We hear about these most often it seems in California but I’m interested in the answer to wherever they may arise. Is there some mechanism within the initiative process that prevents the state legislature from just repealing it? It would of course take some political courage to vote to repeal something that reflects “the will of the people” but assuming 50%+1 of the legislators thought the will of the people really sucked what stops them from passing a law undoing what the people did?
Excluding of course any initiative which changes something outside the power of the legislature to affect (e.g. amendments to the state constitution).
A brief reading indicates that the legislature could modify an initiative law to such an extent that it doesn’t really even matter. But, as you say, that’d be politically bad-bad-bad.
In California, which is not reprsentative of other states, there are “regular” initiatives, which modify existing California codes or constitutional ones.
The former require fewer signatures, but since they are just like a law passed by the Legislature, the Legislature can vote to repeal it or amend it.
Nearly all initiatives now in CA are of the constitutional variety. That writes the changes in the law into the state constitution. And if you want to undo it, you have to have every body vote on that change. The Legislature could propose a change and put it on the ballot, but can’t do it on its own.
If you ever read the California Constitution, you will discover that it’s quite long as the votes add several sections to it every other year.
This March 2, there are only four propositions on the state ballot. 2 bond issues, one legislative constitutional amendment and one initiative constitutional amendment.
There are 31 intiatives in circulation and 20 more awaiting approval from the Attorney General. One in circulation would require that the King James Bible become a standard textbook for all students in grades K-12.