EDITORIAL: Referendums should be used more regularly

May 23-- May 23--In recent weeks and months, the nation has fought a contentious debate over the issue of abortion.

Following President Trump's appointment of two conservative judges, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, to the U.S. Supreme Court, many states have taken action either to restrict the practice -- and possibly bring a challenge that reaches the nation's highest court -- or to preserve the practice in the event that Roe v. Wade gets overturned. Mississippi lawmakers, for example, recently passed, and Gov. Phil Bryant signed, a law that would prohibit most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, generally at about six weeks.

Two of the highest profile examples -- on both ends of the spectrum -- have come from New York and Alabama. New York codified abortion rights, while Alabama has made abortion a felony in almost all cases.

In each state, public policy was changed significantly by legislative action. We would propose, however, that it would be better to use voter referendums when making such sweeping and controversial social changes.

It is true that we elect our legislators to represent us, and we entrust them to craft policies and set budgets. But ultimately social issues carry more weight when the general public has a voice.

The precise details could vary. Lawmakers would still be the ones to craft the language of the policy before it went before voters. And the vote could even be non-binding. But at least lawmakers would have an accurate gauge of public sentiment before wading into such issues.

The fact is that while voters in New York and Alabama selected the state legislators in those states, we really don't know whether a majority of residents actually support the hardline policies each has adopted. A referendum, even a non-binding one, provides much more data. It helps form stronger policies.

Following this practice more regularly would have other benefits, too. For one, it would tend to reduce or even eliminate distractions concerning contentious social issues from political campaigns, allowing candidates to focus on more substantive policy proposals. Instead, it would allow citizens to gauge grassroots campaigns about social issues they passionately support. And lawmakers would appreciate the fact that they are taken off the hook for some of these hot-button issues.

Despite what prognosticators may say, we don't know how Mississippians from across the state feel on various issues. Referendums are a useful tool as states evolve and populations shift and as controversial issues rapidly flare up in today's social media landscape. They should be used more regularly.

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