Citizen initiatives (CI) give voters a powerful “direct democracy” tool, enabling them to collect signatures and put a proposed law or constitutional amendment directly on the ballot for state voters to consider. CI empowers voters to take action on issues where legislatures are not listening to voters or have failed to resolve an issue. About half of states have some form of CI; North Carolina does not. The LWVNC Board authorized a study, which is underway. As a next step, the CI Study Group is sharing information and seeking input from League members across the state. This recording is from an initial statewide briefing and member dialogue, held on May 14 via Zoom.
Asher Hildebrand, associate professor at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy, provided a briefing on Citizen Initiative and its role as a direct democracy tool, reviewing pros and cons. This gave members a chance not only to learn more about CI but also to help chart a path forward to a new LWVNC position.
