Revisions Of Initiative Process Sent To Batt Bill Imposes Geographic Limits On Collection Of Signatures

Dramatic revisions in Idaho’s 64-year-old citizen initiative law won final legislative approval late Monday. Supporters said it would bring balance to the process. Critics said it essentially ends citizen access to the ballot.

The Senate voted 26-9 to send to Gov. Phil Batt the House-passed bill that for the first time imposes geographic limits on the collection of signatures and subjects proposed initiative measures to court scrutiny prior to voter consideration.

“Money has become the key in the initiative process, not grassroots support,” Senate President Pro Tem Jerry Twiggs said in justifying the new requirements.

But while supporters complained about the out-of-state interests that spend significant amounts of money to qualify initiatives for the 1994 and 1996 ballots, the bill does nothing to restrict either. And the courts suggest such restrictions would be unconstitutional, anyway.

The existing law requires initiative backers to submit by early July of an election year the signatures of registered voters equal to 10 percent of the vote in the last election for governor to qualify their proposition for that fall’s ballot.

The bill headed for Batt’s desk changes the signature total to 6 percent of the registered voters in the prior election, requires at least 6 percent of the registered voter signatures in 22 of the 44 counties, limits the petition drive to 18 months and allows the legality of propositions to be determined by the Supreme Court.

Advocates claimed the revised standards will assure that initiatives have some statewide appeal, contending all too many have recently gained ballot status on the strength of signatures just from the state’s population centers.

But critics warned that instead of checking the involvement of out-of-state interests with deep pockets, the bill assures that only those interests have the wherewithal to meet the new standards because of the geographic requirement.

“I am offended as a citizen that somebody can stand outside a mall in Boise and put an initiative on the ballot,” said Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint.

But Keough voted against the bill because its requirement for signatures from 22 counties goes too far.

“Does that preclude those instances where maybe the northern part of the state could get together and put something on the ballot? I think it does.”

Sen. Jack Riggs, R-Coeur d’Alene, said he voted against the bill because it tried to do too many things, rather than focusing on more narrow changes that could make the initiative process more honest.

“I liked the part about having a name tag identifying paid signature gatherers,” Riggs said.

Others contend the entire scheme amounts to sour grapes from the major organizations that were forced to pump hundreds of thousands of dollars into campaigns to defeat initiatives in 1992 and 1996 that they disagreed with.

Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, suggested that was not a legitimate reason to overhaul a law that has worked effectively.

“I respect the wisdom of the people in voting on issues before them, and I respect the freedom of the people to legislate,” Schroeder said. “If we don’t trust the people, who are we going to trust.”

Backers of the bill argued that the revised standards were needed to keep Idaho’s ballot from being overwhelmed by propositions as ballots in states like Oregon and California have. , DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: HOW THEY VOTED Here’s how North Idaho senators voted on HB 265, the bill reforming Idaho’s initiative process. The bill passed the Senate 26-9 and was sent to Gov. Phil Batt. Voting yes: Sen. Marguerite McLaughlin, D-Orofino. Voting no: Sens. Clyde Boatright, R-Rathdrum; Gordon Crow, R-Hayden; Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint; Jack Riggs, R-Coeur d’Alene.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Associated Press Staff writer Betsy Z. Russell contributed to this report.