOSU reports Ohio Republicans are pushing a constitutional amendment which would require signatures from 44 of 88 Ohio counties and raise the threshold to approve a citizen ballot initiative to a 60% supermajority.   Ranked choice voting, popular with voters but not with party leaders, was one of the issues cited. 

Idaho Republicans just passed a proposed constitutional amendment that changes the qualifying signatures requirement.  Instead of  6% of Idaho voters STATEWIDE, it changes it to 6% of each COUNTY.  

In Missouri, Republican legislators also pushed through a proposed amendment for a 60% supermajority.   Not to be outdone,  Florida’s Republicans have proposed H.J.R 129, which raises the bar to a 66% vote.  

In November, an Arizona ballot measure put forward by Republican legislators attempted to increase the threshold to a 60% majority when it involved taxpayer funding.  The voters defeated it, but a similar bill in the Utah House just passed.  

Expect more of these assaults on direct democracy as extreme legislatures attempt to limit the power of you, the voters.

We have articles on each state’s legislation and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.