Ballot Cost Estimates Rejected By House

The Idaho House, which last week approved legislation that opponents claim will make it almost impossible to get citizen initiatives on the ballot, on Monday declined to impose more requirements on the process.

The vote was 40-30 against a bill to require a state agency to prepare an estimate of the cost on any initiative proposal, and place that estimate before voters when the issue goes on the ballot.

“This is not to make the initiative process more difficult,” said sponsor Rep. Reed Hansen, R-Idaho Falls. “It is to provide accurate, proper information to those who vote on the initiative.”

The bill called for the secretary of state to assign any initiative to a state agency, which would have 20 days to prepare a cost estimate.

Rep. Ken Robison, D-Boise, said, “It really isn’t proper to have the government agency writing the fiscal estimate.