Latest news with #LeagueofWomenVoters'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas attorney general certifies League of Women Voters ballot title
Voters sign a petition to place a measure on the Nov. 5 ballot at a signing event April 8, 2024, outside Little Rock's Whitewater Tavern. (Paige Eichkorn / Arkansas Advocate) Attorney General Tim Griffin on Wednesday substituted and certified the popular name and ballot title of a constitutional amendment proposed by the League of Women Voters of Arkansas aimed at preserving the state's direct democracy process. Griffin had rejected the proposal three times prior to Wednesday's certification. In his most recent rejection, Griffin cited a new state law that prohibits ballot titles from being written above an eighth-grade reading level as his reason for denying certification. In Wednesday's opinion, Griffin said he previously did not approve the League of Women Voters' proposal because it ranked at grade level 12.2 on the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula. The test uses word complexity and sentence lengths to calculate what grade of education is needed to comprehend written material. Arkansas attorney general rejects first ballot measure under new law Additionally, the attorney general identified two other 'minor issues' — a grammatical error in the text and the proposal's 'failure to mention any standards upon which a popular name could be challenged.' Griffin noted in Wednesday's opinion, which Assistant Attorney General Kelly Summerside prepared, that the League of Women Voters had corrected both issues and rewrote the ballot title so it ranks at an 8.5 grade level on the Flesch-Kincaid test. 'With regard to your proposed ballot title, I have made several minor changes to ensure that the ballot title clearly and accurately sets forth the purpose of your proposed initiated amendment to the Arkansas Constitution, while remaining at an eighth-grade reading level,' Griffin said. The League of Women Voters of Arkansas and its ballot question committee, Save AR Democracy, said they were pleased with 'this long-awaited approval,' in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon. 'This victory belongs to every Arkansan who believes in the power of the people to shape their own government,' said Bonnie Miller, president of the League. 'Despite the challenges, we refused to give up because the right to direct democracy is worth fighting for.' The League of Women Voters of Arkansas submitted its first proposal in March. The amendment's goal is to 'restore Arkansans' constitutional right to direct democracy by preventing legislative interference, streamlining legal reviews, and simplifying the citizen-led petition process while ensuring that the fundamental rights of the amendment are subject to strict scrutiny by the courts in order to be valid,' according to a Wednesday press release. Direct democracy is the process by which Arkansans can propose new laws or constitutional amendments and place them on the ballot for a statewide vote. Arkansas is one of 24 states that allow citizen-led initiatives, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The nonpartisan LWVA, which submitted its most recent proposal on May 7, is proposing a constitutional amendment to prohibit state lawmakers from changing the Arkansas Constitution themselves and require that any new law affecting the initiative and referendum process must be approved by voters at the next general election. Additionally, the ballot measure would only permit voters, not state lawmakers, to propose changes to Article 5, Section 1 of the state Constitution, the section that outlines the initiative and referendum process. Under the proposed constitutional amendment, the General Assembly would determine the name and title of referendums, and votes on a bill with an emergency clause (a provision that allows laws to become effective immediately) would have to occur at least 24 hours after the bill passes. Additional provisions of the proposal address the signature-gathering process, as well as the process for certifying and challenging ballot titles. These reforms are essential to ensuring Arkansans can continue bringing issues 'directly to the ballot without unnecessary obstacles,' according to the release. 'This is about protecting the voice of the people,' Miller said. 'It should be the voters, not politicians, who have the final say in how Arkansas is governed.' Preserving Arkansans' right to propose state laws and constitutional amendments became a priority for several groups after lawmakers approved about a dozen bills related to direct democracy during the recently concluded legislative session. The bills' sponsors said they will ensure integrity with the process, while opponents have argued the new laws make it nearly impossible for Arkansans' proposed measures to qualify for the ballot. Arkansas coalition submits proposal to protect 'fundamental right' to direct democracy The League of Women Voters of Arkansas filed a federal lawsuit in April alleging that eight of those laws are unconstitutional. Two ballot question committees, Protect AR Rights and For AR Kids, filed a motion to intervene in the case last week because they want to challenge additional laws not included in the original suit, including Act 602 of 2025, the law that prohibits initiative petitions from being written above an eighth-grade reading level. Protect AR Rights also submitted its own proposed constitutional amendment Monday that would protect Arkansans' 'fundamental right' to direct democracy. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families is a member of the Protect AR Rights coalition, and Executive Director Keesa Smith-Brantley said Monday that the group's goal is for its proposal and the League of Women Voters' to work together. 'There were things that we felt like we needed to equally add to make sure that we enshrine the rights of Arkansans in the Constitution, but we are hopeful to be able to work together in this process and talk about ways that we can make sure that both of the measures that we're working on get passed,' she said. Under state law, the attorney general's office has 10 business days to approve or reject a proposed ballot measure. The deadline for a response on Protect AR Rights' proposal is June 3. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Parsippany's rival Republican mayoral candidates agree to debate in online forum
Parsippany's rival Republican mayoral candidates — incumbent James Barberio and Councilman Justin Musella — will take their bitter primary fight to a debate next month. Barberio and Musella have clashed in public practically since they took office after running together four years ago and will face off in the June GOP primary for the right to lead the town of 56,000 people, Morris County's largest. But first, they'll meet in a virtual debate to be conducted May 15 by the League of Women Voters' Morris Area chapter and cosponsored by the Daily Record. The candidates will meet on Zoom starting at 7 a.m. on the LWV Morris YouTube channel. The debate will also be sponsored by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Morristown Alumnae Chapter. "League-sponsored events are strictly nonpartisan," the debate announcement states. "The League does not support or oppose any political candidate or party." The Daily Record is covering the election but will not make any municipal or county candidate endorsements. Barberio, 64, is seeking a fourth term in office, after being elected in 2009 and 2013, losing in 2017 and then reclaiming the post in 2021. He is running on a ticket with two town council candidates: current Council Vice President Frank Neglia and Jigar Shah, who the mayor appointed during his first term as his liaison to the large Indian American community in town. Musella, 33, was elected with Barberio and Neglia, but has broken with his fellow Republicans in the council majority on the developer tax breaks known as PILOTs, or payments in lieu of taxes, as well as the township's adoption of project labor agreements that favor larger unions for big municipal projects. The latest GOP conflict, in March, involved a failed attempt by Barberio and his council allies to censure Musella for presenting his council credentials to a township police officer during a 2023 traffic stop for speeding. Following a public outcry at a council meeting — which had to be rescheduled due to an overflow crowd — the censure resolution was withdrawn. Barberio picked up a surprise supporter earlier this year in Morris County Republican Chair Laura Ali, who previously had supported Musella. She dismissed Barberio last year as "the highest-paid and least-qualified mayor in Morris County." But in January, Ali called for Musella to abandon his run for mayor and accept a council nomination. "The 2025 election cycle poses significant challenges, and I strongly believe a united front is essential for ensuring Republican success in the general election," Ali wrote in a letter to the candidates at the time. Musella declined Ali's offer, saying, "Our campaign to end the cycle of corruption, over-taxation and taxpayer-funded overdevelopment in Parsippany, once and for all, cannot be intimidated." Musella went on to name two council candidates as part of his own ticket, Casey Parikh and John Bielen. The GOP council candidates currently have no plans to debate. Parikh and Bielen agreed to take part in a League of Women Voters forum but Neglia and Shah declined. "Mayor Barberio, Jigar, and myself work together as a team and we all share the same vision for our great town," Neglia said. "Together, we agreed it would be best to have Mayor Barberio represent all of us and believe that my record and Jigar's business acumen will inspire Parsippany residents to support our ticket." More: Parsippany Democrats promise less drama, more focus on governing in mayor, council races Democrats have endorsed Pulkit Desai, president of the Lake Parsippany Property Owner's Association, for mayor and Matt Kavanagh and Diya Patel for council. Unopposed in the primary, they will meet the winners of the Republican race in the November general election. The Puddingstone Community Club also announced it has invited Barberio, Musella and Desai to a debate on May 21 and that Musella and Desai have agreed to participate. The debate would be livestreamed but limited to an in-person audience of 80 people. On Wednesday, Barberio told the Daily Record his campaign coordinator is discussing the format and other details with the Puddingstone event coordinator. "I'm sure we'll have some sort of solution," he said. Musella is a resident of the Puddingstone section of Parsippany. The club has hosted candidate forums in the past, including one in 2017. Barberio lives in the Lake Hiawatha section of town. Democrats have historically struggled to win and hold council seats in the county's largest municipality. But Barberio is the only Parsippany Republican to win the mayor's office in more than 30 years, and only one of two GOP candidates elected to the office in nearly half a century Republican Frank Priore was removed from office after 12 years following his conviction on mail fraud, bribery and other charges in 1994. Priore served a five-year sentence. He died in 2022. Democrat Mimi Letts then served from 1994 to 2005, when she declined to run for another term. Letts died in 2019. Priore was preceded by Democrat Jack Fahy, who served from 1974 to 1982, when Priore unseated him. Fahy succeeded Democrat Henry Luther, who was in office from 1966 to 1974. Luther declined to run for re-election in 1973. Luther's son, Michael Luther, also a Democrat, succeeded Letts before losing his re-election bid to Barberio in 2009. Barberio won re-election in 2013, but lost his bid for a third term to Soriano in 2017. Barberio returned the favor in 2021, beating Soriano in their rematch. This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Parsippany NJ mayor race: Barberio, Musella to hold GOP primary debate
