Bill Making Initiative Rules Tougher Approved By Panel
Legislation to make it harder to get initiatives on the ballot was been approved for introduction Friday by the House State Affairs Committee.
Democrats opposed the measure, with some lawmakers arguing that the changes would make it almost impossible for citizen groups to put initiative proposals on the statewide ballot.
“This is a bad, bad bill,” said Rep. Jim Stoicheff, D-Sandpoint. “It’s another attempt to see that the people never get another initiative on the ballot.”
The measure is backed by a broad coalition of business interests, including the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, the Idaho Farm Bureau, chambers of commerce and individual groups and businesses.
The measure will return to State Affairs for consideration later.
In its original version, the measure would have required all people who circulate petitions to register with the state, even those who are unpaid volunteers. The committee amended that out of the legislation.
Rep. Mark Stubbs, R-Twin Falls, and other sponsors said that of the four initiatives qualified for the ballot during the last election, two got more than 40 percent of their signatures from Ada County.
Stubbs argued that defeats the concept of a state ballot issue, if just a few counties are involved.
“This forces them out into the small counties,” he said.
Rep. John Alexander, D-Pocatello, who with Stoicheff opposed introduction of the measure, said the changes would make it hard for citizen groups to get initiatives before voters.
“It’s too restrictive of the general public. The hired guns are going to do OK,” he said. “Why do you need to make it more restrictive for the average citizen?”
Ben Ysursa, chief deputy secretary of state, said in the last election cycle, 13 initiatives were launched and four made the ballot.
“We don’t want to restrict the quantity as much as the quality,” Stubbs said.
“Who’s going to determine quality?” asked Stoicheff.
Rep. Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, said one of last year’s initiatives, to limit bear hunting, was “brought by people outside the state who had an agenda. Maybe we ought to make it a little more difficult to get an issue on the ballot.”
He called the pending bill “a good response to what has happened in the past.”
Rep. Jeff Alltus, R-Hayden, said if initiative sponsors have to get their work done in no more than 12 months, that will almost force them to use paid signature gatherers.
Rep. Margaret Henbest, D-Boise, lost a motion to amend the proposal to allow up to 24 months to gather names. xxxx HIGHLIGHTS: The measure would require people who are paid to gather signatures to register with the state and wear photo identification. Stiff penalties are provided for anyone making false statements to get people to sign petitions. Sponsors of initiatives would have no more than 12 months to gather signatures. Current law allows close to two years. All initiative petitions must be submitted by May 1 of a general election year. Current law requires signatures from registered voters equal to 10 percent of the vote cast in the last governor election. The proposal changes that to 6 percent of registered voters, which sponsors said would be about the same . In perhaps the most controversial part of the initiative, sponsors would have to gather signatures from at least 6 percent of the registered voters in at least 22 of Idaho’s 44 counties.