North Dakota

PUTTING RITZ ON HOLD? Citizens in Paradise Valley, Arizona, have forced a referendum on the city's approval of a new Ritz-Carlton resort there.

NORTH DAKOTA TAX CUT HAS SIGS: According to its sponsor, turn-in begins in two weeks on an initiative that would cut income tax rates in North Dakota.

UTAH HIGH COURT BARS REFERENDUM: Citizens in Draper, Utah, had wanted to force a referendum on a proposed light-rail route through their community. But the Utah Supreme Court has ruled that the approval did not change the law and thus is not subject to referendum.

ARIZONA HEAT: The attacks have begun against an Arizona initiative that would prohibit the state from adopting single payer health care.

NOT ENOUGH SIGS FOR ANTI-TRIAL LAWYER MEASURES: Two initiatives targeting trial lawyers failed to get the signatures to make the ballot in Oregon.

UPDATED APRIL 4 After two nights of contacting gatherers and reading initiatives from all over the country (AND SOME EXCELLENT CORRECTIONS ON ARKANSAS AND MICHIGAN FROM Ballotpedia), here's my report on what's "on the street" and circulating in this great democratic land of ours. Please let me know if you think I'm missing important measures. For a more progressive take and focus, you can look at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center's issues map.

A daily diary of developments in the world of blockbuster democracy:

SILENCE IN MISSISSIPPI: Today is the presidential primary in the Magnolia State, the newest addition to the map of initiative states. But only 23 initiatives have been filed since Mississippi added the initiative in 1992. And there isn't a measure on today's ballot.

NEIGHBORS BACKED CALIFORNIA TRIBES: The support of neighbors of California tribes with fast-expanding casinos was important to the victory of four compacts -- Propositions 94-97 -- on the Feb. 5 ballot, according to this analysis from the Press Enterprise.

CHALLENGE TO STEM CELL: In California, something calling itself the San Jose Group has filed an initiative that seeks to roll back the funding mechanism of Prop 71, the stem cell measure passed by voters in 2004. The measure is here.