Tag: referendum
Decision about petition drive on gun control up in the air
Following the controversial passage of the Firearms Safety Act of 2013, many Marylanders in opposition to the law may be wondering: what next?
Republican delegates have not yet come together with a unified response. However, rumors of a referendum petition are moving fast.
Read MoreRestrictions on referendum process won’t pass this session, Senate president says
Senate President Mike Miller told reporters Wednesday that new standards making it more difficult to petition new laws to the ballot are not likely to pass this year, though he agrees that the practice needs to be curtailed.
Read MoreReferendum changes still awaiting action in House committee
The chairman of the election law subcommittee handling controversial changes to the referendum and petition process said Tuesday that the bill isn’t dead, despite the fact that it awaits action by the subcommittee and would need numerous amendments to make it palatable to stakeholders. But with just 13 days left in the 90-day session, Election Law Subcommittee Chairman Jon Cardin, D-Baltimore County, conceded, “The chances of it moving have decreased.”
Read MoreProposed new referendum requirements will be amended, election law subcommittee chair Cardin says
The Referendum Integrity Act, a bill that’s been lambasted as voter suppression, contains numerous clauses that could potentially disqualify thousands of online petition signature pages before they are even signed. But the chairman of the subcommittee in charge of HB493, Del. Jon Cardin, who is also a co-sponsor, says his goal in reforming petition legislation is not to make the process more difficult.
Read MoreOnline petition drives have made referendums easier
Maryland voters in November may face as many as three questions on the ballot to overturn laws passed by the General Assembly. Opponents of the third measure — a gerrymandered congressional district plan — are nearly halfway to reaching the signatures needed with a week left to go.
Read MoreBill would close loopholes in referendum law
With the state’s referendum laws in the spotlight for the first time in two decades, some legislators hope to close weaknesses in the referendum process that can open the door to fraud.
The House Ways and Means Committee heard testimony on a bill Wednesday that would adopt several measures implemented in other states to help ensure the validity of referendum petitions. We’ve got a story and a podcast.
Read MoreAppeal of Friday’s tuition referendum ruling will be ‘frivolous,’ petition leader says
Circuit Court Judge Ronald Silkworth ruled Friday that a referendum to challenge a new law granting in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants can go forward on this November’s ballot. The attorney for Casa de Maryland said he will appeal, but the petition leader said the appeals court will uphold the judge’s ruling, and the petition will be on the November ballot.
Read MoreRepublicans move to limit access to referendum petitions
Republican lawmakers presented a bill to block public access to petitions in order to prevent intimidation and personal attacks on Thursday.
Read MoreBills seek to open up verification of petition signatures
Bills to add transparency and checks and balances to signatures on referendum petitions were scrutinized by the House Ways and Means Committee, but seemed to receive lukewarm support on Wednesday.
Read MoreImmigrant tuition referendum sparks bills to improve the process
Members of the General Assembly who spearheaded a petition drive to bring a law granting in-state tuition to some illegal immigrants have proposed legislation for the coming session to solve some of the problems they encountered while trying to get the referendum on the ballot.
Read MoreCasa drops challenge to signatures in Dream Act referendum
Casa de Maryland, the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit seeking to halt a state referendum on illegal immigrants receiving in-state college tuition, will no longer challenge the validity or number of petition signatures approved by the State Board of Elections.
Instead, it will focus solely on the argument that Dream Act legislation is an appropriations bill, thus disqualifying it from being subject to referendum.
DREAM Act opponents declare first victory
Opponents of the Maryland DREAM Act say they have collected more than twice the number of petition signatures needed to put the controversial new law on the 2012 general election ballot.
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