Once again, Idaho legislators attempt to eliminate ballot-initiative rights
Earlier this morning, Idaho Senator Doug Okuniewicz proposed a constitutional amendment that would make it virtually impossible for Idaho citizens to put initiatives on the ballot.
The senator’s proposal brings back an idea that Republican legislators have been attempting to impose on Idaho for the past several years. The proposal would require citizens to collect signatures from 6% of registered voters in all 35 of Idaho’s legislative districts, up from the 18 districts that are currently required.
This proposal is an assault on the rights of every Idaho citizen. It’s an attempt to give Idaho the most restrictive signature-gathering rules in the nation and to guarantee that no grassroots initiative ever happens again.
We’ve been here before. In 2021, after Republicans in the Legislature rammed through an anti-initiatives bill with the exact same 35-district rule, Reclaim Idaho filed a lawsuit asking the Idaho Supreme Court to restore our rights. In a landmark decision, the court described the anti-initiatives law as a form of tyranny and struck it down. The citizen initiative process, the court declared, is a fundamental right of the people of Idaho.
Legislators know that if they enact another anti-initiatives law, it will be struck down by the court. So instead, they’re going straight for the jugular: They’re attempting to amend the Idaho Constitution and eliminate a fundamental right of Idaho citizens.
In order for a constitutional amendment to pass in Idaho, it must first win the support of a full two-thirds of both the Idaho House and the Idaho Senate. Then, the amendment must appear on the ballot and win the support of a majority of Idaho voters.
It’s a steep hill to climb. But today makes one thing clear: Power-hungry legislators will stop at nothing in their quest to take away the rights of the citizens.
We won’t let it happen. We’ll be monitoring this proposal closely in the days ahead, and we stand ready to take any actions necessary to defend our rights.
As we work to defeat this proposal and also to beat back threats to the Medicaid Expansion program and to our public education system, we need your support. If you’re able, please click here and chip in $5 or more today.
Stay tuned and stay vigilant, and let’s keep working to protect our schools, our healthcare, and our constitutional rights.
-Luke Mayville (Co-Founder, Reclaim Idaho)
