Arizona’s citizen initiative process is a constitutional right which was enacted at statehood in 1912. When the founders of Arizona met at our state’s Constitutional Convention, they held initiative rights as one of the most sacred. In fact, when our founders received pressure from the federal government to forego initiative rights as a condition of statehood, they refused. That same year the first citizen initiative was placed on the ballot granting women the right to vote and was approved by a 68 percent margin.
Arizona’s citizen ballot measure process is also the single most important tool for protecting our state’s animals. Supporters and volunteers from ADLA, its predecessors, and other animal protection organizations have participated in grassroots citizen initiative campaigns for over three decades. As volunteer campaign leaders, we know how difficult it is to get measures on the ballot. We also know from election results and polling that Arizona voters care deeply about animal protection and our citizen initiative process.
ADLA volunteers have also worked to stop referenda damaging to citizen initiatives. The Arizona Legislature has referred several measures to the ballot that could have destroyed the public initiative process, including a measure that would have required a two-thirds majority vote to pass wildlife-related initiatives, and a referendum that would have given sole authority over wildlife policy to the Legislature, and could have gutted initiative rights on wildlife issues, nullifying the ban on traps and poisons on public lands. Voters overwhelmingly defeated these damaging referenda, indicating the strong determination of citizens to defend animals and citizen initiative rights.
Animal Protection Citizen Ballot Measures
1994 – Prop 201: Following failed legislative attempts, voters passed the citizen initiative that banned indiscriminate leghold traps, snares, and poisons on public lands, making Arizona a safer place for individuals, families, and pets to recreate outdoors. Prop 201 passed by a 58.50 to 41.50 percent margin.
1998 – Prop 201: Voters outlawed the blood-sport of cockfighting. At the time, Arizona was one of only five states where cockfighting was legal. Most states banned cockfighting in the 1800’s, but the Arizona Legislature persistently refused to. After 22 failed bills starting in 1959, citizens launched a grassroots citizen initiative campaign to ban cockfighting which voters passed by a 68 to 32 percent margin.
2006 – Prop 204: Voters banned the confinement of pregnant pigs or calves raised for veal that prevents them from lying down and fully extending their limbs or turning around freely. While attempts to pass a bill were rejected by legislators, voters passed the ballot measure by a margin of 62 to 38 percent.
Ballot Measures Damaging to Citizen Initiatives and/or Animal Protection
2000 – Prop 102: Voters defeated a referendum to amend to the Arizona Constitution to require that all initiatives related to wildlife pass by a two-thirds “supermajority” of the votes cast. All other initiatives would only need to pass by the standard simple majority. Even though opponents were outspent 20 to 1, voters trounced Prop 102 by a 62.5 to 37.5 percent margin.
2002 – Prop 201: Arizonans overwhelmingly voted down a ballot measure to allow dog racing tracks to put slot machines at tracks, which would incourage the breeding of more greyhounds to suffer in the dog racing industry. At the time, around 20,000 greyhounds were killed annually nationwide, including approximately 7,000 puppies and young dogs. Voters defeated Prop 201 by a 80.1 to 19.9 percent margin.
2010 – Prop 109: Voters defeated a referendum to make hunting and fishing a constitutional right and prohibit citizen initiatives related to wildlife management. The measure takes authority from the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to manage wildlife and gives that exclusive authority to the Legislature. Prop 109 could also repeal the voter-approved ballot measure that banned traps and poisons on public lands. Voters defeated Prop 109 by a 56.5 to 43.5 percent margin.