Article Contributed on: 9/18/2008 1:09:11 PM
DU research center makes it easy for citizens to study November ballot issues beginning with Referendum O
Nov. 4 ballot is the most crowded since 1912 with 18 initiatives
DENVER-Coloradans who don't have time to review all 18 ballot issues in the November election have a place to go to learn more about some of the measures. In the first of three reports, the University of Denver Center for Colorado's Economic Future (CCEF) analyzed the potential impact of Referendum O, which would change the signature requirements and other aspects of the process used by citizens to initiate state statutes and amendments to the Colorado Constitution.
The report, available for download at
www.du.edu/economicfuture, compares the provisions of Referendum O to rules governing initiatives in other states and discusses the measure's goal of differentiating the process for placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot from that used to initiate state laws.
"Referendum O was proposed by the state legislature to address problems created by placing increasingly detailed, lengthy and sometimes conflicting provisions into the Colorado constitution through the initiative process" says
Charles Brown, director of CCEF. "It's an extremely important issue for voters to study and we developed a report that we hope will help citizens who are interested in learning more about the referendum." Once an amendment is added to the constitution, it cannot be changed without another amendment but statutes may be modified by the legislature.
Colorado, one of 24 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes or constitutional changes or both, currently has the same requirements for both statutory and constitutional initiatives.
The center was created in 2007 after DU's Colorado Economic Futures Panel (CEFP) completed its work in January 2006. The panel spent more than a year examining the fiscal health of Colorado's state and local governments and their ability to sustain fundamental public investments appropriate to the state's long-term economic vitality. Establishing a permanent center to study the state's economic future was a recommendation from the CEFP.
For further information, contact
Jeff Roberts or
Phyllis Resnick at (303) 871-7946 or
CCEF@du.edu.