Initiative and Referendum Study
Resource Packet
Preparing for consensus discussion and decision

At the LWVAL Convention in Tuscaloosa on May 20, 2007, state League delegates voted to continue the Study of the Alabama Legislature into Phase II. This portion of the study addresses, "the appropriateness of various forms of Initiative and Referendum as possible additions to the legislative process."

In Spring, 2008, local Leagues will hold meetings to discuss the issue of I&R. It is through this grassroots member discussion that the state consensus opinion is reached. All members are strongly encouraged to participate in this most fundamental League process. A complete statement of the LWVAL consensus
policy can be found on the LWVAL website at:
http://www.lwval.org/leagdemoc/LWVALCoreDocs/General/LWVAL%20Policies.pdf
(pages 5 and 6).

To prepare for the consensus meetings, please read and consider the following resource materials.

• Initiative and Referendum:  Background and Study Overview -- An overview of Initiative with some preliminary questions.  A summary from books listed in the bibliography. (pdf, doc)

• Initiative and Referendum Glossary --A brief glossary of terms. (pdf, doc)

• Politics in the States and the Initiative Process -- The current status of Initiative and Referendum in the states. Drawn from Chapter 5, “The Initiative Process,” by Shaun Bowler and Todd Donovan, in Politics and the American States: A Comparative Analysi. edited by Virginia Gray and Russell L. Hanson. (pdf, doc)

• NCSL Task Force on Initiative & Referendum Executive Summary -- Recommendations from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Executive Summary of the Report by their Task Force on Initiative and Referendum, 2002. (pdf, doc)

• Initiative and Referendum:  The View from Other States -- Survey of state League  positions on Initiative and Referendum from reports on the new LWVUS State Lobbyists List. (pdf, doc)

• Summary of Gerber's The Logic of Reform:  Assessing Initiative Reform Strategies, Chapt. 5 -- Summary of study of empirical evidence on what reforms have worked and what have not by Elizabeth Gerber, a recognized scholar on Initiative. (pdf, doc)
  

Consensus Questions (pdf, doc) - Please print these questions and bring to your local League's I&R consensus meeting(s).

Also, you can visit LWVAL Dialogue (the LWVAL blog) at
www.lwval.org/wordpress/
to participate online in discussion and debate with other Alabama League members regarding this issue.

If you have questions about the I&R Study or about these materials, please contact a member of the LWVAL I&R Resource Committee:

Thank you!