Initiative and Referendum laws do the following: (1) Make government more responsive to its citizens. (2) Neutralizes the power of the special interests. (3) Stimulates public involvement in state issues. can anyone explain why Alabama doesn't have one? Many citizens of Alabama may have never heard the term "Initiative and Referendum" and might not fully understand what the term means. They know referendum means citizens vote on something proposed by the legislature and put on the ballot by the Secretary of State. However, what they don't understand is that the real power rests with whoever can get something put on a ballot for the people to vote on. Currently, that can only be done by the legislature. Over half the states have laws that lets citizens gather signatures and petition the Secretary of State to put the proposed law on the ballot to be voted on by the people, it's called "Initiative". Alabama citizens have been denied this power for decades, if they have a petition it must be forwarded to the elections committee in the legislature. That committee decides if the whole legislature gets to vote on it, or if perhaps special interests would be best served by their simply ignoring it, allowing it to die in committee. Special Interest has a strong hold on the legislature in the state of Alabama. That gives them enormous power over the lives of the states' citizens, as well as almost total control of the affairs of state. Alabama, nor its' people, will ever move forward any faster than special interest wants us to under current law! However, the power of all special interest can be diminished greatly by passing a law such as Initiative & Referendum, that gives the people the power to solve problems and improve the state for their children. It can be done by altering the current power bases and returning real power to the citizen where it should have been all along. Without that power being altered, special interest will continue to control each of our lives equally. Initiative & Referendum Bills have been prefiled in the Alabama Legislature every year for well over a decade. Not one of them has gotten out of the elections committee yet. That's correct, not even one! The Democratic Party controls the election committee. Does that indicate party leaders distrust the voters of this state? Could it be they believe we are too ignorant to make decisions regarding how we will be governed, or perhaps they simply prefer ruling to legislating? P.S. No, I'm not a Republican, not a Democrat either, I'm not affiliated with any political party. I'm an independent, citizen of Alabama, sick of the status quo, who believes Alabama citizens can be trusted to decide some matters in their own government! |
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