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initiative, referendum, and recall term limits

Taking the Initiative (and Referendum)

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Maryland State Senator Joan Carter Conway dislikes a certain popular bill, so it probably won’t pass. Why not? Is she so charismatic that she can persuade most fellow lawmakers to vote down any bill she dislikes?

No. Conway chairs the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. Although most committee members support this particular bill, she can kill it just by declining to bring it up for a vote. Then it won’t matter what anybody else thinks — in the committee, the senate, or the whole state.

The bill in question would simply allow direct shipment of wine to Maryland. That’s it. Prohibition was repealed some time ago. But there are still many silly laws regulating how liquor may be distributed and sold, laws that have nothing to do with protecting the public.

Annapolis commentator Eric Hartley argues for legislative term limits, saying it would help break up Maryland’s undemocratic committee system. Yes, but voters need the right of citizen initiative even more — so they can GET the term limits, for one thing.

Maryland citizens do have referendum rights, the right to exercise the “People’s Veto.” But lawmakers have been making it very difficult lately to exercise that veto. Let’s hope the courts strike down those restrictions. And that voters find a way to pass liberty-​expanding ballot measures on their own even when their representatives won’t or can’t.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

2 replies on “Taking the Initiative (and Referendum)”

What I think is even worse than Joan Carter Conway is someone like Nancy Pelosi. Even though she is affecting the whole United States she will only accept comments from people in her district. I’m sure if I had a big donation she would let me have my say.

You know, this is kid of weird. Not sure if related or not. But I grew up in Newark, Delaware, on the Maryland border. 

We Delawareans all used to make the trip to Elkton, MD to buy our booze, cause MD had no tax on liquor, beer and wine, like Delaware did.

I wonder if it’s still the same, and how this new law plays into it all?

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