Any practical advice is welcome.
Edit: After some research, the path seems to be basically this:
- Get state residents to contact their delegates asking them to draft and/or support a constitutional amendment that gives citizens power to submit ballot initiatives (that’s what we do not currently have in our state constitution).
- The legislature has to pass it by 2/3 in order for it to appear on the ballot (governor does not need to sign it for it to appear on the ballot)
- A simple majority of voters (> 50%) would have to vote “yes” on the proposed amendment on election day.
Sounds easy enough, but the last 4 ballot initiatives (all legislatively sponsored) were basically power grabs (thankfully none of them passed). Still, going to see if I can maybe get the ball rolling and channel my jealousy of other states into something productive.
I agree, and I’m wondering if that brings up a “hail mary” pathway for OP. If all avenues of representation have failed, could OP sue the state to allow ballot initiatives? OP said in another reply they even elected a Democrat legislator, but the legislator changed to Republican after getting into office. Did that create a valid argument that, even following the accepted pathways for representation, it is unavailable to OP, therefor with ballot initiatives also unavailable to OP, there is no representation possibly raising constitutional questions?
Yes the lawsuit would fail, but it would act as a rallying point for others which could add momentum for change.
I did some research, and we basically need a constitutional amendment in order to grant this power to the citizens. Updated the post body with the three “simple” steps needed to make that happen. Not impossible, but it’s an uphill climb.
If you’re in Kansas, I took at a look at the State Constitution a couple days ago when I read the headlines.
If my reading is right (and IANAL), that State Constitutional Amendment would need to be raised in the state legislature. Since your representation there has been effectively annulled with the party switch of your rep, that feels like that may give you standing to sue. Thats my thinking anyway. Talk to people that really know what they’re talking about instead of me.