For those involved in the citizen initiative process, there are lessons to be learned from the Arizona Supreme Court’s recent decision involving a challenge to the signatures obtained by certain initiative petition...more
The Missouri House of Representatives will soon consider whether to pass House Bill 703, which contains two new provisions applicable to statewide initiative petition circulators. First, circulators must be a Missouri...more
If 2021 was the appetizer, expect 2022 to be the main course for cannabis laws in Ohio. Three separate efforts were launched in 2021 to expand upon Ohio’s existing medical marijuana program....more
Another court of appeal has held that local special taxes adopted by a citizen-sponsored initiative do not require two-thirds voter approval. Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association v. City and County of San Francisco, No....more
At the end of 2019, we urged employers to keep an eye on a new recreational marijuana legalization voter initiative in Arizona: the Smart and Safe Arizona Act. Although many employers have been focused on the COVID-19...more
The California Privacy Rights and Enforcement Act (“CPRA”) - the latest ballot initiative spearheaded by Alastair MacTaggart and his group Californians for Consumer Privacy - has qualified for the November 3, 2020 ballot,...more
The Law Court recently addressed an issue of great importance to appellate practitioners: does a party need to cross-appeal a favorable judgment in order to preserve an argument providing alternate grounds for affirmance,...more
An unprecedented number of citizen-initiated ballot measures are making their way through Colorado’s process in advance of the Nov. 3, 2020, election. To date, 257 ballot measures have been submitted for the 2019-2020...more
As Arizona employers prepare for 2020, key minimum wages and exempt salary levels under city, state, and federal law will go into effect. Additionally, employers will want to remain aware of potential legislation and/or voter...more
On July 5, a San Francisco trial court held that local taxes imposed by voter initiative are not taxes imposed by a “local government” and therefore are not subject to the two-thirds supermajority voter approval requirement...more
The Colorado Supreme Court provided a big victory on Monday to proponents of a citizen-initiated statewide ballot measure that would ask voters whether to repeal a provision in the Colorado Constitution known as the Taxpayer...more
On March 29, 2019, the Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act (IWOWA) and the Paid Medical Leave Act (PMLA) take effect. These laws are the result of two citizen-led 2018 ballot initiatives – one raising the state's minimum...more
On September 5, 2018, the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives adopted a citizen-initiated paid leave ballot proposal that was supposed to be put to a vote in the November 2018 general elections. Unlike the ballot...more
One day before the Sept. 5 deadline, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office has completed the signature line review for citizen ballot initiatives and certified seven for the November ballot. These are the same seven...more
By a narrow margin, on Nov. 7, 2017, Denver voters approved a Citizen Ballot Initiative (“Initiative”) that mandates green roofs on all new buildings with over 25,000 square feet of floor area. The Initiative also requires...more
On February 6, 2017, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens signed Senate Bill 19, making Missouri our nation’s 28th right-to-work state. Senate Bill 19, codified as Section 290.590 of the Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo), was...more
A year ago, I addressed the effective date of California legislative bills in this post. In California, the people can also exercise legislative power through two different mechanisms – the initiative and the referendum. In...more
California may soon join the growing number of states that allow recreational marijuana with the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Initiative (or Proposition 64) on the November ballot. The measure would...more
As you may have heard this week, proponents of a Los Angeles citywide building moratorium voter initiative known as the “Neighborhood Integrity Initiative” have withdrawn an initiative initially proposed for the November 2016...more
Under the Dome: Inside the Maine State House provides a high-level overview of recent activity at the Maine State House. Debate Begins Over Spending or Saving Projected Surplus - This week, the Maine Revenue...more
Earlier this month, California’s Secretary of State announced that the proponent of a California nationhood proposal may circulate the initiative for signature. The proponent must secure the signatures of 365,880 registered...more
As reported on Nossaman's Endangered Species Law & Policy blog, on April 1, 2015, Governor Jerry Brown issued a landmark executive order mandating water cutbacks for urban residents to address the state's historic drought....more
In quick succession, the Southern California cities of Inglewood and Carson have used the initiative process to approve new NFL football stadiums in bids to lure teams to new homes, bypassing review under the California...more
On Friday, April 3, Citadel Exploration filed a request for dismissal in its suit against San Benito County’s Measure J. Measure J was passed in the November 2014 election and is a ban on high-intensity petroleum operations,...more
While Colorado cities continue to litigate their authority to ban fracing, a new environmental group is rallying to ban the practice throughout the entire state. At a gathering on February 24, the “Coloradans Against...more