This Week on Democracy Matters: Citizen initiatives - a way to directly make law without waiting on our elected officials; and Kai Huschke on Envision Spokane's citizen initiative the "Community Bill of Rights"

On this week's program we discuss the citizen initiative process - a way for people to directly make law, rather than hoping their elected officials will do so for them.  Initiative powers exist in 24 states and in municipalities across the country - its challenges and the question, why isn't it used more?  And we talk with Kai Huschke of Envision Spokane, which is launching a citizen's initiative to amend the City of Spokane's Home Rule Charter with a Community Bill of Rights.  The Bill of Rights recognizes rights of the Spokane River and Aquifer, and the right of workers to collectively bargain.

Each week on Democracy Matters we bring you stories from the frontlines as communities bring rights-based organizing to their communities - asserting their local self-governing authority to make the critical decisions that affect their lives and their community.

Podcast & Broadcast

If you're in the Spokane listening area, you can listen live to Democracy Matters every Wednesday at 12:30pm Eastern/9:30am Pacific, or Thursday at 10am Eastern/7am Pacific, at 89.9FM, best heard at 92.3FM.  Or you can listen online at KYRS, Spokane's Thin Air Community Radio.

You can also listen anytime by podcasting the show.

You can also listen to Democracy Matters on:

- Public Reality Radio, WPRR, 1680 AM and 95.3 FM in Grand Rapids - every Tuesday at 6am Eastern

- Radio Free Moscow, KRFP, 92.5 FM  in Moscow, Idaho - every Tuesday at 5pm Pacific

- Yap Radio, WYAP, 101.7 FM in Clay, West Virginia

- WAZU, 90.7 FM in Peoria, Illinois

If you are interested in having Democracy Matters broadcast on your local community radio station, give them a call and let them know.