A left-leaning advocacy group called the Fairness Project has created a playbook for using ballot initiatives to go around GOP-led state legislatures. Since 2016, it has backed successful initiatives to raise the minimum wage and expand Medicaid.
Sirius XM Progress: Kelly Hall on The Michelangelo Signorile Show
Kelly Hall joins Michelangelo Signorile live on air to discuss anti-democratic attacks on ballot measures in various states across the country.
American Prospect: From Democracy to ‘My Way or the Highway’ in Missouri
“We can have a real conversation about what it says about the Missouri legislature that they have radically diminished the impact of the minimum wage and paid sick leave initiative, but they have not succeeded at undermining the impact of the abortion initiative—at least not yet,” says Kelly Hall, the executive director of the Fairness Project.
Meet The Press: States consider new restrictions on citizen-led ballot initiatives
Kelly Hall joined Meet the Press to discuss our report on the growing wave of anti-democratic state legislation and the urgent need to protect citizen-led change. Watch the full segment here.
The Electorette Podcast: The Conservative Backlash Against Ballot Measures
In this episode, Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, speaks about a new report showing how conservative lawmakers are working to undermine direct democracy.
MSNBC Opinion: One of voters’ most powerful tools is under consistent attack from state legislatures
"The more citizens use their power to advance their interests via ballot initiatives, the more some lawmakers attack the process." writes Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project
NBC News: Republicans are trying to raise the bar for voters to amend their state constitutions
In 2025, GOP lawmakers have advanced or enacted bills that make the citizen-led ballot measure process more difficult in at least eight states.
Associated Press: Missouri voters and lawmakers clash over who should be able to initiate constitutional amendments
Nearly 150 bills were introduced across 15 state legislatures this year seeking to make it harder for initiatives to qualify for the ballot or win approval by voters — nearly double the amount of just two years ago, according to the Fairness Project, a progressive group that has backed dozens of ballot initiatives in states.
New Report: ATTACKS ON DIRECT DEMOCRACY DOUBLED IN 2025
State politicians’ efforts to silence voters up 95% in an unprecedented assault on the ballot measure process