State Feed: Maryland

Maryland: Elections Board to Certify Dream Petition Signatures

AmandaKathryn — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:55:30 -0400

Proponents of an attempt to overturn a law granting in-state tuition to illegal immigrants have done what some observers predicted to be near impossible three months ago.

Petition drive organizers, led by Republican lawmakers, have gathered more than 100,000 valid signatures on their petition for referendum, which is expected to be certified by the state Board of Elections today, potentially marking the first such effort to reach the ballot in Maryland in a generation.

Citizens' Rights Safe in Many States as State Legislatures End Sessions

Tue, 18 May 2010 14:23:59 -0400

Of the 45 states whose legislatures hold sessions in 2010, 27 of them have adjourned for the year, and 5 more will wrap up before the end of the month. Of the more than 80 bills dealing with the initiative and referendum process in various states, 51 of them would have reduced citizens’ initiative rights. Thanks to the work of activists in our coalitions, only 3 bills reducing citizen’s rights have passed and become law.

Another Referendum Effort Falls Victim to Maryland's Absurd Signature Requirements

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:34:44 -0400

We’ve been telling you for some time about Maryland’s ridiculously strict requirements for a valid signature on a referendum petition. That requirement has taken out another effort by citizens to exercise their referendum rights in Howard County as 36% of their petition signatures were rejected.

Testifying On Behalf of Maryland Citizens

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:11:44 -0500

Today, Citizens in Charge, a transpartisan national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, presented testimony urging Maryland legislators to restore the state’s referendum process by passing Senate Bill 240. Additionally, the group suggested amending the bill to give the Board of Elections latitude in verifying the identity of the registered voter.

Maryland referendum process gets a D

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:21:08 -0500

A national, nonpartisan, voters-rights organization that promotes the referendum process has given Maryland a D on a recent report card. While Maryland laws do allow for ballot initiatives to be launched by citizens, the group found state laws about signature collection too “restrictive.”

Read the story from The Capital

Maryland: Slots casino location prompts petition signature drive

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:24:05 -0500

A coalition has submitted nearly 24,000 signatures supporting a referendum on Anne Arundel County’s fall ballot that could overturn a decision allowing the state’s largest slots casino at a mall. Citizens Against Slots at the Mall submitted 23,702 signatures to the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections on Thursday afternoon in support of a referendum that would allow county voters to decide whether to permit slots at Arundel Mills, according to the groups coordinating the effort. Joseph A. Torre III, director of the county’s board of elections, did not respond to a request for comment.

Maryland: November referendum on constitutional convention

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 09:58:11 -0500

This November, Marylanders will have a once-in-a-generation chance to shake up the political process. Yet few know about it, and even fewer are talking about it. Maryland’s Constitution stipulates that, every 20 years, the General Assembly must place on the general election ballot a binding referendum asking voters whether they want to convene a constitutional convention. If it passes, it could be the most politically momentous event in Maryland during 2010.

From Arizona to Maryland, Citizens Use Ballot to Fight Speed & Red Light Cameras

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:09:20 -0500

People around the country have been fighting against speed and red light cameras ever since they started dotting intersections and roadsides in the 1990’s. In many states this policy debate is moving to the ballot, where initiative and referendum rights are able to give voters a voice on an issue that is often decided by unelected law enforcement and highway officials.

Virginia foundation honors Howard County citizen group

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:53:56 -0500

The Citizens in Charge Foundation, a Virginia-based voter rights group, has awarded the Howard County Citizens for Open Government with its December John Lilburne Award. The award, presented each month to people or groups working to defend the right to petition, is named after a 17th-century English pamphleteer and political activist. Howard County Citizens for Open Government was recognized for its efforts to overturn a Board of Elections decision invalidating more than 80 percent of the signatures on a petition to block the construction of a grocery store at Turf Valley.

Howard County, Maryland Referendum Case Debated

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:04:25 -0500

At Citizens in Charge Foundation we seek to keep the initiative & referendum process open and accessible for those citizens who have it, and expand the process to those citizens who do not. We believe that the initiative & referendum process is a right that every citizen should have, regardless of what issue or policy they intend to use it for.

Maryland Citizen Group Honored with December Lilburne Award

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:15:44 -0500

Howard County Citizens for Open Government are this month’s Lilburne Award Honorees. This group of citizens from Howard County, Maryland is currently working to protect their first amendment petitioning rights which were restricted by the Howard County Board of Elections earlier this year. To read more about the group and their case go here.

Maryland Citizen Group Honored for Work to Keep Referendum Process Open and Accessible

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:22:13 -0500

(LAKE RIDGE, VA) – Today, Citizens in Charge Foundation, a transpartisan national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, presented Howard County Citizens for Open Government with the December 2009 John Lilburne Award. The group is being awarded this month for working to defend their right to petition their government over a land-use issue in Howard County, Maryland.

New Video

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:38:48 -0500

There’s a new video posted on the Citizens in Charge Foundation website and Youtube channel. Grassroots Director Brandon Holmes and I metup with some of the members of the Howard County Citizens for Open Government last Friday for their appeal hearing, and talked with them over lunch afterwards. Here’s what they had to say regarding their case.

Hearing on Howard County, MD petition signature appeal

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:44:20 -0500

Howard County residents fighting development of a proposed hotel and golf club said in court on Friday that they should be allowed to revive a petition to block the project, an argument that, if successful, could have broad implications on voter efforts to overturn government actions.

Read the story from the Baltimore Sun

Hearing in Howard County Regarding Petition Signature Verification

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:20:34 -0500

Last Friday, Citizens in Charge Foundation staff headed up to Howard County, Maryland to observe the appeals hearing regarding the rejected petition signatures at the circuit court. We previously blogged about this case here.

Howard County, MD Citizens Will be in Court Friday to Challenge Petitioning Restriction

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:54:57 -0500

I am writing to provide an update on the CB58-2008 referendum petition drive that started last November after the Howard County Maryland Council approved a 300% zoning increase for the size of grocery stores in Turf Valley.You may recall that citizens gathered over 9,300 signatures to place this legislation on the ballot for voters to decide in the 2010 election.

Frederick, MD City and County Fight Over Annexation Referendum

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:36:59 -0400

Frederick County officials are calling on residents to sign a petition to hold a referendum on the city of Frederick’s plans to annex three neighborhoods. The county has set up a website listing petition locations and urging people to sign, while developers have paid city officials to send a letter to all registered city voters urging them not to sign.

Petition to get tax-cap measure on ballot in Annapolis

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:25:09 -0400

Several local leaders are spearheading an effort to give Annapolis voters the opportunity to decide if they want a cap on property taxes in the city. The Annapolis Tax Cap Charter Amendment would limit annual tax increases for residential and commercial properties to 4.5 percent or the rate of inflation - whichever is the lowest.

Read the story from The Capital

Speed cameras on U.S. highways?

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:21:02 -0400

Lawmakers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Montana and Mississippi failed to get a freeway speed camera measure onto a ballot, but points to Maryland as an example of lawmakers’ success. He says 13 states have specific laws banning freeway cameras, but he sees a natural progression from states using red-light cameras to using freeway speed cameras.

Read the story from CNN

Maryland anti-speed camera petition fails to meet signature requirement

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:32:38 -0400

Organizers of a petition to put speed cameras in Maryland to a public vote failed to overcome their first bureaucratic hurdle after working furiously over the weekend to collect the necessary signatures before a midnight Sunday deadline, dooming the effort.

Read the story from the Washington Times