Socials issues could easily overshadow candidates on the November ballot as more than three-dozen potential initiatives – including those on gay marriage, marijuana and nuclear weapons – battle for voters’ attention this fall.
Only a fraction of the individuals and groups that propose such initiatives usually gather the 67,829 valid signatures needed to get on the ballot. But with two initiatives and five legislature- referred issues already set for November, the ballot’s starting to fill up.
If even a fifth of the remaining groups gather the required signatures this year, the initiative count will best the 30-year record set in 1992, which had 10 initiatives and three referendums.
Colorado is a leader among states for making laws through a direct vote instead of going through the legislature.
“It’s part of the Colorado political culture,” said Jennie Bowser, a policy analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures. “I’ve had far, far more calls about (initiatives) this year … but it’s way early in the process.”
Michael Kanner, a University of Colorado political science instructor, said the initiative process started as part of the progressive movement’s push to get around the legislature, which at the turn of the century was controlled by mining and railroad interests.
Since then, however, it has often become a way for special-interest groups to push an issue politicians won’t touch.
“It’s a wonderful practice of democracy if people vote on something whether the politicians want it or not,” he said. “But in reality, a small group that can collect enough signatures can frame the issue before anyone else.”
And there are a lot of – sometimes conflicting – issues that people and groups want to frame this year.
Perhaps the biggest issue is gay marriage and domestic partnerships, which erupted after the legislature referred to the ballot an initiative that would give same-sex couples domestic partnership rights.
Bishop Phillip Porter is gathering signatures to define marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman, and state Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, is proposing a measure that would ban legal rights similar to that of marriage.
There’s a chance that all three measures could pass, leaving Colorado in a legal quagmire.
“You do have a real dilemma if they all pass,” Lundberg said.
Other potential issues that could draw heated debate are initiatives to limit government services for illegal immigrants, require students who do not test well in English to take special classes and eliminate contributions limits in political campaigns in favor of more disclosure.
There could also be proposals to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, prohibit abortion of viable fetuses and allow family members to make end-of- life decisions for terminally ill people.
Jon Caldara alone is contemplating four issues for the November ballot. Two would cap the money the government can retain under Referendum C at $3.7 billion and refund the rest in different ways. The third would sunset tax increases after 10 years. The fourth would prohibit companies that give more than $500 to tax-increase campaigns from receiving any contracts from the government that passed the increase.
“They’re all going forward,” said Caldara, president of the Independence Institute. “Not all are likely to make it, but one or two will.”
Less-known or unusual proposals include an attempt to make it a felony for any lawmaker to approve locating nuclear weapons in Colorado, allow utilities to pass the costs of conservation to consumers as long as it saves them money and repeal the statewide smoking ban that takes effect July 1.
No matter how controversial or quirky the proposed ballot issues, it is the right of Colorado residents to change the constitution if they believe in an issue, said Dana Williams, spokeswoman for the secretary of state.
“It is the people’s initiative process … to get issues on the ballot that they can’t get support for in the legislature,” she said.
The deadline for submitting signatures is Aug. 7, and the state will know how many actually make the ballot soon after.
Staff writer Arthur Kane can be reached at 303-820-1626 or akane@denverpost.com.
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