How will conflicts be resolved between laws passed by the People and those enacted by elected representatives?

Posted June 8th, 2008 by jpritikin

It is important to set up a working partnership between the people and their elected representatives. Once the people become lawmakers, they will be able to reform many of the practices of representative government through initiative laws enacted by a majority of citizens. Any statutory law, whether enacted by the People or their elected representatives, will take precedence over any previous legislation and will be subject to constitutionality. We expect that elected representatives who frequently vote to overturn or modify laws passed by the People will not long hold their positions.

Comparison with State Initiative Law

On June 23rd, 2009 jpritikin says:

Waters (2003, p. 27) provides a comparison to state initiative law:

California is the only initiative state where the legislature may not repeal or amend a statutory initiative. Eleven states allow their legislatures to amend or repeal a statutory initiative statue at any time after its adoption by a simple majority vote of both houses. Nine states impose restrictions on changes to statutory initiatives. Nevada, for example, prohibits legislative amendment or repeal for three years after passage of the statutory initiative. Alaska and Wyoming permit simple majority amendments at any time but prohibit a legislative repeal of the initiative for two years after its passage. Michigan requires a 3/4 vote of the legislature to amend or repeal an initiative (unless otherwise specified by the initiative). Arkansas imposes a 2/3 legislative vote requirement, and North Dakota requires a 2/3 legislative vote but only in the first seven years after enactment. In states with the constitutional initiative process, any changes proposed by the legislature must be placed on the ballot for a subsequent vote.

NI4D does not impose any additional requirement on the legislature to amend or repeal statutory or constitutional law. That is, the usual legislative procedures for lawmaking are unaffected by NI4D.