Legislation Quick Search
03/28/2024 04:46 PM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=15565
Share:
Home / Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Subscribe to PaLegis Notifications
NEW!

Subscribe to receive notifications of new Co-Sponsorship Memos circulated

By Member | By Date | Keyword Search


Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 4, 2014 10:42 AM
From: Senator Lisa M. Boscola
To: All Senate members
Subject: Initiative and Referendum in Pennsylvania
 
In the near future, I plan to reintroduce legislation that would permit initiative and referendum in Pennsylvania.

Today, 27 states have some form of initiative and/or referendum process. Proponents of this process point to the advantages of direct democracy. They claim that elected representatives can, at times, become consumed with their power and take actions that represent their own self-interest and not the interest of the people. Initiatives can be used to make the will of the people law on issues that elected officials are unwilling to address.

I will be reintroducing a Joint Resolution that would permit initiative and referendum in Pennsylvania. Statutes could not be proposed unless a submitted petition is signed by registered electors equal to a number of not less than 5% of the votes cast for Governor, in not less than 45 counties.

I believe that giving more power to the people to affect their government outcomes is a good thing—and long overdue.

I invite you to join me as a co-sponsor. This is a reintroduction of SB 365 from the previous legislative session. Co-sponsors included: BROWNE, TEPLITZ, WOZNIAK and RAFFERTY.



Introduced as SB92