I’m a big fan of Rep. Sherry Appleton’s ban on paid-per-signature, but I also agree with the Seattle Times in their assesment of the bill:
Oregon already has such a ban. According to Michael Arno, who runs a California signature-gathering firm, the cost of getting a measure on Oregon’s ballot jumped from $175,000 to more than [...]
Sometimes its hard to tell whether LAs check their members’ email addresses, or if they go straight to the member. In the case of Rep. Sherry Appleton, she checks it:
Thanks Emmett. I am Vice-Chair of the Committee, so I will discuss it with Sam as well. Again thank you for your comments and your idea.
Sherry
I emailed Rep. Hunt’s legislative assistant to find out if there had been anything new after our meeting. At the time Hunt said he’d talk to the state government committee staff. She had no news, but said that she’d follow up with Hunt for me.
Also, I’m emailing Rep. Sherry Appleton this afternoon to prompt her [...]
Rep. Sherry Appleton is at least talking the right talk about her paid-per-signature ban:
The whole issue behind Initiative and Referendum is it belongs to the people. The framers of the State Constitution envisioned citizens who were passionate about issues - either enacting legislation or repealing what the legislature had passed - to go out [...]
Having not met with many elected officials (well, probably more than most people, but I’m still not used to it) I’d say today’s meeting with Rep. Sam Hunt went well.
As a sort of review, I’d been trying to schedule a meeting with him since summer, but through a series of mishaps and misadventures, I wasn’t [...]
After sitting in the Michigan senate for about a year, HB 4328 was passed onto the state’s governor last week. If signed, the bill would change Michigan’s minimum petition size to 8.5 by 11 inches.
Tomorrow I’ll finally sit down with my local representative that has a more direct say in bills that effect the initiative process. Mostly my fault it has taken me so long, and I’m thinking this lateness will really prevent anything happening on Printer Democracy this session.
I’m sure Rep. Hunt already has tons on his plate [...]
