There's simply no evidence that Maine has a problem. Lawmakers should make sure it doesn't. Maine's citizen initiative process permits citizens access to the law-making process, but it places some difficult hurdles before them. The proposals included requirements for geographic distribution of signatures, for distinguishing between paid and volunteer workers and for forcing signature collectors to stay at least 250 feet away from polling places. The last of these was supported by the governor, who felt the citizen initiative process was subject to abuse and resulted in poor law.
Legislators are lukewarm to the idea, and have already watered the proposal down.
We don't think the citizen initiative law needs fixing at all. Last year, only three referendum questions on the ballot came from citizens, and all three failed. There are none scheduled for this year. Until those who would curb this important political freedom can prove it is being abused, they would do well to leave the citizen initiative process intact.