Connecticut Commentary: Red Notes from a Blue State

Judge Robert Satter , is a trial referee in Hartford Superior Court and author of "Under the Gold Dome — An Insider's Look at the Connecticut Legislature." According to a piece written by the judge for a Hartford newspaper, he is not comfortable with what is called direct initiative. Every 20 years, the judge notes, Connecticut citizens are asked by law whether or not they wish to hold a convention for the purpose of amending their constitution. This year, special interest groups have sprung up in the state like dragon’s teeth, all of them clamoring for a change in the state constitution that will allow direct initiative. In an opinion column, “Why Voters Shouldn't Pass Laws: Initiatives Serve Special Interests And Undermine Responsible Governance,” the judge advises, “When initiative proposals are voted upon, representative democracy is supplanted, the legislature and the governor are cut out of lawmaking, and the people rule directly.” Some of the judge’s language...