This is a very hot issue in Washington State too. Our state government despises the fact that they can be constrained by our initiative process, and are doing everything in their power to destroy it. Our state supreme court recently had the unsufferable arrogance to invalidate an initiative which limited property tax increases by saying that the voters didn’t really understand the wording of the initiative.
Our politicians (and those of other states is appears) whine that the initiatives thwart “representative government” but the fact is these weasels campaign telling us that our interests will be served, and then give us the finger once they are in office.
I live in WA and am well aware of the POS legislature trying to take away the citizen’s right to pass initiatives. They got mad because there is now a law where the public is informed when massive tax/spend initiatives are introduced. The lawmakers don’t like the heat when they are exposed. I am torn on the whole initiative process. I agree with it when it restricts lawmakers. I disagree when it limits citizen’s freedoms. Like the smoking ban. Some day inititatives will ban something that liberals like, and there will be hell to pay.