In The News 
The initiative process needs to be fixed
Intended to allow residents to bypass a legislature corrupted by money and influence, the Washington ballot initiative process is increasingly being used by the very special interests that the ballot initiative was supposed to prevent.
Privacy Looms Over Gay Rights Vote
At a time when voters in many states are using petitions to qualify ballot measures on issues from gay rights to property rights, a legal dispute over the identity of 138,000 petition signers here is raising new questions about privacy, free speech and elections in the Internet age.
Unions file suit against Sizemore, Parks
Oregon unions won a civil racketeering judgment against Sizemore in 2002, and this time they filed a lawsuit accusing him of setting up a "sham charitable organization" used to funnel Parks money into four initiative campaigns on the 2008 ballot.
Planned Parenthood sues over abortion, stem cell petitions
Planned Parenthood sued the state Wednesday to object to the language in two proposed anti-abortion, anti-stem-cell funding ballot initiatives.
Anti-Marriage Equality Ad Rings False on the Merits
A new anti-marriage equality ad is claiming registered domestic partners are accorded a legal status similar to that of a married person. But the ad rings false on the merits, and 'similar' doesn't mean 'the same.'
Personhood initiative lining up friends and foes
A version of the anti-choice initiative soundly defeated by Colorado voters in 2008 is making its way to the 2010 ballot, this time reworked as an “egg-as-a-person” initiative.
NY voters asked to consider land swap, inmate work
Voters across New York will be asked next week to pull the lever on a land swap for a power line in the northwestern corner of the Adirondacks.
New poll: Marriage equality supporters in lead
A new poll released today by Pan Atlantic SMS Group of Portland shows a 53-42 percent advantage to supporters of same-sex marriage.
Judge denies Prop. 8 backers delay on memos
A federal judge said sponsors of California's ban on same-sex marriage may not delay in handing over campaign strategy documents to gay-rights groups that are looking for evidence of anti gay bias as they try to overturn the measure.
Voters may be ready for publicly financed campaigns
A poll last week found that nearly two-thirds of voters would say yes to a June 2010 ballot measure that would dip our collective toes into public financing of campaigns. In contrast, Field Poll numbers released this month show voters want to go to governance heaven but they don't want to go now.
