History of direct democracy in Texas The founders of the Texas
initiative and referendum movement were two ministers: Rev. A.
B. Francisco of Milano and Rev. B. F. Foster of Galveston. Also
important in Texas I&R leadership before 1900 was Judge Thomas
B. King of Stephenville, county judge of Erath County. The
movement was slow to catch on in Texas. By 1912 Congressman
(later U.S. Senator) Morris Shepard had declared himself in
favor of I&R; in 1913 the legislature passed a bill allowing I&R
as an option for home rule cities and a state constitutional
amendment providing for statewide I&R. The latter amendment
would have required more petition signatures to put an
initiative on the ballot than were needed in any other state: 20
percent of the number of ballots cast in the previous election.
When the amendment was put on the ballot for voter approval in
1914, voters rejected it, to the delight of I&R advocates, who
believed that they could get the legislature to pass a better
version. They were unable to do so