In the Press

From Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government: Cambridge, Mass. – May 5, 2015 – Today the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, announced the Top 10 programs for the Roy and Lila Ash Innovations in Public Engagement in Government Award, including the four finalists who will […]

From NPR: Ben Hamilton walks down the salad dressing aisle at his neighborhood grocery store in west Denver. The human resources consultant usually seeks out organic options and scans nutrition information. “I am a label reader. I think a lot of people read labels and really are curious to know what is in our food supply,”

From KDRV Newswatch 12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5fbFrAAdpQ CENTRAL POINT, Ore. — The statewide debate about labeling foods containing genetically modified organisms might not end on the same side as the local elections. A recent citizens’ review polled 20 random voters for their recommendations on measures in the election this fall. The panel found that labels required by

From KUNC: Colorado voters will have extra help making up their minds about a ballot initiative to label genetically modified foods. A new effort, the Colorado Citizens Initiative Review, will produce a voter guide on Proposition 105, a ballot measure that proposes labeling foods containing genetically modified ingredients. The review is a pilot project aimed at helping

From The Portland Tribune: If the vote by a Citizens’ Initiative Review panel is any indication, the arguments will be robust for and against a proposed Oregon requirement for labeling of foods with genetically modified organisms — and the outcome of Measure 92 will be close. Sunday’s vote by the panel, which consisted of voters randomly

From The Oregonian: A 20-member citizens panel has narrowly voted against recommending passage of the Oregon Mandatory Labeling of GMOs initiative. The panel, convened by the Citizens Initiative Review Commission voted 11-9 to oppose Measure 92, which would require the labeling of food products containing genetically modified ingredients. Political observers expect the measure, which will appear on the November

From KOIN 6: A citizen review panel is narrowly opposing an Oregon ballot measure to require labeling of genetically modified foods. Twenty voters chosen to represent a cross section of the electorate voted 11-9 on Sunday to oppose Measure 92. The Citizen Initiative Review panel heard arguments from both sides over several days. Read the full

From Herald and News: A panel chosen for a citizen-level review of ballot measures isn’t persuaded that Oregon should ditch its partisan primaries and adopt the top-two election system used in Washington and California. The voters on the Citizen Initiative Review panel heard arguments from both sides this week. After deliberating, they voted 14-5 to oppose

From The Medford Mail Tribune: Following are the key findings on Measure 15-119 — which would ban genetically modified crops in Jackson County — from a Citizens Initiative Review panel moderated by Healthy Democracy Oregon. 15-119 prohibits growing of genetically engineered crops in Jackson County. It protects family farmers from serious risk that their crops will

From KOBI: They spent the last four days getting educated about what’s being called the most complex measure on any ballot in the state.  Now, members of a citizen panel release their findings on Jackson County’s Controversial GMO measure. The citizen’s panel wrapped up their last day of a 4 day process Wednesday.  This panel is

From KDRV Newswatch 12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVSEl1gu5qg This May, Southern Oregon will be asked to decide between several measures and candidates in the 2014 primary election. According to the organization, Healthy Democracy, one out of every four Oregonians say ballot measures are hard to understand. They say this can be discouraging, and often a vote is uncast.

From KOBI: Measure 15-119, is a proposed ban on genetically modified crops on the upcoming May ballot. The measure is complicated and is also a very controversial topic. Executive Director of Healthy Democracy Oregon Tyrone Reitman said that’s why they are in Jackson County to help “we decided ultimately that we wanted to go with probably

From The Medford Mail Tribune: A citizen panel’s analysis and resulting public findings on banning or allowing genetically modified crops in Jackson County will not be the only point of study during the panel’s information-gathering process over the next three days. Professors from Colorado State University and Penn State University will also be hard at work,

From The Medford Mail Tribune: The nonpartisan Healthy Democracy Oregon group will gather 20 randomly selected Jackson County voters to evaluate contentious claims and supposed facts for a measure on the May 20 primary ballot, with a goal of providing a realistic picture of what the proposal will and won’t do. The state-sanctioned panel, called a

From Public Policy Intitute of California: A report released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) recommends three steps to improve the initiative process—steps that reflect both Californians’ desire to continue making laws at the ballot box and their criticisms of the system. These policy changes would connect the legislative and initiative processes, increase

From the Democracy Fund blog: Local and statewide initiatives and referenda give citizens the opportunity to vote directly on legislation, but voters often lack the information they need to make informed choices. The State of Oregon has created a potential remedy for this situation, called the Citizens Initiative Review (CIR), which convenes a group of

From The Daily Courier: Kay Ogden said being selected for one of Oregon’s historic new citizen initiative review commissions made her feel as if she had won the lottery. “I saw it as an opportunity to be part of the democratic process,” the Grants Pass resident said. She joined 23 other registered Oregon voters in Portland

From The Daily Astorian: CANNON BEACH — Sue Meyers might have glanced at the opinions expressed about the initiative measures in prior Oregon Voters’ Pamphlets, but she rarely read them in depth. However, since her weeklong experience with the Citizens Initiative Review, which delved into ballot Measure 82, she will take those opinions more seriously. “It

From The Oregonian: Backers of a proposed casino in Wood Village said today they are suspending their campaign to get voters to approve Measures 82 and 83, which would allow it. “We knew when we began this process that it would be a challenge to break the existing political and gaming monopoly,” said a news release

By John Gastil / From The Centre Daily Times: As the presidential election lurches toward its conclusion, one can’t help but despair. Fact-checkers find speeches littered with falsehoods. The media bat at shiny new gaffes like distracted cats. Candidates posture for a slim majority. All this detracts from the more profound purpose of voting — namely,

From The Statesman Journal: Statement by Steven Ungar, Portland lawyer and former chairman of the Oregon Lottery Commission, on Measures 82/83, which were studied by the Citizens’ Initiative Review in August.  (See my story on Measures 82/83 posted Sunday, Oct. 7) It was an honor to appear before the Citizens’ Initiative Review panel, which released its

From The Bulletin: There’s a valuable information shortcut for voters for two of the November election’s ballot measures. It’s the Citizens Initiative Review. In your voter’s pamphlet, you’ll find credible information from the citizens review process on Ballot Measure 82, the amending of the constitution to allow casinos, and Ballot Measure 85, the one having to

From The East Oregonian: Jeff Coffman, 53, of Pendleton was intrigued when he received an invitation in the mail this July to take part in a new citizen review process for a measure on the 2012 Oregon ballot. By the end of August, Coffman was spending five days with 23 other Oregon registered voters learning the

From The Oregonian Editorial Board: We agree with backers of Measure 85 on one thing: The corporate kicker is bad public policy. Because good public policy is the best antidote to bad public policy, however, voters in November should deliver a swift kick of their own to Measure 85. The corporate income tax kicker is half of a matched

From Yes Magazine: The ballot initiative process, which provides an injection of direct democracy in twenty-four states, often ends up helping the right wing. For years, deep-pocketed funders have backed ballot measures to ban same-sex marriage, restrict reproductive rights, or make it nearly impossible for elected state legislatures to raise taxes—hurting families and helping to tank