Initiatives and Referenda in Michigan: A Research Guide

SUMMARY

Initiatives and referenda are a key part of the democratic process in Michigan, but they are one of the most difficult types of legal materials to research. This guide provides an overview of the history of the I&R process in Michigan, a general outline of how the process works, and a selected list of resources, both primary and secondary, that provide valuable information for researchers seeking to explore this important part of Michigan's legislative system.     

Utah Initiatives and Referenda: A Research Guide

SUMMARY

Utah's constitution guarantees its citizens the right to participate in the legislative process through direct and indirect initiatives and referenda. This article provides researchers with a history of Utah's initiatives and referenda, an overview of the process, and a list of secondary and primary sources that can be consulted when researching in this area.     

Researching Initiatives and Referendums in Arkansas

SUMMARY

This bibliographic essay and guide to researching Arkansas initiatives and referendums is intended to assist anyone interested in this vital subject.     

Arizona Initiatives and Referenda

SUMMARY

This article discusses research of initiatives and referendums in Arizona. A brief summary of the history of I&R in Arizona and an outline of the process is followed by an annotated list of some of the most relevant resources for those researching in the area.     

Pathfinder on Indian Religious Freedom

No abstract available for this article.     

Researching Initiatives and Referenda: A Guide for Nevada

SUMMARY

The Nevada Constitution provides voters with the ability to propose new statutes, amendments to existing statutes, and amendments to the State constitution through the initiative petition process. Voters can also approve or disapprove of existing statutes through the referendum petition process. Both require the circulation of a petition to collect a minimum number of signatures before the Secretary of State will place the measures on the ballot for the general election. As with other topics of law, Nevada has a profound shortage of research resources on initiatives and referenda, but State law and government Web sites provide enough information to allow for significant research.     

Researching Initiatives and Referendums: A Guide for Florida

SUMMARY

In Florida, direct democracy at the state level consists entirely of the initiative method of amending the State constitution. This constitutional provision was partly a response to the State's history of obstacles to affording equitable legislative representation to all its citizens, a struggle with roots dating back to the Reconstruction era. The State constitution, governing statutes and regulations, and the Division of Elections Web site serve as the primary sources of information and guidance for those interested in the process of amending the State constitution by citizen-sponsored initiative.     

Researching Initiatives and Referenda: A Guide for Maine

SUMMARY

This article discusses the history of the initiative and referendum processes in Maine, including the steps needed to get an initiative or referendum on the State ballot. Part II of this paper discusses the early history of the initiative and referendum processes in Maine. Part III discusses recent use of initiatives in Maine. Part IV discusses the basics of the initiative and referendum processes in Maine, including a discussion of the differences between the People's Veto and a referendum, both used in Maine as mechanisms for the people to vote on whether a particular piece of legislation should take effect. Part V provides a detailed bibliography of research materials on the Maine initiative and referendum processes.     

Researching Initiatives and Referenda: A Guide for Missouri

SUMMARY

This research guide is intended for those wishing to explore the history and develop a basic understanding of the initiative and referenda petition process in Missouri. The I&R process attracted national attention when Missouri's controversial Constitutional Amendment 2 dealing with stem cell research appeared on the ballot in the 2006 general election. Recently, there have been efforts to overturn this petition which narrowly passed. Hopefully, this guide will provide background and suggest paper and electronic resources for those wishing to study the process and determine what “paper trail” is available for initiatives and referendum in Missouri.     

Researching Initiatives and Referenda: A Guide for Oklahoma

SUMMARY

Researching initiatives and referendums in Oklahoma requires looking at Oklahoma history, becoming familiar with the constitutional and statutory requirements and procedures, and finding pertinent print and Web resources.     

Powers Reserved to the People: A Guide for Researching Initiatives and Referendums in North Dakota

SUMMARY

The right of the people in North Dakota to initiate or refer laws is guaranteed by Article III of the North Dakota Constitution. This guide provides a short history of the initiative and referendum process in North Dakota; continues with the current petition process and recall practice; includes selected statutes and case law; provides annotations for selected secondary materials; provides selected LexisNexis and Westlaw database identifiers; and concludes with selected Web sites useful for researching initiatives and referendums in North Dakota.     

Researching Oregon Initiatives and Referendums

SUMMARY

Oregon voters are heavy users of the initiative and referendum, and they were pioneers of this form of democracy. This means that there is a good deal of information to be found about past initiatives and referendums, and the government of the State of Oregon and local civic groups have responded by making much of this information available online. This article outlines the sources for finding information on initiatives and referendums in Oregon.     

Researching Initiatives and Referendums: A Guide for South Dakota

SUMMARY

In 1898 the people of South Dakota approved the first constitutional amendment among the several existing states that reserved to the electors legislative powers previously within the sole control of the elected assembly. The amendment gave South Dakota the distinction of being the first in the Union to provide initiative and referendum to the electorate. South Dakota continues to be a state that widely employs the initiative and referendum as a tool for direct government. This article outlines the history of I&R, the basics of its use in this State, and how to locate the documents related to it.     

Illinois Initiatives and Referenda

SUMMARY

This article explains Illinois' restricted use of initiatives and referenda. Statewide initiatives are advisory only except for those amending the constitution; there is no process for creating statutes via initiatives. Advisory initiatives have been historically ignored by the legislature and therefore become less common over time. There are no statewide referenda in Illinois. Both binding and advisory referenda and initiatives are used by local governments enacting ordinances, and the former are often statutorily mandated. Because of Illinois' strong home rule system and the scattered nature of statutes addressing initiatives and referenda, research in this area can be difficult. An appendix of resources is included.     

A Research Guide to Medical Malpractice and the Law

ABSTRACT

This pathfinder is designed to update my previous article on medical malpractice resources, at 16 LRSQ 31-68 no. 1 (1995). Also included in this work are topics not covered in the original article. The focus is to provide medical malpractice law information resources in print, CD-ROM, and World Wide Web resources. The resources provided are to assist the personal injury attorneys litigating medical malpractice claims.     

A Research Guide for Native American Gaming in California

No abstract available for this article.     

Research Guide to Mexican Law*

ABSTRACT

Carrying out effective and efficient research on Mexican law presents special challenges. Some of these are structural because they condition the entire research process. This guide covers all aspects of Mexican legal research, providing a contextualized overview of the subject. The guide is organized into three main sections: Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, and Online Resources. The reader of this guide will gain a solid foundation in how to do research on Mexican law.     

A Research Guide on the Constitutionality of Regulating or Prohibiting the Ownership of Pit Bull Terriers

No abstract available for this article.