Video: Politicians Buck Voters By Delaying Revolutionary Reform

Maine’s legislature is delaying important voting reforms. John Iadarola and Jennifer Briney, the hosts of The Young Turks, break it down. Tell us what you think in the comment section below. Join TYT: https://goo.gl/v8E64M

“A year ago, Maine voters passed a citizen-initiated referendum to change the way they elect candidates to state and federal office. But now, state lawmakers have essentially reversed the measure and set the stage for its repeal.

Over the last two decades, Maine lawmakers or the courts have repealed or significantly amended more than a dozen ballot measures approved by voters, including, most recently, those involving the minimum wage and a tax on the wealthy to fund education. On Friday, Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a bill to implement the sale of recreational marijuana, which was approved by voters a year ago.

And so it is now with ranked-choice voting, a method approved by voters last November in which they would rank their choices for state and federal offices rather than vote for just one candidate.

Under ranked-choice voting, a candidate has to win more than 50 percent of the vote to get elected. Maine is the first state to have adopted this method, though now it may never go into effect.

The Legislature upended the measure last month. And on Friday night, Mr. LePage, a Republican who was twice elected with less than 50 percent of the vote and who opposed ranked-choice voting, told Maine Public Radio that he planned to allow the Legislature’s will to become law without his signature.”

Read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/us/maine-ranked-choice-voting.html

Hosts: John Iadarola, Jennifer Briney

Cast: John Iadarola, Jennifer Briney

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Young Turk (n), 1. Young progressive or insurgent member of an institution, movement, or political party. 2. A young person who rebels against authority or societal expectations.(American Heritage Dictionary)