Wednesday, Jul 02, 2008

TTT#0827-IRV-St.PaulCouncil

(3 downloads)

Download this episode (59 min)
JULY 2: INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING AND THE CITIES: Horns of a Constitutional Dilemma The St. Paul City Council has found itself in a pickle with proponents of Instant Runoff Voting – better known as the Single Transferable Vote advocated by the St. Paul Better Ballot Campaign – having filed the necessary 5,000-plus signatures to present the prospect of installing a system of Ranked Choice Voting for general elections (and eliminating the city primary) before St. Paul voters in November - only to be faced with their own City Attorney’s opinion that the entire idea may be unconstitutional based on a 1915 Supreme Court ruling striking down a similar voting scheme. Minneapolis has already passed it but is in court over IRV’s 2009 implementation. What should the Council have done? Heed the City Attorney’s opinion that it not go on the ballot on Constitutional grounds? Or ignore him and heed the will of the voters who signed the petition to place the city charter amendment before the people this November? The Council voted to withhold at its July 2 meeting; it is sure to go to a courtroom to resolve issues of citizens' priorities.

TTT’s ANDY DRISCOLL and LYNNELL MICKELSEN talk with six of the principals in this political and legal debate. GUESTS: • JAY BENANAV - Better Ballot Campaign attorney and former St. Paul City Councilmember • JOHN HOTTINGER - attorney and former State Senate Majority Leader • ELLEN BROWN - St. Paul Better Ballot Campaign Coordinator, and President, The Brown Partners, Inc. • KATHY LANTRY- St. Paul City Council President • DAVE THUNE - St. Paul City Council Ward 2 • JOHN CHOI - St. Paul City Attorney

Posted by Truth to Tell at 11:00 AM |  MAKE A COMMENT  

<< Home