Ralph Nader

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has struck down Arizona's residency requirement for signature gatherers as unconstitutional. It's not a surprise--residency requirements have died judicial deaths elsewhere, most notably in Colorado -- but it's still a big victory for professional petition circulators.

The case was brought by Ralph Nader and had nothing to do with ballot initiatives. Nader, in his efforts to get on the 2004 Arizona ballot as a presidential candidate, was frustrated by the state's rules requiring residency by those gathering signatures and requiring candidates to submit their qualifying signatures 90 days before the election. But the ruling applies to signature gatherers whether they are working for candidates or ballot initiatives. So the greatest impact of the decision will be on the blockbuster democracy business. Most likely, this decision will reduce the cost of qualifying a measure for the ballot. An army of 10,000 California signature gatherers lives next door to Arizona. Now they will be able to collect signatures there without having to move there and register to vote. The full decision is here.

I'll be out of pocket the rest of Thursday--in transit...

Ralph Nader's challenge to an Arizona law prohibiting non-residents from collecting signatures on presidential petitions has been scheduled for an April 15 hearing before the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

RENEWABLE INITIATIVES: From a small paper in Missouri, a pretty good overview of renewable energy standards in different states, with some attention to those states that have imposed these by ballot initiative.

STILL NOTHING FROM  COLORADO MEETING: Rocky Mountain News says the governor's attempt to head off labor-business initiative war didn't go well. And here's more evidence that the ill will is building.

SAN DIEGO PORT: Opposition mounts to a San Diego ballot measure that could lead to commercial development inside that city's struggling port.