werdegar, k just

<p>“Long-standing historical practice among the states demonstrates a

common understanding that legislatures may formally consult with and

seek nonbinding input from their constituents on matters relevant to the

federal constitutional amendment process,” the ruling read in part.

“We see no evidence the drafters of the California Constitution

intended to deprive the Legislature of a tool other state legislatures

have long used to ensure they are truly speaking on behalf of their

states in the federal constitutional amendment process,” Justice Kathryn

M. Werdegar <a target="_blank" href="http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/01/04/citizens-united-bill-cleared-for-calif-ballot.htm" title="wrote">wrote</a> for the state’s high court.

The development paves the way for the state legislature to put this

issue before voters statewide in 2016. “I certainly expect it to be on

the ballot one way or another,” Derek Cressman, who was the campaign

manager for the proposition before it was removed from the ballot, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-supreme-court-ballot-20160104-story.html" title="told">told</a>

the LA Times. Hundreds of thousands of Californians also have spoken in

support of an amendment through local advisory referenda, Common Cause

points out.

A similar advisory referendum is <a target="blank" href="http://freespeechforpeople.org/arkansas-approves-ballot-initiative/" title="slated">slated</a> to appear on the ballot this November in <a target="blank" href="http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2015/05/14/arkansans-and-national-groups-launch-ballot-initiative-overturn-citizens-united" title="Arkansas">Arkansas</a>. And in Washington state, backers of yet another initiative aimed at overturning Citizens United <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/12/30/initiative-aims-to-ask-washington-voters-should-we-treat-corporations-as-people-in-elections/" title="submitted">submitted</a>

330,000 signatures to the secretary of state at the end of

December—more than enough to qualify the measure for the 2016 ballot.</p>