There's a case before the Supreme Court this session, deciding the legality of voter referendums. It'll be interesting to see how this court -- a very pro-central authority court, but also having substantial individual liberty sentiments -- will decide.
In Washington DC 70% of the city's voters voted to make recreational marijuana legal. House Republicans have threatened to jail the mayor if she complies (to her credit, she said "Go ahead and try, assholes.")
In Washington State recreational marijuana is already legal but no federally-guaranteed bank will do business with the industry.
In Washington State citizens voted in a law mandating smaller class sizes. The legislature is scrambling to find the money, having already spent it on sports stadiums and ill-advised tunneling projects.
Our own "initiative king"
Tim Eyman has launched dozens of initiatives, all aimed at making it harder for lawmakers to raise taxes. Several of his initiatives have been voted into law, only to be overturned by, surprise, the legislature or, surprise, the courts. Their rationale is always, "it would make it too hard to govern." Well duh, I think that's the point.
All this makes me wonder. Politicians, once they're in office, tend to forget who they're there to represent. Their loyalties tend to get bent by lobbyists and campaign contributors. Perhaps our "representative" government needs to move toward more "direct democracy" with more power in the hands of Mr & Mrs Joe Sixpack?
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