Initiatives and Referendum...In 57 Seconds with Senator Joe Fain

MajorityCoalition

7 Apr 201501:50

Summary

TLDRSenator Joe Fain explains the initiative and referendum process in Washington state, one of the first to adopt direct democracy. Initiatives can go directly to the ballot or to the legislature, while referendums involve laws passed or referred by the legislature. To qualify, initiatives require 8% of the governor's race votes in signatures, and referendums half that number. Despite many filings, only a small percentage make it to the ballot, with topics like abortion rights and minimum wage among those approved. Changes to the process are often proposed but face controversy due to constitutional protection.

Takeaways

🗳️ Washington state allows citizens to directly influence legislation through initiatives and referendums.
📜 In 1912, Washington became one of the first states to adopt initiative and referendum rights.
🔢 There are two types of initiatives: initiatives to the people and initiatives to the legislature.
🏛️ Initiatives to the legislature are treated like bills but go to the ballot if not passed by the legislature.
📝 Any registered voter can propose an initiative, but they must collect 8% of the votes from the last gubernatorial election in signatures.
⏱️ Initiative proposers have 6 months to collect approximately 250,000 signatures for their initiative to qualify for the ballot.
📑 There are two types of referendums: measures and bills, which can be placed on the ballot through citizen petition or legislative referral.
💡 Referendum measures require half the number of signatures in half the time compared to traditional initiatives.
📊 Only 7% of initiatives filed over the past four decades have made it to the ballot, with less than half being approved.
🔑 Topics that have been addressed by successful initiatives include abortion rights, gun control, education, minimum wage, marijuana legalization, and tax limits.
🔄 Annually, bills are introduced in Olympia to modify the initiative and referendum process, which can be contentious due to constitutional protections.

Q & A

What is the significance of the year 1912 in Washington's political history?
-In 1912, Washington became one of the first states to grant the right of initiative and referendum, marking a significant step towards direct democracy.
How many states in the U.S. currently have some form of direct democracy?
-There are 26 states in the U.S. that have some form of direct democracy, including the right to initiative and referendum.
What are the two types of initiatives mentioned in the script?
-The two types of initiatives are initiatives to the people, which go directly to the ballot, and initiatives to the legislature, which are treated like any other bill unless they don't pass and then go on the ballot.
What is the requirement for a registered voter to propose an initiative in Washington?
-A registered voter must collect enough signatures from other voters to equal 8% of the most recent votes cast in the race for governor, or roughly 250,000 ballot signatures within 6 months.
How many types of referendums are there, and what are they?
-There are two types of referendums: referendum measures, which are laws passed by the legislature placed on the ballot through citizen petition, and referendum bills, which are laws the legislature has referred to the people for their final say.
What is the signature requirement for referendum measures compared to traditional initiatives?
-Referendum measures must collect half the number of signatures in half the time as traditional initiatives to qualify for the ballot.
How many initiatives are typically filed with the Secretary of State each year, and what is the success rate for making the ballot?
-Each year, as many as 80 initiatives are filed with the Secretary of State, and over the past four decades, only 7% of those filed have made the ballot.
What percentage of initiatives that made the ballot were approved by voters?
-Less than half of the initiatives that made the ballot were approved by voters.
What are some examples of issues that have been addressed through initiatives by Washington voters?
-Examples include abortion rights, gun control, education, minimum wage, marijuana legalization, public records, and various limits on taxes and fees.
What types of changes are typically introduced in Olympia that affect the initiative and referendum process?
-Changes introduced in Olympia can include extensions on the deadline for signature gathering, requiring greater financial transparency, and limitations on where and how signatures can be collected.
Why are changes to the initiative and referendum process controversial and difficult to enact?
-Changes to the initiative and referendum process are controversial and difficult to enact because it involves constitutionally protected rights.

Outlines

00:00

🗳️ Direct Democracy in Washington State

Senator Joe Fain introduces the concept of initiative and referendum as tools for citizens to directly influence legislation in Washington State. The state, one of the first to adopt such measures in 1912, allows for initiatives to the people, which go straight to the ballot, and initiatives to the legislature, which are treated like bills but can go to the ballot if not passed. Any registered voter can propose an initiative, but they must gather approximately 250,000 signatures within six months. There are two types of referendums: measures which are laws passed by the legislature and bills which are referred to the people for a final decision. Referendum measures require fewer signatures but within a shorter timeframe. Historically, only a small percentage of filed initiatives make it to the ballot, and even fewer are approved. Topics covered by successful initiatives include abortion rights, gun control, education, minimum wage, and marijuana legalization. The process is subject to change through legislation, but changes are often controversial due to the constitutional protection of these rights. The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to share the video and suggest topics for future 57-second explanations.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Initiative

An initiative is a process by which citizens can propose new laws or amendments to the constitution directly to voters, bypassing the legislature. In the context of the video, initiatives are a key component of direct democracy in Washington State, allowing citizens to propose laws that can be voted on directly or sent to the legislature. The video mentions two types of initiatives: initiatives to the people, which go directly to the ballot, and initiatives to the legislature, which are treated like bills but can be sent to the ballot if not passed.

💡Referendum

A referendum is a direct vote in which citizens decide on a particular issue, such as a proposed law or constitutional amendment. The video explains that there are two types of referendums in Washington: referendum measures, which are laws passed by the legislature and put to a public vote, and referendum bills, which are laws referred by the legislature directly to the people for a final decision. Referendums are another way citizens can exercise direct democracy.

💡Direct Democracy

Direct democracy refers to a political system where citizens have the power to make decisions directly, rather than through elected representatives. The video highlights that Washington is one of the first states to grant the right of initiative and referendum, which are forms of direct democracy. This allows citizens to have a more immediate impact on the laws and policies that affect them.

💡Ballot

A ballot is the means by which citizens vote on political matters, such as elections or referendums. In the video, the ballot is the final stage where initiatives and referendums are presented to the public for a vote. The process of getting initiatives and referendums onto the ballot involves collecting a significant number of signatures from registered voters.

💡Signatures

Signatures are required from registered voters to qualify an initiative or referendum for the ballot. The video specifies that initiatives need 8% of the most recent votes cast in the governor's race, approximately 250,000 signatures, while referendum measures require half that number but within half the time. Collecting these signatures is a crucial step in the initiative and referendum process.

💡Legislature

The legislature is the law-making body in a political system, typically consisting of elected representatives. In the context of the video, the Washington State legislature is where initiatives to the legislature are first sent. If these initiatives do not pass in the legislature, they proceed to the ballot for a public vote.

💡Citizen Proposal

A citizen proposal is a suggestion for a law or policy change made by citizens, rather than by elected officials. The video emphasizes that any registered voter in Washington can propose an initiative, which is a form of citizen proposal. This allows for grassroots law-making and gives citizens a voice in the legislative process.

💡Olympia

Olympia is the capital of Washington State, where the state's legislature meets. The video mentions Olympia as the location where initiatives to the legislature are treated like bills and where changes to the initiative and referendum process are introduced as bills each year.

💡Secretary of State

The Secretary of State is an elected official responsible for overseeing elections and maintaining public records. In the video, the Secretary of State is mentioned as the office where initiatives are filed, indicating their role in the administrative process of direct democracy.

💡Financial Transparency

Financial transparency refers to the openness and clarity of financial information, which is important in political processes to prevent corruption and ensure accountability. The video suggests that bills are introduced in Olympia to require greater financial transparency in the initiative and referendum process, indicating a desire for more openness in how these political actions are funded.

💡Signature Gathering

Signature gathering is the process of collecting signatures from registered voters to support an initiative or referendum. The video mentions that initiatives require a significant number of signatures within a six-month period, and that bills are introduced to extend the deadline for this process, highlighting the logistical challenges and importance of signature gathering in direct democracy.

Highlights

Washington allows citizens to influence legislation through initiatives and referendums.

Initiatives and referendums are part of Washington's direct democracy, established in 1912.

There are 26 states in the U.S. with some form of direct democracy, including Washington.

Initiatives to the people go directly to the ballot, while initiatives to the legislature are treated like bills.

Any registered voter can propose an initiative, but must collect a significant number of signatures.

The required number of signatures is 8% of the votes cast in the most recent governor's race, approximately 250,000.

Referendum measures are laws passed by the legislature that can be challenged by citizen petition.

Referendum bills are laws referred to the people for a final decision by the legislature.

Referendum measures require fewer signatures but have a shorter time to collect them compared to initiatives.

Over the past four decades, only 7% of filed initiatives have made it to the ballot.

Less than half of the initiatives that made the ballot were approved by voters.

Initiatives have covered significant issues such as abortion rights, gun control, education, and minimum wage.

Marijuana legalization and public records are among the topics addressed by initiatives.

Taxes and fees have also been subject to limitations through initiatives.

Legislative bills are introduced each year to change the initiative and referendum process.

Changes to the process can include signature gathering deadlines and financial transparency requirements.

Signature collection methods and locations may also be subject to legislative changes.

Initiatives and referendums are constitutionally protected rights, making changes to the process controversial.

Senator Joe Fain encourages viewers to engage with the process and suggest topics for future videos.