When my kids first got video games, we devised a family contract. We spelled out how long they could play, the priority of homework and the acceptance of absolute parental discretion.
But no sooner was the ink dry than we realized we needed a few changes. The original deal had a half-hour per day limit, but what if friends came over on weekends? Fortunately for us, a change was simple; we just put a note in the margin.
Not so for California’s initiative process. An initiative that creates a state statute or amends the state Constitution cannot be changed, even in minor ways, without a new initiative. The only exceptions are initiatives that specifically state that the Legislature can make changes, but most don’t have that provision.
The result is stagnation and unaccountability. Few groups sponsor new initiatives to fix problems in ones they pushed through. Voters then blame the Legislature for being unresponsive, but these same voters have deprived the Legislature of the power it needs to respond.
We can’t vote ourselves out of office. So what can we do?
In the long term, we need real initiative reform. We should make it harder to pass constitutional amendments and allow the Legislature, at least after a few years, to easily change statutes enacted by initiative.
Even in the short term, we can make real change by remembering the laws about amendments when we decide how to vote on the ballot measures on Nov. 8.
Three measures illustrate my point. Proposition 64, which would legalize marijuana in California, is 62 pages and covers a broad array of topics, including criminal penalties, safety, licensing, manufacturing, testing, advertising, record-keeping, taxes, drug education and industrial hemp. Thankfully, provisions relating to safety may be amended by a majority of legislators.
Originally published in the Sacramento Bee. To read the rest of the article please go here.