Ballot Initiative

The Preview Health Insurance Executives Don't Want You to See

Jamie Court | Posted 05.02.2012

Read More: Health Care Reform, Health Care, Dianne Feinstein, Health Insurance, California, Dave Jones, Ballot Initiative, Affordable Care, California Health Insurance, California Health Insurance Rates, Video, Politics News

Thirty five states require health insurance companies to get permission before raising rates, but not California.

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Will Patients Beat Blue Shield Again... This Time With the First Online Ballot Petition for Rate Regulation?

Jamie Court | Posted 04.09.2012

Read More: Insurance Rate Hikes, Health Insurance, Blue Shield, Ballot Initiative, Consumer Watchdog, Health Insurance Reform, Video, California Justify Rates, Politics News

Shouldn't the CEOs of health insurance companies like Blue Shield have to sign under penalty of perjury that their rate hikes are justified? Californians will vote on that proposition in November, and are almost sure to approve.

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6 Reasons Mississippians Said No to "Personhood" Amendment

Burns Strider | Posted 01.08.2012

Read More: Mississippi Naacp, Catholics, United Methodist, Social Conservatives, Mississippi, Conservatives, Southern Baptist, Liberals, Ballot Initiative, Election Day, Personhood, Derrick Johnson, Personhood Amendment, Naacp, Politics News

Why did those pushing "personhood" lose in arguably the most conservative state in the Union? Why did the opposing forces win a majority of the vote in Mississippi? Here are six reasons.

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The War on Women You Haven't Heard of

Nancy Keenan | Posted 01.04.2012

Read More: Abortion, Abortion Parental Notification, War on Women, Mississippi, Mississippi-Personhood, Haley Barbour, Ballot Initiative, Anti-Abortion Bill, Personhood, Mitt Romney, Personhood USA, Personhood Amendments, Initiative 26, Birth Control, Pro-Choice, Politics News

Anti-choice extremists never take their eye off the prize: making abortion illegal in the United States. Right now, they have their sights set on Mississippi.

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Jerry Brown Sends Birthday Present to the 99% on 100th Anniversary of Ballot Initiative Process

Jamie Court | Posted 12.10.2011

Read More: Mercury Insurance, Ballot Initiative, Consumer Watchdog, Jerry Brown, Politics News

With a simple signature, Brown has struck a blow for populism in the ballot initiative process by signing a new law to clarify that all ballot initiatives be voted on in November, when twice the number of voters show up, rather than in primary elections.

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North Carolina To Vote On Gay Marriage Ban In May 2012

HuffingtonPost.com | Tyler Kingkade | Posted 11.13.2011

Read More: Mitchell Gold, North Carolina Same-Sex Marriage, North Carolina Gay Marriage, LGBT Issues, Gay Rights, North Carolina Ballot, Ballot Initiative, Elections 2012, North Carolina Ballot Initiative, Gay Marriage Ban, Gay Marriage, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- North Carolina residents will vote whether to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage in May 2012, after the state Senate ...

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Last Call in Sacramento for 2011. Will Gov. Brown Make Ballot Initiatives Simpler?

Jamie Court | Posted 11.10.2011

Read More: Autism, Governor Jerry Brown, California, Ballot Initiative, California Legislature, Los Angeles News

The clock ticking down on the last night in the California statehouse is always a lot like waiting for last call at a rowdy bar around 2 AM -- you wonder how much damage will done before the last shot.

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Will Prop 8 End California's Democracy?

Rick Jacobs | Posted 11.05.2011

Read More: Prop 8, Ballot Initiative, Ballot Iniative Process, California Ballot Initiatives, California Ballot Initiative Process, California Ballot Proposition, California Ballot Initiative Reform, Politics News

If the State Supreme Court grants standing to ProtectMarriage.com, the state of California will have made its final descent into feudal politics, one in which the rich can buy laws and a place in court while the rest of us just stand idly by.

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Progressives Plot Ballot Initiative Strategy

HuffingtonPost.com | Amanda Terkel | Posted 10.24.2011

Read More: Ohio Issue 2, John Kasich Union Bill, Ohio Protests, Paul Lepage, Ballot Initiatives, Ballot Initiative, Maine Ballot Election, Idaho Ballot, Ballot Initiatives 2012, Elections 2012, Sb 5, John Kasich, Idaho Education, Progressive Ballot Initiatives, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, Same-Day Voter Registration, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- Buoyed by grassroots energy from the protests in Wisconsin earlier this year, progressives are now planning an offensive strategy. Organ...

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New Laws Proposed To Curb Abuse In CA's Ballot Initiative Process

| Will Evans | Posted 09.24.2011

Read More: Kim Alexander, California Voter Foundation, California State Legislature, Ballot Initiative, California Watch, Kris Vosburgh, Jerry Brown, Los Angeles News

By Will Evans. Story comes courtesy of California Watch. One hundred years after California adopted the ballot initiative process, legislation ...

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Pain May Favor a Tax Hike Come November

Robert Schwab | Posted 06.15.2011

Read More: Taxes, Rollie Heath, Ballot Initiative, Colorado Center on Law and Policy, Carol Hedges, Denver News

Carol Hedges figures Colorado voters will be ready for a tax hike by November once they begin to feel the pain of closed parks, crowded first-grade classrooms and much higher tuition at colleges.

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Taking the Initiative

Nicholas Stephanopoulos | Posted 06.04.2011

Read More: Referendum, Redistricting, Gerrymandering, Ballot Initiative, Democrats, 2012 Election, Politics News

Democrats and good-government advocates, then, have nothing to lose (and much to gain) by pushing for redistricting initiatives and referenda everywhere that they are available in 2012.

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Cage-Free Campaign Takes Wing in Washington State

Wayne Pacelle | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Chickens, Washington State, Factory Farming, Animal Welfare, Ballot Initiative, Cage-Free, Amberson Farms, Burger King, Proposition 2, Washingtonians for Humane Farms, Cage Gree Production, Hsus, Food News

Today, a coalition filed a proposed initiative petition in Washington state to halt the use of battery cage confinement in egg production.There is a commercially viable alternative: cage-free production.

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San Francisco May Vote On Circumcision Ban

Posted 06.15.2011

Read More: Medical Ethics, Lloyd Shofield, Penis, Ballot Initiative, Men's Health, Hiv, Male Circumcision, Bris, San Francisco Around Town, Parenting, Circumcision Ban, Video, Glans, Circumcision, Foreskin, Proposition, San Francisco, Los Angeles News

San Francisco residents may vote on a ballot measure next year that would outlaw circumcision. The initiative, which requires 7,000 signatures befo...

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Complaints from California: Untangling the Ballot Measures

Jessica Levinson | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Politics News, Politics, Redistricting, 2010 Redistricting, 2010 Elections, Ballot Initiative, Politics News

On November 2, 2010, California voters weighed in on nine ballot measures, all initiatives. Their votes sent one very important messages: We don't tru...

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Elections 2010: Money Can't Buy You Love

Jonathan F.P. Rose | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Money and Politics, Neuroscience, Proposition 23, Midterm Elections, Ballot Initiative, Environment, Conservation, Climate Legislation, The Commons, Connecticut Senate Race, Colorado Governor's Race, California Governor's Race, Campaign Finance, Green News

This week's election showed the Tea Party on the rise, America more deeply split, taxes and public spending in the crosshairs, with "me" winning out ...

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Four Votes for Animals, Four Final Days to Spread the Word

Wayne Pacelle | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: North Dakota, California, Ballot Initiative, 2010 Elections, Arizona, Proposition 109, Ballot Measures, Nra, Hunting, Puppy Mills, Missouri, Puppies, Trophy Hunting, State Parks, Animal Protection, Dogs, Wildlife, Politics News

With just four days until the election, we're in a last push with coalition partners to spread our critical message to voters in Arizona, California, ...

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Treating Dogs Like Garbage: Illegal Disposal Revealed at Missouri Puppy Mills

Wayne Pacelle | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Proposition B, Dog Breeders, Pets, Ballot Initiative, Puppy Mills, Missouri Election 2010, Missouri, Puppies, Election 2010, Dogs, Politics News

With the battle over Prop B in Missouri in its final week, Missourians for the Protection of Dogs yesterday released a follow-up report to its Oct. 5 ...

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Fighting Terrorism in Kingston, Rhode Island

Anthony Amore | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Rhode Island, Question 2, Dhs, Ballot Initiative, National Security, Homeland Security, Terrorism, Uri, Technology News

Last week, I returned to my undergraduate alma mater, the University of Rhode Island, to give a talk as part of Dr. Jimmie Oxley's popular URI Forensi...

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Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa Hits A Home Run Helping Animals

Wayne Pacelle | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Proposition B, Animal Cruelty, Animal Rescue Foundation, Cats, Ballot Initiative, 2010 Elections, Puppy Mills, Major League Baseball, Animal Adoption, Tony La Russa, Missouri, St. Louis Cardinals, Ad Campaign, Animal Protection, Dogs, Elections 2010, Politics News

Tony La Russa has just concluded a new one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, so he'll be back next spring for his sixteenth year as manager of o...

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Hunting Down Prop 109: Wildlife Protection, Voters' Rights At Risk

Wayne Pacelle | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: National Rifle Association, Hunting, 2010 Election News, 2010 Elections, Prop 109, Ballot Initiative, 2010 Election, Trapping, Arizona, Nra, Wildlife, Elections 2010, Politics News

The Humane Society of the United States trusts the voters of Arizona. The NRA doesn't, and it wants to take away their rights to vote on citizen initi...

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Playing Politics with Puppy Mill Abuse

Wayne Pacelle | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Proposition B, Pets, Ballot Initiative, Puppy Mills, Joe the Plumber, Missouri, Tea Party, Dogs, Politics News

Missouri voters -- whether they are Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Tea Party enthusiasts, or others -- love their pets. And they wouldn't treat their own dogs like the mills treat theirs.

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A Dozen More Reasons for Supporting Missouri's Prop B

Wayne Pacelle | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Proposition B, Dog Breeders, Animal Cruelty, Pets, Ballot Initiative, Puppy Mills, Missouri, Puppies, Usda, Office of Inspector General, Animal Protection, Dogs, Politics News

I stepped down from a platform a couple of hours ago at the Humane Society of Missouri headquarters in St. Louis to announce the results of The Humane...

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Where's the Woman? (VIDEO)

Kierra Johnson | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Youth Vote, Youth, Pro-Choice, Ballot Initiative, Colorado, Fetal Rights, Abortion, Fetal Personhood, Abortion Rights, Video, Politics News

"Fetal personhood" initiatives intend to separate the pregnant woman from her fetus, thereby making the woman -- her experiences, her rights -- virtually impossible to find.

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Prop 19 Would Help -- Not Hurt -- Medical Marijuana Patients

David Borden | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: California Prop 19, California Gay Marriage, Ballot Initiatives, Ballot Initiative, Ballot-Initiatives, Prop 19, Medical Marijuana, Proposition 19, California-Prop-19, California Proposition 19, Los Angeles News

A group of medical marijuana dispensaries has come out against Prop 19, California's "Tax and Regulate Cannabis" initiative to legalize marijuana. Are they misinformed or deliberately lying? I don't know anymore.

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